I have a date tonight.
Back in November I was invited out to dinner by a man by the name of Hagan Blount. For a last-minute girl in a city of last-minute men where dates tend come into existence the week-of, if not the hour-of (one of the great thrills of living in New York!)—this was certainly no ordinary invitation.
Hagan Blount is The Wandering Foodie, and after his last stunt (24 meals in 24 hours), Hagan has asked over 50 NYC food bloggers, myself included, to join him for a meal along the way on his latest epicurean adventure, 93 Plates.
For the entire month of January, Hagan is eating every single meal—breakfast, lunch and dinner—at one of New York City’s best restaurants, documenting every last bite. Thirty-one days, three meals a day = 93 Plates.
Why? The Wandering Foodie says: Why not?
Read more at WanderingFoodie.com and check back here to read the juicy details of our meal tomorrow. Oh… where are we eating? That’s a very good question. The destination has changed 3 times within 3 food genres and 2 boroughs in the past 48 hours… and at 2:30 PM, with bated breath I wait. Even for a non-date with an organized, super-charged foodie on the loose, nothing’s different—it’s still New York!
Follow us on Twitter for the live table talk: @H18 and @michellejoni
AFTER THE DATE UPDATE:
Just after posting this, Hagan informed me that our dinner was at a little Italian place in Queens called Vesta. Last time I had been to Queens for dinner was never. I was excited to try out a new borough, and my expectations were wildly surpassed.
A note on Hagan: “Wandering Foodie” is a 100% accurate representation of his current existence. With a laptop on his shoulder and only the clothes on his back (well, and the ones in his sublet), Hagan wanders from restaurant to Starbucks, blogging and eating and blogging and eating without much else in between.
It was fun to take on the role of a true food blogger for the night, photographing each dish in the best lit spot of the restaurant, jotting down notes on each bite, ingredient, flavor, spice, texture and opinion. Enjoy eating vicariously through our meal, and I’ll link you when Hagan posts his detailed review.
Appetizers:
Fried Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan, one of the dishes they are rightfully known for. If you love roasted brussel sprouts... it's because you've never tried them fried.
Bibb Salad: Some of the freshest, buttery smooth lettuce I've ever had, topped with fried leeks, bacon with a farm egg; yolk drizzled on top with a light dressing.
The Meatballs: The breadcrumbs and Parmesan stole the spotlight - the ball is in their court completely.
Main Course:
Porkbelly with Sweet Potatoes, Pearl Onions and Prune Sauce blended beautifully. Porkbelly was too fatty for me to enjoy, as porkbelly tends to go for me. But was a well prepared dish for fat-lovers.
Cheesy Campinelle: Beats any macaroni and cheese. Again, breadcrumbs stole the show, creating flavor-filled fireworks in my mouth with every bite.
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Escarole: Too oily and not enough flavor compared to the other competitors on the table.
Dessert:
Pound Cake with Apricot Sauce: Better without the sauce. A decent cake, nothing to write home about.
Baby Jesus Cake: Hagan loved it. I thought it was just okay. Hagan also thought there was gingerbread in it. I assured him there was not. I was right.
Check out The Foodie‘s version of our meal at Vesta.
Chances are you’ve probably quaffed POM Wonderful in the past few years – the pomegranate juice (served in the reusable glasses!) is popular as a mixer and a standalone drink, and the company that produces it has pushed the juice’s healthy qualities with a passion. Pomegranate does contain a one-two punch of healthful vitamins, but there’s no evidence to suggest that chugging bottle after bottle of the juice is a magical cure for what ails you – but POM Wonderful might want you to believe otherwise!
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