In order to please the palate, I eat out a lot! And, I eat a lot of really good food. In order to not feel guilty when I indulge, I make sure to workout regularly. So, it was a perfect fit when I was invited to the inaugural event for Allison Hagendorf's new “FIT TO FEAST” Event Series. Allison Hagendorf Allison Hagendorf is a certified Health Coach whose work focuses on nutrition, fitness and behavior modification. Her website is called Fit to Feast and it follows her "fit to feast" lifestyle that is about finding the balance that works for you, so you can be fit and eat up life. 
Ever since I ate the Mandilli de Seta (handkerchief pasta, Ligurian almond basil pesto, fiore sardo) at Factory Kitchen, it has been one of my favorite Italian restaurants. So, when I heard they were offering a Happy Hour menu, I decided to go check it out. While the Mandilli de Seta is not on the Happy Hour menu, there are many delicious options. Some are smaller versions of items on the dinner menu and other items are exclusively for Happy Hour. But, the best part is that everything (food, wine and cocktails) is between $6-$11. We started with the Frittino di Verdura (fried baby leeks with chickpea fritters). Well-salted and crispy, this is an addictive dish. Frittino di Verdura I washed down the salty fried snacks with a glass of crisp, fruity Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Grasparossa from Emilia-Romagna, Italy. 
Monday is one of my favorite nights go out since it's usually a quiet night on the town. When a friend asked to meet for a drink, I decided that it was finally time to get myself over to Melrose Umbrella Company as they just celebrated their one year anniversary and I had yet to go there. Melrose Umbrella Company Apparently, I am not the only one who likes to go out on a Monday night as there was a good sized crowd there. All the seats were filled and there was a chill energy in the room. To top if off, owner and barman Zach Patterson was behind the bar, making it an even better night. Monday sure is a fun night at Melrose Umbrella Company!
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