Hey friends! I hope you’ve all been safe and well. It’s that time again so I hope you’re pumped to read chapter 2 of my quarantine adventures. It’s been a pretty chill week, but I’m proud of myself because I’ve finally reset my schedule.
If you know me or have been following me for a while, you know that I used to be a hardcore hustler, like the kind of hustler that would wake up at 4:45AM daily to work…after finishing work at 2AM. Yeah, I was all about that intensity, but quarantine’s changed things.
Although I’m glad I took time to breath, I need to get it together. With that said, I’ve still been working hard on projects and whatnot, but I’m not being as strict as I used to be, and it’s time to get back to it. Discipline means a lot to me so here are non-negotiables for me moving forward:
- Always take my vitamins.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
- Sleep before 1:30AM, wake at 6AM.
- Drink ample amounts of water.
- Eat more fruits and veggies.
- Read for at least an hour each day.
How are you guys holding up? And in what ways has quarantine impacted your life? Curious to hear how its affected you so let me know by leaving a comment below. And in terms of highlights, I have a handful of dope things to tell you about so let’s get to it!
Covering Gravitas’ New Menu
Gravitas can do no wrong in my book, and I’ve had the pleasure of photographing their current menu on top of offerings at their new concept, Baker’s Daughter. First things first though, if you’re looking to treat yourself to an amazing meal, they offer both indoor and outdoor dining, and their rooftop’s – known as The Conservatory – also an option.
Their chef’s tasting menu is priced at $150 a person, which is reasonable considering it’s a Michelin-star. Plus the experience is well worth the splurge. I always love photographing Gravitas because their food is stunning, and their restaurant’s flooded with light.
So, here are shots of some of my favorite new menu items. First up, their vichyssoise. If you’re unfamiliar with this dish, it’s a thick, creamy chilled soup that’s made with boiled and pureed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream and chicken stock. Chef Matt’s comes with poached potatoes, toasted brioche, leek and chive tartare and a generous dollop of osetra caviar. Pure perfection.
The second must try, their olive oil poached salmon, is from their summer garden tasting menu, and it’s exquisite. I loved this course, and I’m not a huge fan of salmon so trust me when I say it’s yum. It’s served with carolina gold rice, tomato consommé and basil, and it tastes like summer in a spoon.
And last but not least, Chef Kyle’s Summer Cherries dessert. As I’m sure you’ve seen before on either Sensible Stylista or Nomtastic Foods, everything he makes is beautiful, but I think this was my favorite dessert yet. Cherry cake with creme fraiche-lavender cremoux, served with cherry-ginger sorbet and chocolate sable.
My First Collab with Sandross Alim
I’ve been instagram friends with @sandross.alim for quite some time now so I was thrilled that we finally set a time to meet up and shoot. We linked up at Tysons to photograph 3 looks, and it was an absolute blast.
The best part about blogging, at least for me, is befriending incredible creatives who are not only super talented but just all around awesome. If you follow me on instagram, you’ve probably already seen some of my shots with Sandross, but here are a few of my favorites from our set together.
Covering The Game’s New Menu for Their Reopening
Thrilled that The Game has reopened with ONLY Filipino-influenced dishes. Run by none other than the amazing Jo-Jo Valenzuela, this hole-in-the-wall sports pub is everything you dreamed of and then some.
Located in Adams Morgan, my manfriend and I met up with the uber wonderful Alyssa Bonk to sample and photograph some of Jojo’s new dishes, and let me tell you, the food was straight fire.
I’ll be covering it all in depth on Nomtastic Foods so I won’t ruin it for you guys, but whether you dine in or get takeout, you need to try their Four Point Play fries, their Grilla in Manila Slider Trio, and their Homerun Burger.
Taking Over bartaco’s Instagram Stories
Robby (my Nom co-founder) and I don’t usually do story takeovers, but we decided to give it a go with @bartacolife. It was really fun, and we’d totally be down to do it again. With that said, I don’t think people understand how much time and effort it takes to prepare stories and in-feed posts.
I know “instagramming” may seem easy, but let me tell you, there’s a LOT that happens behind-the-scenes. As a social media girl who manages 10+ accounts, it’s a lot more difficult than it looks…but more on that some other time.
Costco Purchases
I’m high key obsessed with Costco. In fact, so much so that I’m legit thinking about starting a Costco series featuring all the dope items I get from them every time I go. During my last trip, I got a $4 succulent planter (with 6 plant babies!!!!!!!!!), and I was really excited about it. I get most of my plants there because they’re super affordable! I almost got an orchid as well, but I decided against it last minute, lol.
Other noteworthy purchases (not mentioning the basic stuffs I get) were their chickpea pasta (healthy and surprisingly tasty), Godiva dark chocolate hearts stuffed with ganache (on sale and SO good), and golden kiwis (I got 2 packs). I also shop their website quite often, and they have everything from affordable sheet masks to really high quality liquid liners. I’ll definitely have to do a beauty roundup at some point for you guys.
Anyways, that’s it for today. I hope you guys enjoyed reading chapter two of my quarantine adventures. If you missed the first one, click here to see, and make sure you stay tuned for fresh new content coming your way. Sending you guys big hugs!
Those sliders and burger looks amazing
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They were SO good!
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They were so tasty!