Healthy Chicks

Like any twenty-something girl, I absolutely love to be wined and dined, especially in Boston’s very own Little Italy also known as the North End. Well, this past Friday, I spent the evening wining & dining (and laughing) with my beautiful younger sister Krista and let’s just say we were not dissapointed.

{posing with our brights ready to hit the town!}

We started the evening out at Boston Bottles, our favorite little wine and beer shop which is conveniently located minutes down the street from our apartment. They have quite a generous selection of wine and craft beer, and never disappoint no matter what day of the week. Not to mention the staff is knowledgeable, extremely friendly, and always remember our faces (and our taste in booze) each time we visit.

But wait, it gets even better! Every Friday evening starting at 5:30, Bottles hosts a wine tasting free to the public. Each week, my sister and I look forward to the new selection of wine, and we’re always pleasantly surprised. Not only do we have a blast, but it’s also a great way to try a different type of wine you may never have thought to try. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up falling in love with a different blend, as I did the rosé this past weekend (It tasted like a sunset we decided!)

{Beautiful selection of whites, reds and rosé. We even got to try a brew!}

After our weekly trip to Bottles, we head over to Nebo for our 7:00 dinner reservations. My sister had purchased an online voucher to treat me for a belated 25th birthday dinner, and I was floored as I’ve always wanted to try Nebo since I moved to the North End but never got the chance.

We were seated near the window, which was perfect for some good, old-fashioned people watching and city-side dining. For starters, we ordered the Arugula salad to split, which was prepared with freshly shaved parmesan and a light, lemon vinaigrette. It was the perfect refreshing appetizer, especially since we knew we had big dinners coming our way! We also ordered some garlic bread to tide us over while we waited for our meals.

I ordered off the Gluten Free menu because, although I don’t have Celiac’s disease, I still try to consume a gluten free diet most of the time as it makes me feel better inside and out. While everything looked delicious, I knew right away I wanted the Funghi made with handmade pasta, wild mushroom ragu, caramelized onions, fontina and sage. The pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce was creamy but not too heavy, and the portion was ideal. Needless to say, I scraped my plate clean. My sister ordered the Rosso: handmade pasta, shrimp in a slow roasted spicy tomato sauce, which was absolutely decadent.

{wild mushroom pasta with fontina and sage}

After our feast, we bar-hopped for a bit, and then walked around the city to work off our meals. It couldn’t have been a more perfect night in the city.

What’s your favorite place to dine in the North End? If you haven’t been to the North End, what’s your top secret Boston dining options?

XoXo,

Good morning everyone, and sorry I’ve been kinda a ghost lately. It’s just that I’ve got a lot on my mind, and am now finally going to share all of that with you!

1. For one, I enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a certified health coach with a holistic focus, and will begin taking online classes in the fall. I couldn’t be more excited to go back to school and continue my education, especially with something that is so me. It’s no doubt that I love writing, I love helping people, and I love anything related to health, nutrition and well-being. So why not throw all of my passions together and make something out it? I’m confident that one day I will become a successful health coach, helping others get back on track and see that living a healthy life style does not have to be difficult. I’ve always been one for a need to feel passionate with what I do in life, and in September I will finally start this journey! More info to come…

This news is extra-exciting because my sister and I are moving into our North End apartment September 1, right when my classes start. She’ll be a great roomie because a.) we rock in the kitchen together and b.) she’ll be a student as well – she’s going to grad school at MGH for Speech Pathology (so proud of her).

2. As you can see, I am testing new blog layouts because I was getting bored with mine – I will stick to this lovely theme for now. It’s simple, creative and fun – which I think portrays Healthy Chicks pretty darn well.

3. I’ve completed my 3rd addition of my self-published cookbook, “Healthy Chicks in the Kitchen,” filled with 60+ simple, wholesome, nutritious recipes for the not-so-simple chick. I’m also dabbling in starting my own greeting card line, including an inspirational postcard segment made by women for women. I’ll show you some samples once they’re printed!

4. On that note, I’ll be at Boston Event Guide’s Shop & Talk this Saturday (from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) with a “Heathy Chicks” booth. Stop by and say  hi, check out my newest arts ‘n’ crafts, enter my raffle, or purchase a signed cookbook if you’d like. If you don’t have anything going on this weekend and live in Boston, it’s sure to be a fun day, filled with lots of boutiques, spas, free samples and fun with your girlfriends!

Speaking of Shop & Talk, here’s your chance to win a pair of FREE tickets to this Saturday’s event. If you love shopping, mingling and nibbling, live a comment on my blog with what your favorite day of shopping would consist of, or your #1 shopping destination. Tweet “Enter promo code Shop2011 for half off lux bag tickets to @bostoneventg ‘s Shop & Talk www.shopandtalk.com” for bonus points.