Bar Lamar

So I may have a slight love affair with Whole Foods Market. Not only am I in love with the company itself and their quest to provide natural and organic products to the public, but I am also in love with their prepared foods section- not to mention they have the world's greatest sandwich, but that story is for another time and another post. 

I'm fortunate to live in Austin, TX, home to the Whole Foods headquarters. If you've never been to the Whole Foods headquarters, I must say it's quite the experience. It so much more than a grocery store. First off, the mere size of the the store is impressive and possibly overwhelming. You could easily kill a couple hours just meandering through the aisles. But you could also stop in for a message or enjoy a rooftop movie in the summer and ice skating during the holidays, and of course this being the live music capital, you could stop in for live music on a Thursday evening. 


Tonight however, I discovered the Whole Foods wine bar, Bar Lamar. It's the perfect environment to enjoy a pint or glass with friends. And if you're feeling munchie they offer cheese plates, all at reasonable price. Or make it a full on dinner experience, and grab something from the prepared food section to enjoy while you sip on your drink.

Bottom line, I love it because it's fun and simple and something a little different to help liven up a weekday night. 

Italian Bliss

This time last month I found myself trekking through the cliff side towns of Italy’s Cinque Terre region. Surrounded by lemon trees, spectacular views of the Mediterranean and pizza like none other I’d tasted before, I found myself experiencing bliss on a new level.

My sightseeing was most definitely supplemented by lots of eating. . . or realistically my sightseeing was planed around my eating . I indulged in all the Italian cuisine had to offer:  Cappuccino, gelato, pizza, prosciutto, Aperol spritz, carbonara, etc. I even learned to love anchovies! It’s amazing how delicious they can taste fresh dressed with a little lemon juice and olive oil instead of having to choke them down after they’ve been sitting in a jar of salt and oil. While I fully enjoyed these decadent bites, it was the simple meal of a roasted veggie sandwich that stands out in my memory.

One of the days I felt a bit under the weather. I allowed myself to sleep in that morning in hopes of rejuvenating my body. Unfortunately, I slept through breakfast and found myself in the awkward in between period of breakfast and lunch. I was too late to even order a cappuccino (because everyone knows that it’s taboo to drink cappuccino after 11:00am). With the combination of me feeling puny and me being the type of person who needs to eat breakfast, I was starting to go into panic mode. Finally, I stumbled upon a café that I assumed was open because there were two old local Italian men sipping on espresso and exchanging banter with one another. I sat myself down, opened the menu, pointed to a picture of this delicious looking sandwich (at that point those salty jarred anchovies would’ve looked delicious to me) and partook in this wonderfully simple roasted veggie sandwich. Each bite was more and more heavenly. This is why I love Italian cuisine. They have created some of the most classic and delicious dishes out of such simple ingredients. Caprese salad, melon and prosciutto, spaghetti and meatballs- all are delicious and yet simple.

My return to the States was a rough adjustment after such paradise. I found myself needing that morning cappuccino, and needing that afternoon gelato break. So, in an attempt to bring some Italy to my life back in the states I proceeded to replicate the roasted veggie sandwich from that day. A simple meal to satisfy a simple need.