I'm Full... and Tired!

It's been over three months since I last shared a story of food with you, so for that I do apologize. My life has been a little crazy lately, in the best way possible, and I just haven't been able to find the time. In the past three months, a LOT has happened. I attended South by Southwest in Austin where I had an incredible time and was lucky enough to eat at both the famous Franklin BBQ and at Top Chef Paul Qui's Uchiko.

[Franklin BBQ is the REAL DEAL!]



I know my dining companions from Uchiko would like for me to recount our meal, so I will share what I remember of it. The company was great, the wine was crisp, the service was impeccable (shout-out to Bobby Bookout!) and the food was absolutely outstanding. We had eight diners and the table was split into four and four, so each group of us ordered a different tasting menu.

The stand-out dishes were the Brussels sprouts, the Yokai Berry Atlantic Salmon, the Loup Crudo and the several different varities of sushi we ordered.

Bobby even taught us that when eating nigiri (sliced raw fish over a pat of rice), you're meant to flip the fish over with your fingers as you place it into your mouth so the fish hits your tongue first and the rice second. I assumed he knew what he was talking about and tried it out, and I couldn't believe the difference it made! I highly recommend you try it.

We also ate at the always-amazing Second Bar + Kitchen where my friend Ethan is the Chef de Cuisine. That man knows how to make some food! Another one of the highlights of the trip was the Bravo party where I got to hang with my main man Tom Colicchio.

In the past three months I also visited Florida for Food Blog Forum Orlando where I spoke on a panel about PR, brands and bloggers and I caught up with some of my favorite bloggers.

[Nikki of Pennies on a Platter, Krissy of Krissy's Creations, Julie of Table for Two Blog (and my soulmate), Jenny of Picky Palate, Angie of Bakerella and me]

[I love the turkey legs in Disney World!]

[Jaden Hare & Scott Hare of Steamy Kitchen, Julie Deily of The Little Kitchen, me, Diane Cu & Todd Porter of The White on Rice Couple]

I have been traveling frequently to Chicago and Michigan for team meetings (always good to see everyone) and went to Seattle earlier this month for BlogHer Food. It was a great time, a great city and again many of my favorite bloggers were there!

[Alex Thomopoulos of Against the Grain, me and Todd Porter of The White on Rice Couple]

[Here I am with the KitchenAid girls, Katie Lee & Tandy!]

[Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean, Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker, Alex Thomopoulos of Against the Grain, me and Catherine McCord of Weelicious]

[Here I am with Jaden of  Steamy Kitchen]

Most recently, I attended the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. As a foodie, the Classic is the ultimate event. It is something I have wanted to attend for as long as I've known of its existence. What it looked like, to me, was the most epic food experience possible. The chefs I love making the food I love to eat in a setting that looked like a dream.

When I took my job last summer, I had no idea it meant I might have a chance to go to this event. I could have only hoped. When my attendance was finally confirmed, it felt like I was dreaming. I counted down the days and this past Thursday, my boss and I boarded a plane for Colorado. The adventure began.

Over the past five days, I have had one of the best times of my life.

While I was there to work, and work I did, I couldn't help but indulge in some fun. As part of my job, I attended cooking demonstrations, snapped photos of celebrity chefs, posted content to Facebook, met and mingled with influencers, found "tweetable" moments and generally just took it all in so I could properly share it with my brand's social media community. You will never really hear me complain about my job, I absolutely love it.

When I wasn't working, it was time to play, and play I did. During the Publisher's Party on top of the mountain (which we arrived to via gondola), I was introduced to some industry people my age (some of whom also live and work in NYC), and they became my partners in partying for the weekend. We danced our faces off at Gail Simmons' Dessert Party, rode a moose (see below), sipped Belvedere cocktails at the 30th Anniversary Party while listening to the sweet sounds of Elvis Costello, again danced our faces off at the Spazmatics concert, after-partied until the sun came up, gorged on delicious porky goodness at the Grand Cohocon Party, hopped aboard a bicycle built for 10 to ride around the streets of Aspen and, most significantly for me, successfully met New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker. All in the midst of some of the most gorgeous views of nature I have ever seen in my entire life. Yes, I am a lucky girl.

I know this is a food blog so I also need to tell you about the food which was absolutely epic. At the Grand Tasting, the short rib dish from Food & Wine Best New Chef Bryant Ng was flavorful, spicy and unique with tongue, jasmine coconut rice and peanuts while the Chocolate Chunk cookies from Jacques Torres were a welcome familiar flavor. The Grand Cochon brought several exciting dishes, like the sweet & sour pork bones from Jamie Bissonnette that were fall-off-the-bone tender and the pork tortellini in pork broth from Chef Marc Forgione that was other-worldly. Even with all the options at the event, and even considering how full I was from all the porky goodness I had consumed, I went back for seconds on both dishes. Forgione also offered a very limited supply of ribs with ramps and black truffles, and I was lucky enough to get one! (see below)

Other major highlights for me were, without a doubt, the Simmons/Colicchio "Sweet & Savory" demonstration, the annual cook-off between Michael Symon/Bobby Flay and Jacques Pepin/Jean Claude Szurdak (Pepin and Szurdak were victors), the views from the top of the mountain during the Publisher's Party, getting called out by Johnny Iuzzini for being "trouble" after our mutual antics at the Dessert Party and the realization that while I was having one of the best weekends of my entire life, I was technically "working."

Some photos of the Aspen Classic are below for your enjoyment.

[Jacques Pepin is so adorable!]

[Wes Welker is a whole different kind of adorable... GO PATRIOTS!]

[Good times with Johnny Iuzzini]

[New friends]

[Obviously my favorite demo! Love Tom & Gail]

[INCREDIBLE Pork Rib with Black Truffles and Pickled Ramps from Chef Marc Forgione]

More photos from the Classic:

My Photos

Photos I took for KitchenAid

I also promise, promise, promise, my next post will come sooner than three months from now. Until then...

Let's Eat!

-The Fabulous Foodie

A Fund for Jennie

Sometimes things happen that really make you wonder, really make you feel like life just isn't fair. A few weeks ago, I noticed my Twitter stream come alive with the hashtag #apieformikey. Upon further investigation, I learned that the husband of a well-known and well-respected Food Blogger, Jennie Perillo of In Jennie's Kitchen, had died suddenly of a heart attack leaving Jennie to care for their two young daughters and mourn the loss of the love of her life. I don't know Jennie, and I had never read her blog, but my heart broke.

Jennie's request to the food blogging community: make a peanut butter pie and share it with someone you love. What happened next brings tears to my eyes, as this incredible community of wonderful people started to bake. The White on Rice couple, a lovely couple I have had the pleasure of working with at my new job, made this incredible video tribute to Jennie (warning: this made me sob at my desk).

That same incredible community of people then started A Fund for Jennie to raise money to help Jennie with the financial troubles that resulted from Mikey's passing. Almost every single food blogger I have ever heard of, met or worked with either made a Pie for Mikey, donated an auction item to A Fund for Jennie, or did both.

I have been lucky enough to get to work with Bloggers Without Borders on A Fund For Jennie, and there are still some live auctions, so head over to their website and check it out. You can also donate directly through PayPal to Bloggers Without Borders, and the money will go to A Fund for Jennie.

This story has moved me very deeply, I still sometimes sit and cry when I think of what Jennie must be going through, and I hope the love and support of her friends in the food blogging community has helped ease some of the pain.

This story has made me take extra time to stop and tell the people I love how I feel, especially my incredible family, my wonderful friends and my amazing boyfriend who I feel lucky to know every single day of my life. I love you Patrick.Jennie, I know I don't know you, but I think your strength is simply amazing and I want you to know that I keep you in my thoughts. I'm deeply sorry for your loss.

-The Fabulous Foodie

Burgers at Wall Street Burger Shoppe

There are few things as satisfying as biting into a good, juicy burger. When two of my fellow food-loving buddies, Rev. Dave Ciancio (aka Burger Conquest) and Lea from Bizzy asked me to join them for a burger lunch at Wall Street Burger Shoppe down in FiDi, I couldn't resist! I met them on a dreary, rainy day, but as soon as I smelled the aroma of burgers the weather outside no longer mattered. I walked up the stairs and joined Rev & Lea at a high-top table as my stomach growled in anticipation.

I knew Lea, the Queen of Mac & Cheese was planning to order the Mac 'N Cheese burger (Char-grilled 8oz blend of Hereford beef, macaroni and four cheeses [Gruyere, American, Pecorino and Cheddar]), but given my lactose-intolerant stomach I had to stay away from it. Rev also wanted to try it, so I felt a bit of burger envy as I ordered my Becky Burger (Char-grilled 4oz Hereford beef burger with aged cheddar, sliced pickles, tomato and ketchup) with Avocado and a side of onion rings. I should have realized my burger was only 4 oz. while all the others were 8 oz, but I was so hungry I didn't notice. Rev ordered the Porterhouse Burger (Char-grilled 6oz blend of Porterhouse tail and chuck burger with lettuce, tomato and steak sauce) in addition to the Mac 'N Cheese burger for a taste test. Trust me, this guy knows his burgers.

We ordered a round of drinks (beers for me & Rev, Guinness Milkshake for Lea) and waited for our burgers to arrive. Lea and I both checked in on Foursquare because the special was a free side of fries or onion rings. When our order got to the table, I was immediately filled with envy because my burger was about 1/2 the size of the other 3 on the tray. The waiter put the food on the table and although my burger was tiny, it still looked solid.

This is when I realized that the waiter had never asked me how I wanted my burger cooked (I like red meat "bloody as hell") and I cut into the meat to disappointingly realize it was cooked well-done. My own fault for not specifying. I covered the burger in ketchup and went in for the kill. Flavorful, even though it wasn't cooked to my preference, it was still a good burger. But my eyes filled with longing as I watched Lea & Rev chow down on the Mac 'N Cheese burgers, they looked amazing. Lea was kind enough to offer me a bite, and it was GOOD. I cursed my stomach for its inability to handle butter and polished off my meal. While I wasn't thrilled with my order, Wall Street Burger Shoppe definitely cranks out some good burgers. Next time I'm ordering the Mac 'N Cheese burger and I'll handle the stomachache!

Make sure to check out Lea's review of her Mac 'N Cheese burger here (click the arrow over to #9) and Rev's here.

Also be sure to check out all the great food writing Lea & Rev have to offer, they're good foodie friends of mine and really know their stuff!

Lea on Twitter: @MacCheesy, @LvM and @BizzyLea
Lea on Facebook: MacCheesy
Rev on Twitter: @yeahman
Rev's blog: Burger Conquest

(photo compliments of Rev)

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Tonnie's Minis

I'm about to break every single one of my own rules regarding food, and I'm perfectly okay with it. No, I don't like sweets. No, I don't usually order dessert when I go out to dinner. But I do enjoy the occasional "dessert" if it's not overly sweet and I'm in the mood for it.

A few nights ago, Patrick and I went to Harlem for dinner at Red Rooster. As any foodie would be, I was excited about the meal. I expressed my excitement on Twitter (@FabFoodieBites) and received a Tweet from a handle called @Tonnies_MINIS telling me that when I'm up in Harlem for my dinner at Red Rooster, I should stop by their store Tonnies a few blocks away (at 123rd & Lenox, right off the 2/3 train) and try some cupcakes.

In addition to loving food, I also love social media, and I was impressed by this outreach. I went back and forth with them a few times, and they asked if I would come and order the Carrot Cupcake (since I like Carrot Cake). I asked Patrick if he wouldn't mind heading to Harlem a little early to stop by Tonnie's, and of course he said he wouldn't. So off we went to Harlem! Tonnie's really is only 3 blocks away from Red Rooster, so we went inside. I asked to talk to the person who manages their Twitter account, and it turns out I had just missed him. Chris, if you're reading this, I'd love to meet you! Patrick got a Red Velvet Cupcake and I ordered the Carrot Cupcake.

Since we were heading to dinner, we saved them for after, and we went to Red Rooster for a fabulous meal (more on that later!)

When we got home that night, we were stuffed, but I had to try the cupcake. I know there is a HUGE debate over the best cupcakes in New York City (Tonnie's Minis made the top 12 in that list!) and I'm certainly not the right person to make that decision, but these cupcakes were fantastic. Moist cake, creamy frosting and the perfect balance between the 2 made for a dessert that I actually enjoyed (!!) Patrick agreed that the cupcakes were great.

Tonnie's, your cupcakes are worth traveling from Chelsea all the way up to Harlem for a taste, and your social media outreach is impressive. Keep up the good work, I'll definitely be back, and I'll be sending you many more customers.

Alright everyone, let's hear it- what is your favorite cupcake in New York City, and why?

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Social Media Week as Told by a Foodie

It's no big secret that I'm a food junkie. I love everything about it; eating it, photographing it, writing about it, cooking it. What you may not know about me is that I'm also a huge Social Media junkie. I love Facebook and Twitter, and I am always looking for the latest & greatest. So when I realized 2011's Social Media Week was upon us, I began to look over the events. I was so excited and happy to see how many great panels were being planned, and many of them were centered around food; food apps, food writing, sustainability, food blogging, etc. I signed up for several events & panels and waited for Social Media Week to roll around.

Here is a recap of the food-related events I attended:

Date: Monday 2/7
Event: Sustainable Flashmob, Hosted by Foodspotting and Whole Foods Market
Panelists:
-Moderated by Foodspotting’s Co-founder and Head of Partnerships, Soraya Darabi
-Award-winning celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson
-Ben Leventhal, founder of Eater.com and The Feast
-Amanda Hesser, food columnist at The New York Times & founder of Food52.com
Details: The Food and Social Media panel discussed sustainability, food blogging, technology & how it's changing the face of the industry as we know it. After the panel, the first 100 people that posted a picture of Marcus Samuelsson's meatballs on Foodspotting received a $10 gift certificate to Whole Foods, which I used to buy lunch. Overall, a great conversation between the panelists, and I had a total "geek out" moment when Ben Leventhal & Marcus Samuelsson answered my question about food blogging. They advised me to set myself apart, and write what I'm passionate about. Amazing!

Date: Tuesday 2/8
Event: Eats & Apps - A Food (App) Lovers’ Roundtable
Apps in Attendance:
-Hosted at 4Food
-Gourmet Live - Recipes, stories, interviews with chefs & more
-Foodspotting - Rating the best dishes & where to find them through food photos
-Food Network - Archive of Food Network recipes, tools & more
-Dinevore - Discover, organize & share restaurant advice
-Snooth - Using image recognition technology to find out where a particular wine is sold near you
-Gojee - Recipes, deals, tips & news based on your grocery store receipt
-Ratio - The simple codes behind the craft of everyday cooking
-Bread Baking Basics - Personalized recipes for making bread
Details: The event was a showcase of the newest & most useful food apps in the market today, from recipe archives to restaurant reviews. Each app had a representative showing off their stuff on iPhones & iPads, and answering questions from the attendees. 4Food provided delicious food including Edemame Sushi and Burger Patty bites. Each company that was represented at the event created their own signature burger that were on sale for $7 each. It was a great event for networking with fellow foodies and techies.(Photo Credit: Emily Cavalier, Mouth of the Border)

Date: Thursday 2/10
Event: The New Food Reviewers: Is Social Media Making Us Savvy or Snarky?
Panelists:
-Moderated by Maile Carpenter, editor in chief, Food Network Magazine
-Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue food critic; author of The Man Who Ate Everything and It Must’ve Been Something I Ate
-Alex Guarnaschelli, executive chef, Butter restaurant; host of Food Network’s Alex’s Day Off and frequent judge on Chopped
-Ben Leventhal, executive editor, The Feast; co-owner, the Curbed Network (including Curbed, Racked and Eater); co-founder, Eater
-Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff, founders, the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck
Details: Overall, this was one of the best panels I have ever attended. Ms. Carpenter did a fabulous job moderating, even when Jeffrey Steingarten attempted (several times) to steal the show with long-winded comments. Alex Guarnaschelli had the attendees roaring with laughter, and she brings a fresh (if not sarcastic) view to the food industry. Interesting questions such as "Do you just wish Yelp would go away?" were asked and Alex told a great story about how Prince ended up on the stage at the Darby after his MSG show earlier this month. For the lucky (and smart) few of us who stayed put after the panel, we were delighted to see Wylie Dufresne was in attendance, and I even got to speak to him and thank him for the incredible meal I'd had at his WD-50 a few months earlier.

Date: Friday 2/11
Event: "It's Lunchtime! Now What?" Presented by NearSay & SideBAR
Panelists:
-Moderated by Trevor Sumner, Co-Founder of NearSay.com
-Lea Marino, Community Manager at Bizzy
-John Buchanan, Co-Founder of Signpost
-Jane Kwett, Director of NYC Marketing at Yelp
-Lauren Drell, Social Media Manager at Luke’s Lobster
-Amy Cao, Head of Social Media at Foodspotting
-Emily Welby, Social Media Coordinator at SideBAR & Village Pourhouse
Details: The panel was great, and they discussed many interesting topics such as how to best interact with followers on Twitter, how to rise above all the "noise" in their markets and how to go about listening to the voices & opinions they trust. The event was very interactive, with a small, intimate networking session following the panel, and the panelists proved why they are good at what they do; every one of them was friendly, informative & took time to meet the attendees.

(Photo Credit: Jane Kwett, Director of NYC Marketing at Yelp)

Overall, this was an amazing week. I feel so inspired by all the people I met, and I feel so lucky to be a part of such a strong community of Social Media enthusiasts, foodies, writers, bloggers & all-around awesome people. I can't wait for Social Media Week next year! Thank you to everyone I met and connected with this week for being so darn great, I look forward to collaborating with you all very soon.

Did you attend any events during Social Media Week? Did you learn anything new? Please share your experiences with me, I'd love to hear about them.

Let's Eat! (And write! And connect on Social Media!)
-The Fabulous Foodie (@FabFoodieBites)