Dec 27, 2010

Blogger Meet Up with Katie at Magnolia’s

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukah, or are having a lovely Kwanzaa!
Let’s talk about Magnolias. Oh yum. I had been to both sister restaurants before, Cypress and Blossom, but this was my first experience at Magnolias. One of the HMGI group restaurants, Magnolias blends traditional southern ingredients with modern international flair. Located downtown on East Bay Street, it is an upscale restaurant with a quiet, yet very comfortable ambiance. I’m still timid around certain Southern foods, but tossing in modern flair is a surefire way to spark my attention.

The most exciting part of this dinner was getting to hang out with Katie again!!
Love this girl so much! We could have talked for hours, but food kept getting in the way! Not that that is a problem or anything. At dinner, it was Katie, her boyfriend, her brother Andrew, their parents, and me! We are all pretty much food-obsessed and I’m pretty sure all we talked about was food…with a little bit of fitness. Story of my life. Although I didn’t take pictures, I will tell you what I ate.

Wine: Pinot Gris Blend Sokol-Blosser Oregon, 2008. This could be a new favorite!
Appetizer, shared by all: House made Potato Chips with crumbled blue cheese and scallions.  These were awesome. They were slightly crispy without being very greasy or soggy like many homemade chips I have tried. The blue cheese on top is even made right at Clemson University! Pretty neat.

Entrée: Sweet Chili Rubbed Ahi Tuna over habañero hummus and pepper jack spring rolls, with roasted mango salsa, and Creole rémoulade. No joke. When ordering, I assumed the tuna would be served atop the hummus, but no….was I so wrong. The hummus was INSIDE the spring rolls. Hummus spring rolls. Think crispy and sweet outside with warm spicy inside. Unreal. My first thoughts were “must recreate stat.” An hour after dinner, Katie texted me asking, “Umm is it weird I can’t stop thinking about your spring roll?” It was that good. The tuna was slightly spicy but the mango salsa cooled it down. Nothing beats my tuna from Cypress, but I could have eaten 400 hummus spring rolls.

Dessert: Apple Cobbler with Brown Sugar Ice Cream. Mmm. Served in an adorable little casserole dish, the warm apple cobbler with a cup of coffee was the perfect end to my meal. The consistency was similar to that of a bread pudding and had a good hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. Other desserts at the table included Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding and and Raspberry Sorbet.

I had such a wonderful time with Katie, Andrew, John, and the family and am so grateful they invited me along. Smile
Magnolias on Urbanspoon

When I got home from dinner, I hopped on Google reader and remembered a recipe I had seen on The Hungry Runner Girl’s blog for braided bread. It must have slipped my mind that yeast breads can take hours for the dough to rise, but once I decided to make it, there was no stopping me…Stay tuned.

Question: What was your favorite present? Mine was from my Grammy – money in a measuring glass. Please notice how she rolled the money. I guess she thinks I snort my baking products!! Geez Grammy!IMG00146-20101225-1441

35 comments:

  1. YEAHHHHHHHHH! GOSHHHH I love you!!! I want to go back NOW!!!!! And eat hummus spring rolls all day
    ..for REAL people these were AMAZING!
    I bet their lunch is baller too! You should email them and ask if they can make those spring rolls an app.. hahah
    Coming to see you again soon, I def want to live there one day, for real. and next time I come and im not sickly feeling, I am going to drink that honey latte with you! Cause I totally owe you that.
    LOVE YOU!

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  2. Oh my gosh, your Grammy is so clever! Love that idea!! :)

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  3. Grammy's idea was ingenious! I love it!

    My favorite present was getting a ton of Barnes and Noble gift cards. I am planning to buy the Nook Color with them! :)

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  4. Money is a measuring cup- SO so cute!

    One of my favorites is my new pair of running tights... hello motivation, I've been looking for you!

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  5. Aw, the meet up sounds like a lot of fun! Blue cheese and potato chips sound like a winning combo!

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  6. So jealous you got to meet KATIE! And I'm so jealous she got to meet YOU!

    I love all my gifts, but especially my new gym bag. My old one was looking QUITE shabby ;)

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  7. Oh my goodness those spring rolls sound phenomenal! I was also picturing tuna on top of hummus with spring rolls on side. Wow, what a great meal! My fav gift were the personalized nutrition bars my sister had made for the Healthified Haven--more thoughtful than the numerous gift cards I received. Although those are nice too.

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  8. That meal sounds RIDICULOUS. I need to visit you and go there STAT.

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  9. Cute grammy present!

    Jen
    http://jenslosinit.blogspot.com/

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  10. Haha...Granny is funny ;)

    I got a netbook which I'm stoked about...and shoes..I love shoes!

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  11. Everything sounds delish! I love house made chips like that.

    My favorite gift was my northface coat!

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  12. I've always wanted to meet Katie! How fun. That is a cool spot. And the gift from your Grandma is so so cute. Happy (belated) Christmas

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  13. Hahaha, that is the best measuring cup EVER. I love that she did a whole bunch of little bundles instead of one big one. Makes the unraveling carry on a little longer, no?

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  14. oh GOOD GRAVY (or hummus...) I want those spring rolls!! what else was in them? I want to make them!!

    I love the rolled money. one of my favorite gifts? my new juicer. it is awesome. also? another favorite? my SodaSteam. cocktails at night, fresh juice in the morning!! :D

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  15. let's talk about how the ONE thing i asked for this year is the ONE thing i did not receive...a glass measuring cup! i'd totally take that money in it, too. wanna trade for my food processor?!

    okay, time to e-mail you now.

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  16. HAHAHAHA snorting baking ingredients...there's one I haven't gone nutzo enough to try yet, but if I keep having to clean my own dishes without a dishwasher I just might...

    Looks like such a fun meetup! And I totally believe you that the hummus spring rolls were that good. When does hummus ever disappoint?!

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  17. How cute are you two!! I love Katie, I think she is so spunky :)

    I need to get my rear into gear so I can travel around to meet everyone! No one really seems to pass through Vancouver....

    What a cute gift from Grammy!! I love it! hahahaha
    xxoo

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  18. LOL My first thought was that she was trying to make the money look like cinnamon sticks in the measuring glass hehe.

    I got lots of great gifts but I'm most excited to try out my garmin!

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  19. Hooray for a super fun friend-date and for very tasty food! :)

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  20. Looks like a great time and amazing food-can't complain about that!

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  21. I'm so jealous of your meet up with Katie! So funny that you guys spent the whole time talking about food! You know you're a foodie when... ;)

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  22. Money is always a great present. My favorite this year was a gift card for Anthropologie. Some people say gift cards are impersonal, but I love them.

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  23. I have eaten @ Magnolias many times. Never had a bad meal or service. Great place. My wife loves the seafood dishes.

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  24. oh yummy wine. Love that one! ANd I am so jealous. I love katie. I hope i can meet you both one day!
    LC

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  25. LOL at Grannys gift with the rolled up bills, you're too funny.

    I love blogger meet ups!!! So much fun!

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  26. Looks like you had so much fun! The food looks delish. Love the gift your grammy did. Way too cute.

    xo

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  27. Oh, I love that gift! Mine was tires on my car this year! Definitely the best gift! Dinner sounds like tons of fun. Can't wait to see that bread!

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  28. Blogger meetups always look like so much fun! So glad you girls had a good time. Now I can't stop thinking about those spring rolls...ahhh! Sounds like a match made in Heaven!

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  29. Oooh, can't wait to see how that recipe turned out! I've been drooling over it, too!

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  30. Too cute! I love the gift :) And brown sugar ice cream sounds delicious!

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  31. I couldn't imagine dining companions more fun than you and Katie! Sounds like a great time! And oh lordy, those spring rolls sound yummy.

    Haha, I love your Grammy's gift!

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  32. I love, love, love Magnolias. I am so jealous as I have not eaten there since before I had Sterling! That tuna roll is making my mouth water. Your granny is too sweet, what a great gift, who doesn't love rolled up money?? Btw Matt is going to do the Man V Food sushi challenge soon I will keep you posted.

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  33. That sounds like a great dinner. I love seeing meetups!

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  34. I'm the same way, once I get an idea in my head (especially with cooking or shopping) there's no stopping me! Hope the bread was delish!!

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  35. hummus stuffed spring rolls? Are youk kidding me? Those sound fantastic!! I wish I could try some! I hope you recreate and share the recipe!

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