This page is for everything HOT!
Restaurants, Shopping, Travel,
Food, Wine & Whatever
Do try The Fieldhouse Restaurant in Billings, MT. It's a great new lunch spot in town, on Billings south side (Minnestoa Ave) and focuses on sourcing local, fresh produce and meats. I loved the fried brussel sprouts and the the burrata appetizer was good as well. They do a tasty burger, housemade smoky ketchup and they make a killer grilled cheese. The service has been a bit slow but the food makes up for it. They do serve dinner, but it appears the dinner menu doesn't vary much from the lunch fare. Good fresh food...check them out!
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Benefits "They're Real" Mascara is hands down the BEST mascara I've ever tried! I used to be a Lancome gal, then I switched to Diorshow and loved it, but thought it did last that long. I then switched to this one. LOVE it! Try it. You're welcome.
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One of our lastest finds in red wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Merlot, called Apothic Red. But be warned, this wine is a little sweet, sweeter than I would usually like a red wine to be, but dang it, there is just something about this wine that makes me want to keep on drinking it. It is dark, deep red in color and has an aroma that also smells… well… kind of dark—like chocolate and dark spices. The wine also has strong mocha and cherry aromas, which show at the front—from the nose to the very first taste.
At first the sweetness is a little shocking, but plesantly so, I think. The finish takes on a bit of vanilla that sticks with you for awhile. Apothic Red is not your run-of-the-mill inexpensive wine ($14-18). It’s different and it’s interesting. So, if you like to explore new and different wines, this one is definately worth a try. And if you pick wines for the label, this one won't disappoint...it's pretty sweet too!
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The last time I was in Loveland, CO, Aaron, Sierra, Eliza and I ate at a BBQ joint called Nordy's BBQ & Grill. From the line out the door and the 30 minute (we were told) wait, I was sure it was a sign that the food would be great. There is no waiting in the bar, if you can find a table, so we went in there and got a table immediately. Between the four of us, we tried ribs, sausage, pulled pork and chicken, all to our loving. With the choice of two sides each, we had a good sampling of what they had to offer. The onion rings were to die-for! We tried the coleslaw, which had some tiny pasta thrown in and it was great as well. Since I can't ever pass up fried okra, I had to have that. The mac and cheese was super creamy and delish, leaving us to ponder how'd they manage that? I know you know that most mac and cheese side dishes come out DRY, but not theirs. They also have four sauces for you to try; Carolina, Texas, Kansas City and Jalapeno. We loved the KC and the Carolina the best, but all were tasty! Next time you go to FC or the Loveland Outlets, check this place out. (It is right behind Centerra.) When you are lickin sauce off your fingers, you'll thank me.
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I recently got the Nespresso Essenza machine and I LOVE IT! It make thee best espressos and cappuccinos that I've ever had (outside of Italy), from a home machine. The coffee is served at a perfect temp and with a nice crema on top. To get your coffee capsules you must join the Nespresso Club and buy through their website. The only downside I can see is that the Nespresso Club is only source for the coffee. Oh well, the coffee is worth it. I bought my machine through Amazon.com, but Williams-Sonoma and Bed, Bath & Beyond also carry certain models. If you are a coffee lover, this is your baby!
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Jackson WY is one of my favorite places in the world. Not only are the Tetons beautiful, but the town is full of great restaurants. We recently ate at Blu Kitchen, a cool spot which serves all natural meats, organic vegetables and sustainable seafood. It is tapas style with an Asian/Spanish influence. Not a sushi roll was to be found on the menu in this western town, which, by the way, is full of decent sushi joints. No, Blu Kitchen goes in for the kill and serves up some of the best Sashimi that I have ever eaten. We started with the cold smoked steelhead salmon (pickled onion, capers, fennel), the tuna tartodos (tuna tartar on a crisp wanton w/wasabi aioli, roe—one of our faves of the night) and then had the nightly Sashimi special, which was melt in your mouth fluke, so fresh it could have bitten back. We moved on to the appetizers and had the luxury shrimp (rich and decadent), and fell madly in love with Kobe beef skirt steak (the garlic, ginger, brown butter ponzu served on the side was AMAZING!). Next came truffled fries (piping hot and oh so truffley!) and then porcini dusted day boat scallops, which were served on a potato cake w/corn puree (the most expensive dish of the evening and the only one that didn’t blow us away). Finally we ended with a to-die-for pan seared New Zealand red deer that was served with shitake mushrooms, cherries, garlic and sage. Blu has an impressive sake and tequila menu, a decent wine list and funky cocktails, like a jalapeno margarita. (It was, surprisingly, pretty good) We thought Blu Kitchen was reasonably priced although we didn’t go away overly filled up. We had a drink or two apiece (5 of us) and all of the food listed above and spent about $165. A bargain in Jackson Hole and a good one at that!
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You know that I am not a fan of fast food and avoid the joints whenever possible, so when I suggested lunch at the newly opened Coyote Grill & Smokehouse, in Sheridan, I had no idea that I was about to be served my lunch on paper and plastic. When I opened the door the first thing that hit me was that true smokehouse smell and there was no turning back. All the food is smoked and made fresh right there. The menu includes pulled pork, brisket, ribs, sausage and chicken and there is a nice selection of sides and BBQ sauces to choose from. The pulled pork was very good, but the side dishes stole the show. We tried the sweet potato tots (addicting), the mac & cheese (nice jalapeno flavor), the smoked potato salad (good but not very smoky) and the funnel fries (looked just like french fries but tasted like a funnel cake-Yum). Try it out!
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Want a world class spa treatment in one of the top five resort destinations in the Caribbean? I thought so. Some friends and I recently spent an afternoon being scrubbed, wrapped and massaged, at the luxurious Peter Island Resort. If you get the chance to visit the beautiful British Virgin Islands, take a day and spend it in the turquoise waters and on the sugary sands of Peter Island. Go ahead and get yourself a little spa treatment while you're there! You’ll thank me later.
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One of the best red wines that I have drank in ages is called "Petite Petit". It is a blend of Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot from the Lodi Appelation, vinted and bottle by Michael - David Winery. This wine is a dark, deep, inky color with berries so bold that they explode in your mouth. The finish is smooth with a touch of silky mocha. I found it for $17 a bottle, which I thought was a steal for a wine of this caliber. Try it an let me know if you love it! Cheers!
