This week brings us the summer solstice. Despite our wacky temperature swings in NYC as of late, we can no longer deny that summer is here and it is ready to PARTY! To celebrate the occassion, I have a post up on KitchenAid’s new blog where I show you how to make a summer favorite: Gazpacho!

Here’s a sneak peek: Today, we’re showing you how to get macho with gazpacho, a chilled tomato soup that’s Spanish by birth but can easily be made into your own signature dish with a few tweaks. This is a refreshing summer appetizer that’s perfect for parties and using a KitchenAid® Hand Blender makes it a snap to whip up.

Get the full recipe and a step-by-step photo tutorial on the KitchenAid blog.

Midnight Brunch: Whisky and Meatballs from Around the World took over a DUMBO studio, infusing a cold concrete block of space with the scents of cinnamon, coriander, delicious tomato sauce and, of course, beautiful whisky.

This edition of Midnight Brunch was sponsored by

We enjoyed four simply smashing cocktails, created by Hal Wolin and Pamela Wiznitzer. 

Hudson Hawk

Hudson Baby Bourbon, Averna, Fresh Lemon Juice, Cinnamon Syrup, Angostura Bitters, Ginger Beer

Me, You and Him Too

Black Velvet Caramel Whiskey, Galliano Ristretto, Milk, Dark Brown Sugar Simple Syrup, Vanilla

Breakfast with the Devil

Black Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky, Sherry, Fresh Orange Juice, Fernet Branca, Bittermans Hellfire Bitters

Popeye Doyle

St. George Breaking and Entering Bourbon, Bittermens Amere Sauvage, Cocchi Americano, Bokers Bitters, Grapefruit Twist

The cocktails were each the perfect mix of booze and delight.

This event was the first time we set the food up, self-serve style. Guests enjoyed as many meatballs as they could handle all night long. We used lamb, pork from Mosefund Mangalitsa Farm (exclusive pork provider for Midnight Brunch) and Pat LaFrieda ground beef. No vegetarians were harmed in the making or eating of these meatballs. :)

Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Cinnamon and Mint

Swedish Meatballs
with Nutmeg and Cinnamon in Meat Gravy

Spanish Meatballs (Albondigas)
with a Mexican Twist: Chipotle Chocolate Tomato Sauce

Sicilian Meatballs
with Pine Nuts and Dried Apricots

[PHOTO]

Enjoy a few more highlights from the evening below. All photos in this post by Clay Williams.

Check out the rest of the photos from Midnight Brunch: Whisky and Meatballs Edition over on Facebook or Flickr.

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I love sharing details about upcoming tasty trips and adventures, so you won’t want to miss a bite. As always, please feel free to chat with me on Twitter, join our group on Facebook and keep up with new posts here by subscribing. Request an invite to future Midnight Brunch events here.

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I haven’t talked publicly (very much) about the fact that I’ve joined a second company as a partner and VP. As soon as all the partnership paperwork is signed, I’ll be sharing a lot more! That said, I’ve been a fan of Digital DUMBO since 2009 when I started attending the events. I started consulting with Andrew, the cofounder and CEO, last March. That consulting relationship developed naturally into a partnership in which I’m personally very invested.

Digital DUMBO started 4 years ago this month as a small social gathering for professionals that work in digital media and technology in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, a 6 block area with over 120 technology companies and start-ups.

Today we have over 11,000 members in Brooklyn, Boston, London, Valencia (Spain) with more cities coming soon. Since our founding, we’ve hosted over 60 events that have brought together more than 20,000 people.

I’d love it if you could help us share our story and crowdfunding campaign – whether via word of mouth, email, or sharing on Facebook and Twitter.

Sample Status Update: “Check out the new Digital DUMBO (@digitalDUMBO) and become a dd:A-List Member http://www.indiegogo.com/digitaldumbo”

Thanks for sharing in this next adventure with me!

PS: No, Midnight Brunch isn’t going anywhere. The next one is this Saturday! Now you know now why I was quiet around here for a few months.

Time to hit the cocktail table! Yes, this time of year can be super stressy. Perhaps you feel this way this year? I don’t drink because I’m stressed, I drink because I love cocktails! And they are truly one of the things I’m thankful for. I am just as (and sometimes even more) passionate about drinks as I am about food, so let me share this year’s perfect Thanksgiving cocktail.

The base spirit for this drink is Becherovka, a Czech liquor herbal in its taste and formulation like that of Italian digestifs/aperitifs or France’s Benedictine. The website states unironically, “It’s mysterious recipe is still kept in secret and there are only two persons in the world who know the rights ingredients and herbs used in production.” It’s still made in the Czech Republic and is refreshing all on its own.

Becherovka is perfect for this holiday season’s almost inevitable gorging because it really does calm down and soothe your digestive system after a heavy meal (or perk it back up). It has an added bonus of going really well with autumn flavors like apple cider, honey, maple syrup and cinnamon without being too cloying. Great for savory cocktail pairings.

Here’s what you’ll need to whip up the *”Fall Bech” cocktail:

• 2 oz Becherovka
• 1 oz apple cider
• .5 oz Hiram Walker Caramel Apple Liqueur
• 1 barspoon (1/2 tsp.) maple syrup – yes, you must use real maple syrup
• .75 oz fresh lemon juice – yes, you must use fresh juice

Instructions:

1. In shaker with ice, shake all ingredients.
2. Strain over ice in highball glass, garnish with a thin apple slice

If you’re traveling or attending parties this year, this makes a great batched cocktail as well – just be precise when you multiply out each of the ingredients so it doesn’t go too herbal or acidic on you. Don’t be afraid to add more maple syrup to taste when you’re done batching.

Just be sure to keep it on ice when you get to where you’re going (like my friends did here in their back patio cooler).

Cooking? Yes, I’m doing that. Since I just decided on Monday to host a couple people, I’m keeping the menu classic and simple while still trying a bunch of new-to-me recipes/techniques.

• Punch
• Deviled eggs (haven’t decided where I’m going with these, but I really love this recipeif you need one)
• Turkey
• Stuffing: Our recipe Stovetop Sage and Cornbread stuffings, mixed. I’ll make our family recipe when I’m home for Christmas.
• Gravy
• Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Sriracha
• Green bean casserole with the mandatory French’s French Fried Onions
• Cranberry Sauce (the canned kind from OceanSpray – I love it)
• Homemade pumpkin pie with a bacon fat/butter crust (See last year’s MOTB Thanksgiving post for those recipes) + fresh whipped cream

From my home to yours, I hope you have a wonderful holiday with family, friends or whoever it is you’re loving on right now. We’re alive and have so much to be grateful for.

xo

Emily

* Disclosure: This cocktail recipe was provided to me by the brand and they FedExed me what I needed in order to feature it here this week. I did not create this cocktail (but I did decide to batch it and it worked perfectly). I wouldn’t have featured it if I didn’t already love Becherovka so, go on! Try something different.

I’m back, kids. Last time we spoke, I was hunkering down for a week in the woods by myself and it was absolutely refreshing and terrifying at the same time. So QUIET. I’ve been back for a couple months but have been immersed in A) starting/running aspects of a second company b) hustling hard for Midnight Brunch partnerships C) making my personal life as aligned and happy as it can be.

Anyways, as we swing into November, I wanted to take one wistful look back at summer and share a few photos from that incredible trip up north. I’m from New England, so it was a joy to stop into New Hampshire and see my best girl friends and then hole up near Pleasant Lake in Maine.

Rustic intro to the weekend:

A view of my cabin and the deck:

Grillin’: The Perfect Summer Meal

Can’t hang out in the woods without a taste of Manhattan

Lobster Mug

Definitely a regional (and personal) favorite: Moose Tracks Ice Cream:

What I brought with me:

Goal Setting!

You bet your bippy it was!

Redneck Hay Wagon

Lobster Roll Basking in the Sunlight:

Spent the week learning how to use this:

Getting better at taking pics with a DSLR:

But still enjoy editing on my iPhone:

Hated to say goodbye:

Shout out to Haagen-Dazs for making these summer moments possible. I was their food influencer for their #HDMoments project, which helps to raise money for honeybee research at UC Davis.

Haagen-Dazs just released their FREE “Ode to Summer” e-Book, featuring 50 summer moments including many photos that I took!

You can download the free e-book from iTunes, Google Play and Amazon. For every download, Haagen-Dazs will donate $5 to honey bee research at UC Davis.

Download links:
iTunes (iPad only)
http://goo.gl/JqEYC

Google
http://goo.gl/BFTKE

Amazon
http://goo.gl/xBJUq

More photos from Maine: http://bit.ly/RYpWG1

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I love sharing details about upcoming tasty trips and adventures, so you won’t want to miss a bite. As always, please feel free to chat with me on Twitter, join our group on Facebook and keep up with new posts here by subscribing. Request an invite to future Midnight Brunch events here.

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Photo credit: WanderingtheWorld on flickr

Hi MOTB Tribe. Can you believe it’s the end of AUGUST?!

I’ve had a happy summer, full of so many great moments and memories. We kicked things off with our Cinco de Mayo Midnight Brunch with Tafari Travel and Mexico Tourism Board on May 4. It was the first time we had live entertainment (in the form of a live mariachi band that showed up at 2 a.m. as guests were eating dessert!).

We did some other stuff in May, too.

In June, we had Midnight Brunch “Chicken or Egg” Edition, which marked the first time we let a guest chef take over the whole dinner menu. Biddy and Yolk killed it. We continued the live entertainment theme with the addition of the gorgeous burlesque dancer Calamity Chang. Here’s a pic of the MB Chicken or Egg crew doing the team shot afterwards.

In July, we headed out to Portland, OR for World Domination Summit and had a lifechanging experience, spoke to an audience of 1,000 people (and ate some great food).

We came home and collaborated with KitchenAid for a good cause with Midnight Brunch’s Cook for the Cure Edition. It was our first charity-related partnership and we had such a wonderful time with our guest list full of food bloggers.

Then we jetted down to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail. We’re kind of depressed that we’re not still in New Orleans.

When we turned around, it was August. We got off the plane from New Orleans and went straight into executing our takeover of Nitehawk Cinema for the Midnight Brunch x Girl Walk // All Day event, where we screened the indie film Girl Walk // All Day and welcomed the filmmakers for a Q&A after the midnight screening. This is the first time we partnered with a venue (Nitehawk) and relied on their kitchen and bar team to execute our vision. It was also the first time we got to name the cocktails!

And now? And now! I’m on the verge of jumping into a completely different adventure. In addition to running Midnight Brunch, I’m joining a second business as co-owner/managing partner and vice president next month. I’ve been consulting with the co-founders for 6 months now and it’s clear that we’re meant to build something new together as a team. I’m honored and completely floored to have an opportunity to work on my dual passions in equal measure. More on that another time.

Before I start that next chapter, though, I’m taking off for some quiet time to evaluate what I’ve done over the past year and set goals for the coming year. (I follow this process.) I’m going to a place in the middle of nowhere. I’ve always wanted to just curl up in a cabin and read books, eat ice cream, look at stars, munch on fresh blueberries, sleep late and have time to think. Thanks, Haagen-Dazs, for the opportunity.

I won’t be posting around here for the next week, but I’ll be posting some pics on Instagram and sending them out with the hashtag #HDMoment. Tag your summer moments, too, if you want me to see them.

I’ll be back next month (September!!), and Midnight Brunch will be back in October. Until then, I’m hangin’ up the Gone Fishin’ sign and calling it a day!

 Photo credit: cdedbdme on Flickr

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I love sharing details about upcoming tasty trips and adventures, so you won’t want to miss a bite. As always, please feel free to chat with me on Twitter, join our group on Facebook and keep up with new posts here by subscribing. Request an invite to future Midnight Brunch events here.

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Midnight Brunch x Girl Walk // All Day descending upon Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) last weekend, and we can absolutely guarantee that none of our guests knew what they were really in for.

Nitehawk in a very cool film house that shows mainly indie films (with bigger releases being shown from time to time). In addition to a great movie selection, they have a full bar and serve drinks, appetizers, dinner and desserts straight to your seat while you enjoy your movie. The spot has been a favorite weekend haunt of mine since seeing The Rum Diary there last year.

This edition of Midnight Brunch was sponsored by BULLDOG Gin and Misfit, Inc., with BULLDOG Gin taking the lead role, walking guests through some fun facts about the independent spirit company, based right out of Manhattan. BULLDOG Gin is a light and versatile London Dry Gin, which guests got to sip on all night in the downstairs bar (which was shut down just for Midnight Brunch).

We enjoyed three craft cocktails, devised by Jen Marshall (bar manager at Nitehawk Cinema).

Brand New Heavies
BULLDOG Gin
Benedictine
Fresh Lemon Juice
Orange Bitters

Brooklyn Banks Punch
Banks 5 Island Rum
Moroccan Mint Tea
Sencha Green Tea
Demerara Simple Syrup
Fresh Lime Juice

Girl Walk Lemonade
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Housemade Rosemary Lemonade

While the cocktails absolutely sparkled on Friday night, the real stars of of the evening were filmmakers Jacob Krupnick and Youngna Park, the creators of indie film Girl Walk // All Day. The Brooklyn-based pair funded their film’s production on Kickstarter, exceeding their initial $5,000 goal by $20,000. The film’s soundtrack (which is a major base for the plot) is the creative commons mashup, “All Day,” by DJ / artist Girl Talk, and the film itself was filmed in public places all over New York City.

Given the film’s musical and physical backdrops, I worked with Nitehawk’s head chef Russell Dougherty on creating a menu that paid tribute the the songs and sights of the film.

Appetizers:

Staten Island Ferry meatballs

“Can I Get a” Zucchini Balls with Yogurt and Sriracha Sauces

Rude Boy Boy Boy Mini Hot Dogs

After we enjoyed cocktail hour and appetizers, we all made our way into a private theater for a special midnight screening of the film.

Main course choices were all inspired by songs in the film.

Girl Walk x Nitehawk Burger and Disco Stick Tater Tots

“Occupy My Burrito” with roasted Veggies, black beans and avocado dressing with a side salad

“I Like it Raw” kale salad with crispy parsnips, garlic honey vinaigrette, mango, tomato, carrots and sesame seeds

The desserts were a tribute to a scene shot at Yankee Stadium. We actually crowdsourced an idea for one of the desserts on Facebook.

Caramel Peanut Popcorn Balls

Brooklyn Red Velvet Cake Pops

After the film (during which there was much booty shaking, arm waving and chair dancing), we enjoyed a spirited Q&A with Jacob and Youngna.

Enjoy a few more highlights from the evening below. All photos in this post by Clay Williams.

Check out the rest of the photos from Midnight Brunch x Girl Walk // All Day edition here.

We partnered with Time Out New York as the ticketing and marketing partner for this event. For more details on the event, visit their post here: http://bit.ly/mbtony12.

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I love sharing details about upcoming tasty trips and adventures, so you won’t want to miss a bite. As always, please feel free to chat with me on Twitter, join our group on Facebook and keep up with new posts here by subscribing. Request an invite to future Midnight Brunch events here.

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My life is awesome. Sometimes I have to smack myself to remember this is all real – I eat and drink for a living, and there is nothing that compares to this as a lifestyle.

It all whizzes by too quickly; I’ll have an incredible meal that’s bangin’ from the appetizers to the conversation to the cocktails and it’s forgotten as soon as the next meal rolls around.

Before this summer comes to a close (can you believe it’s AUGUST?), I wanted to at least document some of the amazing repasts I’ve enjoyed just in the last 30 days. I’d love to hear or see pics of what YOUR favorite meal of July was. Tweet me @ECava and tag it #HDMoment so I can see!

Or… come meet me in person Friday night and make new food (and cocktail) memories! Get a ticket for Midnight Brunch in Brooklyn featuring a midnight movie screening in our own private theater.

On with our show …

Mapo Tofu at Cafe China (Manhattan), Aug. 2012

Red Velvet Waffles and Chicken, SoCo (Brooklyn), Aug. 2012

Buckboard Bacon Melt with Collard Greens, Cochon Butcher (New Orleans), July 2012

Garlic fried Tofu with Scallions, Tamarind and Sriracha Sauce, cooked myself at home (Brooklyn), July 2012

Plate piled high with roast pork, potato salad, baked beans and pickled veggies. Pig & Punch (New Orleans), July 2012

Lobster Dinner – Saturday Night Special, Back Forty West, July 2012

Post-Yoga Power Plate (Quinoa, BBQ Tempeh, Avocado, Sunflower Seeds, Cilantro Dressing), Yoga Pearl / Prasad (Portland, OR), July 2012

Papri Chaat, AKA “Indian Nachos,” Bollywood Theater (Portland, OR), July 2012

Fried Oysters, Clyde Common (Portland, OR), July 2012

Seared scallops over romesco sauce and grilled scallions, Riffle NW (Portland, OR), July 2012

Haagen-Dazs Strawberry ice cream and Vanilla/Dark Chocolate Ice Cream bars, my freezer (Brooklyn), July 2012

I wish I had done a photo diary in June, too … I love looking back and remembering where I was when I was eating all these things and remembering the people I share these moments with. Should I do a photo recap like this every month? Let me know in the comments.

Want to stalk more of my food moments?

Follow me on Forkly
Eyeball me on Instagram
Sweat the technique on Foursquare

(PS: I’m sharing my favorite summer moments with the hashtag #HDMoment and you can, too. Read more on that in my post here.)

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I love sharing details about upcoming tasty trips and adventures, so you won’t want to miss a bite. As always, please feel free to chat with me on Twitter, join our group on Facebook and keep up with new posts here by subscribing. Request an invite to future Midnight Brunch events here.

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While many of my compatriots from Tales of the Cocktail, the country’s largest festival/conference/TOTALLY NUTTY GATHERING OF THE COCKTAIL KINGDOM, are still recovering, I actually filed my first story on TOTC’s 10 Year Anniversary last weekend. Most of us returned from the five-day festival earlier this week, so I held off a few days on sharing the first of my recaps here. This first recap is about the “pop-ups” or one-time experiences that happened at Tales this year.

You can read my first post on the Underground Eats Blog.

Here’s are some details that didn’t make the Underground Eats post …

I snapped a photo of Employees Only co-owner Billy Gilroy getting his first tattoo (the EO logo, naturally) from the tattoo artist on hand at the party.

My barman for the evening at the Employees Only Pop-Up was Steve Schneider, Principal Bartender. Once we all recovered from the party the next day, Schneider said, “Setting up and executing this party with my 4 other fellow Employees Only Principal Bartenders was a dream come true. Being able to share our best in world’s number one cocktail city was something I’ll never forget. Some say it was a wild party. I say it was ‘Thursday.’”

I also need to give props to Burlesque star Calamity Chang for being drop-dead gorgeous the night of the Pop Up (link to NSFW pix at end of this post). She dances at the EO family of cocktail dens in NYC, so they were right to bring her as the experience wouldn’t have otherwise been complete. As you may know, Calamity danced at the June Midnight Brunch and I simply adore her.

Thanks to the founders of Brookyn Gin, my former neighborhood bartender Max Messier and the understated but phenomenal chef Daniel Burns (formerly of Noma, Fat Duck and former head of Momofuko’s test kitchen), this was my Friday night.

I mentioned in my UGE story that I wanted to steal the BULLDOG Gin pillows. Proof.

Finally, we left off during the UGE post with me headed to Pig & Punch, an annual fundraiser that benefits the New Orleans community. Pig & Punch supports the New Orleans KIPP Charter Schools both financially (with all the donations from people who attend) and with the time bartenders and other industry people put into a community project the week before TOTC.

Last year, the event raised $6,000. This year, Pig & Punch raised over $14,000. That number comes in an email from Josh Harris (founding partner of Bon Vivants, the kickass crew who organizes the event along with many other folks), and they aren’t even done totaling the cash yet. So amazing.

As opposed to the past two years, when you had to hear from someone who heard from someone about the party … this year Pig & Punch was an official TOTC event. I’d feared that the party would be too crowded to have fun, or somehow not as good as when it was just a bunch of us hoodlums drinking trash barrels full of boozy punch and eating roast pig straight off the bone.

I really had nothing to worry about. The pig was delicious. I got to hug a bunch of people I only ever get to see at this picnic. And thanks to Josh and his crew, the hours between five p.m. to the time when I showed up at Juniperlooza (around 11:30 p.m.) are very hazy. We’ll get back to that (and all the other fun I had) in my next update.

• For more photos from these UNParties, check out the Flickr set here.
• If you want to tag these photos (and are either a person or a brand in one of the photos), friend me on Facebook.
• To check out my coverage from Tales 2011, click here.

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I love sharing details about upcoming tasty trips and adventures, so you won’t want to miss a bite. As always, please feel free to chat with me on Twitter, join our group on Facebook and keep up with new posts here by subscribing. Request an invite to future Midnight Brunch events here.

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Midnight Brunch: Cooks for the Cure Edition with KitchenAid brought a completely lovely, intimate group of bloggers together for celebration last Thursday. We welcomed 20 food writers and bloggers of other sorts to an airy loft in midtown.

Midnight Brunch was sponsored by KitchenAid as a thank you to writers for promoting or participating in their 1,000 Cooks for the Cure Initiative. 1,000 Cooks for the Cure kicked off Friday, and brings folks across the country together to host potlucks to raise money to fund breast cancer research. The Midnight Brunch menu was centered around a French-inspired brunch theme featuring approachable dishes and cocktails that could be recreated by our guests as they host their own 1,000 Cooks for the Cure party this week.

Pink has long been the color associated with breast cancer causes, so that color was reflected everywhere from the amuse bouche to the linens to the napkins. The party featured four creative tipples (two of them pink, matching our color scheme) by house bartenders Hal Wolin and Pamela Wiznitzer.

The creative cocktails featured Atlantico Rum, a homemade hibiscus-infused Tito’s Vodka, Tequila Avion, Cedilla Acai Liqueur, St. Germain and Primaterra Prosecco. Pictured above is the Low Tide by Pamela Wiznitzer with hibiscus-infused Tito’s Vodka, homemade lemongrass syrup, fresh lime juice and tonic.

As guests sampled the festive drinks, servers passed smoked salmon and cream cheese deviled eggs and pissaladiere nicoises (mini caramelized onion tarts with nicoise olives).

After a few words of thanks from KitchenAid, guests meandered around, enjoying the scenery (a food-bloggers’ dream come true) and made their way to their seats for Midnight Brunch.

As an amuse bouche, guests nibbled on mini parfaits with organic French Vanilla yogurt, granola and strawberry jam.

The main course was one of my personal favorite brunch dishes, a go-to that I whip up frequently (especially for the holidays): French Toast Bread Pudding with Spiced Pear Sauce. I served this up with a side spinach salad garnished with strawberries and a homemade pomegranate vinaigrette.

For dessert, I made my friend Cathy Erway’s Lemon Thyme bars.

Check out the full menu from the meal here. The cocktail list is here and here.

Enjoy a few more highlights from the evening below. All photos in this post by Clay Williams.

Shake, Rattle and Roll – by Hal Wolin: Avion Blanco Tequila, St. Germain Liqueur, fresh strawberries, homemade cinnamon syrup, fresh lime juice, chili-sugar rim.

Purple Sunrise – by Hal Wolin: Cedilla Acai Liqueur, Primaterra Prosecco, Dolin Dry Vermouth, lemon twist

Feel the Rhythm – by Pamela Wiznitzer: Atlantico Rum, Lillet Blanc, homemade fig purée, fresh lemon juice, egg white.

Check out the rest of the photos from Midnight Brunch: 1,000 Cooks for the Cure edition here.

See our original post about this Midnight Brunch collaboration here.

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I love sharing details about upcoming tasty trips and adventures, so you won’t want to miss a bite. As always, please feel free to chat with me on Twitter, join our group on Facebook and keep up with new posts here by subscribing. Request an invite to future Midnight Brunch events here.

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