Spring in the City

Not a lot of time to post - but here are a few photos of our amazing spring in the city! We've been to the high line, Central Park, and more!

Lots of Mozza - Cooking Class at Eataly!

 Oh what a fun time!! Nate and I took a cooking class at Eataly with a gift card we got for Christmas! When we looked at all the class options, the choice for us was clear - the one all about cheese called "Lots a Mozza" - everything you'd ever want to know about Mozzarella cheese! The class did not disappoint! We started out sampling three different types of Mozzarella - burrata, the classic buffola, and Eataly's signature made before our very eyes! Our favorite, hands-down, was the burrata. It was amazing!

 The second course was a Mozzarella take on grilled cheese (delicious)! You can see I enjoyed it! Then we got to see Mozzarella in action, first paired with a perfectly-done al dente pasta from the region where Napoli and Pompeii are called Campania. The pasta was called Vesuvio because it's shaped as they say, like Mount Vesuvius! The final course was chicken parmesan - it was amazing but I sadly could not finish it - I was stuffed! We also had signature white and red wines paired throughout the class. If you're ever in NYC and have the chance, I'd highly recommend a class at Eataly. Our teacher was the head chef at Eataly, Alex, who previously worked at Del Posto and Babbo - he knew his stuff! It was the perfect way to get in the spirit for our 10 day trip to Italy!

Running Adventures: My first 10K!

I ran my first 10K!!! On some level I still can't believe it! I've been training and I've run two 4-mile races, but a 10K was a new challenge. In miles, it's about 6.25, so definitely a longer run than the 4 mile races. To my personal disappointment, I didn't get the chance to train as much as I would like for this race - life has just been too busy! Still on race day, I was determined to finish. I ran the best race thus far - a solid 11 minute mile pace the entire 6.25 miles! I finished in one hour, eight minutes and I was very proud of that time. I'm not a runner by nature so joining NYRR has helped me realize that no matter how fast or slow you go, a mile is a mile is a MILE! And I'm proud of myself for keeping at it even though it's hard. With a 10K completed, I feel that a half marathon might not be too far a stretch - of course I'll really have to buckle down with the training to accomplish that! It's great to have goals and I love running Central Park. I'm also very lucky that my sweet boyfriend woke up at 7am to see me run the race! I'm a lucky girl!

Stay tuned for more running adventures!!

Running the 10K - around mile 5

James Beard Foundation Awards & Gala!

Chefs Night Out

Last weekend I was in for a total treat when my Uncle Phil came to town and brought me as his plus-one to Chefs Night Out and the James Beard Foundation Awards & Gala. Usually my Aunt Paula would be his plus-one but she had to work and lucky for me, I live in town! James Beard recognizes the leaders in food around the United States - it's basically the Oscars of the food industry! Chefs Night Out is the Sunday before the awards and it took place in Chelsea Market. I did the photo call (see above) and met some fantastic people as I sampled appetizers and cocktails. It was a ton of fun!

Monday was the Awards and Gala. It was a once in a lifetime experience. The awards were so interesting - even though I hadn't been to most of the restaurants I recognized the names and the chefs. The Lifetime achievement award winner was Wolfgang Puck - it was incredible to see him in person! Other noteworthy winners included the chef from Eleven Madison Park for the Outstanding Chef of the Year - the signature award - and I was so lucky to go to that restaurant back in 2011 for my sister Jenni's college graduation. So at least the top award - I'd been there! The Gala took place directly after the awards. Top chefs from all over the country set up booths with signature appetizers to sample, and there were signature cocktails and an incredible cake sculpture as well! I was in awe and tried to enjoy every moment.

And to top it all off, the Gala took place in Avery Fisher Hall overlooking Lincoln Center. The view at night is absolutely breathtaking. We were lucky with cool weather, so we were able to enjoy the balcony and the view while sipping on signature cocktails. It was a very special weekend and I'm very grateful to my amazing Uncle for letting me be a part of it.

Lincoln Center at night