Foodie Friday: Relay Foods and a Winner!

Hi friends, happy Friday! It’s about time, right? 😉 I’m excited to share a few fun things with you today!

A while back, I was contacted by Relay Foods about reviewing their services. If you’re not familiar with Relay, they are a grocery delivery company based in Charlottesville, VA that concentrates on providing the freshest ingredients from local stores, restaurants, and farms. Why would I say no to this? I have to go grocery shopping anyway and these were delivered to my door!

And the best part? I placed my order the Thursday before my wedding and had everything delivered the day we got home from the honeymoon [how stinkin’ convenient is that?!]. It was a Tuesday and I knew that we would be in no mood to go to the store for a few days. We had enough food to get us through the rest of the week. It was perfect!

Totally psyched for my delivery!

Their website is so intuitive and easy to navigate which makes an already easy process that much easier.

I placed an order for many of our staples; broccoli, kale, asparagus, tomatoes, apples, etc, along with a half share Virginia’s Bounty Basket. The bounty basket changes weekly based upon what is in season and the freshest ingredients that can be provided. Our box was filled with collards, zucchini, lettuces, and some of the best beets and strawberries I’ve had in a long time!

Local strawberries

I was such a happy camper! The strawberries made for delicious snacks for days and these were the beets that got me on my roasting kick [and it’s still kicking!]

Now for the fun stuff.. you may have noticed the Relay banner on the right side of my site. I’m so excited to announce that I am a Relay Affiliate!

So what does that mean for you?

It means that if you place an order by clicking here or on the banner, you will receive $30 off of your $50 on your first order! Seriously, it doesn’t get much better than $30 of free groceries!

What a wonderful company, thank you so much, Relay Foods!

And if that’s not enough, I have a Chobani winner!

Congratulations to Jeffrey Lammers! Please email me at Brittany@BarrAndTable.com to claim your prize!

Food for Thought

Have you ever tried a grocery delivery service? If you have, were you satisfied with the results?

If you haven’t, why not? And what would make you want to try one?

Taking a Deep Breath

It has been a crazy two weeks and I’ve been a terrible blogger because of it. Between work and wedding planning, I haven’t had time to breathe, let alone blog! Meetings were lined up for every night last week after work and I didn’t get home before 9:30 pm. But there is definite progress that has been made and I have, however, had time to eat. Lots and lots of delicious food!

As the week winds down and I gear up for another weekend of wedding crashing (otherwise known as band shopping), I am finally catching a moment, albeit a brief moment, to take a deep breath. And to share one of my wonderful dining experiences from last week!

As an engagement gift from a few of Nathan’s friends, we received a gift certificate to Annabel Lee Tavern, a cute little local tavern celebrating the legen(wait for it)dary poet, Edgar Allen Poe. We’d never been there before so we were psyched to try it!

I started out with the Morella.

Hendrick’s Gin, St Germain Liqueur, Muddled Cucumber and a dash of Simple Syrup

I’m a sucker for any cucumber drink so I knew I had to try this and I’m so glad I did. It’s a dangerously delicious drink that goes down far too easily!

We always ask for recommendations on the menu and as appetizers go, the nachos were hugely recommended. And when I say huge, I mean oh-my-gosh-we’ll-never-finish-that huge!

Nachos with House-Made Pico de Gallo, Cheddar, Black Olives, Jalapenos, and Sour Cream

Not only was every chip covered with cheddar cheese, there was another creamy cheese underneath all of that goodness that gave it an extra kick of something special.

After devouring a good portion of the nachos, we moved onto entrees. Once again, sticking to recommendations, I went with the Crab Cake Platter. Ladies and gents, I have found my new favorite crab cake. And as a native Marylander, that is hugely successful!

Crab Cake Platter with Blackened Asparagus

It was all lump crab meat with very little filler just to hold it together. Cooked perfectly so that the outside had just the right amount of crispness and the inside was tender and creamy. And it was seasoned absolutely wonderfully. Served with blackened asparagus (I skipped on the mashed potatoes), it was nice and light and the perfect amount of food.

I immediately texted my mom to let her know that I’ve found the new crab cake place. It’s clearly very important in our lives.

And because we just weren’t quite full enough, Nathan made me get dessert. Alright, so all he had to do was say chocolate and I was sold. But you should be sold, too, for the Edgar Allen Pate.

Tri-chocolate Pate served with Madeira Raspberry Sauce and Whipped Cream

Our final course, once again, recommended, and for good reason! The perfect sharing size and a wonderfully decadent way to end a great meal.

And with that, I prepare myself to eat my way through the weekend and will bring you more fantastic bites soon! 🙂 And don’t forget to breathe!

Speak Up!

Any big plans for the weekend? Maybe hitting up your favorite local tavern?