hey strangers! here i am. i have already worked 5 hours of overtime this week and it is only wednesday. i am grinning and bearing it though, being busy is a lot better than being slow.. especially in this economy, right? gotta count my blessings :)
SO, i am finally sitting down after another long day.. have the pooches on either side of me.. and i am going to post another installment of my foodbuzz blogger festival recap! make sure you check out round one and round two if you haven’t yet.
now where did i leave off?
ah yes.. the limo!
danica is crafty and figured out that apparently it is cheaper to get a limousine in san fran than it is to get a taxi van. we are all pretty baller, so it just felt right!
the dinner was located at the greenleaf produce warehouse. we ended up arriving early! we used this to our advantage and took the extra time to photograph everyone setting up and preparing for the big event.
it was awesome how they had a HUGE ring of tables set up around the whole warehouse. this was for the ultimate family-style dinner plan.
why a warehouse? well, the dinner was put on by a company/group called outstanding in the field and they focus on showing diners how their food is brought from farm to table. they have actually been around for a decade! i think it is fantastic that they actively teach people about the origins of the food they are eating.
all of the place settings were very unique, lots of different plates~each member of the staff brings their own set of dishes to add to the collection of plates used for the dinners. cool!
i can’t imagine what a huge task it is to cook a multi-course meal for a group of over 250 people! the staff definitely gets big props from this girl.
these signs are usually on the sides of the produce trucks but they hung them all around the warehouse for the dinner party. they were really fun and interesting to read!
once people started pouring in the doors, this man started pouring the vino!
here are a few photos taken before we sat down for our meal~
me & danica
left~allison, right~ashley & sabrina
kath, ashley, me, danica & brittany
jasmine, quinn, ashley, me, allison, emily & danica
and then it was time to eat! the menu was korean. we started with these things that looked like fries, had the texture and crunch of chips and tasted like shrimp. what were they? no idea. shrimp chip fries i guess.
the first course was a variety of pickled vegetables.. the broccoli tastes just like bread and butter pickles!
do you even realize how rad it is to hang out with a whole bunch of people who “get it”? who you don’t have to remind to NOT TOUCH the food when it hits the table.. because they want to take a photo (or three) too? it is fanfreakingtastic.
next up was a mushroom soup.. no i am not going to use the tech names of everythang.. only because it would mean nothing to all of you and i am too lazy to check the proper name ;)
unfortunately by the time we were served our soup it was a bit on the cold side.. but anything with a lot of mushrooms is a winner in my book, so i slurped this up in no time!
next up was calamari with udon noodles in a salad style dish.. um, yum.
danica had never tried calamari that was not fried~she liked it and so did i! the udon noodles were super slippery, we were using bamboo chopsticks as utensils (which we got to keep!)
after the calamari salad we were presented with an incredible mushroom risotto.. i love love love the abundance of mushrooms in this meal!
it is all a little blurry since there were so many courses, but i think the dish that was brought out next was the roasted brussel sprouts. this was probably my favorite.. and i am sure many others will agree. the only part i didn’t love was the bits of pork.. we googled it and apparently they were bits of pork cheek.. tasted just like gristle. no thanks.
i can’t remember which was brought out first, the curried salmon~
or the beef cheeks & oxtails with roasted carrots & potatoes~
i loved the salmon! but then again, i always love seafood. but the beef cheeks & oxtails? not so much. i did try a bite and it just tasted like the fatty part of the steak. although lots of people loved that dish! i just ate the roasted veggies :)
we were also served red & white wine throughout the meal as well as seltzer water out of some really fun bottles!
dessert was a rice pudding with pears~
i am sad to say that it was not as tasty as it looked.. actually i found it a little bland and i know someone would agree that it could have used a healthy shake of cinnamon ;) but for some reason i still ate the whole dessert. fail.
although it looks like these girls were loving it!
after dessert they had the blogger awards and it was really refreshing to see several healthy living bloggers win in so many categories! congrats to all of them :) you can see how stoked kath was when she won best overall blog!
after the dinner some of us went to the hotel vitale’s bar and i enjoyed a cup of english breakfast tea which came in a super cute tea press.
it was a great way to end the night! and a special thanks to jay for not letting me buy my tea.. DUDE jay, you are way too nice. and so is your wife.. i am going to come live with you guys ;)
WELL i thought i was going to be able to get away with this being the last recap post but i realize it is already a mile long!! so i will not jump into sunday quite yet.. because honestly there is a LOT to talk about from sunday as well! it’s casual, trip recaps taking a whole week? not usually.. but when the trip was full of foodie goodness? yeah, i guess that makes sense!
i hope you all had a great wednesday and enjoy your thursday.. i will be back next time with a final recap of my trip!
Qs~
1. what is the most (or one of the most) adventurous foods/dishes you have tried? did you like it? i have to admit the beef cheeks and oxtails were new for me, and i didn’t fall in love. one adventurous food i DO love is a mussel shooter with a raw quail egg.. you can get this at most sushi restaurants. the first time i tried it i was freaked out but now i am hooked!
2. if you are eating something and you don’t really think it is phenomenal or anything.. do you finish it anyway or leave it unfinished? i really should not have finished that pear dessert because i just didn’t love it. but i did anyway.. that is not very typical of me. i usually stop eating a dessert if i don’t love it.. totally not worth it!
xo. janetha b.
Lovely pictures. I wish I could have gone.
WOW!! So much went on at foodbuzz!! I’ve enjoyed reading it! I wish I could have gone, hehe. (Sneak a non-food blogger in, please?) Glad you enjoyed it!!
1. I’m not adventurous with food, so maybe alligator tail is the most adventurous thing I had. And I only had a couple bites hehe.
2. I stop eating. If I don’t like it then I don’t like it. No reason to keep eating if it isn’t delicious.
Look at you classy ladies!! I’m trying to work on the whole not eating it if I don’t like it. I hate food waste, but honestly…does it really matter THAT much to waste a little something? I’d rather eat something delicious!
all these food dishes look outstanding. i would agree with you that the brussels probably would have been my favorite too! roasted is better!
When you girls were all at dinner, was there like tons of camera’s going off at once, snapping all the food?
I can’t wait to read the rest! :) goodnight dear!
http://saladdiva.wordpress.com
One time I ate alligator – it was fine. Honestly, it tasted like greasy chicken.
Also, I try REALLY hard not to eat something if I don’t LOVE it. But when I’m hungry, I usually sacrifice taste.
Still so jealous of you and your Foodbuzz adventures!! I usually finish eating something even if it is not phenomenal because I am a long time member of the Clean Plate Club. I hate throwing away food and I am just used to eating everything on my plate. I’m working on it! I need a bf that can finish my leftovers :)
wow, what a spread! the warehouse set-up and tableware looks very cool.
1. hm. my dad was/is the cook in my fam, and he would often make stuff like eel, octopus, tripe, oxtail. I haven’t eaten any of that stuff in years, being vegan, but octopus used to be a favorite for sure. oh, and I love just about anything that is fermented or pickled. that might be adventurous?
2. depends. if I’m not especially hungry and not impressed, I’ll leave it. if it’s something I would consider a “splurge” and I’m not impressed, I’ll leave it.
don’t work too hard!
Looks like sooooo much fun!!!! :)
I used to be really bad about finishing things I didn’t really care for (I blame my parents for constantly reminding me of all the starving children when I was growing up….). But now I really try not to eat food that’s not worth it.
Hey I’m caught up! Love the recap and to find out you don’t care for oxtail – there goes that idea out the window for Thanksgiving! :)
Sushi and now I love it!
I am learning to push it away and NOT finish something I don’t care for.
When I was little me and my sisters would eat those shrimp fries by the BAG! They are SO good and soo addictive!!
I think one of the most weirdest foods I’ve tried was frog leg.. it was at an authentic Chinese restaurant and it was.. unique? Hahha.
And I do the same thing.. I always feel bad wasting food so I end up finishing it but I should probably learn to enjoyyyy food =)
Loved the recap! I hope foodbuzz throws another festival next year.. this time on the EAST COAST :)
Most adventurous? Probably chicken feet at a chinese restaurant! And jelly fish!! Jelly fish I now love, but chicken feet I’d probably pass on!!
I have lovedddddddd hearing about your recap, Momma! what delicious foooooooods!! And you look so gorgeous!!! Seriously, again…Janetha… your hair is SO PERF.
HAPPY THURSDAY LADYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! HUGS!
Hey! So much fun. Good thinkin’ with the limo!
Q1: Brain tacos. and they were sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo yummy. even the hubs who is picky-schmicky loved them. Yay Mexico.
Q2. Depends on my mental state. If I’m in a “good place” I won’t put anything in my body I’m not enjoying. If I’m having a rough time (what?! I’m the only one?) then I may eat for emotional reasons- that’s when I get upset with myself.
This post makes me hangry for some ‘shrooms… If I am eating something far less than stellar, I only finish it if I’m crazy hungry.
first of all.. i love your blog! your personality radiates through it!
ive tried octopus before..it was rather.. chewy..didnt finish that
OMG I want to have Girl Time and hang out with all you awesome ladies, food is nice, the company looks better :)
If I dont like something, I dont just eat it to eat it. Food is too precious and lovely to blow on something you dont like. I am not afraid to order like 7 things in a restaurant or make 7 desserts just to get it exactly right. Picky? Perhaps but that’s ok :) I loved your workout clothes 411 you just left me too!
im loving your recaps! you all really had the best time, huh? weirdest food i’ve ever eaten was rabbit. in paris. i couldnt say no to my host mom! it tasted eh okay i guess but i couldnt get over it. who knows what other crazy things she fed me. rabbit was actually one of the french words i knew, GULP!!!
J baby! You look so fit & cute. Seriously, love all the foodbuzz pics!
Also love that creeper shot of kath winning her award, hahaha…and the risotto. NOM!
And usually if i’m not loving something but have already eaten a substantial amount then i’ll stop…but if i need the fuel i need the fuel! haha!
love you!! sorry i’ve been so MIA lately! glad you had a fun weekend :)
So rad that you guys scored a limo! Way to arrive in style! :)
I love seeing these recaps and even more seeing all of these beautiful bloggers come to life. It’s so great to witness these friendships and connections and see amazing women share in similar passions.
Love you girl!
wooo!!! I’m shocked that you guys took limousine, so jealous!!!
and I’m also shocked that there were pork cheeks in that amazing sprouts!!! it was so good that I totally ignored what was in there, just served 3 times straight! :)
Q2: I just leave it… I don’t think I should make my stomach suffer just because. Actually i tasted one bite of the dessert and leave it.. it was bland.
Whoa, what’s with all the cheek meat? Weird.
1. Hm. I don’t know! I’m never one to turn down free food though, or turn down a food dare. I recall the worst thing being downing a whole shot of Starbucks vanilla syrup once. And biting into a raw onion. There was a bowl of sour cream consumed on a dare that I could have gone without…
2. Typically I just leave it, although I’m still learning to do this with sweets. I used to eat things like cookies and donuts all the time that were only mediocre, but I ate them anyway because they were sweet! I’m trying to learn to choose my desserts more wisely, so every bite is worth it :)
haha i didn’t like the desert either…. but for some reason it ended up empty! come to md and visit me por favor? miss uUUUUUUUUUUU!
Fun, fun, fun! Looks like a blast, yet again! All that food looks amazing! Shrimp fries? I’d be down! haha
1. I’m down for trying anything, but the most adventurous would probably be aligator? I know…wild, haha
2. I typically finish what I’m eating, even if it’s so-so, as long as I’m hungry. If I’m already full, I can stop after a bite (or two, or three ;))
yumm! foodbuzz looks like it was such a blast from all the recaps im seeing! makes me want to go to san fran real bad!
hmmm, im not too adventurous to be honest but, i’ve tried eel and octopus, i guess that’s as adventurous as i get! haha
i have this terrible tendancy to finish a dessert even if i dont LOVE it. if i at least like it, i’ll eat. i need to train myself to only eat it, if its phenom!
What a fun time!! I’m so jealous!
Looks like fun, I’m not too sure about those shrimp fries though.
1) I would say the strangest thing I’ve eaten would be Rocky Mtn Oysters. Ick.
2) It depends on how much food I have access to. If I have no other options and it’s eat or starve them yes I’ll eat it but if I can easily eat something else or am full I don’t make myself.
This event looks super cool. How did they fit everyone in that warehouse? How many people were there?
miss you already, girly! it was so much fun :)
beef cheeks were definitely something I had never tried before, but I liked them!
ahhhhh the roasted brussel sprouts and curry salmon are calling my name. looks like you girls HAD SO MUCH FUN! i am so glad you enjoyed some time off – you deserve it oh so much! and i am totally loving that black pea coat you have on too.
as always, the only thing i can say is wish i was there. LOVE YOU
Oh it sounds so fun!
1) Black Sausage is a really popular part of the traditional English Breakfast. It’s made with blood. Ick.
2) I so often fail at this. Unless it’s really BAD I tend to just eat it. So not worth it!
5 hours of overtime already?! =(
I love all your pictures – we need to figure out a way to share our pictures with eachother – I know there are some we have been meaning to exchange somehow.
I really miss that mushroom soup and risotto!
1. the oyster I tried the first night was one of the weirdest foods I have ever tried
2. it depends – If I am really hungry, I will finish it even if I don’t really like the food, but if I’m not hungry at all, I might just leave it unfinished
I still can’t believe I was in SF at the same time as all of you…I knew Foodbuzz was going on, and it was killing me not getting to meet any of you. Tyler time was definitely worth missing it, but dang.
If I’m eating something I don’t like, it definitely depends on how hungry I am as to whether or not I will keep eating it.
Usually, unless I’m super hungry I try not to keep eating something if I don’t like it. Or if I paid a lot of money for it, like an expensive dinner, then it’s hard to not eat it, because I shelled out s o much $$ for it.
Hope you have a great Thursday!
best.trip.ever. so sad (slash jealous) that i couldnt be there too…next time you head to the bay area, i am going to make sure i am there. i decided that just now. deal? fabulous.
YUM.
That is all.
Actually, it’s not. lol
Most adventurous food? I’ve tried octopus and eel. Octopus was too chewy for me, but I love eel!
And I try not to finish it if I really don’t like it. The calories aren’t worth it!!
xo
K
you all look so beautiful and NICEEE limo…score BIG time :) Love your shirt too
hmm great questions. If i have a dessert that is no good, I usually don’t finish it bc the extra cals are just not worth it to me, but if it is a so-so dinner of something like chicken and veggies, I still eat it if thats the only dinner I am going to get! so I guess it depends for me!
so jealous of your food buzz dinner! and i hear ya on the office overtime – lots of extra work for me this week! but more overtime = more $$ and that’s always a good thing!
hmm, my most adventurous meal was wild boar while I was studying abroad in Florence. It tasted like meat!
And while I probably shouldn’t finish things that aren’t 100% fabulous – I often do. I keep taking bites trying to convince myself that it’s good, haha.
I’m so happy you guys had so much fun at Foodbuzz! Reading all of the recaps make me wish I was there!!
I make it a rule to never finish something that I don’t like. Life is too short to eat gross food!
I am LOVING these recaps. So fun that ya’ll took a limo the the dinner. The food all looks so delicious and fresh. Glad you had a good time :) I haven’t tried many “strange” foods….I stick to the safe ;)
You made it back without a camera flash induced seizure. HA! Welcome back to reality…. Which unfortunately, includes work.
Weirdest food. Hm….. I tried shark meat once and oddly enough, it tasted like VERY DRY chicken. I would also tell you about the pickled pigs feet in clear gelatin but I don’t want to get you OR myself sick. I was young… It’s a Hungarian thing. I’m scared for life!
If I don’t like something I don’t eat it. Calories are a precious commodity in my diet. I would much rather use them up on something I enjoy!
DUDE Danica is a BALLER. For real I’m jealous of your time spent with these faboosh ladies. Which also includes you. Let’s do round 5 in NY and I’ll host it at my house ;) no?
How fun! The food all looks so interesting and I think it must have been hysterical watching everyone take pics of the food!
I love that you rode in a limo! And that it was cheaper than a cab, lol. The food looks amazing, especially that salmon! I don’t think i’ve ever seen a salmon dish look that delish.
1) Mmm, I’m not sure! I don’t eat meat other than fish, so I haven’t tried anything crazy like eyes or tounge.
2) Leave it unfinished :) If it’s not good, I don’t want to eat something just for the sake of eating it
awww ~ seriously so speechless on what to say to all the nice things you said on this post. You are awesome J ~ miss ya and can’t wait to hang out again. We SOOOO need to get sushi next time. I cannot believe you made it out here and we didn’t :(
The limo was so fun – I definitely will forever check that out as a mode for transportation in the future especially if it’s cheaper….
MMMM….that tea, I want it again!
P.S. You are always welcome to hang at our humble aboad :D
hi! first of all, I hope you liked all the food, cause I’m a Korean!
Well, I don’t think you really know me but I’ll reply anyway. My most adventurous food was raw beef – if you don’t like meat it’s too bad, cuz this is the most fabulous thing in the world. It mealts in your mouth. But I don’t crave it now. I’m so used to Canadian life now lol
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