Eating Out Meat Free

My #NYC Weekend Adventure

By now, you are probably fully aware of my total and complete love of any and everything NYC! This weekend, in celebration of my mother’s 62nd birthday, my father and I surprised her to a weekend trip to the city complete with a Broadway show, great food, and a horseback ride. Check out my adventure below!

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Nicole Eats Video Series

Whisky Tasting at Virginia Distillery Co.

Welcome to season 2 of Nicole Eats and Travels! In this video, I visit Lovingston, Virginia’s VA Distillery Company where I learn what it takes to make their award-winning whisky. The best part, is that I get to taste it!

This season, I am journeying through the DMV where I’ll be spotlighting some of my favorite food finds and great places to have a little fun.

For more information about VA Distillery, visit http://www.vadistillery.com.

Nicole Eats Video Series

Making Grilled Cheese at Society Fair

Welcome to season 2 of Nicole Eats and Travels! In this video, I go behind the scenes of one of my favorite places in Alexandria, Virginia, Society Fair. If you like homemade croissants, top-notch cheese, and fresh baked bread, you don’t want to miss it!

This season, I am journeying through the DMV where I’ll be spotlighting some of my favorite food finds and great places to have a little fun.

For more information about Society Fair, visit http://www.societyfair.net.

Nicole Eats Video Series

Biking D.C.’s National Mall

Welcome to season 2 of Nicole Eats and Travels! In this video, I journey around Washington D.C.’s National Mall bike style with Bike and Roll DC! Watch as I learn about the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

This season, I am journeying through the DMV where I’ll be spotlighting some of my favorite food finds and great places to have a little fun.

For more information about Bike and Roll DC, visit http://bikeandrolldc.com.

Nicole Eats Video Series

Making a Veggie Bowl at MEDI

Welcome to season 2 of Nicole Eats and Travels! In this video, I visit Virginia’s MEDI, which is a hot spot for fresh, Mediterranean food. Watch as I jump behind the scenes to see how they make their popular spicy tofu and so much more!

This season, I am journeying through the DMV where I’ll be spotlighting some of my favorite food finds and great places to have a little fun.

For more information about MEDI, visit http://www.eatmedi.com.

Nicole Eats Video Series

Making Gelato at Casa Rosada

Welcome to season 2 of Nicole Eats and Travels! In this video, I visit the family owned Casa Rosada. A gelato shop in the beautiful Old Town area of Alexandria, Virginia. Watch as I jump in the kitchen to help make one of the shop’s customer favorites: banana split gelato.

This season, I am journeying through the DMV where I’ll be spotlighting some of my favorite food finds and great places to have a little fun.

For more information about Casa Rosada, visit http://www.crgelato.com. Please note that the shop closes for business each January, so check before visiting. (For 2017, it will be closed from January 2 to February 12.)

Eating Out Meat Free

Virginia’s Cheesetique Reminded Me of My Love of #AllThingsCheese

I went to cheese heaven and lived to tell about it.

The moment after hearing on the radio that Saturday, July 30th was a day of celebrating cheesecake, which was once my favorite dessert, I knew I couldn’t let the day go by without having a local tasting of my used-to-be love. With a quick search of Foursquare and OpenTable for the “best cheesecake” the DMV had to offer, I landed on Cheesetique, a locally-owned gem that would, in just a few days, remind me of just how awesome cheese was and the many variations it could take.

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Eating Out Meat Free, Nicole Eats Video Series, Quick Bites

Check Out My Recent Live Stream on Blab!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of participating in my very first live stream via BLAB! My underarms were sweating like crazy, but I overcame and came out a VICTOR! I had an awesome time sharing An Experience Junkie’s Guide to Travel with Eva Jordan-Johnson of www.TravelwithEva.com. During our discussion, I shared 4 tips on how an experience junkie, like myself, can have a productive travel experience. I will be making another blog post that goes into more detail about those tips, but for now, please check out the video below. Be sure to sign in to your Twitter or Facebook account to view the video.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Eating Out Meat Free

This Almond Croissant Was Everything and More

I have a thing for croissants. This thing goes all the way back to my childhood days when I completely salivated over the pop of a Pillsbury can of Crescent rolls. Even today as a 30-something, I get the feels while I’m passing by the row of cans – and this is after years of training my palate to detest the taste of “stuff like that.” In essence, I love croissants and have for the longest. So, during my first visit to Alexandria, Virginia’s Society Fair, I was sure to put in an order of their almond croissant to finish out my brunch visit.

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Eating Out Meat Free

Society Fair’s Grilled Cheese (for Brunch) May Have Just Blown My Mind

If ever there was a restaurant or even a place that said Nicole, Alexandria, Virginia’s Society Fair would definitely be that restaurant AND that place. It’s so Parisian that I can’t even deal. Perfectly placed, mix-matched chandeliers, chocolate and almond croissants, pink plush sofas, little trinkets, big cakes and pies. Plus, a butchery in the back. It was magnifique! Although my heart skipped several beats in joy for my after-brunch treat of an almond croissant, it was my grilled cheese with tomato soup (called The Classic, on the menu) that stood out as the star of my recent visit to Society Fair.

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Eating Out Meat Free

My Whisky Experience at the Virginia Distillery Company

It might have been the longest three hours I had ever spent in a car. From my early 18-hour fall drives back to college for four years to my random family trips and girls getaways, I’ve spent a lot of time in a car. A lot. Yet, this time seemed to drag on with no end in sight. It had nothing to do with my driving counterpart (my mom). No, my lackluster driving experience probably was a combination of three things: 1. It was me who was doing the driving, 2. I had no idea that when I set out on my journey that Saturday mid-morning that it would be for 3 hours, and 3. I moved to a “big city” so that everything I could possibly be interested in going to would be no more than an hour away. We were headed to Lovingston, a small town in Virginia, for a tour and tasting at the Virginia Distillery Company (VDC), and after only minutes of arriving, I knew that the drive was and would be worthwhile.

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Nicole Eats Video Series

Inside VOM FASS, an International Tasting Experience

Vinegars, oils, spirits, liqueurs… oh my! During my recent visit to VOM FASS Winter Garden, I went on an international flavor journey to places like Scotland, Germany, France, and Greece. Plus, I brought a friend along to join in on the fun. So watch as I go behind the scenes of this amazing store and taste the flavors of the world!

For more information about VOM FASS, be sure to visit http://wintergarden.vomfassusa.com.

Eating My City, Eating Out Meat Free

My Top 10 Meatless Eating Adventures of 2015 (in pictures)

As 2015 comes to a close, I couldn’t leave it behind without making a list of some of my most awesome food experiences the year brought my way. From tacos to empanadas and French toast to Ethiopian cuisine, Central Florida showed me just how diverse and amazing it can be when it comes to vegetarian and vegan options. Without further ado, and in no particular order, I present my list of awesomeness! (Be sure to click the titles for more information.)

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Eating My City, Eating Out Meat Free, Nicole Eats Video Series

Video: Buffalo Cauliflower Bites at Daya

In this episode, watch as Daya Chef Hector shows me how he makes one of my favorite dishes at the restaurant, Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. If you were (or still are) a fan of buffalo chicken wings, this is such a great alternative! Spice, crunch, and the accompanying blu cheese dressing (which is vegan too!) will make you forget all about the meat option.

For more information about Daya, visit: http://www.dayarestaurant.com.

Be sure to watch Part 1 of my visit to Daya, where I help make Crab-less Cakes!