Swine

This week has been CRAZY busy! Trying to find time to write has been hard. However, I got this. Last week Doug and I went to Coral Gables with my mother and we happened to stroll into a restaurant I have had my eye (and stomach) on for a long time....SWINE.

We wern't up for a full meal so we decided to just go with some starters. Everything was amazing. As I ooed and awed at the flavors in my mouth I saw that the following week (this Tuesday) there was a dinner special. Four courses with drink pairings for $75. Immediately I booked a spot for two.

Spring 44 was the company that was putting on the show. They are a distillery for all sorts of spirits. Let me tell you, the drinks were SO strong! They were all great and went strangely well with the different meals. But five drinks later, you stand up from the table and realise just how tipsy you are...TAXI!

As you open the door at Swine you are slapped in the face with a smokey aroma. It instantly gets your taste buds curious. Up to the bar we went. The bar tenders are great and attentive. Along with entertaining (atleast at the upstaires bar on a tuesday night! Thanks Alex) I ordered off the cocktail menu a Mexican State of Mind. Strong with a kick!

Just a few minutes later, our first drink was served to us as we were waiting to be sat.

Drink one: Cranberry bitters, Spring 44 gin, lemon juice aperol topped with cava

The tables were set up in fours, so you had to sit with strangers. Personally I love this. You can mingle with new faces and trade yummy restaurant recommendations. Lucky for us Jenny and Estephany sat next to us. They really made our night much more exciting. Dougie and I love each others company but we absolutely love sharing a dining experience with others.

 Estephany and Doug

Jenny and moi

Now to the food...

 First course: Ricotta Agnolotti and Wood Grilled Shrimp

This dish was de-lish! The yellowy foam was called "essence of bacon" YES you read that right! The bacon snuck up on you every few bites. The ricotta was rich and creamy and the shrimp had a bit of a kick to it. Overall a fab plate.

Paired with: Stone Cold Rocky

Spring 44 Gin, Apricot Liqueur, Bitter Lemon Soda

Second Course: Smoked Confit and Seared Margret Duck Breast

Paired with: The Honey Bee

Spring 44 Vodka, Honey-Thyme Syrup, Lemon Juice

This glorious little basket of bread. Zuchinni bread with gruyere

Third course: This next course I cant really give a great review on because it was a very interesting experience.....to say the least!

Whole Suckling Pig Porchetta

Exactly...a whole baby pig right on our table. Im no PETA girl but a baby pig makes me a little queezy off the bat! When I go to set menu dinners, I go in with a total open mind. Let me remind you that I am in no way an adventurous eater...However Doug opened my taste buds a lot in London. So I dug in. Well, we all dug in....a bit too much!

Paired with: April Negroni

Spring 44 Old Tom Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermoth

Two sides:

This one was beans and hash, it had such a nice rare flavor to it. You could really taste cinnamon. I love me some cinnamon.

The sides were great, and the pig tasted like a thick piece of ham, rather than the porky flavor I prefer. The flavors were good but it isn't a dish I would order by choice. After a few bites and being on our fourth drink by now we started getting silly with our food...

Drunk Pig

For some bizarre reason (blame it on Spring 44) Estephany and Doug decided to cut into the cheek...which led to much worse.

We had gotten into a lot of personal conversation so we felt quite close at this point....Doug was dared to eat the tongue, Esteph the eyeball, and Jenny the nose...I shared the nose with her because there wasnt much else left....well........

These girls were troopers. Next up, of course was us trying to get through the skull and into the brain. AH! 

Gladly the chefs sawed the pig in half for us...

**If you love pigs look away!**

The four of us ate the brain. WHY?! I am not entirely sure. Again I blame Spring 44...and Doug.

I do believe this brought us all closer haha.

To end the meal (and totally erase any tastes of brain) we got our dessert.

Fourth Course:

Butternut Squash S'mores Cheesecake

oh yea....So good. I have always been obsessed with any form of butternut squash.

Paired with: Simply Bourbon

Spring 44 Bourbon, Pumpkin Spice Syrup, a bit of Sherry, Cold press coffee, Cream and Grated Nutmeg

This evening was so much fun, I cant recommend Swine enough. Now remember this set menu isn't a normal thing. It was just an event put on by Spring 44. But the food there is some of the best I have had in a while. Service is spot on and if you go, try the burnt ends and cornbread! 

*Small Warning: your hair and clothes will smell like they have been in the smoker all day! Till you wash them!*

Oh England

Missing a place or people has never really been a character trait of mine. Since I was little my parents would send us to my grandparents in DR for months at a time and we would see my dad probably once half way through and my mom would stay for a bit and go back and forth. So that family attachment most people have kinda wasn't instilled in me. Obviously I adore my family but I can manage without seeing them for long periods of time. When I moved to England I knew I was going to be fine being away. These days there is so much technology that it makes it difficult to miss a beat. When I would see pictures of my friends all out together I would wish I was there but it wasn't to the point that I would cry about it haha. 

Living in a country like England made me truly miss the SUN. The warmth is just a part of my existence and not having that was my hardest thing to deal with after the first year. At first everything is new and wonderful and so exciting. Once the second winter came I was a bit bored of being cold every day. By the time the third winter came I really didn't think I could handle it. You just deal though, somehow. Days all roll into one. It is a pretty miserable feeling to wake up in the dark and finish work in the dark. If you haven't experienced it there is no accurate way to describe it. 

Doug and I decided from the get-go that we would do two years in UK and then head back. It ended up being two and a half. It was all great and I loved being there. Our biggest mistake was buying our flights in September to leave the following May. That is a LONG time to know you are moving. It just put me in a bit of a negative place. I felt a bit of bitterness towards England. Looking back now I truly loved and enjoyed my time there. The days of sunshine are possibly the most beautiful experience. It is as if God sprinkles glitter all over the sun kissed towns. Wether  it was cold or warm, it was just the way the sun shone on us that made you feel this epic inner warmth. I lived for those days, at work I would sit out on the bench and just soak up the sun. But in the turn of a day it was back to overcast, cold and dark...one can only take so much! So my longing for the beach and sun just grew and grew as February and March rolled along. I finished work a month early so I could gather my house and my bitter feelings towards my job (thats a whole other story). 

Side note: if you are unhappy at work, it ruins most of your life! To wake up in the morning and feel horrible because you have to go to a job you hate is possibly the worst thing you could do to yourself. 

Anyway, the month of April was truly a delight. The sun shone for me as much as it could. I was happy to wake up in the morning and everything was just fabulous. 

Nearly 6 months into being back home and yesterday I had a hardcore I MISS ENGLAND day!!! I felt it in my heart! Kind of the way I would want to be hanging out with Doug while we lived apart. A deep longing inside me to go and see My family over there, and our flat. I loved our home. I'd love to go to Henley for some hot chocolate and a stroll along the river. A sunday roast. To go walk around the Oracle and worry about how much my parking was going to cost because I just spent the whole day there. To go to The Bull in Sonning for the best chicken and bacon salad you will ever have in your life (hands down). Going to the pub for dinner because we don't feel like cooking. And ordering a sticky toffee pudding. Snuggling on the sofa with our duvet because its so damn cold that you cant feel your toes. Watching prime time television on a Saturday night.....(whats that all about?). Tuesday night movies for 5 quid. Primark! Oh my don't even get me started on London. I really miss the family the most though. And the friends we became so close to. No matter how much technology there is, a five hour time difference makes it so hard to stay in touch properly. It sucks terribly.

The sticky toffee pudding!

Roast potatoes..you dont even know!

Gorgeous sunsets just behind my house

This is a real picture from my phone...how amazing is it! Mmm Magners

October outside my window

Our half ass winters! haha it TRIES to snow but usually fails.

Days at the race course with some bubbly

My little Winston over the road from home

and the wonderful Henley Regatta

I absolutely love being back in miami but I am so excited for when we get to go back to visit! It is like the best of both worlds. 

Cheers! xx

Ouch

My dearest Doug bought himself a cool little car about a month ago. He decided to splurge a little and supe up the car with new wheels and window tints. You couldn't immediately say it was a Honda! It looks fab....

However....In a typical ironic world, wife decides to drive the car because husband has had a few drinks....im sure you know how this goes.

Middle of the afternoon, I am turning onto a main road and somehow dont even realise that there is a curb right next to me. I somehow manage to scrape the week old rims across the curb!!!! Leaving my poor husband to gasp and throw his head into his hands. I felt terrible! Its just so typical that the first time I drive it, I am so conscious of the rims and being extra careful. But the stupid curb owned me!

I know it may not look like much, but if you look at the right top edge there is a little chunk missing. Which means the whole rim needs to be replaced because it cant just be buffed out like the rest of the scrape. This picture doesn't even do it justice. As a good wife though I will buy him the new rim!!!

Moral of the story, don't drive your husbands new car when he is in the car with you...I feel like it just adds pressure haha!

Fall Fashion

I have to say Fall is potentially my favourite season. Yes I absolutely love summer but growing up in Miami basically means Summer all year round. Autumn weather in South Florida can be pretty nice, you can still wear light clothes but sometimes you get a nice night with a cool breeze that you just cant help but love. When I go on my Instagram I do get fashion envy from seeing my UK/NY friends wearing scarves, jackets and boots.

Fall fashion is just perfect. you can get trendy without worrying about freezing outside or melting! I used to love to plan a NYC trip around this time of year. Literally just to change my wardrobe hehe.


This is one of my fav styles. A Monochrome jacket, black skinnies, boots, and a winter fedora. So chic yet trendy.

This is more of a quick evening outfit. Simpler yet perfect.

This is just right for the Miami Fall. A light sheer top to keep you cool, with boots and a fedora to sort of mix and match normal fall with Miami Fall.

How stunning is this Blazer Dress?

This has South Florida written all over it.

Ugh I need to go shopping!

People think we dont get any seasons down here but if you have big trees in your yard, you see ALL those leaves falling. Leaving you to do a lot of raking! So dig in your closets and explore your Autumn styles. I know its still beach/boat weather but I can imagine soon enough we will get that little bit of fresh air we need by this time of year. 

Happy Fall!

*these pictures are not mine, sight1, sight2