Time to check another one off the list!

It’s a very badly kept secret among my friends that I wasn’t such a fan after my first encounter with Brian Voltaggio. In fact, I didn’t even mention Volt on the blog because I was so underwhelmed. Maybe foam just isn’t my thing, or I didn’t love what I paid for it. Either way, others seem to have much better experiences with Brian than I did, so I vowed to go back.

Unfortunately though, I didn’t quite make room in my food budget for another visit to Volt this year. So enter Lunchbox, Voltaggio’s new lunch spot in Frederick. Super affordable. Within easy walking distance of my friend Elizabeth’s. We both ended up with a free afternoon last Friday, so a trip to Frederick was in order!

Elizabeth had been to Lunchbox a few times since it’s opening last month–it’s in her backyard, who could blame her–so she gave me some tips on ordering. I felt like I ordered everything on the menu, but since I had driven all the way to Frederick (that’s practially WESTERN MARYLAND, folks) I wanted to make it count. And so we did.

I started off with the butternut squash soup, which was delightful. It took one of my favorite types of soup and married it with cinnamon sugar croutons. It’s like they designed this soup for me! It was a not too sweet squash soup, which was also nice since it balanced well with the rest of the meal. Elizabeth had the celeriac and chicken dumpling soup, which she also said was quite tasty.

For our mains, we opted not to go for salads (which are not well reviewed) and instead headed straight for the sandwiches. I had a Pilgrim, which came very highly recommended. Overall, I really enjoyed this sandwich. The turkey was sliced so thin it was perfect, and the cream cheese mushed in to it giving the whole thing a delicious creamy texture. I could have used a bit more relish on my sandwich, but the delightful crustyness of the bread, which was almost like a grilled cheese bread was wonderful, even if it did have sunflower seeds on it. Overall, very good!

Elizabeth had the pressed cuban, which she thought looked a little smaller than her last time around. The bite I had of her sandwich was good, but the pickle was definitely the star, and there didn’t seem to be quite enough of them to go around on the sandwich.

We enjoyed our sandwiches with some Cheerwine, which honestly I had never heard of before but it was delicious. It was my first soda in almost 2 years, but it felt so wholesome, it doesn’t count right?

And then we came to dessert (it took as a long time to get here in real life too!). Since I was all about splurging, I ordered two, the chocolate chip cookies and the oatmeal cookies.

Similar to my experience at Volt a year ago, the baked goods in the baggies were REALLY good. The chocolate chip was crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle, and had a nice mix of white and semi sweet chips. But that oatmeal cookies stole my heart, and I’ve been googling the recipe since last Friday nights. It was perfect.

All in all a great trip, and I feel like Brian and I are okay again. Maybe I’ll even go back to Volt!

A (drinking) day in St. Michael’s

Drinking around the World makes you do funny things…

When I think about this past weekend and the races there is just so much in my brain. I think I’m still a little bit in shock that I actually ran two half marathons in 24 hours and did it with shockingly low levels of pain. Maybe this means that I’m ready to knock that fist goal off my list?

But let’s back up, and start at the very beginning. I apologize in advance for one LONG post!

I actually arrived in Florida on Wednesday morning, a whole three days before the race. This was a good thing, because it gave me some serious relaxation time before the onset of pre-race freak out mode (does anyone else get this?). The tendonitis in my lower right leg had been bothering me so I had taken about a week off of running so I was REALLY well rested. Which meant I was able to really enjoy some time with my sister and Larry, a visit to Islands of Adventure, and some bumming around time. Which was really needed.

The Donald

But I suppose perhaps I was too chill, because before I knew it was Friday night and I was climbing in bed at 8.30 to get ready for that big 3am wake up call. Amazingly, I had the BEST night’s sleep I’ve ever had before a half. Unfortunately, I don’t think Noel (who also ran the half!) was quite so lucky. Before we knew it we were on the monorail headed to Epcot with one of my teammates, and then soon after we were headed into the corrals. As we dropped off each runner at their corral, my excitment built just a little bit more. I had never been worried about this half–after 4 I know I can finish one–but it really started to build! I was in the A corral so I headed up to the front, hoping that I would be able to hold my pace back with all of those fast people in A!

Before I knew it, we were over the start and heading towards the Magic Kingdom. I remember loving the quiet right after the start at the Disney half last year, and this year was no different. It’s calm and quiet, and you’re surrounded by runners. It’s really a running zen out moment. The miles seemed to fly by–soon we were under the Magic Kingdom gate, then in the parking lot, and very quickly in front of the Contemporary, where a good portion of Team Peacock was waiting to cheer me on! After that we were into the Magic Kingdom proper–always my favorite part of this race! It was still dark (last year the sun was rising as I was in MK) but it was still wonderful, especially because it wasn’t as crowded as during last year’s race, thanks to my first corral position.

As we wound our way out of the back of MK, I was feeling good and I was right where I wanted to be for pacing. I knew the hardest part of the race was in front of me–the “boring” stretch of World Drive back to Epcot, followed by those horrible overpasses between miles 10 and 12. I got a serious pick me up from seeing Mary Poppins in front of the Grand Floridian, although I could have killed someone because she had NO LINE and I was sans camera! It figures!

The overpasses were just as horrible as I remembered them being, which just proves that even though I’m in much better shape this year, running up a banked surface is never fun! I felt so much stronger than I did last year as we turned into Epcot and headed towards the finish–no deaths doorstep pictures this year! Soon I was crossing the finish, feeling good and knowing that my journey was halfway over. Knowing that recovery was a top priority, I made it to the medical tent and had them ice my quads and left knee, before heading out to meet up with the team. I had a bagel with almond butter waiting, and I patiently ate it while we waited for Noel to come in. I was so happy to see him at the finish–I think he was just happy to be done!

The Chip and Dale

My preparation for Chip and Dale continued on Saturday afternoon after Noel finished the half. I didn’t want to sit around all afternoon and let my muscles tighten up, so after a quick nap we headed out to the Magic Kingdom, where we rode the Jungle Cruise and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad :-) I was pretty much starving all day, so I was happy to head our friends Robyn and Scott’s for some wonderful homemade lasagna for dinner! I was in bed and passed out by 9.15 or so–that early wake up call for the first race sure did make it easy to sleep for the second!

Friend and Usual Suspect Carlos was running the first leg of the relay, so I got up with him at 3am to see him off. I knew he was in good hands meeting the team at the race start, so I planned to go straight to the exchange zone (thank goodness it was in the Magic Kingdom parking lot, which was easily accessible from the monorail!) and enjoy a much needed extra hour or so of sleep. I was back up at 5 to do the normal pre-race routine, plus destress a bit by joking around with Noel and Eileen. My legs were a little bit sore, but I could tell the ice had helped.

Soon we were off, Eileen to wait for Carlos in front of the Contemporary, which was mile 10 in the full marathon, and Noel and I to the exchange zone. In a happy surprise, the exchange area was only a few hundred feet away from mile 8 on the course, so we were able to watch the runners stream through for a bit and actually see Carlos before I settled in the exchange zone and waited for Carlos to finish. Before too long I saw him turning off the marathon course and coming down the chute. And then I was off!

I had done a good number of back to back long runs, but nothing quite prepares you for being out there on race day. Although I wasn’t in a ton of pain from Saturday, my quads did hurt almost immediately, but not so bad that I couldn’t keep chugging along. I think it helped that the back half of the marathon course was totally new to me–and I LOVED seeing all of the backstage areas! About 8 miles in my quads really started to hurt, so I did stop and apply some Biofreeze, which was a real life saver.

After a particularly horrible stretch on Osceola Parkway, we were coming into Hollywood Studios. From the Studios to the end there were a TON of people cheering, which really helped me to power through those last couple of miles when I was starting to feel the time on my legs and the heat of the day. I got seriously emotional as I went around the Boardwalk and into Epcot. I also started cursing any sort of rise in the course (even if it was just a baby bridge between England and France!) The last mile around the World Showcase seemed to last forever, but soon I could hear the gospel choir that always hangs out just before the finish. I did it. I was done! And I pushed myself right out of my comfort zone!

And not only did I have a great weekend of racing, I also had an amazing weekend with some wonderful friends. I have a very supportive group of running friends online, and most of them were at Disney for the race. It was wonderful to be surrounded by friends and sharing such a big accomplishment with them. I always get a little bit emotional at Disney, but this trip was one for the special books!

The Dream Suite in Cinderella’s Castle Edition

Noel and I took a slightly different approach to the Christmas holiday this year. Instead of buying each other more gifts that we don’t really need and DEFINITELY don’t have space for, we decided to have an experience. A Magical Experience at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Enter Magic and Merriment, D23′s behind the scenes look at the Holidays at Walt Disney World. We actually tried to go to last year’s M&M, but tickets sold out in seconds and we never got through. But this year they expanded the capacity and we decided to go for tickets again AND we were lucky enough to get them! We were so excited!! M&M promised a bunch of both items–including presentations on creating the holidays at WDW, reserved seating for Epcot’s famous Candlelight Processional, a tour of the Castle Dream Suite, a tour of the backstage area at Magic Kingdom and an after-close dinner at Animal Kingdom.

Our consensus after actually going to the event? It was amazing, and everything we hoped for (and probably a little bit more). I learned a lot and saw a lot that I had never seen before. We definitely made some great holiday memories, which was what we were going for this year. So without further ado, here are some of our highlights and favorites from the event

1: The Castle Suite Tour

Um, it’s every WDW addict’s dream to get inside the Castle Suite. And we got to go inside! And it really is as amazing as everyone says it is. The suite is beautiful and everything is over the top. And as a bonus, I think I actually enjoyed my short time in the suite even more because D23 gave us a presentation the day before on what went into planning the suite. So I knew that the suite was designed in a Louis XIV style and that it feature some real French anitques. For my nerdy, information loving side, this helped to create a more complete, richer experience.

2: The Reception at Flame Tree Barbeque and Dinner at Camp Minnie Mickey.

Animal Kingdom is basically a really nice zoo dressed up as a theme park, and how many zoos do you know that stay open at night? The point being, Animal Kingdom is usually closed after dark, and being there, after dark, with just a group of about 200 other people, was fantastic. Magical, even. And then there was the food. The food from D23 had been uneven (at best) all weekend, but the food here was wonderful. Great passed apps and adult beverages at Flame Tree, and then an amazing buffet (salmon, chicken AND a steak bar?!) at dinner. The entertainment at the meal also put it over the top, with a roving troubadour and a Disney legend.

3: Candlelight Processional with Neil Patrick Harris

As we were sitting down in our reserved seating for Candlelight the clouds started to look menacing. And then it started to drizzle…turning quickly into a steady rain. Yuck. But sitting there for almost an hour huddled under a ponco was worth it, to see Neil Patrick Harris, who did a wonderful job as the narrator, and the massed choir. There is something about 500 voices singing traditional Christmas hymns that takes me back to my childhood and the Christmas Eve candlelight service. Okay, I’m getting teary eyed just thinking about it. And props to NPH for shouting out to us in the rain.

4: The morning of lectures

Most people probably hear lectures and think boring, but for me it was really fascinating to hear the background and history of the things we were going to see for the rest of the weekend. It really enhanced my experience, and I enjoyed them!

There were many other awesome things about this weekend, including a trip backstage at the Magic Kingdom, a visit to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party (my favorite hard ticket event!), and a walk down the Streets of America and the Osborne Family Lights. All in all, a very holly jolly holiday for us!

Lovely Ladies

After the French Regional Lunch we had one great food adventure left–the Mexican Tequila Lunch!

This event was held at La Hacienda de San Angel, the newest restaurant in the Mexico pavilion, and was new for the 2011 Food and Wine festival. But it featured something we were VERY familiar with, tequila from the famous (and fabulous) Cava de Tequila in the Mexico pavillion. This is a bar where we’ve spent many a fantastic Epcot afternoon (the Three Caballeros boat ride is MUCH better after a shot or two, trust me). So we were all excited to sample some excellent tequila and some delicious Mexican food–which as an aside, I hadn’t had at Epcot since sometime in the early 90s…yeah…

The whole atmosphere at La Hacienda was very welcoming. And where FRL feels like more of a formal event, this feels like a more relaxed atmosphere. We were greeted at the door by servers with trays of rose margaritas, made with silver tequila, rose extract, and hibiscus salt. These were dangerously delicious, and to be honest, I think I could have drank them all afternoon!

When we arrived at our table, we noticed we were seated with another group, and that all of the tequila samples were already poured. Each place also had a bottle of water, and some items to smell as a scent cleanser. This was quite different that the other events we’ve been to, but it ended up working out well with the flow of the event, which was much faster moving than the FRL.

As soon as everyone was seated, Hilda, the tequila specialist from La Cava welcomed us to the event and gave us a brief history of the production of tequila. Hilda also discussed how tequila isn’t tied to certain food flavors like wine is, making it much easier to pair tequila with different types of food. After her introduction, Hilda introduced the Chef, who welcomed us to the food side of the restaurant. For the rest of the meal, Hilda and the Chef alternated speaking, with Hilda introducing all of the tequilas before our courses.

Our first course was a blanco tequila paired with a ceviche verde with scallops. Hilda explained that the blanco is aged the least, and is the tequila most likely to “burn” on its way down. I personally love blanco, and this tequila was a good one. The ceviche, which was nice and spicy, was a good balance to the sharp taste of the tequila.

Our second course was a a pairing of a reposado tequila and Sope de Chilorio and Empanada. The reposado tequila is “rested” for 2 months to 1 year, so it has a much darker color and smokier taste (from the barrels its aged in) than the blanco. The sope and the empanada were both delicious–the sope was a pastry like bowl filled with pulled pork and a black bean sauce, and the empanada was filled with mexican cheese.

Our third (main) course was a pairing of an anejo tequila and Grilled Tilapia and Pork in Mole Negro. The anejo tequila is aged for at least a year, and has more of the smokey richness from aging. This was probably my least favorite tequila, but my scotch loving husband enjoyed the complexity of this one. The grilled tilapia was also very good, and I enjoyed the veggies that accompanied it, which included cactus! By the time I made it to the mole I was a bit meated out–I don’t eat a lot of meat on a regular basis, so sometimes I have a hard time eating a lot of it–so I had some of the sweet corn with the mole sauce on top. I don’t think I had ever had mole before, but it was delicious! Such a good flavor combination.

Our final course was Tamal de Dulche, a corn tamale filled with guava and served with a strawberry sauce paired with a tequila liquor. I’ll admit to not knowing there was such a thing as tequila liquor before this event, and it was pretty good! And the dessert was hands down delicious. The guava and the strawberry sauce were both pretty sweet, but they were nicely balanced by the smooth, mild corn taste of the tamal.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable meal. Hilda was nice enough to stick around after the event and answer our questions about different types of tequilas, and listen to our gushing about how tequila is now one of our favorite liquors. And as far as value at Food and Wine, this is about as good as it gets–for $65 we had 5 drinks and a four course lunch?! Yes please! And this is another spirit themed meal for the list!