Confirmation Day at St. Rose of Lima in my Church Hat

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Celebrating in My Tenth Street Church Hat

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending my niece's confirmation at St. Rose of Lima Church at 46 Church Hill Road in Newtown Connecticut. The church was founded in 1859 and is considered the “Mother Church” of several surrounding parishes, having once served eleven towns in upper Fairfield County earlier in her history. 

Wearing my Tenth Street Church Hat - "The Sara"
 https://tenthstreethats.com/collections/womens-church-hats

Saint Rose  has been designated a National Catholic Historical Site by the Order of Alhambra and is currently undergoing some beautiful renovations. I can't wait to return when they are completed to see them all!

St. Rose of Lima Church
http://strosechurch.com/

Monsignor Robert Weiss (aka "Father Bob") gave a beautiful sermon welcoming the newest group of 'confirmees' making one of the sacraments. In his sermon he reminded us that there seems to be a direct correlation between the growth of evil in the world and the decline of church attendance --- but that the world is full of hope when groups of young people, like those making their confirmation today, assemble and join the congregation in spreading the faith. 

He affectionately called the group "holy rollers" reminding us we need more holy rollers spreading the word of Jesus Christ. 

Join me in congratulating my beautiful niece Jessica on her confirmation!

We had such a nice time being with family all afternoon and celebrating Jessica's affirmation of her faith. 

After the church service we met at the nearby Reverie Brewery at 57B Church Hill Road in Newtown where I may have found my new favorite brew, a coffee stout called "Night Moves" 

Reverie Brewing
https://reveriebrewing.com/

All day, both in church and at the brewery, I received SO MANY compliments on my Tenth Street Hat.  And can you believe that for once I was the one wearing a hat - while the cowboy went hatless! 

Hat: Tenth Street "The Sara" in lilac
Shrug: Calvin Klein in Gold
Dress: T Tahari in Blush

You'll remember last year I did the Tenth Street 'hat challenge' where I styled one of their hats two ways?  (Read it HERE)

Well here's this hat, 'The Sara" styled a bit more casually.

Hat: Tenth Street "The Sara" in lilac
Dress: Lilly Pulitzer

Tenth Street was founded in 1921 by Jack Dorfman and Arthur Hyman. The Tenth Street name is from the original warehouse on 10th Street and Broadway in Oakland, California. The company is known for their blend of a vintage feel with modern sensibilities. Almost 100 years later, they remain a family-run organization.

I love that I can get double the wear from a hat and that it has the ability to go from a bit formal to casual.  

How would you style 'The Sara' hat?

Thank you for reading and celebrating my niece's confirmation with me!

Tenth Street Hats 

Designer hats, made the old way, sold the new way. 
Hats for both men and women!

Find them online at https://tenthstreethats.com/

See more 'church hats' at  https://tenthstreethats.com/collections/womens-church-hats


Portions of this post were sponsored by Tenth Street Hats, but all opinions and views are my own.


©  Home Place 2019

Enjoy the Roman Dinner at Carbone's Ristorante

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Carbone's Ristorante Anniversary Dinner

Happy Anniversary Carbone's!

Did you know that Carbone's Ristorante is celebrating their 80th year in Hartford Connecticut! That's right! Eighty years in the same location on Franklin Street on Hartford's south side.

Carbone's Ristorante

It's really a 'Happy Anniversary' to all of us because to celebrate the occasion they're offering a special seven-course Chef's "Roman Dinner" Tasting Menu - complete with an optional wine pairing!

This delicious special is running Monday through Friday - through June 28th - so make your reservation NOW!

Imagine seven mouth-watering courses that includes a tableside Caesar Salad. Talk about personal service! Talk about a fun night out! 

Caesar Salad Tableside

We took a ride up on a beautiful Thursday evening and enjoyed each and every course to its fullest!  Here's what's on the menu!

The first course certainly set the mark high for the food that followed, a delicious Homemade Ricotta made with truffle honey, fresh chopped pistachios, and grilled crostini. 

Homemade Ricotta
truffle honey, fresh chopped pistachios,  grilled crostini.

The first course also included an equally delicious Calamari, with a nice take on the popular NY style, made with the inclusion of hot pepper rings, with two sauces, a marinara sauce, and a lemon capers.

Calamari, hot pepper rings,
marinara sauce, lemon capers.

Chef's recommendation for a wine pairing was a Chandon California Rose.

The second course consisted of a wonderful Butternut Ravioli. You'd think that this would be more suited for the fall season, but the sauce was so incredibly light, it worked well on a warm summer night. The ravioli was made with shitake mushrooms, and a brown butter sage sauce.

Butternut Ravioli
shitake mushrooms, brown butter sage sauce.

Chef recommended a Davis Bynum Pinot Noir with the butternut ravioli.

Next up, our third course, a Classic Caesar Salad, prepared tableside. Here's where we really had some pampered fun! Nothing, and I mean nothing - comes close to the clean bright flavors from a  freshly made Caesar dressing. Especially one made with a friendly smile!

Tableside Caesar Salad!

Caesar Salad

Our wine pairing with the Caesar salad was a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. 

Fellow blogger Naomi Perk of NayNayKnows saw my Instagram story that night and commented her refrigerator is always stocked with KC! And now I know why!

Our fourth course brought us an amazing seafood combination consisting of a Mixed Grilled Diver Scallop & Shrimp Fregola, with Leeks & Bacon Risotto in a nice white wine lemon sauce.

Mixed Grilled Diver Scallop & Shrimp Fregola,
Micro greens,
Leeks & Bacon Risotto

The seafood course was accompanied by a Bortoluzzi Pinot Grigio.

Then, to cleanse the palate, our fifth course, a Lemon Sorbetto, with cherry compote, was topped with a drizzle of the optional accompanying cordial, a limoncello.

Lemon Sorbetto, with cherry compote

Lemon Sorbetto, with cherry compote

Our next, sixth course, was an outstanding highlight! A Pepper Crusted Tenderloin, with a topping of dolce gorgonzola, mashed potatoes, and glazed carrots. 

Pepper Crusted Tenderloin, dolce gorgonzola,
mashed potatoes, and glazed carrots. 

The tenderloin was accompanied by a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our seventh, and final course, dessert, was a heavenly happy ending to our Roman Dinner extravaganza, a Chocolate Pistachio Molten Lava Cake, with creamy vanilla ice cream.

 Chocolate Pistachio Molten Lava Cake,
vanilla ice cream.

And, as we said Arrivederci, Carbone's Ristorante, alla prossima! (Goodbye Carbone's Ristorante, we'll return soon!) we toasted to a fabulous night with fine wine and food, and savored the flavors of the recommended dessert accompaniment, a sweet Moscato wine.

Carbone's Roman Dinner Tasting is certainly a treat for all your senses! Aromatic herbs, hearty cheeses, creamy grains, and seven courses of innovative combinations from an amazing Italian restaurant. 

A winning tasting menu full of flavors and textures to please all! 

Be sure to indulge in the Roman Dinner at Carbone's Ristorante!

See more about Carbone's Ristorante's anniversary event at https://carbonesct.com/our-events/roman-dinner

Carbone's Ristorante

588 Franklin Avenue 

Hartford, CT 06114

860-296-9646

http://carboneshospitality.com/

About Carbone’s Ristorante

Carbone's Ristorante is located at its original 588 Franklin Avenue location in Hartford’s South End since opening in 1938. The restaurant offers timeless Italian dining in a relaxed and elegant atmosphere. Third generation Chef/Owner Vinnie Carbone has carried on his family traditional Italian dishes, while incorporating modern ingredients and techniques to also offer seasonal innovations as well as Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten-Free options.  Offering old-world hospitality, including tableside service for house classics such as a Caesar Salad or flaming dessert, and first-class service, the restaurant is open weekdays for lunch and dinner, and dinner on Saturday evenings, with complimentary parking.  

For more information, visit www.carbonesct.com.  The restaurant can also be found on Facebook (Carbone’s CT) and Instagram (CarbonesRistorante). 

Disclaimer: We were invited to Carbone's Ristorante's Roman Dinner by members of the company's management and marketing team and portions of this post are sponsored. However, all views and opinions are our own.

©  Home Place 2019

2019 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival - Save the Dates!

Get Ready for Greenwich Wine+Food Fest 2019 

Friday, September 20th and Saturday, September 21st

Great news!  The 2019 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by PepsiCo is proud to announce GRAMMY Award-winning band Little Big Town as this year’s musical headliner.  The festival will benefit Food Rescue US, a national non-profit organization committed to reducing both hunger and food waste across the country.

GWF Musical Headliners
Little Big Town

The ninth annual charitable event, which has donated nearly $1 million to various causes since it began, commences Friday, September 20th with the Master Chef Wine Gala emceed by Gary Dell’Abate (Executive Producer of The Howard Stern Show “BabaBooey”) and Rob Burnett (Five-time Emmy Award-Winning Writer-Director). 

The experience then unfolds on Saturday, September 21st into a full day of eating, drinking, chef demos, book signings and more, with the weekend closing out with an exciting performance by Little Big Town. Their latest album debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and Top 5 on the Billboard 200 All Genre chart. In the past 7 years they have won over 20 awards, including GRAMMY, CMA, ACM, People's Choice Awards and also an Emmy. 

The Greenwich Wine + Food Festival, located in Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, CT, offers ticket holders a unique, up close encounter with nationally-recognized and regional stars of food, wine, spirits and entertainment. From food trucks to fine dining, attendees gain access to some of their favorite food stars while also discovering new regional favorites.

Margaret and Geoffrey Zakarian

The first round of chef talent includes: Emmy Award-winner Valerie Bertinelli (Food Network’s Valerie’s Home Cooking), Geoffrey Zakarian (Chef/Partner The Lambs Club at The Chatwal and PointRoyal at The Diplomat Beach Resort, Co-Host of Food Network’s The Kitchen and Judge on Chopped), Margaret Zakarian (President of Zakarian Hospitality), Marc Murphy (Food Network’s Chopped), David Burtka (Life is a Party cookbook), Jessica Tom (Food Network Star season 14 winner), David Rose (Food Network Star season 13 finalist) and caterer to the stars Mary Giuliani (Mary Giuliani Catering & Events). 

Valerie Bertinelli

Many more will be announced in the coming weeks - and I promise to update you here!

Get ready for the intimate Friday night Master Chef Wine Gala showcasing the culinary and music scene of New Orleans, including performances from GRAMMY Award-winning Rebirth Brass Band and Kermit Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers.

Saturday features the incredible Culinary Village, home to the Grand Tasting tent, where guests can enjoy tastings and demonstrations from more than 150 of the area’s finest food, wine and spirits experts. 

Other tents in the Culinary Village will feature the best in burgers, BBQ, tacos and more. 

Guests will also experience sommelier, mixologist and brew master presentations and competitions, celebrity book signings, cooking demos with Special Guest Chefs, a celebrity green room with live interviews and an exclusive Meet the Masters panel discussion.

The 8th Annual Burger Battle will return with David Burtka as this year’s host, as will the 5th Annual Top Bartender Showdown, providing friendly competitions between area restaurants. 

Additional events include The Tailgate Party and South of the Border Fiesta. The Festival Ambassador Chefs will also prepare an exceptional dinner for VIP ticket holders on Saturday at the water’s edge.

This major undertaking is the vision of Suni Unger, founder and CEO of Unger Media, the parent company behind Greenwich Wine + Food and Serendipity magazine.

 Unger comments, “I’m excited to be working with so many amazing chefs—many returning, but some great new ones this year—as well as welcoming the Grammy award-winning band Little Big Town,” says Unger. “I’m also honored to be raising money for so many great charitable organizations including Food Rescue US, which is at the heart of our festival.”

Tickets for the event are available via www.greenwichwineandfood.com 
or by calling 203.588.1363. 

Ticket options include the All Weekend Pass ($700), Friday’s Opening Night Master Chef Wine Gala ($275), Saturday All Day Pass ($200) and Saturday VIP Pass ($500). 

To get on the wait list for On-Stage and Lawn Dinner Tables, please call 203-588-1363. 

The Festival weekend will be held rain or shine, and anyone under 21, including infants or strollers, will not be admitted. Pets are also not permitted.

 ABOUT THE GREENWICH WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL

The Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by PepsiCo is a multi-day event celebrating the area’s rich culinary landscape and showcasing innovation in the food and beverage industries. Previous participants include chefs such as: Daniel Boulud, Scott Conant, Mary Giuliani, Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy, Adam Richman, Marcus Samuelson and Ted Allen as well as musical artists such as Tim McGraw, Train and Ziggy Marley. This year’s festival will benefit Food Rescue US; previous beneficiaries include Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation, and Ment’or. Sponsors to date include Pepsico, LifeWTR, Pure Leaf, Bubly, Jeep, Compass, Monogram, Westy Self Storage, Yale New HavenHealth Greenwich Hospital, NuKitchen, Rudy's Limousine Service Inc., Barbara Zaccagnini, Whistle Pig Whiskey., 90+ Cellars, and as of 5-15-19, the Delamar Hotel.

The Festival was created by Suni Unger, founder and CEO of Unger Media, the parent company behind Greenwich Wine + Food and Serendipity magazine. 

For more information, visit www.greenwichwineandfood.com.

Follow GWF here:
Instagram: @Greenwichwineandfood
Facebook: @Greenwichwineandfoodfestival 

ABOUT FOOD RESCUE US

Food Rescue US, a non-profit organization, is a leader in reducing both hunger and food waste in America. Through the use of its proprietary mobile app, Food Rescue US easily connects its team of volunteers with companies that have excess food and organizations feeding the food insecure. Founded in Fairfield County in 2011 and still operating as its largest location, it has now expanded nationally to 12 states and the District of Columbia where its volunteer food rescuers quickly deliver the food from its donors to the receiving organizations. In 2018, Food Rescue US completed more than 25,000 rescues equaling over 6.8 million meals delivered.

Americans waste 40% of its food supply ending up in landfills which creates methane gas and warms the planet. At the same time, there are more than 40 million individuals, including 12 million children, who are food insecure in America. Food Rescue US transforms a negative, food waste, into a positive, by delivering fresh, healthy food to millions of people who are food insecure through a community of dedicated volunteers.

For more information, visit foodrescue.us and download the mobile app.

ABOUT LITTLE BIG TOWN

GRAMMY, ACM, CMA, and AMA Award-winning group, Little Big Town -- consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook -- first entered the music scene over 20 years ago with hit songs “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and the GRAMMY-nominated “Little White Church.” Their breakthrough albums Tornado and Pain Killer produced multiple #1 singles, including “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” and “Day Drinking,” as well as the history-making, best-selling country single of the year (2015) “Girl Crush.” Little Big Town's last studio album, The Breaker, debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Charts and Top 10 (No.4) on the Billboard 200 to critical acclaim, marking the group’s fourth Top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 chart. The album features their GRAMMY-winning, multi-week #1 single, “Better Man,” as well as the 2019 GRAMMY-nominated, “When Someone Stops Loving You.” The band recently released new music from their upcoming ninth studio album, critically-praised “The Daughters” and will continue dropping new music throughout the year.

Little Big Town has earned more than 40 award show nominations and in the past five years has taken home nearly 20 awards, including multiple GRAMMY, AMA, People’s Choice, CMA, ACM awards, and an Emmy award. The Country Music Hall of Fame inductees (2014) went onto receive their star on the Nashville Walk of Fame in 2017. This past July, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville launched their new, yearlong exhibit called LITTLE BIG TOWN: THE POWER OF FOUR showcasing the bands powerful and storied 20-year history within the country music community. The band recently launched 4 Cellars wine, their first non-musical project as a band, with Browne Family Vineyards. The collaboration features exclusive wine blended by the foursome and recently released canned wine spritzers called “Day Drinking.”

For more information on Little Big Town visit LittleBigTown.com or follow them @littlebigtown.