Macaron by Patisse

I will be honest I have never had a macaron even though I think that they are one of the most precious desserts I have ever seen. I really don't know why I have never had them. Potentially I have only seen them in pictures, but I finally decided it was time. Luckily for me a new place opened called Macaron by Patisse. It is a quaint, modern, and sweet little French shop that only sells macarons. The glass cases hold these delicate wafer like cookies with a smidge of icing in between. There were flavors like tiramisu, blueberry vanilla, dark chocolate coconut, and lemon meringue. I love coconut and chocolate, so I went for the dark chocolate coconut and my sister tried the lemon meringue. Don't be fooled that because they are very small that they are just a waste. I assure you that they are most definitely worth it! When you take a bite, you get the crunch of the coconuy cookie that isn't super dry and a hint of the rich chocolate icing. It was perfection! I wanted about a million more. The lemon meringue was fresh and summery. I can honestly say that you probably can't go wrong with any flavor you try. If you haven't already made a trip to Macaron by Patisse you need to go!

Saint Genevive

Happy hour is a treat for me, as I don't get to go too often so of course I wanted to try some where new. We popped on over to Saint Genevieve in West Ave for some quality catch up time. Trying new drinks is sometimes just as exciting as the food and the drinks were really unique. I had a thyme, honey and orange champagne cocktail. My friend had a citrus vodka and lavender drink. We started off with some parmesan guacamole. Who would have thought to put parmesan cheese in guacamole?.... I don't know, but it was delicious! It was served with some super thin and crispy pita chips. The guacamole had a hint of tang from the cheese, but was rich and smooth. Since my friend had been a bit more proactive than I had and read the reviews, we decided to split a lobster empanada and crab cake.

The crab was good, but the lobster empanada won hands down! Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that the crab cake was bad, it was just the lobster was better. The outside was crunchy and the filling was creamy and rich. The crab cake had a nice balance between the crab and the filler, without having too much mayo or being too bland. Either way you can't go wrong, but definitely try the lobster empanada (and order more than one!) Since those were small, I also tried the short rib taquitos. These weren't too heavy and had lots of fresh hers and texture going on. The drizzle of sauce added enough moisture to the taquito without it getting soggy. I heard that their brunch was to die for too, so I will definitely be back. Saint Genevive is a great place to relax and enjoy some unique food and drinks, so be sure to stop by and enjoy their patio and toast to a beautiful day!

Black Cherry Amaretto Gelato

I think that every once in a while a treat is well deserved. One of my favorite treats happens to be gelato, but most of the time it's not real gelato. I recently saw a commercial for gelato from Haagen Dazs and decided to give it a try. Fortunately, I didn't have to decide between too many flavors. My options were cappuccino, stracciatella, limoncello, dark chocolate chip, sea salt caramel, and black cherry amaretto. I went with black cherry amaretto, as I was feeling extra fancy. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much. However, I was beyond pleasantly surprised! It was rich, silky smooth, and absolutely delicious. I would have to say that it did taste a tiny bit like ice cream, but it was by far some of the best "almost gelato" I have had. The flavors were very natural tasting with huge halves of cherries sprinkled throughout. I had to practice a lot of self-control in order to not eat the whole thing and I will definitely be trying the other flavors.

Parducci Pinot Noir

Getting back to basics is something that I need to learn how to do more often. Life has a funny way of getting a little crazy and soon you can lose perspective. Sometimes all it takes is a simple reminder to get back to the things that make you who you are. For me, my most recent moment of clarity came in this wonderful bottle of wine. It was a reminder that wine can take you to different places. This Pinot Noir was delicate and fruity, but had depth of flavor and a beautiful color. It was an opportunity to be pretend to fun and mysterious at the same time. The longer I let the wine breathe, the more it revealed itself and the depth of flavor. This was a great introductory red wine and a reminder to not judge a wine before you give it a try. Cheers to fresh beginnings and never forgetting the simple things are sometimes the best things!

Mediterranean Mint

Gelato is one of my favorite desserts, but I try to stay away from it as it is very easy to overindulge. I really enjoy how creative gelato flavors are, like black pepper or lavendar, because ice cream flavors tend to be a bit more normal. Finding frozen gelato at the grocery is always a struggle, as it usually tastes like ice cream. However, there is one brand that rules them all if you are willing to splurge - Talenti. It is on the expensive side, but for the few times I treat myself, I am willing to pay the price. As I was struggling to make it down the aisle without looking at the ice cream, something unfortunately caught me eye. It was a container of Mediterranean Mint gelato and I caved (plus it was an Easter treat to myself). There was no way I was going to be able to leave, so I put it in my cart and hurried away before I saw another irresistible flavor. The mint was subtle and refreshing, giving it a much more natural mint flavor. The chocolate chips weren't overly sweet and added just the right amount of crunch to it. I forced myself to practice self-restraint as I am sure that I could have eaten most of the container. I am not sure what the difference is between regular mint and Mediterranean mint, but I do know that it was a like eating heaven. If mint isn't you thing, they have tons of other flavors like salted caramel and Tahitian vanilla, which I have also tried. So whatever your mood, I am sure that there is a Talenti gelato for you!

Spring Sips from Central Market

If you just look, there are tons of things to do around you. I found a really fun wine tasting class at Central Market. This class highlighted some "Spring Sips", which are really just easy to drink, summery wines. In this class, we tried five different wines - two whites, a rose, and two red wines. One of the white wines that we sampled in the class (and I ended up buying) was a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It was a crisp wines that had floral notes, in addition to citrus and minerals aromas. There were aromas of melon, honey, and lime. It had a nice finish to it that wasn't too acidic. It was a very nice wine on its own, but would pair well with chicken or a citrus shrimp dish. Since it had the background of minerals, it is great for those who don't like the fruity sweetness that white wines are known for. Coming in at about $8, this wine is definitely a must try as the weather begins to warm up.