I attended the 141st Preakness in Baltimore last year and despite the 100% chance of rain, me having difficulty finding a cute hat and dress, and my favorite contender (Exaggerator) not being the winner of the Kentucky Derby, I was excited for the experience. While you may have missed your chance to attend the 2017 Kentucky Derby (spoiler alert: Always Dreaming won), you still have time to attend the Preakness. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should attend.
You've seen the Rubber Duck at the Chrysler Museum, you may have even gone to the Dot Maze in Virginia Beach Town Center, but the current visual experience at the Waterside District in Norfolk is incomparable. Kick off your shoes, and get ready to experience a world of lights, color, sound and design by Architects of Air with the ARBORIA Luminaria.
BBQ….what is it exactly? Depending on where you live, the meaning can vary from an event to a type of meat being served. There is a lot of room for debate, but as a born and raised Virginian, if you tell me we’re having BBQ, I hear pulled pork. My preference for its preparation is simple: a little vinegar, red pepper, bbq sauce on the top, pulled (not chopped) meat, and coleslaw on the side. Many restaurants consider BBQ as an assortment of meats to include pulled pork, ribs, and brisket, and I wanted to find a place that was doing it well.
By definition, Esoteric means something intended for or understood by a small number of people. Before having dinner at the Virginia Beach based restaurant, I read an online review where someone was turned off by them based solely on their use of this word. While this may have been intentional on the businesses part, it didn't bother me because a quick skim of their menu didn't require the use of too much brain power. I had been reluctant to visit due to their attraction to the hipster crowd. I saw that to downgrade them, but so often restaurants with that following serve food that is only aesthetically pleasing (i.e. no real flavor).
Hopefully you read the 1st part of my Savannah trip where I talk about the food and drinks, if not you can read about that over here. But since there is more to travelling then just eating ( although, I'm up for the challenge), time was made for sightseeing and shopping. While I try not to appear like a tourist when I travel by avoiding overpriced souvenir shops and not wearing a fanny pack, when in Rome, you have to buy the stuff.
A friend and I took a quick trip to Savannah only a few weeks ago, and I'm already ready to go somewhere else. 3 day weekends are great if you have limited vacation time, or just want to spend a few days in a new city. Our goal was to find a balance between eating the best food, drinking, sightseeing, and shopping. Here is a roundup of the food and drinks from our weekend.
Terrapin, a self proclaimed supporter of the slow food movement, and a Chef (Rodney Einhorn) who has cooked at the James Beard house, has been high up on my 'must visit' list for longer than I want to admit. My senseless reason for not visiting...fine dining is intimidating.
On "Treat Yo Self Tuesday", a day that I designate to go out and do something nice for myself, I decided to pay them a visit. This coincided with their Tuesday night special, where you can get a two course meal for only $20.
