Travel

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It’s hard to believe that we got back from Ireland three weeks ago. The trip completely flew by and was incredibly fun and restful, even though we were traveling with a very busy toddler. We luckily had lots of help from family and got to sneak away for some delicious dates, in addition to having some family meals out. Here are just a few of the delicious bites and sips we enjoyed during our Galway travels. Take me back!

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I was sick before we left, and air travel did not do me any favors. For our first lunch out, we went to Papa Rich Street Food Kitchen, where we took in views of the Rivrr Corrib and Galway Cathedral while sipping Prosecco and devouring gigantic steaming, spicy bowls of soup. I love Papa Rich and could easily eat their fresh, bright meals every day.

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And then there was Il Vicolo. Our little guy was sleeping as we walked the streets of my favorite town, so we decided to take advantage of the quiet and the warm October day with patio seats at Il Vicolo, which has some of the best seats in Galway. Check out that view!

We feasted on bruschetta and  beet salad with goat cheese to start.

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And then we moved on to meatballs and Bolognese. .  . incredible, comforting dishes!

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We finished with affogato, perfectly sweet gelato topped with rich espresso. This was one of my favorite meals in recent memory. It was nice to have a quiet lunch!

IlVicolo

We spent a few days out in Roundstone, a beautiful little town in Connemara, and we spent a lot of time at O’Dowd’s Seafood Bar, which is one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at.

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Everything at O’Dowd’s is super fresh, and the seafood is deliciously local. One night I had a pile of mussels with a big glass of cold white wine. Heaven.

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We had our fair share of Irish coffees while gazing out the window at the beauty of Roundstone Harbor and mountains of Connemara.

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Local crab claws in garlic butter and a massive seafood platter were dinner another night. When seafood is that fresh, there is simply nothing like it.

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Back in town, I made it to my favorite Galway wine bar, Sheridan’s for a glass and to duck out of the rain during the Saturday market.

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Thanks to my husband’s cousin, we also had time for a lunch date at another Galway favorite, Ard Bia. If you are in Galway, you have to eat here! I was craving something comforting and healthy. This pumpkin curry dish was sublime!

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Ard Bia is where the river empties into the sea, and the views here are also spectacular. The menu is all local, all the time, the wine list is delightful, and the setting is super cozy. I am always looking to find restaurants with a similar vibe at home, and they just don’t exist.

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Perhaps it’s the age of the city and its buildings, but there is just something special about every spot we visit in Galway, and I always miss it. I can’t wait to be back again!

Tags: Food, Galway, Ireland, Travel

Well hello there! How has your summer been? Ours has been full of typical summer-y things, boating, beaches, pool time, and gardening, and I hate that the end is in sight. I am hoping with the arrival of fall I will get back to blogging more frequently. . .and running and networking and pitching new clients and all the other things I used to do. . .but I also have a wild toddler who doesn’t sleep. We’ll see what happens next!

I know that I will be looking back at summer memories all winter long to get me through those cold dark days, and our week in Truro on Cape Cod will be one of the highlights. While I have been going to Truro/Provincetown every summer for years, this was the first time we went for a full week. Vacation with a toddler is tiring, but we had plenty of delicious meals, refreshing cocktails, and good times with friends.

Strangers & Saints

Strangers & Saints

Strangers & Saints Provincetown

Strangers & Saints Provincetown

Strangers & Saints Provincetown

Strangers & Saints is a Provincetown must-visit for their people-watching patio, stellar cocktails, and bar bites, like their incredible clam dip. Our son saw his first drag show there last summer and loved it. Strangers & Saints will always be one of our first and frequent stops when we visit Provincetown.

Pepe’s Wharf

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Pepe's Provincetown

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Pepes Provincetown

Provincetown

Because we were renting a cottage, we ended up eating a lot of our meals at home, but we had one nice dinner out during the week at beautiful Pepe’s Wharf in Provincetown. Oysters, the most fluffy, flaky, lobster-y lobster pie, the perfect g and t, gorgeous views. . . what more could you want from a summer dinner?

Yes, that’s a lemon Myles is eating. #MotheroftheYear

He did eat lobster pie, bits of fish, some fries and veggies from other plates too. 

Truro Vineyards

Truro Vineyards

Truro Vineyards

Truro Vineyards

We liked Truro Vineyards so much, especially their cocktail truck serving their South Hollow Spirits, that we went twice. Their lawn is gorgeous, and the Blackfish food truck serves up some delicious burgers and dogs, in addition to lobster rolls and other items.

Far Land

Far Land Provincetown

I have passed Far Land in Provincetown countless times and finally went in on this trip. Their sandwiches and baked goods are great, and I just love those chairs and that porch.

The Weatherdeck, Harwich

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We loved this simple, very kid-friendly stop on our way back to Boston. It was casual, had a huge menu, cheap wine, and a buttered lobster roll. It just needed to lose the lettuce!

As I mentioned earlier, we ate many other meals at home. . . lots of cheese and chips and snacks, but on this particular night we had buttery lobster, clams, and tomatoes. Does it get any better than lobster outside with water on both sides?

seafood feast in Cape Cod

Cape Cod

Tags: Cape Cod, cocktails, Food, New England, New England travel, Travel

Where does the time go? Our trip to New Orleans for New Years was over six months ago! I have been working nonstop during the day and wrangling a wild little toddler the rest of the time, and blogging (along with pretty much everything else) fell off of my radar. I’d really like to get back to posting at least once a week. We’ve had some great travel and dining adventures; it turns out our kiddo loves dining out, live music, and visiting new places as much as we do!

For now, a quick recap on New Orleans eats . . . you can read other posts on our New Orleans travels here:

New Orleans with a Baby: Where We Stayed

Scenes from New Orleans

The Royal Life in NOLA: Stay at Royal Sonesta New Orleans

Restaurant R’evolution New Orleans

Lunch in New Orleans: Cochon Restaurant

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On our most recent visit to New Orleans, we traveled with a bunch of friends, which made a getaway with a baby easier and more fun. Lots of eyes and hands meant we could relax a little. We are thankful to everyone willing to have our noisy little guy along on their vacation! On our first night, they all went to Commander’s Palace, and since a late, fancy dinner wasn’t kid-friendly, we ate a few small bites as we wandered the city. A stop for Abita Amber and some taco dip in the lobby of The Royal Frenchmen Hotel was perfect for getting out of the rain. The hotel was at a noisy intersection, so we felt right at home bringing a baby there! I am always pretty anxious that he is going to bother someone, so we try our best to find appropriate places to be out with him. After, we returned to our suite at Rathbone Mansions and ordered some incredible Mediterranean takeaway and had a date night on our balcony after his bedtime.

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We kicked off New Year’s Eve in New Orleans with mimosas at the absolutely beautiful Auction House Market Foodhall, which I would love to return to 100 times to try everything this space has to offer, including poke and sushi, empanadas, oysters, macarons, coffee, and of course, cocktails!

For New Year’s Eve lunch, we were lucky so get out of the rain (again!) to snag corner bar seats at Peche, which was at the top of my New Orleans list. It lived up to expectations, with incredible service, great gin drinks, and seriously delicious seafood gumbo and shrimp. A sleeping baby and rain falling outside made this one of my favorite meals on the trip.

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While we weren’t staying Sonesta on this trip, I had to make a stop to take in the beauty of the Royal Sonesta courtyard and for a French 75 at Desire Oyster Bar.

This courtyard is a true oasis in the middle of New Orleans, and somehow it wasn’t crowded, despite the holiday and bowl game happening. It was the perfect stop for quiet before heading back out onto bustling Bourbon Street.

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For our New Year’s Eve dinner, we ate leftover takeaway in our suite and went to bed early with the hope of getting some sleep. Fireworks all.night.long made that impossible! Luckily brunch at one of the best spots, Brennan’s, was in our plans, and strong coffee, Champagne, and lobster helped to perk us up for another day of exploring the city.

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The décor at Brennan’s is one of the best parts of the dining experience. Be sure to wander all of the rooms and the patio if you can!

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On our first visit to New Orleans, Café Amelie became a go-to, thanks to their beautiful courtyard and welcoming hospitality. We stopped to indulge in their great cocktails while surrounded by lush greenery. I love this spot!

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We missed the French Market on our first visit to New Orleans, so we made a point to visit this time, and I had my first ever muffuletta. I am a huge fan of olives, and I absolutely loved this. The market has such a fun atmosphere and so many options for food and drinks. If you are planning a visit to New Orleans, I definitely recommend it!

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Last, but not least, was our dinner at Atchafalaya, which was amazing. My photos didn’t come out due to the dimmed lighting the private dining room our group had, but this was definitely one of the best meals I have had. Shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, boudin-stuffed beignets. . . it was Southern fare elevated to  whole new level, with service that we’re still talking about. While not in the French Quarter, Atchafalaya is definitely worth taking an Uber to. There were a bunch of bars and shops around it as well, and I would definitely like to go back to explore the area.

In other news, the new owner of my old blog URL, traveleatlove.com, has copied a ton of my content and is using it as their own. I am in the process of dealing with it legally, but in the meantime I will be keeping an eye out to see if they steal this post!

Tags: brunch, cocktails, Food, New Orleans, Travel, wine

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