I really didn’t want to write this, but I realize that would be unfair to all of you.

…I just don’t want to give up our perfect seats.

Amis Trattoria is the latest Vetri restaurant for us to try. Osteria is my favorite go-to restaurant in Philadelphia, and we love Vetri as well. When I saw Amis on The 2011 Philly Mag 50 I knew we had to go as fast as possible (random aside- my goal is to visit all 50 of these restaurants… we’ve been to 13). I made a secret reservation for PhillyBoy and I, had him mark his calendar for a super secret date.

I was the wife of the year that night.

Amis is my new favorite restaurant. I can’t wait to take my dad there, I can’t wait to go back, and while we were there I wished I had an even bigger appetite than I already do.

The restaurant has little faults, but its biggest fault is big. The tables are really close together, so close that you practically hit elbows with your neighbor. As soon as we were seated at our too-friendly table, PB started looking around for a better table.

Spotted.

They have a few seats right in front of the chef’s station, and the view is unbeatable. We could see the kitchen in action firsthand, and I loved the thrill of it all.

Enough of our secret best table!

The food…. the food! We may have overdone it a bit, and PB and I had to roll home, but it was worth every magnificent bite. We had three appetizers and two entrees.. and then the chef sent us another pasta dish that we just had to dig into… and we didn’t stop there. We both really wanted to try dessert since we had been watching them go out all night, so we took one to go and enjoyed it at home after digesting a bit.

I probably gained 2 lbs that night.

It was worth it.

Highlight of the food for me was the zucchini & bufala mozzarella bruschetta appetizer. The bread was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside (read: just right), and the zucchini and mozzarella combination was brilliant.

I need to go back as soon as possible.

So all that to say I must really love you all because I shared my little secret.. the best restaurant in Philly and the best seat there.

Now, please come visit so I have an excuse to go back!

P.S. Check out my latest Babycenter post.

Walking into Flour + Water I immediately felt at home. The smell of bread baking welcomed me at the door and tucked me into a bed of pillowy comfort. We put our name in and enjoyed the 45 minute wait while perusing the menu.

The restaurant is dark and mysterious, with dark wood tables and candles sending a small burst of light here and there. Diners can enjoy their meals at community tables, in the dining room, or at the bar, and on this Sunday night all three were packed.

We were seated at the bar and our journey began. Our amazing bartender, Eric, knew the ins and outs of every item on the menu, and he encouraged us to ask a lot of questions. His descriptions made my mouth water, and we had a tough time narrowing our selection to 3 dishes.

We started with the beets with roasted young carrots, ricotta salata, mustard, wild arugula and whole wheat cracker.  My husband told Eric how I loved how fresh the dish tasted, and Eric casually mentioned that our beets were still in the ground in Marin only 60 hours ago. The daily menu changes about 25% every evening according to what the local farms have to offer.

The braised squid with fennel, clams, young fennel,  artichokes, cerignola olives and tarragon aioli that we ordered for our second course was intense. I wasn’t confident that the flavors would work well together, but each bite of squid with fennel and artichoke was better than the last. It was reminiscent of a dish my mom used to make when I was a kid, and I was so happy for that food memory.

For our final course we had the funghi pizza. I was feeling adventurous, and this pizza fit that feeling. The toppings could have been so simple and mundane, but instead the mushrooms with rapini leaves and taleggio cheese was complex and rich. We, both hearty eaters, couldn’t finish the pizza. Sad to leave two pieces to waste, we brought them back to our hotel room for a late night snack.

The wine we had was an incredibly smooth Brunello di Montalcino on special. I don’t know much about wines, but I do know I’d like to buy a bottle of this wine.

Flour + water is exactly what I want in a restaurant. The produce is sourced locally. The dishes are interesting and up to date. The menu is Italian, making me feel at home. The service is exquisite. The prices are reasonable and the décor is warm and inviting.

I now understand why Jessi & Jesse suggested it to us.

It was my favorite dining experience of the last few months.

I only wish we got to try the pumpkin cake. And the margherita pizza. And the autumn pumpkin tortelli. And and and…..

Just go there. You’ll understand.

Flour + Water
3401 Harrison St.
San Francisco, CA
415.826.7000

The bread is out of the bag!

What was my big news the other day?

I am one of Nature’s Pride Bread Ambassadors for the First Annual Foodbuzz Festival the weekend of November 6th! The official announcement is here. Are you going to be there? Let me know!

Congratulations also to my fellow Nature’s Pride Bread Ambassadors:

Brandi from Bran Appétit

Kim from Ravenous Couple

Brittany from Eating Bird Food

Shannon from Tri to Cook

Stephanie from StephChows

The links above link to their winning recipes! Here is my recipe for Egg White Veggie Frittata Muffins.

I am SO proud to have been chosen as I really love not only Nature’s Pride bread but all the natural ingredients behind it. Thank you Nature’s Pride & Foodbuzz, and see you all in San Francisco!

-RhodeyGirl

PB and I made an effort when in R.I. this weekend to see two of our friends who we haven’t seen in a while who live in Cambridge. Of course I suggested Small Plates as I loved the food the first time I went there. The second time was even tastier!!!!

Small Plates is a very small restaurant set back in Harvard Square that offers lots of, well, small plates! According to the website, they use organic foods as often as possible and also try to buy local and sustainable foods when they can. Restaurants where the employees take such pride are not easy to come by these days, and that, combined with the delicious food and fun concept, help make this place a winner.

Here are some of the dishes we enjoyed:

Amuse Bouche:

Japanese Eggplant:

Steamed Mussels Pachino:

Baby Artichoke:

Warm Squash “Fettucine”

Chicken Souvlaki:

Cafe Latte:

Ginger Apple Bread Pudding:

Pi a la Mood (Almond Hazelnut Cardamom Tart):

Kahlua Creme Caramel:

Out of all the dishes we ordered my favorite was the same favorite as last time, the warm squash “fettucine”. Maybe it is because I really love zucchini or maybe just because it was perfect. Either way I really wish I could recreate this dish at home! The squash were not spiralized but rather were sliced super thin and served with an amazing tomato sauce that tasted like it had a lot of garlic and fresh tomatoes. It is such a light dish that leaves your palette and your belly satisfied.

Next time you are in Boston make an effort to head over to Small Plates for a dinner that will not disappoint!

**********************

P.S. In the last 24 hours I somehow went from feeling great to having a bad cold, fever, and lost my voice. In losing my voice and having to be silent today, I am struggling to find my writing voice. I never thought one had anything to do with the other but I guess they do! Maybe I talk in my head while writing and since I know I can’t talk out loud I am not talking in my head either? Can you relate? Anyway, right now I am tucked away on the couch wearing several layers and blankets + a fleece scarf and hat and am drinking some hot water. I hope I feel better tomorrow! I feel weird not running!!!

I blame my hungry belly for this success.

This dish is one to bookmark and repeat. OFTEN.

As many of you know, I am a huge fun of healthy recipes that are easy and simple. Here is another one to add to the recipe books! Eggs are a great source of protein. When paired with veggies and Nature’s Pride whole wheat bread, you have a complete meal. I received the bread through the  Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, and I must say that this bread is a winner! I rarely purchase sliced bread anymore because of the scary ingredient list, but this bread has only natural ingredients, and the flavor shows.The bread adds both softness and crunch, while the vegetables add flavor to every bite.

Prep time took only 15 minutes, cook time 35 minutes. These are great for breakfast, lunch, a snack or dinner! Best of all, you can eat them with your hands. You can even make them the day before, and right before serving, heat them up in the oven or toaster oven!

Egg White Veggie Frittata Muffins
Serves 2 for dinner, or more for an appetizer!  

Ingredients:
7 egg whites
1 whole egg
1/3 cup skim milk
pinch kosher salt and pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1/4 cup cooked broccoli, diced
1/4 zucchini, diced
1 mushroom, diced
2 tbs freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
cooking spray or olive oil for the muffin tin
1 slice of Nature’s Pride Whole Wheat bread

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the spinach, broccoli, zucchini and mushroom and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk your eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Stir in the cooled vegetables. Add 1 tbs of the cheese and stir to combine.

3. Spray a large muffin tin (the one I used held only 6 muffins) with cooking spray. You can also just brush the tins with olive oil if you prefer. Fill each tin about 1/2 full with the mixture. You should be able to get 5 or 6 muffins with an oversize tin like I used, or 9-10 muffins with a regular 10-muffin tin.

4. Tear the slice of Nature’s Pride whole wheat bread into pieces and drop onto the top of the muffins. Sprinkle with the remaining parmigiano reggiano and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the egg is no longer soft. Enjoy!

Try this out, and let me know what you think!

5 girls living in 5 cities come together for a weekend of fun.

Gina: Chicago
Lynne: Indianapolis
Ili: Boston
D: Providence
Me: Philadelphia

This year’s reunion of friends was in Chicago, but we have all gotten to see a lot of one another because of my wedding! Also, Gina came out to Rhode Island in November so this is maybe the 5th time we have all been together in the last year. Impressive for living in different places! On Friday, after flying in from 3 places (Ili, Day & I- LOVE Southwest) and driving from one (Lynne), we all arrived in Chi town happy and hungry! We checked into our amazing ECO FRIENDLY Hotel Felix and got ready for a night on the town, but before that I had to take photos of our pretty room!

Did I mention this hotel is eco friendly and meets silver LEED certification levels? Even better. And it wasn’t pricey either. Very reasonable.

On to dinner! SUNDA!

Gina made the reservation and had bottles of champagne ready for us when we got there! It was such a sweet and bubbly way to start our weekend! Also, we were seated at the chef’s table which was so special. Sunda is a restaurant that boasts a New Asian cuisine, a clean and modern design, and a packed weekend crowd. At 9:30 PM on a Friday night the restaurant was still completely packed!

The decor was really beautiful- sleek and understated, yet powerful:

The chef’s table was right by the sushi bar:

Sweet, cold, champagne:

The girls plus Gina’s awesome Chicago friends!

Time to start celebrating…

And check out the menu:

Before any of our dishes started coming we were served hot cloths to wipe our hands and refresh ourselves:

Then we were served complimentary shots of ice cold sake. It was fabulous!

Gina took the liberty of ordering several dishes for the table as our dinner, and the dishes didn’t stop coming! They also kept getting more interesting and flavorful. Between the champagne, laughs, and creative meal, it was a fun and tasty night.

Here are the dishes we tried:
*descriptions from the menu online

SUNDA OCEAN GARDEN SALAD
wakame, ponzu, sesame, pear tomatoes

BURNT WATERMELON AND UNAGI “NIGIRI” (didn’t try this but they said it was awesome- sorry for the blur)
chili-caramelized watermelon, peppercress, unagi “bacon”, mango, lime

OXTAIL POTSTICKERS (I didn’t try this but the girls loved it!)
braised oxtail, caramelized onion jus, “white” wasabi cream

“TOAST AND JAM”
crispy shrimp “toast” and spicy tuna “jam”

ROCK SHRIMP TEMPURA
glazed walnuts and creamy honey aioli

DEVIL’S BASKET
wok tossed crispy soft shell crabs (2), dried chilis, shallots, scallions, toasted garlic

BAKED SNOW CRAB HANDROLL
alaskan snow crab, dynamite sauce, tempura crispies

(camera ate my photo, but this was one of the highlights!!)

SUMMER OF SUNDA ROLL
king crab, basil, mango, avocado, asparagus, soy paper, ponzu sauce

SUNDA SIGNATURE DISH:
the food Buddha’s classic crispy rice pan friend sushi rice glazed with soy sauce and topped

hand cut spicy tuna & jalapeno:

seared american kobe beef tartare:

shrimp tempura, avocado, wasabi:

And some sort of SUPER spicy tuna roll:

And after all that there was still dessert. Compliments of the chef:

And ordered by one of our friends. The Ridiculous (vanilla ice cream dipped in carrot cake batter and fried):

Banana fritters:

I really liked Sunda, and I give it a tie between the food and the atmosphere- in the best way! All of the meals we shared were really interesting and different. My favorites were those that I would never order myself: the rock shrimp (it was sooo amazing) and the toast and jam. However everyone agreed that the Sunda Signature dishes with the crispy rice were the best. They were so different than anything I had ever eaten- they had all the textures and flavors one could imagine- salty, sweet, crunchy, soft.

I also loved the vibe at Sunda. It was filled with young, successful, smiling people who wanted a fun night out and a delicious meal to boot.

Next time you are in Chicago, check out Sunda for one of their creative cocktails or dishes! You won’t be disappointed!

Sunda is located at 110 W. Illinois St. and is open for lunch Monday-Friday 11:30 AM- 3 PM and Dinner Sunday- Thursday 5 PM- Midnight and Friday- Saturday 5 PM- 1 AM. To make a reservation call 312.644.0500

Like most New Englanders, I have very fond memories of apple picking with family and friends. I even remember my first time to an apple orchard! I was in kindergarten, and our class had spent the previous week making bags to put our apples in and learning about how apples grow. Since then, apple picking has always had a special place in my heart.

Baby apples:

When I realized that PhillyBoy and I had never been apple picking together, I knew we had to remedy that right away. It helped that Heather and I were due for a visit, and there was an apple orchard exactly one hour from each of us. So last Saturday Heather, Mark, PB and I headed to the farm! Terhune Orchards is located right outside of Princeton, NJ and offers apple picking Monday-Sunday from 9 AM- 5 PM. Their Pick-Your-Own orchard is on Van Kirk Road, just a few miles away from their main area.

Heather & Mark:

PB and I:

The orchard had several different varieties of apples, and PB and Mark helped us navigate them. I made PB try almost every kind of apple available before picking any apples, which unfortunately ensures he is appled out for the season. 7 apples in a day can do that to someone. Heather and I had the chance to catch up while collecting apples for ourselves. By now she is an old friend, and it was so nice to see her!

Around the corner at the main Terhune Farm, they offer various foods and activities for families including pumpkin painting and cider donuts, apple cider and caramel apples. We headed there after apple picking where I enjoyed a cider donut and some hot cider. The four of us stood around and chatted as the guinea fowl took over our area.

Piece of my delicious cider donut:

Guinea Fowl:

It was a great day and a great way to celebrate fall. What better way to enjoy the fall crisp air than to head to a Pick-Your-Own orchard and collect some fresh and healthy apples? Of course, apples are now in season so they will taste much better now than at any other time of year. Plan your apple picking trip now before the season ends!

Thanks Heather and Mark, we had a great day!

The four of us:

Now what does one do with 7 lbs of apples? Ideas?