oliver twist eats

i have to admit that lately most of my fine dining has been at my home or at the homes of my friends. suffice it to say, i've still had the chance to try some new eats for you to hear about. these will keep you warm for now and saying "please sir, i want some more."

the pub in pembroke pines
http://www.luvthepub.com/pub_pembroke.html

english pot roast
this is the ultimate holiday meal to enjoy at a bar. tender pieces of beef with peas, carrots and chive whipped potatoes served over a bordelaise sauce. accompanied with a great glass of cabernet sauvignon while it's a little chilly outside will make it feel like you're in a scene right from the movie 'the holiday.' albeit, jude law would have been a much nicer side to the roast than red wine.

finding atlanta

atlanta is a wonderful mix of old southern hospitality with a new, vibrant urban movement. the friendly factor was extremely overwhelming for me, almost something i wasn't familiar with but i accepted it with open arms. and the food scene is glorious! my host for the weekend was jenna cloyd -a great friend who i share many fond memories with during college and beyond, and is now embarking her own journey in the budding town. her taste is only the best which ultimately meant great food spots and a lot of memorable sight seeing.

breakfast in orlando-oviedo

my best friend annie lives in orlando but every time i take the three hour drive to see her, she never manages to take me to any of the local restaurants. to her credit, we get to enjoy her family's homemade food or make quick trips to chipotle (which i will never say no to.) i started asking her friends where is the best place they love to eat at in orlando and the majority said the town house restaurant in oviedo, just outside of orlando - a place known for their breakfast (my absolute favorite meal of the day and annie's least favorite.) luckily, our friend michael o'donnell was willing to show me what all the buzz was about and i'm so glad he did.

finding las vegas

let's spare the "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas" what not and go straight to "what happened in vegas was amazing and i wish i stayed in vegas longer."

first things first, my partner in crime, jessica brager who i am so thankful that i got to share this trip with - especially because we were always on the same page, which made the "finding" so much better. she's the friend that truly wants the best for you, the friend that understands that leaving your id at the hotel room could actually happen to anyone, the friend that hopes dessert will follow every meal and the friend that you can laugh and dance with until the early hours of the morning with a clutch in hand and all the hair accessories possibe on -while making plans to probably eat again. and then there's jordan spitz, who provided for the ultimate vegas experience and will forever be indebted in our hearts. jordan is the man.

upon arriving to the las vegas airport, brager and i were greeted by a man holding a very formal sign with her last name. i was so excited that such a finely dressed man was waiting for us with an actual sign that i went straight for my camera from my purse and within five seconds my face was planted on the floor. i had managed to trip over some woman's luggage and then in the feet of brian, our chauffeur. poor jess had to admit that i was with her but brian was so sweet about the fall even though deep down inside he was thinking "she won't last an hour in this city." minutes later, after the dessert heat settled in, we reached our next destination - the phantom. now most vehicles can't be considered "destinations" but when it's a rolls royce, it is. we were swooning with so much joy that truly the trip could have ended there and we'd be completely fine. brian told us stories about wild nights with tourists and something about drawing the line at animals - all while frank sinatra played in the background. we knew already that this was going to be one the best weekends ever.