{We Dig The Pig}

Chris and I seem to have stumbled on a new tradition. What started as a fun way to pick guaranteed delicious restaurants for the fall moving roadtrip of 2010, has turned into so much more. Now, whenever Chris & I visit a new city we immediately look up the Man vs. Food options. We're not about to take on whatever challenge Adam miraculously defeated, but we figure if it's good enough to eat 8 times the normal portion of the restaurant's food, it's worth a visit!

Oh Pappy's Smokehouse. I was so hungry by the time we arrived, only to find out there was a 45 minute wait that wrapped through the building and back outside. I managed to take a few photos of the interior, but as I was wasting away I couldn't focus on the excitement of a new restaurant. Seriously, the delicious BBQ smell almost killed me.

Our hostess said the line was light for the day, and expected it to get worse. This popular place was busy even before the Man vs. Food people blasted it on TV's across the country, making it almost impossible to actually eat here now. The constant fear that they were going to run out of food (apparently it happens often), kept me pretty entertained/scared our entire wait.

We were in the neighborhood for the Rams game, so we decided to push though. 

Pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, sweet potato fries & coleslaw. 

It was the real deal. 

Happy (stuffed) Katherine.

{Half & Half}

Breakfast is my favorite meal by far, even though I rarely eat it. I like real breakfast, omelettes, breakfast sandwiches with potatoes, pancakes and waffles with fresh berries, the whole deal. Rarely do I have the time to make a morning feast before work, but I do try to squeeze it in on the occasional Sunday. Even better is when I find a breakfast place that feels like home - a home that I don't have to do any of the cooking and Chris doesn't get stuck with the cleanup. 

half & half in St. Louis was just perfect. It felt like a restaurant you might stumble upon when strolling the streets of Portland or Seattle on a dreary Sunday. Instead, it was nestled in the brick-filled town of Clayton, only 10 minutes away from where we were staying. 

The wait was long (kind of expected), but the bustle of an open kitchen kept me entertained until we were seated in a small corner around the perfect round table. I immediately ordered a cappuccino to start which was beautiful. One day I'll finally learn to recreate it at home.

It took me a minute to ponder the menu (don't you hate when EVERYTHING sounds good), before deciding on the fried egg sandwich on a brioche bun, swapped for scrambled. Which is quickly becoming my go-to, like at breakfast in Santa Monica.

Steak & eggs with hollandaise and another side of blueberry pancakes. 

It just needed to happen.

So cozy & so full we immediately went home to nap.

Goodness I love vacation.

{Explore}: Botanical Garden in St. Louis

The Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis are incredibly beautiful. The grounds are filled with a variety of different gardens, including a Japanese garden, Victorian district filled with perfectly pruned bushes (and the site for my style post), a Chinese garden, an area for Children to play and learn about nature, and more. There were so many weddings going on in various parts of the garden, what an amazing backdrop. Seriously I felt myself going all mushy on the inside as we strolled by.

A few snaps to brighten your Thursday. Sometimes it's nice to get outside, away from a screen & really experience nature (even if it's from behind the lens). I highly highly recommend a visit if you're ever in St. Louis.

 Double bonus: hanging out with a certain guy in harris tweed & elbow patches. Swoon.

{Style}: Missouri Botanical Garden

Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. I love planes, packing, exploring new cities, taking touristy photos and eating all the best food the new city has to offer. I've always thought my preference was traveling abroad, but lately I've found myself interested in exploring a little closer to home, throughout the US.

Chris & I took a trip to St. Louis over the weekend, to visit one of his very best friends. He suggested we visit the Missouri Botanical Gardens while he was at work (knows me so well), and I loved it. You forget how beautiful bushes, trees & grass can be when you live somewhere like Arizona. 

This place is huge. I could have taken about a billion pictures (okay I did take a billion pictures), but we'll start with an outfit post.

 

About a million flower/bush/tree shots comin your way tomorrow.

Woot!