This week Ryan’s boss is in town from England and last night I finally had the chance to meet her over dinner.
Since she has been enjoying rather indulgent meals out every night since her arrival and was in the mood for something not quite so heavy, Ryan suggested heading to the Artisinal Dish, our favorite spot for fresh, local fare in Ocala. The Artisinal Dish is part gourmet grocer, part restaurant and Ryan and I love it!
I met up with Ryan and two of his coworkers at the restaurant a little before 7 p.m. and immediately selected a drink from the beverage case. They have tons and tons of different flavored sparkling waters and as a sparkling water fanatic, I was excited to see Ayala’s sparkling herbal water available.
I selected the lavender mint sparkling herbal water and loved every sip! I wish this stuff was easier to find and more readily available at the grocery store because it is fabulous.
Once we placed our orders, we hung out and chatted for a while until our food was delivered to our table. Ryan and I decided to share a pizza.
I also got the grilled scallops salad for some greens and ordered a side of the beets.
Ryan ordered a side of the curried sweet potato salad (the one that inspired my at-home attempt of the recipe) and I had a few bites of that as well!
It was just as good as I remembered. Yum!
Before we left, I browsed around the freezer section and stumbled upon the most fantastic-sounding ice cream: High Road brown butter praline craft ice cream.
Of course I had to try it!
As I was looking for High Road’s website, I stumbled upon a review of the ice cream on The Ice Cream Informant’s blog and agree with every word. And yes, there is a blog dedicated to reviewing ice cream. After I found this fantastic blog, I naturally searched it for a review of the elusive Ben and Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk to see whether or not we share similar tastes. After reading their review of my beloved ice cream, I saw that they gave it an “A,” so I now know their opinion can be fully trusted. (Hear that Ben & Jerry’s? People love Oatmeal Cookie Chunk! Please don’t take it to the flavor graveyard!)
It was a fun night!
Questions of the Morning
- What is your all-time favorite ice cream flavor?
- If you were going to start a blog that reviewed one kind of food or drink, what would you review?
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All that food looks so yummy! I had no idea they had an Oatmeal Cookie Chunk flavor! That sounds uber good! My favorite flavor will always be Mint Chocolate Chip, even if I can’t decide between it and a different flavor, Mint Choco Chip always wins!! I would defiantly review Ice Cream, oh wait, I already do that 😉
My all-time favorite ice cream flavor is Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food! But because that’s only a “sometimes” type of ice cream, I more frequently indulge in cookie’s and cream, a close runner up.
If I had to review only one type of food, it would be pizza. Gourmet pizza, artisan pizza, pizza from hole-in-the-wall joints, frozen pizza, I LOVE ALL OF IT!
Great questions! If I had to review one food only on my blog, I’d say pizza!
My alltime fav ice cream flavor is called Doughlicious- they have it at a local ice cream store near my parent’s house and it’s vanilla with all different types of cookie dough thrown in- amazing!
so much delicious food porn on here today! yum!
Yummy!! I’d have to go with mint chocolate chip OR moose tracks. A-mazing.
Julie: Big question: what is the easiest and safest way to prepare chicken breasts? I want to do them in the oven (seems safest, easiest), but my roommate is a bit snuffy about turning on oven in heat…so
1) best way to prepare thick chicken breasts in oven (time, temperature, covered in baking dish or no?
2) best way to sauté? How much oil, how to ensure cooked all way through, etc etc
Or can they be boiled ? Thanks…
Is Oatmeal Cookie Chuck really that unpopular? What is wrong with people?!?!? That is my second most favorite B+J flavor (my first is Cinnamon Buns)! I would be so sad if they discontinued it!!
Me too!!! It is so delicious!
My all time favorite ice cream flavor was in my hometown’s old ice cream shop and it was called Crazy Vanilla: vanilla, cherry and blueberry ice cream 🙂 Since I have never seen it since, my next favorites are mint chip and anything cheesecake or praline flavored 🙂
That ice cream does sound amazing! And a blog dedicated to reviewing ice creams, that’s my kind of read ;). Would be so hard to choose one favorite flavor of ice cream though :P. If I had to choose I’d have to say Dulce de Leche.
My all time favorite ice cream is Blue Bell’s Birthday Cake ice cream. SO GOOD!
I looooove Late Night Snack (Ben & Jerry’s). Chocolate covered potatoes chips in ice cream may not sound delicious at first, but it’s actually the best thing ever. I’ve never tried Oatmeal Cookie Chunk but it seeing as I love oatmeal raisin cookies, it would probably taste amazing!!
my all-time favorite ice cream flavor is either peanut butter chocolate or cookies & cream!
p.s. i love your shorts! so cute 🙂
Thanks! They were super cheap from Marshall’s!
Mmmm that salad and the side of sweet potato looks good~and I’d review cakes of all kindsssss 😛
I’m a big fan of coffee flavored ice cream…but only specific brands…sometimes it’s just gross.
My other fall-back is usually chocolate/PB or rocky road – I love the gooey/crunch mix of nuts and marshmallows.
Ben and Jerry’s Greek Frozen Yogurt is amazing! Don’t let the name fool you, it is not good for you in any way, but it’s delicious!
I have no idea what my favorite ice cream is because there’s too many good ones, but Half Baked by Ben and Jerry’s is definitely up there! Hands down, I would review dark chocolate. I can’t get enough.
Favorite flavor is Handel’s coconut cream pie, it has chunks of pie crust in it! i also liked this ice cream I got at united dairy farmers last night called sugar cookie.
If I could review only one type of food it would be cookies! Pretty much all other food I would get sick of, including ice cream.
Mint chocolate chip…definitely a basic oldie but goodie and will always be my favorite!
I wish I could try every ice cream flavor—my word that would be amazing
I love Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food and a flavor I get at my favorite ice cream shop at the beach….Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
Love your lipstick, can you share the brand and color?
My favorite flavor is Oatmeal Cookie Chunk as well!! Its just soooo amazing.
Cake Batter ice cream is by FAR the best ice cream ever (in my opinion, obviously.) Coldstone nails it, but due to the high calorie content I opt with the Frozen Yogurt Cake Batter (Yogi Castle wins for best cake batter flavor!)
Honestly if I were going to blog about one food it would HAVE to be ice cream. It has and always will be my favorite dessert and guilty pleasure!
My all time favorite ice cream is Cedar Crest’s “Blue Moon”…preferably in a large waffle cone 🙂
I miss ice cream so much! Darn my body’s inability to handle dairy. But I’ll still have a bowl of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream every so often. Her flavors are absolutely incredible! My favorite is Brambleberry Crunch. She might be my very favorite thing about Ohio.
Also, that scallop and greens looks amazing!
This restaurant sounds so good! I love going to local restaurants to try fresh foods and local fair. I would love to review Thai or Indian food! I love both of them but they can both be so bad if its not a good place or I order the wrong dish.
Julie I have a question for ya!
Would you recommend working out despite beig sore from your last workout?
I am very sore from strength training my legs Tuesday & tomorrow I’m supposed to do legs again but not sure whether soreness means I need recovery or I should work through it.
I love when grocery stores have eatery’s / restaurants attached 🙂 I find myself always grabbing a bite to eat before shopping at whole foods, this way I fill my belly with nutritious/delicious food & avoid impulse purchases due to hunger cravings 🙂 Ps. That ice cream looks delicious!
My favorite ice cream is cookies and cream – but I love Ben and Jerry’s Oatmeal cookie chunk too!!! I would totally review cake on my blog. As you can tell from my blog name, I love cupcakes, cake A LOT!!
I’ve recently become a sparkling water addict myself! I wonder if that lavender one is sold in WA…i’ll have to keep an eye out.
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk?! How have I NOT heard of this before??
I would like to be a pizza or french fry reviewer, but I definitely wouldn’t be upset if I fell into the ice cream department.
I looooooooove ice cream! Love, love, love ice cream. <3 But that's nothing new, right?! 😉
I work right next door to a frozen yogurt shop and it’s been so hard to not go every single day. After reading this, today might be the day I break 🙁
I’m not sure I could pick one ice cream flavor, I love all ice cream! I just love fro yo right now because you can get a little bit of everything.
I’d for sure have to go with Ben & Jerry’s chocolate chip cookie dough. I like to think of it as a classic. As for a food to review, I’d choose BBQ sauce. I’m always on the hunt for the perfect kind.
That ice cream flavor sounds delicious! I’ve been trying a few new ice cream places in Florida and soon, in NYC next week. Nothing is better to beat the heat 🙂
Love your lipstick!! What color/brand is it?
Thank you! it’s Maybelline Super Stay in Continuous Coral.
Yum! All this Ben & Jerry’s talk reminded me that as a kid, my favorite flavor was Ben & Jerry’s White Russian. I’m pretty sure I had no idea that it was inspired by a cocktail and wonder in retrospect if my parents were concerned…
I’ve just spent the last 15 minutes looking at that ice cream site. I think I would want to review that too.
all time favorite ice cream flavor is a tie between coffee and green tea!
if I could only review one thing it would be either chocolate soufflés or ramen. i’m equally obsessed with both.
Recently had late night snack by Jimmy Fallon for Ben and Jerrys and it was amazing!
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/cinch-fitness-your-online-fitness-studio-pilates-cardio-yoga
I love Ben and Jerry’s half baked! It is so good!
Love your shorts they are too cute!
I’m obsessed w that lipstick color!!! What is it?
Thanks, Molly! It is Maybelline Super Stay in Continuous Coral.
I’m a lover of just about every flavor of ice cream, but I truly love Ben and Jerry’s Cinnamon Roll. So good!
I love High Road Craft!! They are from Atlanta, so it is available fresh, as in they open their warehouse for tastings. It’s on my list of to-dos soon!
Ooh, great questions! Pistachio is my favourite, followed closely by hazelnut, both of which I had in Italy recently and they blew my mind. Blogging about one food? That’s tough. I’ll go for frittatas. There are endless combinations! For a review it would be cupcakes!
I would review pizza! I LOVE pizza and can eat a lot of it haha. One of my favorite shows is Man vs. Food! I would love that job, I mean I couldn’t do the food challenges but would love traveling and trying all the delicious eats!
That sweet potato salad looks incredible, makes me want to lick the computer screen. 🙂 My favorite ice cream right now is Steve’s Ice Cream – Brooklyn Blackout. It’s milk chocolate ice cream swirled with chocolate stout cake pieces and dark chocolate pudding….incredible stuff. The only place I’ve been able to find it is at The Fresh Market, but if you looooove chocolate, it’s definitely worth trying.
My all-time favorite ice cream is Chubby Hubby by Ben & Jerry’s. This fantastic concoction of deliciousness is amazing and it has been love since first bite! This is not to be confused with Chunky Monkey, which can be found most anywhere. Chubby Hubby is highly elusive, and I have yet to find a store in my town that carries it regularly. Good for my waistline, but it makes for a sad little lady.
Ice cream is amaaaaazing–I usually take forever to decide what I want and then just get mint chocolate chip haha. Or vanilla soft serve with sprinkles! Oh and hands down I would review pizza. Can you imagine how fun that job would be?
Your shorts are TOO cute!!
I love your shorts in the photo! Super cute! 🙂 Where did you get them? The scallops salad looks sooooo good! I’m obsessed with seafood and shellfish. My all-time favorite ice cream flavor is mint chip but I also like cookie dough and butter pecan! 😉 If I had a blog solely for reviews I would definitely review either cookies or oatmeal. I could never choose just one!