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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

richmond magazine's best of bash


This is a picture of salads. I did not eat all of them.

This is a how to post: How to attend a food festival.

I have been to many food events recently and through my experience have developed a strategy to ensure the best possible experience. I will share it with you here for free even though I should probably be charging for this advice because it is really valuable. That is just how much I love you guys.

Step 1: Have a pep talk with yourself that you are going to be patient. It should go something like this:

“You planned to be here for a couple hours, so if there is a line at a booth, so be it! You aren’t in a hurry. Keep it cool. They aren’t going to run out. You will survive this.”

This pep talk is a completely necessary step to ensure you don’t overload. If you are freaking out about a line you might go up to the first booth that is open and wail on something super sugary and blow out your palette for the rest of the festival. Don’t do it.

Step 2: Get there early and do a lap. Walk around at least one time and scope out all the setup. There may be a restaurant that you have wanted to try. Make a mental note of that. Scope out what each booth is offering to see if there is something you absolutely must have and plan to come back to that booth on your loop.

Step 3: Share plates when possible. If you are attending with a date or a friend, plan to share the tasting portions. Trust me. You will be full by the time you make it around to all of the booths. It will be worth it to pace yourself.

Step 4: Mingle. You are there for the food, but you are also there for conversation, to see people you know and to have a good time. If all you do is go from booth to booth you won’t last long and will have to go home early because your pants won’t fit anymore.

Now that you know how to properly attend a food festival, let me tell you what I did last night at the Richmond Magazine’s Best Of Bash. Absolutely, none of the above.

I went crazy and immediately shoved two pieces of Bottom’s Up Pizza in my face. I went from table to table without so much as a breath in between bites. I had a plate of macaroni and cheese from Comfort, a heaping plate of pimento cheese and country ham from Pasture and fried chicken from Lee’s Chicken. I didn’t stop there. I took a quick break to have a kale salad from Stella’s and then went right back to it. I ate a sweet potato cupcake filled with marshmallow cream from Pearl’s followed by a piece of chocolate salted caramel cake from Shindigz followed by an everything bagel with chive cream cheese. Then I had a beer, Boxcar from Starr Hill. I couldn’t finish it.

Do not do as I do, do as I say. I am still full after a full night’s sleep. I did it all wrong. And I couldn’t even find room for a donut from Mrs. Yoder’s.

11 comments:

  1. Yum! I kept seeing ads for this event, wish I had gone! I've been to Broad Appetit a couple times, definitely pacing yourself is the way to go!

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  2. Great tips! Now I just need to find a good food fest where I can apply them.

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    1. If you are ever in Richmond, there are tons of food fests!! That's a great reason to make the trip...

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  3. It was great seeing you and Evan the other night, Shannon! We had trouble pacing ourselves too — so much that I ended up eating my snickerdoodle cupcake for breakfast the next morning.

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    1. I really wish I had saved a cupcake to take home. That was a smart move! Great to see you, too!

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  4. Haha I love this post!!! I was texting my sister everything we tried at the festival and looked at it with buggged out eyezzz like HOW DID I EAT ALL THAT?! That pimento cheese plate was prob my fave - well that and the Ms Yoders omg how have I been missing out on these?!

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    1. I agree with you about the pimento cheese. It is absolutely one of my favorites. It was great to meet you in person!

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    2. I went back to Pasture last night for more of that cheese believe it or not! They do half price snacks during happy hour and are just up the street from my work - umm danger! PS LOVE your blog and am currently drooling over the orange blossom cupcakes right now (10am seems like the perfect time for a cupcake, no?) !

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    3. Thanks, Stephanie! Yes, 10am is the perfect time for the first cupcake of the day and yes, $2 pimento cheese and Ritz crackers are freaking awesome at Pasture's happy hour!

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  5. OMG, I feel a little nauseous just reading that.

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    1. I just re-read it and can't believe that I ate all of that. That is what happens when all the best restaurants in Richmond are in one place.

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