merry, merry
What a year it has been!! I sometimes can’t believe we actually made it to the most wonderful time of the year- 2014 has certainly been one for the record books! I’ll sum it up with, “whew, that was fun but glad it’s done.” While this year has certainly been exhausting, it’s also been chock FULL of amazing memorable moments with my husband, friends and family. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been doing a lot of “soul searching” lately to figure out what the next stage of my life will be and while I’m still working to finalize my next move, I’ve narrowed it down somewhat. I’ve been able to reflect on everything that truly matters in my life. What truly moves and motivates me are the many meaningful relationships I’ve been blessed with over the years. What means the most to me is spending time with my husband and some of the best friends a girl could ask for! I seriously don’t know how I got so lucky in the friend department and would not have made it through this year without the love and never ending support and understanding of all my lady loves back in NC. That said, one of my favorite ways to spend time with all of the wonderful loves in my life is through sharing a meal. Few things make me happier than hosting an intimate dinner among friends. Great food, great wine, great company and that’s all that I need! While accomplishing this regularly in the city is somewhat of a struggle, I’ve been exposed to some of the most interesting restaurants and specialty food shops in the world and my culinary interest has reached a new level that I didn’t even know was possible. Starting in January, I’ll be attending the School of Culinary Arts at Manhattan’s Institute of Culinary Education. Needless to say, I am absolutely THRILLED and somewhat terrified to begin this next journey and I can’t wait to see where it will end up! I cannot think of a better way to combine my two greatest loves in life: friends and great food!
Another meaningful relationship in my life: WHITE TRUFFLES! And boy, did we end the season with a BANG in this department! The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas fly by when you’re in the city- literally every night is a different Christmas party or dinner or show and before you know it, it’s time for everyone to bounce and head back to where they came from (i.e; North Carolina!). In all the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to miss out on spending some quality Christmas time with the ones you love. So, in an effort to soak up the spirit of the season, Robert and I planned the ultimate Christmas date night and it did NOT disappoint! We met for a drink at the Time Warner Cable center in Columbus Circle, where we could sit overlooking the park and the amazing light show they have hanging in the lobby. After a quick nip, we strolled over to Lincoln Center to delight in the beauty and grace of the New York City Ballet in The Nutcracker. I wish I had taken a picture of Robert’s face halfway through Act 1… Despite his droopy eyelids in the beginning, I think I’m safe in saying we were both blown away by the performance and left giddy with holiday happiness.
As we Ubered back downtown to Colicchio & Sons for dinner, I wondered how on earth we could top our evening so far when I remembered reading a little something about a generous white truffle offering…
We walked into Colicchio & Sons and were immediately struck by the cozy atmosphere- perfectly Christmas-y but tasteful and warm. They even had a gingerbread village, which I absolutely LOVED! We could hardly contain our excitement when we were seated in the perfect corner seat to take in all of the festive decorations and the action on the floor. We started off with a glass of Four Roses, a relatively new winter tradition for us, and then the sommelier helped us choose an amazing bottle of wine to accompany our festive feast. We started with, what else but, charred octopus and burrata. Before you pass judgment and roll your eyes, this was not your ordinary burrata! As promised, C&S offered a generous white truffle menu- including the Chef’s White Truffle Menu for a mere $350. While we didn’t splurge on the white truffle tasting menu, we did indulge in the Warm Burrata, Brussels and White Truffle to start for a meager $65. It was worth every penny and seemed like a steal when compared to Waverly Inn’s decadent truffle mac!!
We continued with the sea bream with chorizo and black truffles and Robert had the porchetta. Both were fantastic but Robert and I both flipped out over the porchetta. Perfectly cooked and perfect for the season, we couldn’t get enough! It rarely occurs to me to order pork and preparing a perfectly cooked and seasoned porchetta can be quite difficult so I was delighted when it arrived so perfectly. Nearing the end of the meal, our wonderful server offered us dessert menus but we were so stuffed that we couldn’t even take a look! We did sample a few festive treats compliments of the pastry chef and we will definitely save room for dessert on our next visit. Overall, it was a top night in the city and I can’t wait to do it again next year! Here’s to 2015!!