talia's tuscan table - a local favorite

talia's in boca raton is an italian restaurant that is loved by locals - completely valued by its loyal customers who spread the good word about this oh, so good spot. many, many friends have insisted that i check out the low key eatery and after my friend erin (who is ultra picky about what she eats) said she just had the best sandwich ever, i made it a point to go asap.

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.

joie de vivre's for april

new food fantasticals. place's that will keep you wanting to come back.

epicure gourmet market in sunny isles beach
http://www.epicuremarket.com/

i have a tendency to spend my lunch breaks at either fresh market or whole foods because what's second to eating food, looking at food. so when i discovered epicure on collins avenue, i was afraid that completing  important work tasks was going to be impossible. between their deli, hot foods, produce, full bar, wine collection, exetensive cheese collections, seafood varieties, isles and isles of international groceries and my cryptonite - desserts, galore... i just didn't know what to do with myself. i wanted to unleash my grazing muscles when i saw the assortments of chocolates, baked goods and cakes. there was a point where my face was so close to the glass case, that my breath had created a fog. i didn't stay long once i realized that i was close to grocery shopping for items that would have hit an all time carb high. this was a serious charlie and the chocolate factory moment. amazing.

table 42's $5 burger night

table 42 - italian kitchen & wine bar
royal palm place
399 se mizner blvd
boca raton, fl 33432
561.826.2625

i think that a burger is the ultimate meal. bun, meat, cheese, veggies, and a good sauce to combine the elements together- perfection! so when i heard that the new table 42 in boca raton (formerly coal mine pizza) was doing a burger night on wednesdays- & for only $5... i was pretty much sold at the spot.

my tops - best of boca

boca raton is an interesting town (to say the least) and anyone who has had the pleasure of living even just a few months amongst the area, will agree.

my personal experience in this city has been a whirlwind. between college and work, i've been here for more than five years - and mostly in east boca. i get asked a lot "where is the best place to eat in boca raton?" therefore i have decided that one of my first posts will be about the best of boca- through my eyes.

i call this 'my tops.' i'm sure there will be dissenters from what i choose to be the 'best i've ever had' and i strongly encourage others to share their very own 'tops!'

top sandwich that will change your life:

chicken lemon artichoke from beany's gourmet cafe.
561.392.1085

when i first had this sandwich, my life changed. there is really no other way to describe how good this sandwich is. the bread is baked fresh at the cafe, the chicken is incredibly juicy, the combination of lemon, garlic aioli and artichoke hearts all topped with smoked provolone- (should i stop now?)...