Patio Project

I love that I have a first floor apartment because we get a larger patio area than the 2nd and 3rd floor apartments. The downside of the patio layout is that it's not a complete rectangle so it's harder to place furniture.

We decided to buy some bricks and fill it in! We bought 12 x 12 bricks from Lowe's for 97 cents each. To get started we first had to rake all the leaves and add more dirt so the bricks would be level with the concrete slab.

We laid the bricks but realized the dirt we added was too soft, and the bricks were shifting and tipping when we walked. Because we live in an apartment and will need to remove the bricks when we move out, we couldn't make this a permanent patio addition. To stabilize the bricks, we wet the dirt and used a tamper to condense and strengthen the dirt. Then we added gravel on top of the dirt and put stakes in the ground at each edge of the bricks to keep them from sliding around.

And voila! A larger patio! (some of the bricks are wet in this picture, that's why they're discolored) Now I can spread my patio furniture out more and have space to add more chairs when we have guests! Once we figured out the best way to make the bricks stay put (by consulting with my Dad - he has infinite wisdom with home improvements) this project only took us about 2 hours and cost about $30 for the bricks, dirt and a rake. We borrowed the tamper and mallet from my dad and he gave us the stakes and gravel, which were left from a previous project. We could have made do with just using our feet probably to flatten the dirt and a hammer for the stakes.

4th of July!

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! Mine was great and spent with loved ones. We had a BBQ at my aunts house and a mini photo shoot. Check them out below :)

Snack Yourself Skinny

Yes, that’s right, you can still snack and lose weight. It’s actually a key component to losing weight, if you’re eating the proper foods. Fueling our bodies regularly throughout the day helps keep our metabolism running at a more constant rate, which supports calorie burning. Eating a healthy, low calorie snack in between meals will also help you avoid feeling overly hungry as you approach your next meal. Not allowing yourself to get overly hungry will aid you in making smart meal choices and you’ll be less likely to overeat at each meal. Below you will find a few healthy snack ideas that are easy to enjoy on the go.

Almonds and Walnuts – Both of these types of nuts contain healthy fats, are high in fiber and contain heart healthy vitamins.  A small handful goes a long way in keeping you’re hunger at bay; be sure to portion your serving before you start snacking, as the calories can add up. Buy raw nuts, as the salted variety can cause you to consume too much sodium per day.

Fresh Fruit and Veggies – Snacking on fruits and veggies is a great way to ensure you get your recommended daily servings and most are low in calories. Clean, cut, portion and baggie fruits and veggies that are too big to consume at once right after you purchase. This allows you to grab and go when in a rush and avoid settling for high calorie packaged foods.

Hummus – Replace traditional cheese or sour cream based dips and spreads with hummus as it is high in fiber and protein. Hummus comes in a variety of flavors and is great with an array of breads to incorporate into a meal, but as a mid meal snack, stick to eating with veggies to keep the calorie intake lower. Adding hummus to veggie snacks will keep you fuller longer because of the added fiber and protein. Sliced bell peppers, cucumbers and carrots all go great with hummus.

Green Tea – Although green tea isn’t really a food, it is a great source of antioxidants and has been proven to aid in the fat burning process. As green tea contains no calories on its own, it is a great drink to consume when you start feeling hungry, as often filling your stomach up with something warm can help satisfy your hunger until your next meal or snack time.  

Shopping for Fitness

I don't know if any of you are like me, but having new clothes for an occasion makes me way more excited. Yes, typical girl thing to say. But in this case it's a good thing - I got new Nike's to keep me staying motivated to be active. Best part is, there is a Nike factory store 15 minutes away from my place. Hello half price everything!

My boyfriend also got new Nike's at the factory store - not even realizing he picked the same ones! Great minds think alike :)

I also went to TJ Maxx for some new workout pants and lighter dumbbells than my usual 8 pounders. They have great prices and decent selection on fitness items. On this same shopping for fitness kick I found a bunch of different fitness DVD's for really cheap at Safeway. They had one DVD that I already own and really like, which is surprisingly enough one of the Kim Kardashian "Fit in Your Jeans by Friday" DVD's. I know I know, sounds ridiculous, but the trainer featured in the video is really great. There are 3 DVD's in the series, I have 2 of them. Trust me, you will be very sore the next day after doing one! These tapes are why I need lighter dumbbells, each routine focuses on one body area so after a 25 minute workout, your arms will be sore even with only 3 pound weights! You can find the DVD's on Amazon, and apparently at Safeway! (and I'm sure some other stores as well). 

Moral of the story is - if you're feeling unmotivated, try something new! Whether that be a new type of activity, a new setting or a new outfit! Sometimes rewarding yourself and wearing something that makes you feel good will inspire you to work a little harder.  :)

Grilled Chicken Salad

I thought I'd post the recipe for one of the best salads I've ever made! I used leftover grilled apricot glazed chicken from the previous night's dinner to make this quick salad to bring to work for lunch.

(this picture doesn't do it justice)

-Apricot glaze from Fresh and Easy
-Skinless boneless chicken breast
-Spring mix
-Shredded carrots
-Persian cucumber
-Cherry tomatoes
-Almond accents in tomato basil flavor
-Lighthouse light poppyseed dressing

All of these ingredients came together so well and the best part is, it was a very low calorie lunch because the dressing is only 60 calories for 2 tablespoons! Dressings and salad toppings are often times so high in calories and fat that salad can end up being just as bad as eating a burger! I'm very picky when it comes to low fat foods, most of the time I'd rather just cut the item out of my diet all together (i.e. mayo vs. miracle whip - gross). This dressing is very tasty, even my super picky boyfriend likes it, and he usually will only eat thousand island!

Get Fit!

Now that the weather has warmed up, I have been excitedly digging out my summer clothes. That is until I tried on a pair of shorts to find them a bit too tight to wear in public. Needless to say I was NOT happy. I will admit I've been having a little too much fun lately and not enough conscious eating and exercise. I'm sure most of you have the same problem as me, I have good intensions to workout in the evening, but after a long day at work, I'm too tired (or wine is too tempting!). Lunch hour walks have become pretty common to ensure I get some sort of movement since I sit at a desk most of the day. I've come to realize I will forever be on what some people (and occasionally myself) refer to as a "diet" because of the combination of a sedentary job and slower metabolism. I was not blessed with skinny genes but I have come to accept it. Honestly, I really like my figure when I'm in shape; curvy and toned. My goal is to do at least 3 strength training and cardio workouts a week with some lunch time and weekend walks as well. It's only been a few days of my re-dedication to health and fitness and I feel better already! I'm sleeping better and I have more energy. I even went for a random late gym sesh tonight. Go me! :)

DIY: Painted Bottles

Hi Everyone, I'm finally back with a new post! Things have been very busy around here, but finally starting to settle down a bit (I think!). Anyway, this project has been one of my favorites so far, I just LOVE how these bottles turned out! They were originally Belgian beer bottles that a family friend had brought over for dinner one night. My mom thought they were very cool and decided not to throw them away, thinking maybe we could do a project with them someday.

Fast forward 2 months, and I'm at Target looking in the home decor section and find some painted bottles that I thought were very chic. There were 3 different sizes, meant to be a set. They were red, beige and grey, 2 colors per bottle. I was so tempted to buy them except they were $18-$25 each, (depending on the size) and those colors weren't exactly what I was looking for. I fought back the urge to impulse buy (which is typically so hard for me!). A few days later I'm visiting my Mom and see those beer bottles - bingo. DIY project! I still had leftover teal and beige paint from a previous DIY project (the teal end table) and my mom had some rust/red color paint. My original plan was to include all 3 colors in each bottle, in different orders and different sized sections. I first peeled the labels off the bottles and used painters tape to section out the bottles for each color.

After a few coats of these sections dried, I took the painters tape off and ran into a snag. Turns out, I should have purchased glass paint because the tape did not come off completely clean and the paint would easily scratch. It wasn't too bad, so I touched up the edges and decided to leave one section the natural brown color of the bottle. I ended up liking it better this way because the texture of the bottle showing added dimension.

I had purchased a can of Martha Stewart clear protectant spray that is good for glass to seal the paint and give it a little gloss. This spray is really great, it dries enough after 10 minutes to repeat coats, with full drying in about 6 hours. I did 3-4 coats on each bottle to make sure the paint would not get damaged. Not only does it protect the paint from chipping or scratching, it makes them look much more expensive and polished.

And here is where they live now, in my bay window! I am obsessed with my little kitchen nook. The vases on the left were done with the same paint and spray as the bottles. Most of the other items were purchased at Target and TJ Maxx.

Recap!

Hi Everyone,

I know I've been slacking on the posts lately, but I've had a lot going on! I made a lot of apartment changes and I started a new job! I never thought leaving a job where I was overall pretty comfortable but not very satisfied would be so tough! Although it was time for me to move on, I will miss so many of my coworkers. My new job is similar in title to my previous, but with a higher level of responisbility and more potential for future growth. It is largely a marketing position with some executive level administrative work. I still work in the same industry - architecture and engineering but this company is located in the East Bay, only 20 minutes away from my apartment (compared to my previous hour commute to San Francisco). I am very excited for what the future holds at this company and in other avenues of my life. I'll continue to fill you all in on the upcoming events and a new DIY project post this weekend!

Refinished Bar

Here is another DIY refinishing project. My mom and I found this old TV console/small buffet at a garage sale for $10. It was very 70's looking with the lattice screen in the doors and we really wanted to update the piece and give it a classier feel. The photo below is the before, after it was sanded and one screen removed.

The piece came with a cool marble insert on the top of it so we thought this would make a great bar. Covering it with a TV seemed silly, and it's not quite long enough to fit today's large flat screen TV's. My mom was looking to get rid of a large china cabinet and needed to move her china into a kitchen cabinet that was holding all the bar essentials. This piece was the perfect size to become the bar and fit all the bottles and some other accessories.

We stained the wood with a cherry stain, the same as the end table from a previous post. Polyurethane was applied after the stain dried to give it a nice sheen and protection. The screens were replaced with glass to showcase the items inside the bar. To give the piece and the items inside an extra pop, we painted the back red on the inside.

I LOVE how the bar turned out. I must admit, I'm a little jealous my mom gets to show it off in her house. I might just have to take it someday, or I guess start hitting the garage sales to redo my own!

Nerd Alert

I love office/school supplies. I get very excited about an awesome pen or colorful post its. Back to school supply shopping was always something I looked forward to, that excitement was pretty short lived though once I had homework and studying to do. Anyway, my coworker introduced me to these new erasable pens and I LOVE them. Pilot makes some of my favorite pens, they write beautifully, are easy to find in stores, are affordable and come in a variety of colors. Naturally, their new line of erasable pens, called FriXion, have the same great qualities. They have a few different color assortments, which can be purchased at Target, Walgreens, Amazon, and other stores that sell office supplies.

This pack has purple, pink and orange in it. The purple is my favorite because it's dark enough to easily read; the orange is the lightest. The first time I had gone to Target I could only find this color assortment, but I have since found a pack with black, blue and red. FriXion pens are different than other erasable pens, which tend to always have some ink remaining after you erase. I also saw they have a line of erasable highlighters! I'll have to try those next!

Ciabatta Garlic Bread

Garlic bread has become a food that I make quite often as my boyfriend really loves it. He now asks if I'll make garlic bread every time I make pasta, which is pretty frequently.

Side bar on pasta. I LOVE pasta. When deciding where to study abroad in college, a huge factor for me was food. I asked myself, "what European cultures' food would I be ok with eating everyday?" The answer was a no brainer, Italian. I am obsessed with Italy, I think in a past life I was Italian.

Anyway, back to garlic bread. On this particular occasion, I had not planned to make garlic bread when I had gone shopping for the ingredients for Spaghetti. I got creative and took inspiration from my restaurant owning family's resourcefulness and looked though my cupboards and refrigerator for ingredients that I could use to make garlic bread. I sliced the rest of a loaf of ciabatta, mixed together fresh garlic and olive oil and spread it generously over the bread. My boyfriend and I are both garlic lovers so I'm never shy using garlic in my cooking. I stayed away from using butter because I'm trying stay on the healthier side (I used ground turkey instead of beef in the spaghetti). I am a believer that you don't need large amounts of butter or fatty oils if you season food properly. That goes for salt as well-herbs and spices add a huge amount of flavor and you can reduce the salt! For cheese, I only had pecorino cheese so I grated it on my bread. Pecorino is a pretty powerful flavor, similar to parmesan and is a bit salty. Because of the salty flavor, I did not add any salt to my olive oil and garlic mix, as I would have had I used mozzarella cheese. I baked the bread in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

I loved how this garlic bread turned out, great flavor and crunch from the baked ciabatta. I also liked that it wasn't so bread heavy like many garlic bread recipes that call for a sourdough roll. I've made this same garlic bread again since; the second time I added a little of my favorite seasoning I got in Florence. It's called arrabbiata, it has close to the same blend as a traditional italian spice blend, but with some spicy pepper flakes mixed in as well. We both love our food with a little spice so a sprinkle of the arrabbiata seasoning before baking the garlic bread really added some flavor and kick.

Homework: Have some fun trying out garlic bread creations, please share any success stories, as I'm always looking for new ways to cook favorite dishes!

Leopard Print Flats

Hi everyone, I just bought these Material Girl flats from Macys over the weekend and I wanted to share! I love little pops of leopard print, they can really make an outfit.

These will be great to wear to work, not too flashy but will give my outfits some personality. I am fortunate to work in an office with a pretty relaxed and casual atmosphere; I typically wear nice dark boot cut, straight leg or trouser jeans a few times a week. I also think these loafer type flats will look really cute with a dress as well, once the weather gets a little warmer.

I love having something new to wear to work, it makes facing a busy week easier :)

End Table Refinishing

A few weeks ago, my mom and I decided we needed a project. On a sunny Saturday we decided to go garage sale hunting to find some small furniture pieces to refinish. I am slowly starting to think about a furniture look I'd like for my next apartment, trying to keep the cost as low as possible without sacrificing a cute and sophisticated decor.

Here is an oak end table/night stand we found for $10. This photo was taken after its light finish was completely sanded away and the knob removed. The grain of the wood was so beautiful as this is a very solid, and at one time expensive piece, it would be a waste to paint the entire table. I really wanted to do something more interesting than just restaining, I was looking for a pop of color. To get the best of both worlds, I decided I wanted to paint some parts of the table and stain the rest. Here's how it turned out.

My dad had this stain called "chestnut red" in his work shed so that cost me nothing for this project. For the paint, my mom and I went to Lowe's to look at colors. I picked "a day at the jewelers" by Valspar. For $3 they mixed up a 7.2 oz sample, which was more than enough paint for this project (I actually have about half left to use on other DIY projects-yay!) The knob I also picked out at Lowe's for $4. My dad had the polyurithane as well; we applied 2 coats to give it a protective layer and that wonderful shine. $17 for a unique and beautiful end table. I'm a fan!

Make-Over

Hi Everyone,

As you may have noticed, I haven't been posting very often. The main reason is that going out to eat frequently is just too expensive! I've started to really watch my spending and learning how to live on a realistic budget. During this time of financial maturity I've started getting into DIY home projects after realizing store prices can be obsurd for the quality you get. In addition to my crafting adventures, I'll also share some of my cooking experiences, restaurant reviews, my favorite beauty, style and household products, my ever evolving fitness routine for a happy and reduced stress life, and of course my biggest passion of all: TRAVEL. I'll be posting my first DIY project later tonight so check back later!

Bagatelle

115 Duval St
Key West, FL 33040

For my birthday this year, my boyfriend and I went on a Carnival cruise to the Caribbean! I am a huge fan of cruising (well any vacation really lol) and this was his first time. We had an awesome, although unpredictable time with weather, which resulted in some port changes. We went to Key West, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and back to Key West (couldn't stop in Grand Cayman as planned). Our first time around in Key West it was raining most of the day, so we decided to splurge a little more than planned and find a nice restaurant to eat and have a drink.

Bagatelle is in the heart of Key West, on Duval Street where all the action is. Lots of shops and bars around, which were all over crowded due to the rain. The restaurant is a converted house, with all of its original charm intact. We were lucky enough to get a table on the wrap around porch. Although it was raining, it was a muggy 86 degrees, so sitting in an outside covered spot was perfect.

Bagatelle serves Caribbean food with French influences. I ordered the mojo pork tacos with marinated pork, grilled pineapple, tomatillo salsa, onions & cilantro on a soft flour tortilla, served with plantain chips. I really liked this dish, it was flavorful and a different combination of ingredients in tacos than you would typically find. Although the tortillas are somewhat small, the meal overall is very filling.



My boyfriend ordered the kobe burger with a half pound of greg norman australian wagyu, served with plantain chips. He inhaled the burger, so I'm guessing he liked it. We both had the rum punch to wash down our food. The drinks were delicious and had a good amount of alcohol, not too strong but got our money's worth. Overall I really liked Bagatelle and would go again if I ever come back to Key West. For our second time in Key West that week we had gorgeous sunny weather and went snorkling! We had a blast and after we walked around the town again, wanting to properly experience Key West. Mallory Square and and surrounding streets are very charming with great souvenier shops. I would love to return and stay for a few days in the not too distant future.

Osteria dell'Agnolo

Borgo S. Lorenzo, 24r,
50032 Florence, Italy

For Christmas 2010 my family and I went on a trip to back to Italy (my friend came along with and she and I went to Belfast and Dublin as well). My aunt and her husband live in Florance and took us to Osteria dell'Agnolo for out Christmas Day celebration. The restaurant is near the Duomo, a very busy piazza in Florance but this has not made it lose its value as a true Italian eatery. Sure they get tourists, but it is still a favorite of local Florentines. This restaurant has a lot of history, they claim to be the oldest restaurant in the world, although it is not officially recognized. It has been recorded that Leonardo da Vinci and his friends would meet there frequently, very well making this the oldest restaurant in the world!



The outside of the restaurant

Now on to what's really important, THE FOOD! The service here is great, the wait staff are very friendly and helpful with questions about the dishes. We started off with antipasto of assorted salami's. The portion was huge!


Antipasto

The menu has a lot of variety including salads, pizzas, pasta, gnocci and traditional entrees like Osso Bucco. Everything is flavored wonderfully with fresh ingredients and just the right amount of seasoning. And no Italian dining expereince would be complete without WINE! Tuscany produces some of the smoothest red wines, I don't think I've disliked any that I've tried from the region. The great thing about eating out in Italy, is most of the time the house wine served is fabulous and very afordable. You really don't need to know much about Italian wine types to order a glass (or bottle!).

Our visit to Florance during Christmas was beautiful, although cold, I am so glad we experienced the holidays there.


Christmas Day

Paladar Cafe Cubano

329 Kearny St
(between Bush St & Pine St)
San Francisco, CA 94108

One of my favorite lunch stops is Paladar Cafe Cubano, 2 blocks from my office in the Financial District (and next door neighbors to my dad's restaurant). We are friendly with the owners Vicki and Rita, two of the nicest restaurant owners I have ever met. They love what they do and have such passion for their food that it shows in the quality and presentation. The cafe is small but they make the best of their space and function as a full service restaurant (difficult to do in this area of SF because most eateries can only fit a few tables).

One of my favorite dishes there is the ensalada de la casa (mixed greens with veggies) and add grilled steak. The meat is marinaded perfectly, it's so delicious. The salad has a light tasting lemon-shallotvinagerette dressing that is very refreshing and compliments the meat wonderfully. You also have the option to add chicken or shrimp as well as steak to any salad on the menu. I'm also a fan of the shrimp and sometimes order it on the 5 greens salad which has arugula, watercress, avocado & cucumber with mint vinaigrette dressing.

The cubano sandwich is probably one of their most popular lunch items which has Niman roast pork, ham, swiss, pickles, mayo & mustard and is served warm with a small mixed greens salad on the side. I love getting some of their homemade chipotle aioli to dip my sandwich in, gives it a little kick of spice! If you're in the mood for a treat as a side to that sandwich, then I recommend adding the fried yuca (listed on the menu as an appetizer) which is served with the chipotle aioli for dipping. The fried yuca has a similar consistency to a french fry, crispy outside, soft and potato-like (but sweeter) inside.


Fried Yuca

Cinecitta Ristorante & Bar

663 Union St
(between Columbus Ave & Powell St)
San Francisco, CA 94133

About 2 weeks ago we started having warmer than usual weather in San Francisco (it was short lived, as usual) but it made me start to crave authentic Italian food. Warm weather in the city reminds me of living in Rome, the hussle and bustle of a city, but being able to sit outside and enjoy a pizza and then stroll through the streets with a refreshing gelato. Thus I began my quest for the next best thing to being in Italy for Italian food-North Beach in SF. Not nearly the same atmosphere, but only a convenient 15 minute walk from my office.

Cinecitta is one of many small Italian eateries that you'll find in North Beach, just off Columbus where most of the restaurants are. Columbus feels very much like walking through Italian streets, in that you are surrounded by restaurants with so many hosts offering you menu's it can be confusing which one to choose! Luckly having learned from experience that the restaurant that doesn't chase after customers usually has better food and service. I had read about Cinecitta on yelp and decided to give it a try. It's just past most of the Columbus restaurants, off Union Street.

The restaurant is small with 4 tables in front, a few tables inside and a long bar. The service was great, we met the owner who is from Rome, huge points for that! She made recommendations on the menu as well as offered to explain any items we were unfamiliar with. Other than authentic Roman style pizzas (no stuffed crust here!) they offer appetizers, salads, panini's, calzones and a few entrees. I ordered the Trastevere-for 2 reasons, 1) It's named after the neighborhood in Rome I lived in and 2) It sounded delicious! It has tomato sauce, mozzerella cheese, arugala and proscuitto with a sprinkle of parmesan on top. My friend had the Alla Romana pizza which is also very delicious- tomato sauce, mozzerella cheese, sausage, salami, and pepperoni.


The Trastevere

After dinner we walked around and got gelato at Naia, not the best I've had but my favorites Straciatella and Chocolate Hazelnut (usually called Baci) are pretty good. They were lacking in some of the best Italian gelato flavors though, mainly the fruit flavors like Strawberry (Fragola)and Mixed Berry (Fruitti de Bosco). Naia does however have some unique options like Guinness, and some typical American ice cream flavors as well.

Oasis Grille and Bar in Pleasanton

780 Main St
Pleasanton, CA 94566
(925) 417-8438

It's been a long time since my last and first review but here is #2! I've been to Oasis twice now and haven't been disappointed. They serve Afghani/Meditteranian cuisine in the heart of downtown pleasanton. The ambiance is great, very cozy and classy inside, including a lounge area if you're just interested in appetizers and drinks. There is also a beautiful outdoor patio area to enjoy the abundance of sunshine and warm evenings in Pleasanton. The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu, which is crucial at a restaurant serving food many customers will be unfamiliar with.

Now for the food! For appetizers, the Pumpkin Borani is delicious, sort of a dessert before dinner. The Oasis sampler contains a smaller portion of the pumpkin borani, grilled shrimp and hummus stuffed cucumbers. Another great appetizer is the Tour of the Meditteranian, a trio of spinach artichoke dip, hummus and cucumber yogurt served with bread. Both samplers are great options to introduce your palate to the Meditteranian flavors that accompany many of the main entrees on the menu.

For dinner I have had the Kabob's both times. They offer a list of choices and you can choose just one meat or do a combination. I have tried the steak, shrimp and the koobideh (beef blended with herbs and spices, served with grilled tomato) which is fantastic! They offer a choice for sides, the garlic mashed potatoes are really delicious as is the seasoned basmati rice. My mom ordered the lamb shank, which was very tender, although the sauce could have been a little more exciting, served with fresh asparagas. The dinner menu also offers Meditteranian inspired flatbread pizzas, grilled salmon, stuffed chicken, pastas and a few traditional Afghani dishes, as well as an international wine list. Overall both visits to Oasis have been fantastic, I always recommend this restaurant to people in the area looking for something a little different than the usual dinner fare


Pumpkin Borani

Ottavio in Walnut Creek

1606 N Main St
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 930-8008


My first critique is an Italian restaurant, which is very fitting because it's one of my favorite types of food! My boyfriend and I came here in October for my birthday and had a very nice evening. I picked this restaurant based on excellent reviews it received and the fact that the chef/owner is actually from Italy. It's also a fairly new restaurant, less than a year old so I wanted to help support them. The restaurant is cute and comfortable with a simplistic and modern design that still feels cozy. The menu is very different than most Italian restaurants in the U.S. It is more authentic with many dishes I haven't seen offered outside of Italy. Fortunately the staff is very friendly and happy to help with ordering.

To start off they serve you 3 types of homemade bread and pesto with olive oil. Very delicious and a nice change from the standard balsamic. For appetizer we ordered the plate with 3 types of Prosciutto that comes with 2 types of cheeses. AMAZING. The cheeses were so flavorful and very different but complemented the prosciutto's perfectly. The chef cures some of the proscuitto himself as well as makes some of the cheeses. Impressive. We both had a glass of the Primitivo red wine and it was excellent. Very smooth, easy to drink and paired well with all the food we ordered. For our entrees, I ordered the special, Spinach Gnocci with Boar Meat. I've never had boar meat so I was a little wary, but it's very tender and was paired nicely with the sauce. My only complaint is that a flavor in the sauce got a little too repetitive for me and I got that feeling of being a little tired of eating it. Not sure what it was, could have been that it's a new meat for my palate in general. My boyfriend ordered the Kid Goat Sugo Pasta, also a first for this type of meat. It was also delicious and our meals actually complemented each other well, we mixed and matched our meats for a few bites.


Kid Goat Sugo

For desert we shared the Pannacotta with fresh berries. It was fantastic, tart at first and then sweet. Very light and very refreshing, perfect ending to a delicious and filling meal. The desert was on the house because it was my birthday, a very nice and appreciated gesture. I would definitely recommend trying Ottavio and I am planning to return and try other dishes.