Paris Eats: Verjus Bar À Vins

On our last night in Paris, we decided to see if we could get into the wine bar at Verjus. Verjus is (from what I've read) a popular Paris restaurant run by an American couple, and you need to make reservations in advance. We didn't really feel like being chained to being somewhere at a particular time so we skipped making reservations, but it turned out that we were able to head over to that area for a late dinner anyway. The wine bar, Verjus Bar à Vins, doesn't take reservations so we just walked up (after we walked by it a couple of times since there's really no signage) and got in line. We soon learned the reason for the line was a private party that was supposed to be ending at 8:30. We checked the time and it was already 8:45. The party wound down about 20 minutes later and we were able to snag two seats at the bar. While we waited outside, we got to know some other people in line and met some wine students at Le Cordon Bleu who were from Seattle, California, and, of all places, Brookline. (Small world.) It was fun chatting with them and getting some recommendations on what to order once we got inside. (The wine bar is one of their go-to spots for its interesting wine list and amazing food.)

S'mores Tartlets

Instead of wedding cake we had an array of mini desserts at our wedding. Everyone raved about the adorable s'mores tartlets. I know there are so many takes on the s'more out there, but I have an obsession with tartlets, so the idea to combine the two in a small, compact package was right up my alley.

Grilled Potato Salad, BLT Style

If you're anything like me, you're thinking, "Ugh. Not potato salad." But don't click away. I promise you this is not the sort of potato salad that sits untouched at a picnic, warming its mayonnaise-drenched parts in the sun and attracting flies. This is the sort of potato salad that features still-warm grilled potatoes and bursting sweet tomatoes, salty bits of bacon, and sensational grilled romaine. It's the sort of potato salad you eat as soon as it's ready, savoring each bite, appreciating the contrast in flavors, the carefully chosen ingredients, and the lack of mayonnaise.

Simple Summer Sparkler

I hope you all have a happy, safe, and fun 4th of July! To kick it off, try this very easy recipe for a festive drink.

Grilled Vegetable Salad

We have a grill! And we are so excited about it. We broke it in right away with steaks, peppers, asparagus, and corn on the cob. It was quite a feast. Since then we've grilled pork, potatoes (with which we made an amazing potato salad), chicken, and, of course, some hot dogs. For the most part, I've done the prepping and Jeff has done the grilling, but last week as he was heading out to a softball game, I fired up the grill to make a grilled vegetable salad for my friend and me to have for a little girls' night dinner.