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.

I originally started out this blog post with: “January should be National Tea Month. I declare it!” After Googling to make sure there was no conflict, it turns out January IS National Hot Tea Month. Glad to know I’m onto something here– as the world turns over a new leaf, it turns over a new tea leaf too.

One of the teas we’re enjoying over here at SPA WEEK® is the Gentle Organic Lemon Ginger Green Tea by Villiage Tea Company. Kaitlin, Dina and I first tried the  flavor  in December (The National Month-Before National Hot Tea Month). We took turns with the muslin tea pouch, steeping personal portions in our little office microwave. It was as delightful as a frigid Tuesday morning gets. 

Tea is the 2nd most consumed beverage in the world (to water), and the human race is healthier for it. Tea is not only served in spas, but also used in many treatments that capitalize on its greatness. We encourage you to make tea a regular part of your diet in 2010! Village Tea Co. shares all ingredients and health benefits on their website. Some are… 

Green Tea – Organic Lemon Ginger 
Ingredients: organic Chinese green tea (guo lu), organic ginger root, organic lemon grass, organic lemon myrtle
Health Benefits: antioxidant rich, heart health supportRoyal English Breakfast Tea supports heart health, Ginger Orange and Ginseng Oolong  is good for digestion,

Rooibos – Cherry Me Bloom
Ingredients: South African Rooibos, sour cherry, lemon grass, flavor, acai, sunflower petals
Health Benefits: antioxidant rich, caffeine free, weight management support , natural energy

Green – Sassy Green Tea
Ingredients: chinese green tea, ginger, flavor, orange peel, peach pieces, chilies, cloves, safflower, acai
Health Benefits: antioxidant rich, skeleton density support, heart health support, natural energy 

Oolong – Ginger Orange and Ginseng 
Ingredients: Ginseng Oolong – chinese green oolong (renshen), ginseng root (eluthero root) Ginger Orange Oolong – chinese dark oolong, ginger root, dried orange pieces, orange essence
Health Benefits: digestion support

See all their flavors and the health benefits on their website and follow them on Twitter! Follow Bryce Gruber too. It’s her tea company, besides the fact that she’s just hysterical.

Happy Hot Tea Month… stay warm and well! 

Tea provided by the folks at the Village.