Size Matters At Daddy's Dogs
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Size Matters At Daddy's Dogs

From Coney Island to your favorite baseball stadium or backyard barbecue, hot dogs are indisputably one of the most relished foods in all of American cuisine and no summer gathering is complete without them. In fact, some might argue that they are a quintessential piece of Americana. With hot dog season officially upon us, Nashvillians are celebrating this momentous occasion at gourmet hot dog mainstay, Daddy’s Dogs.

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Chefs Warehouse At Maison
South Africa, Food Catherine Courtney South Africa, Food Catherine Courtney

Chefs Warehouse At Maison

South Africa is well known for its wildlife and wilderness, but did you know it has a thriving food and wine scene? Even though I spent most of the trip in the African bush, I had a few days to explore Franschhoek, an area known for its magnificent landscapes, charming vineyards and fine cuisine. Many would argue that it has become the culinary capital of South Africa.

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How To Host An Effortless Friendsgiving
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

How To Host An Effortless Friendsgiving

‘Tis the season for all things family as the holiday season is officially upon us. While many of us have time-honored Thanksgiving traditions like watching the Macy’s Day Parade and making our great-grandmother’s cornbread dressing, others may be a little apprehensive about these so-called family gatherings. Navigating dinner conversation while avoiding topics like politics, religion and your current dating situation can be tricky. Let’s face it, people are often better at passing judgment than the potatoes sometimes, am I right?

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A Perfect Ending To A Week In Geneva: Le Flacon
Switzerland, Food Catherine Courtney Switzerland, Food Catherine Courtney

A Perfect Ending To A Week In Geneva: Le Flacon

Finance by day food by night is the mantra that I have been living by since I started Blonde Voyage Nashville three years ago. While I spend my days as a project manager who’s often eyeball deep in spreadsheets or slide decks, my evenings are filled with food tastings, checking out Nashville’s newest establishments and networking with some of Music City’s most enthusiastic foodies. Life is all about balance, right?

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One Of My Best Meals Of 2019: Pianostrada Laboratorio di Cucina
Italy, Food, Rome Catherine Courtney Italy, Food, Rome Catherine Courtney

One Of My Best Meals Of 2019: Pianostrada Laboratorio di Cucina

Keep your friends close and your friends with excellent restaurant recommendations closer. Isn’t that how the saying goes?

Earlier this year when I was creating my itinerary for Croatia and the Amalfi Coast (more to come on the blog about that) when I realized that I would have just enough time in Rome to enjoy dinner before boarding the train to Naples.

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Blonde Voyage's Guide To Dubrovnik
Croatia, Travel, Food Catherine Courtney Croatia, Travel, Food Catherine Courtney

Blonde Voyage's Guide To Dubrovnik

Can you believe that we are halfway through 2019? I’d shake my head in disbelief if I didn’t have a stack of magazines on my coffee table that said otherwise. In a day and age where we consume so much digital media, I find myself more and more enjoying the ritual of pouring a glass of wine, opening up Travel and Leisure or Bon Appétit and escaping my current reality. There’s something so satisfying about holding the pages in my hands and tearing out those articles or recipes that really speak to me.

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Elevate Your Cocktail Game At Machine
Chicago, Food Catherine Courtney Chicago, Food Catherine Courtney

Elevate Your Cocktail Game At Machine

Cocktail culture is something that not only intrigues me but is constantly evolving. Gone are the days of sipping on rum and cokes and pounding Jager-bombs, unless you still reside on a college campus or in your parent’s basement. In a world where craft cocktails are king, barflies are sipping on timeless classics like Martinis, Manhattans, and Margaritas.

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An Insider's Guide To Surviving Music City Food + Wine Festival 2019
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

An Insider's Guide To Surviving Music City Food + Wine Festival 2019

Back for its seventh year, The Music City Food and Wine Festival returns to Bicentennial Park on September 20-22, 2019. Without question, this is one of my favorite Nashville events as it shines a spotlight on the food and beverage scene in Music City. After all, there’s much more to Nashville than honky-tonks, hot chicken and hockey! This weekend-long festival is filled with culinary demonstrations, seminars, and panels along with tasting tents highlighting food, wine, spirits and beer from Music City and beyond.

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Fire To Table Simplicity At Arca
Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney

Fire To Table Simplicity At Arca

“ Where should I eat in Tulum?”

Aside from asking where to say, that’s quite possibly one of the most loaded questions a traveler can ask.

Like any food enthusiast, I put in the time and did the research. However, you know you have a problem when you have more restaurants to try than meals to eat! Of course, it’s a great problem to have and only means there are return trips in my future.

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Avoid The Dreaded Vending Machine Lunch And Order With Grubhub
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Avoid The Dreaded Vending Machine Lunch And Order With Grubhub

If you work a 9-5 job, it’s likely that you are living your best cubicle life. You know what I’m talking about. That small piece of real estate where you spend all of your time when you aren’t in meetings and attempt to accomplish work despite the ringing phones and constant chatter. And did I mention you are supposed to co-exist with your co-workers at the same time? To say cube life is challenging is the understatement of the century.

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Tulum's Secret Garden : Cenzontle
Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney

Tulum's Secret Garden : Cenzontle

Does anyone else have Type-A tendencies? Waiting in lines give you absolute anxiety, you’re overly mindful almost borderline conscientious, you loathe wasting time, days are guided by serious to-do lists and you find it hard to relax? If you’re like me, you identify with almost EVERY SINGLE ONE of these items. Some people call it perfectionism, others may categorize you as a workaholic and those who aren’t so friendly may call you damn crazy. Regardless of the label or social commentary, this is me and I’ll own it.

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It's Gonna Be May
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

It's Gonna Be May

To quote one of my favorite boy bands, N’Sync, “ It’s Going to May.”

Now that the NFL Draft, the St. Jude Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon and multiple musical acts have vacated Music City, Nashvillians can take pause, breathe deeply because May will be here before we know it.

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Place Your Bets On These Breakfast Spots In Tulum
Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney

Place Your Bets On These Breakfast Spots In Tulum

Morning Rituals. It’s something we all have but it can be nice to change it up now and then. When I’m home, I’m rolling out of bed at 5:00 a.m, caffeinating with an oat milk latte and trying to pull it together before I leave for work. Sounds dreadful, right?

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Follow Your Heart To The Kitchen Table
Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney Tulum, Food Catherine Courtney

Follow Your Heart To The Kitchen Table

If you were to ask me where I was dining and drinking in Tulum, I would have rattled off a list of taquerias, juice bars and open-air restaurants that were on the itinerary. I never imagined that one of my top meals of 2019 would be in a restaurant nestled among the lush fronds of the jungle powered completely by solar panels.

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Chicago Style Pizza Arrives In Music City
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Chicago Style Pizza Arrives In Music City

Chicago.

It’s a city that has captured my heart and if it weren’t for the sub-zero temperatures and harsh winters, I’d likely move there. From the varying architectural styles, the booming food scene and I can’t forget that mid-western hospitality, Chicago really has it all. My love affair with the city started years ago and I have since made subsequent trips soaking up as much of the city as I possibly can. No trip to the Windy City is complete without some Chicago-style deep dish pizza.

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Humble Table: A Night In Italy
Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney Nashville, Food Catherine Courtney

Humble Table: A Night In Italy

Undoubtedly social media is a key part of our culture. It was only a few days ago when social media junkies experienced one of the most painful outages in history when Facebook and Instagram were down for over 14 hours. Did you panic? I immediately thought my account was hacked and incessantly tried to change my password. When I say incessant, I mean I tried for HOURS and to no avail failed miserably.

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