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Port and Snow

January 31, 2012 in Food, Travel, wine by traveleatlove | 9 comments

Did you know that Friday was Port Day? Thanks to the magic of the Twitterverse and some great people in the wine business, I also received some Port samples to taste for the occasion.

Since we already had plans to head to Killington, Vermont for the weekend, I brought the Port along. Port and snow go so well together!

The drive to Killington was rainy and foggy until we got close to Killington itself and started ascending the mountainous area. It was then that big snowflakes started to fall. Despite the weather when we arrived, it had been foggy and rainy all day, resulting in the slopes being closed down, and also in lots of ice and slush on unplowed roads. Unfortunately, our not-so-trusty GPS led us astray, down a very long driveway, and we got stuck. Not the best way to start the weekend. The homeowner had a plow, but he told us to call AAA. New England hospitality? Perhaps he should add a giant “Private Driveway” sign to the start of his property?

At any rate, after about 35 minutes of spinning wheels and backing down the driveway and zooming back up, we made it to the dry, salted road. My husband the driver for the win!

We arrived at our cozy house to baked ziti and salad and later, Port. I liked this Sandeman 10 year old Tawny Port the best. It exhibited flavors of both dried and ripe fruit with a warm vanilla undertone and a little bit of spice. It went perfectly with Whole Foods two bite brownies. Yes it did.

We spent the evening by the fire sipping Port, and then I had night one of the worst sleep ever.

Luckily, the next day dawned bright but chilly, and we had a leisurely breakfast while looking out over this.

Due to the icy conditions and general lack of desire to ski, a bunch of us decided to go snowshoeing instead. Those of us who needed to rent shoes did so, and we spent about four hours hiking around a pretty difficult terrain. By the time we were done, I had removed layers and was just enjoying the warm winter sun.

Blackberry pictures, unfortunately. . . I have snow shoed in the past with my camera, and it was not fun.

Throughout our hike we went over hills, past a frozen lake, and even saw some adorably furry animals like this pony.

We unstrapped our snowshoes along the way for a quick bite at the Mountain Meadows Lodge. Sweet potato and mushroom soup was just the thing to warm all of us up.

Après-snowshoe, most of our group took naps, and then we headed to hang out with the skiers at the Lookout. A few pre-dinner beers and some bar food in the very crowded bar, and we headed home for the night, well stocked with some very mediocre Chinese takeout.

We both had another horrible night of sleep, so we ended up not skiing on Sunday and instead, after fluffy pancakes at Blanche and Bill’s, headed home to nap.

Killington is a really fun place, and while the social scene would probably have suited me better five years ago, there are plenty of reasons to return, including dinner at the Killington Ledgewood Yurt.

Vermont still has so much damage from Irene, and I was happy to see businesses booming. If you’re planning a winter trip, Killington is a good place to start!

Special thanks to Killington expert Daisy for all of her recommendations in and around town!

Technorati Tags: Killington, Port, snow, snowshoes, soup, Travel, Vermont, wine, winter

Tags: Killington, Port, snow, snowshoes, soup, Travel, Vermont, wine, winter

We Love Vermont

January 20, 2012 in Food, Travel by traveleatlove | 14 comments

Our trip to Stowe last month was absolutely perfect and made us wonder why we don’t visit Vermont more often. There was so much to do, and even though we were there for just a weekend, I would say we fit a lot in.

We didn’t really plan a ton of activities for Stowe, but when we got there, we passed by quite a few attractions that made for a Saturday afternoon filled with a food and drink: a visit to the Cabot Coop store, chocolate sampling at the Lake Champlain chocolate store, followed by a visit to the Green Mountain Coffee store. I followed this trifecta with a beer tasting at the Trapp Family Lodge, making for a fun and tiring day.

Our first stop was some cheese tasting at Cabot. Since we were planning a sparkling wine tasting, I took my cheese tasting job seriously.

In the end the hot habanero, extra sharp cheddar, and horseradish made it into our basket. I live by the rule that there must be at least three cheeses in the house at one time.

Next up was a visit to the Lake Champlain chocolate store. We sampled (and purchased) Aztec hot chocolate and some fudge.

And I fell head over heels for their milk chocolate praline crunch and dark chocolate disks. We may have purchased a lot of chocolate, but I figured we were helping the post-Irene Vermont economy, so it was okay.

After getting hopped up on chocolate, we got our caffeine on at the Green Mountain Coffee Visitor Center and Café. Housed in an old-fashioned train station, the café smells of divine dark roast. It was toasty and warm, but unfortunately the visitor center portion wasn’t opened.

Instead of touring the visitor center, we wandered around outside, getting a good dose of chilly air and loving the neat little train station touches. It reminded me of Anne of Green Gables; I was just waiting to turn a corner to see Anne and her carpet bag waiting for Matthew. Winking smile

We made an afternoon of leisurely checking out these three local gems, and it was perfect. As always, I enjoyed bringing home some food gifts to remind us of our time away. We’re headed to Vermont again very soon, this time to Killington for a little skiing (him) and apres ski (me) and to spend some time with good friends. I am trying my best to not hate the winter. It’s not really working. I am ready for this.

How’s winter treating you?

Technorati Tags: Cabot, cheese, chocolate, coffee, Food, Green Mountain, Lake Champlain, snow, Stowe, Travel, Vermont

Tags: Cabot, cheese, chocolate, coffee, Food, Green Mountain, Lake Champlain, snow, Stowe, Travel, Vermont

Enzo Restaurant & Bar

January 17, 2012 in Cocktails, Food, Restaurants by traveleatlove | 11 comments

Our visit to Enzo Restaurant & Bar in Newburyport on Friday night makes me wish I lived in town so I could become a regular. I have had few dining experiences that were so perfect from start to finish in every way, and we literally have been talking about the food ever since.

As I have mentioned in past posts, we typically make the journey to Newburyport every few months. We love the seaside town year-round; if we ever left the city it’s a place we could see ourselves living. Our last visit was very recent, but when I found myself having to go to Newburyport for a meeting related to potential Social Media work, my husband decided to meet me there after work.

My meeting was actually in the same complex of buildings as Enzo, so I arrived first, just as it was starting to lightly snow. Newburyport is colder than Boston, and I was happy to get inside and take a seat at the then-quiet bar. I initially thought that, being that Enzo’s focus is on Italian cuisine, I would want a glass of wine. That is until I saw their creative cocktail menu. I had a difficult time deciding, but since I always like something sparkly, I went with the Zenzero Frizzante: Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, maple bitters and Prosecco, spiced up with a square of candied ginger.

Bubbly and with a warm, spicy ginger kick, this drink was absolutely delicious. The bartender was very sweet and hospitable, and I felt relaxed and at home while I waited for my husband. He’s often the one late to arrive due to his commute, and sometimes I feel pressured to order food or more drinks while waiting; not here. It was nice to quietly enjoy my drink while catching up on emails I missed during my meeting.

One my husband arrived, we were seated at a cozy window table for two, and we started going over the menu. While we did so, we each ordered a cocktail. This time I opted for the Cranberry Old Fashioned: A seasonal take on the classic Old Fashioned: local, organic cranberries muddled with orange and Old Overholt rye. I loved the tart cranberries in this very New England-y drink. We can’t wait to return to Enzo just to try more of their cocktails.

We had a really hard time deciding on what to order; Enzo would be a great place for a group because there are so many appealing options. We wanted to share every appetizer, but we finally agreed on two.

Gamberi fritti / Fried Maine shrimp – fresh Maine shrimp (caught for us by the F/V Sweet Carolyn), flash-fried and served shell on with fingerling potato chips and tartar sauce

These shrimp were super fresh, and, as the menu suggested, tasted really great with the flash fried shells ON. The fingerling potato chips acted as more than just a garnish; they were really great dipped into the tartar sauce as well.

I also had to have the olives.

Olive all’ascolana / Fried olives – crispy morsels stuffed with herbed cheese

Eric’s brother and his beautiful wife and our two adorable nephews live in Marche, very near Ascoli Piceno where Olive all’ascolana originate. My sister-in-law, who is native to the region, makes the most amazing olives stuffed with a meat mixture, fried, and topped with fresh lemon juice and salt. These olives were vegetarian, and the creamy, warm cheese went perfectly with the briny olives. With any luck, this June, I will be eating olives in Ascoli, but Enzo’s will definitely do for now.

After a week of several tough marathon training workouts, my body wanted comfort food, and I found it in the Mandilli con salsa marinara e ricotta / Free form lasagna – house-made pasta handkerchiefs layered with house-made ricotta & roasted tomato sauce. I added in the optional Kellie Brook Farm hot Italian sausage for a flavorful, satisfying meal. The house-made pasta was light, silky, and fresh, absolutely perfect. And being that it was a deconstructed lasagna made it fun to grab a bite of this and that together.

And despite being quite full, we saved room to share dessert and cappuccino. What you see here is called Bicherin: a traditional sipping dessert from Turin: a layer of dark, rich chocolate sauce, espresso (regular or decaf, your choice) and lightly sweetened whipped cream; spoon it or sip it, either way it’s a delicious way to end your meal.

I call it pure heaven. Each spoonful brought a bit of dark, hot chocolate from the bottom of the jar, along with some espresso and cream. Heaven.

To our cappuccino, we added some of the house-made Reilly’s Irish Cream. Don’t tell any of the family back in Ireland, but we liked Reilly’s even better than Bailey’s. Winking smile

There’s a lot to love about Enzo, and it doesn’t just end with the food. The service, from the minute I walked in, was warm, attentive, and welcoming. And the restaurant makes huge efforts to source their food locally from small producers; they even have a farmer’s market dinner every other Sunday. What a great experience!

What was the best dining experience you have had recently?