4 Course Meal

Ela

Ever since my dad, sister and I went to the restaurant Ela on our bacon and beer tour, we've been wanting to go back to try a full meal there!

Ela is located in Philly's Queen Village that offers new American cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients. The menu is always changing with the chefs, creative twists on the fresh ingredients.

Ela is very affordable getting a great deal of both quality and quantity of food. This restaurant offers 4 courses for $45, 5 courses for $55 and 6 course chef's tasting for $65. My sister and I both decided on having the 4 course meal, which there are a lot of "bites" to choose from!

For starters, my sister and I thought we enjoy our dinner with "elixirs". My sister, Catherine got the "180 by Summer" which is white wine, watermelon and Thai basil. I got "We Were Younger Then" which is dark rum, smoked pineapple, lime, falernum, and mint. These drinks were perfect for a hot, summer day!

For my first bite I got the Gazpacho which was made up of mangoes and hibiscus. I never had gazpacho with mangoes before, so it was nice and refreshing for a cold soup! Catherine got the Hiramasa Crudo which featured au poivre, fig, black truffle and concord vinegar. She loved the black truffle sauce!

For our second course, I got the Gnocchi which was served in crispy potato skins, sour cream and onion. It tasted just like a baked potato! My sister got the Porcini Pasta which had fava beans and saffron ricotta. The saffron ricotta was so fresh and something you're not used to having, so it was a treat!

For the third meal, I got the Lancaster Chicken which was tender cuts of chicken wrapped in ham served with parisian potatoes and asparagus. This was probably the best chicken dish I've ever tasted! It tasted like chicken pot pie without the crust. Catherine got the Rohan Duck Thigh which was served with goat cheese grits, romaine and blueberries. Now Catherine love grits and she said this was the best she's ever had, especially paired with the blueberries!

Surprisingly we had room for the "final bite" or known as dessert! I got the Cookie Dough which was warm cookie dough topped with vanilla ice-cream. This was so rich and delicious in flavor, it was one of my favorite desserts I've ever had! Catherine had the Strawberry Rhubarb Soup which had angel food cake and coconut mascarpone. It was a unique dish being served in a cold sauce, but she enjoyed it very much.

As you can see, this is a lot of food! But it's definitely worth $45, and I highly suggest going to Ela to see what it's all about!

Healthy Fast Food

Sweet Green

I am sorry I haven’t posted any food outings in a while, but I have been so busy! I have been cross training positions at work and current co-administrating the Friedreich’s Ataxia Ambassador blog (http://curefa.org/ambassadors)! I will try to return and be blogging more often now a days : )

On the go, but want more of a healthier option? Sweet Green is new to Philadelphia which is the perfect choice for eating clean. Sweet Green offers local and organic ingredients for the both their consumers and business partners well-being. This company also supports local farmers and uses sustainability to benefit the environment by using recyclable products.

Sweet Green offers products such as salads, soups, wraps and unique beverages to fit the lifestyles of their target market. Before I try any new food establishment, I always check out the menu beforehand to have my eyes set on which I would like to try. When I went to Sweet Green, I already knew I wanted the Kale Caesar Salad which is probably the best Caesar salad I’ve ever had.

The salad included: shredded kale and chopped romaine, roasted chicken, shaved parmesan, grape tomatoes and parmesan crisp topped with Caesar dressing and fresh squeeze lime juice. This salad was only 460 calories! I also got a side of the gazpacho soup which tasted so fresh and was out of this world! I felt so energized and refreshed knowing that I was eating clean.

Sweet Green has select locations of only a few states: PA, DC, MA, MD, and VA. Each menu is different according to local farms and seasonal ingredients. Each season has select food items, so make sure you are up to date with the menu changes!