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Tasty Side to Life Tours Website

Saturday, February 2, 2019

Have a cozy weekend- below is a great superbowl menu


What are you up to this weekend? I went to temple last night and today I ran on the beach just as the rain broke which is the most amazing feeling, am headed to corepower yoga, to lunch with some of my favorite champagne client friends and tonight we majorly splurged and are headed to the warriors game vs La! Tomorrow I'm doing a 1.5h Sikh mediation at the special monthly kundalini Gurdwara in the haight ashbury, it's 1x a month and awesome/ weird/ special/ great. Also going to a super bowl party. Hope you have a good one! In case you are celebrating the superbowl this weekend are some fun links to help you plan:



The best 8 Super bowl menu items: Ps please stay away from 7 layer dip, those frozen meatballs and pigs in a blanket and try something new, healthy and fun!

1) This insane beef chili with skillet cornbread and hot honey butter- I mean this is classic, classic. What's better than letting guests add chives or cheese and then servicing it with rustic cornbread? I also ADORE this recipe by Panera. I know a corporate giant Panera but it's the best idea to mix up the complexity of beans (color, texture, etc) and make a healthy chili with poblano peppers, ground turkey, chili powder, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, corn and edamame in it!

2) These shrimp lettuce wraps- yes to shrimp that cooks in minutes, a platter of lettuce cups, mint sprigs, chopped peanuts, sliced cucumbers, and the reserved sauce or these with steak

3) Homemade trendy/ hipster pickles like these- Yes, yes, yes to the perfect amount of sweet, salt, and tang going on. The brine is best with persian cucumbers and these are good for you!



4) Spinach and Yogurt dip- YES. Please this or something israeli or middle eastern over 7 layer dip (GROSS) or artichoke dip which is so unhealthy. This is called borani esfanaaj in Iran. This is walnuts, spinach, mint, greek yogurt, lemon juice, made into the most gorgeous rustic messy looking spread to eat with pita.

5) These Cindy Pawlsyon Chicken wings- secret is mushroom soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic, fresh chives, scallions and marinating them for 12-24hours

6) These Korean chicken wings- This is all about gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) you can buy in china town! Essentially you cook these almost plain w/ oil, salt and pepper and fry them until crisp and lightly charred, 5–10 minutes then whisk gochujang and 1/4 cup hot water in a large bowl. Transfer wings to bowl with gochujang and toss to coat. Voila!

7) Or lastly Bobby Flay's Wings- Love bobby's idea of ancho chili powder, garlic powder, red wine vineager, chiptole chilies, chili powder, honey. etc. He fries them in peanut oil, 2 inches. Simmer the sauce then add wings and toss to coat

8) Gluten free tahini brownies



We're thinking of just ordering amazing pizza in SF the best is from Tony'sDel PapoloZero zeroCapo or Tommaso's and they'll deliver through caviar or uber eats and I think I'll make my friend Nico's famous Cuneo Ragu al carne with polenta. A big hearty meat sauce and you take a big spoonful of polenta in the center of your plate, make a hole in the center of the polenta and pour the ragu over, top with parmesan (the real stuff!) and a touch of red pepper flakes. Serve all of this with an appetizer plate of raw fennel with olive oil and pepper, artichoke hearts, black olives, and marinated peppers. Basta! All done!



Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Top 10 Best Restaurants in Reims- including the most gorgeous champagne picnic



Anyone dreaming that it is already spring and you're picnicking in champagne? We'll, we are. As we watch this polar vortex sweep across the midwest we're thinking a number of you might be too. I mean wouldn't you rather be here overlooking that view? We would always rather be here!

Our favorite thing to do in champagne, other than of course drinking champagne, is to go to one of the farmers markets in champagne and then have a picnic in Hautvilles in a secret spot behind Dom Perignon's church! We can bring you here if you need help with a driver/ guide.

The best farmers markets are on Tuesday, Thrs, Saturday and Sunday. Our favorite is Saturday at Halle Saint-Thibault in Epernay. It's this gorgeous covered old railway station and it has 50 or so vendors and everything is so fresh, delicious and perfect! I'll do a separate post on farmers markets in champagne so you have the whole list of what we can bring you to on a champagne tour. If I had it I would always have a guide to help you point out all the best super regional stuff to buy ie- pate en croute, jambon de reims, mousseux de boeuf, cheeses like chaource, langres and comte, fraises de bois or wild strawberries from the forest, etc, etc.

Having a picnic in champagne is truly one of our favorite things to do on a champagne tour (if you're in the region April- Oct). Other than a picnic, below are our top 10 favorite lunches in champagne. Ok, we snuck in an 11th, was too hard to resist.

If you want a driver and guide to help bring you on a tour contact us, here

Top 10 Best Restaurants in Reims or Champagne 

1) Les Crayeres Le Parc- 2 stars and 69€ menu for 3 courses. OUi, oui, oui
2) La Briqueterie- sit outside surrounded by their Rose Garden
3) Picnic overlooking the vines in Hautvillers
4) L'assiette Champenoise-major splurge 3 stars, rich, divine and so special
5) Le Grand cerf- 1 star adore
6) Les Avises- eat like the locals do! Drink Selosse
7) Le Royal or Racine
8) Les Crayeres le Jardin- Their steak and french fries are AMAZING
9) Symbiose - most beautiful bistro in Epernay
10) Le Foch- Michelin star
** Ok we had to... here's an 11) La Cave a Champagne or Au 36 - both fab for groups!


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