Outside The Venue - Lexagator Loves

May The Zen Be With You: Zenfit In SF

May 17, 2017 · 12 Comments

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If you have been following along I have been loving trying new fitness studios in the Bay Area. A new studio that just jumped on the scene is Zenfit just north of the financial district in North Beach.

Zenfit is more than a workout to me, in the several visits I have left lighter and more relaxed, something most workouts cannot claim. The work out is a blend of bootcamp, yoga, and ends with meditation all in 55 minutes. On different days you can get a varied workout as Mondays are focused on arms and abs, Tuesdays are gluten and legs, Wednesdays are full body, Thursday is chest, back, and legs, and Friday is legs and abs. Saturday and Sunday are focused on full body.

studio
The workout room is dark and candlelit which as soon as I enter I become more relaxed and able to focus on the upcoming workout. There is also a beautiful angel wing light installation on one wall that changes color. Near that wall are cubbies so you can easily stash your stuff. This is me is less stressful than lockers and there always seems to be room for ALL my stuff which includes my huge backpack with laptop and purse.

Check in at the front is also a breeze where there is also a dedicated bathroom and retail area. I love the tanks and I even bought one of their essential oil rollers. The scent includes bergamot, chamomile, ylang ylang, lavender, clary sage, and vetiver. It’s supposed to help ease anxiety and was exclusively made for the studio by a Bay Area yoga teacher. I appreciate the opportunity to be able to support local businesses.
Wings
After you stash your stuff the instructor will tell you what equipment you will need. It can vary from yoga blocks, bands, and weights. There are yoga mats neatly set up for your workout station. The session starts with a dynamic yoga stretch then moves in to the bootcamp portion which can include squats, burpees, and more to get your heart rate up. Even though the bootcamp portion is fairly quick (20 or so minutes) I always end it sweaty and ready for more yoga. I love that we do specific yoga moves and long stretches that target the areas we just worked. It feels very efficient. Then we sit on our mats while the instructor lightly sprays some essential oil throughout the room to meditate. The instructor guides us for these last 10-15 minutes to focus on the breath. My mind always wanders with noise of buses, etc so I have to really focus my mind back on the breathe which I think is a healthy thing to be able to do. Once the class ends you are invited to enjoy a quick cup of tea with your classmates after. I have left the class a few times with some new connections which is a nice thing to say in the busyness of SF!

Tea
The deets
Zenfit
1020 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94133
$23 first class
10 day unlimited $39 that includes 2 guest passes
$29 a session
5 pack $135
10 class pack $260

Explore & Chill In Carmel

May 10, 2017 · 12 Comments

A few months ago my husband mentioned that his photography teacher would be hosting a workshop in the Monterey/Carmel area and that he and our mutual friend were planning to attend. Since it made most sense to split a room three ways I decided to tag along to enjoy that beautiful area while they were snapping photos.

We chose the amazing Hyatt Regency in Monterey due to points and we really enjoyed our last visit. We battled Friday traffic and arrives late that evening happy to cozy up my their fireplace to enjoy a quick bite. It was also nice that they had a little jazz trio playing too which feels very rare for that area.

We woke early the next day to quickly workout then my husband set off for his photography adventure. I took my time getting ready then decided to head into to Monterey for breakfast. During my yelp search I found a place that boasted fresh banana bread and acai bowls so I had to try it! The Aloha Coffee and Cafe was started by Richard and Mai Dunnunk after they had a brief stay in Hawaii. While in Hawaii they fell in love with Kona coffee as well as acai and specialty waffles. I ordered a acai bowl and one of their homemade banana bread slices to cozy up by the window with my kindle. I loved both, the bread was warmed and reminded me of the Royal Hawaiian banana bread. The cafe had a cute modern feel that boasted a free wi-fi. Not a place to be in a hurry as most items are made to order but I would highly recommend for a nice breakfast.

I had a afternoon tour at the Tor House so I spent a few hours wandering downtown Carmel but I’ll get to that in a second. The Tor House offers tours on Friday and Saturdays with admission being $12 for adults and $7 for children. The home was built by hand by poet Robinson Jeffers in 1918. He gathered huge granite boulders (which the home was known for) were drawn by horses carriages from the little cove below the house. The design was modeled after a tudor barn in England and was set low to the ground to withstand winters.

Later in 1920 Jeffers decided to built a tower for his wife that he called Hawk Tower. It was completed in four years and was built by Jeffers entirely. Many celebrities were guests of the Jeffers family in the Tor House. Among them were Sinclair Lewis, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Langston Hughes, Charles Lindbergh, George Gershwin and Charlie Chaplin. Later visitors have included William Everson, Robert Bly, Czeslow Milosz and Edward Abbey.

It was overwhelming touring this site with the beauty of Carmel, Jeffers’ poetry, and realizing he moved these giant boulders himself . Even more crazy I was the only person on the tour! That made it even more special and I had to pay attention the whole time.

I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around downtown Carmel. The town is famous for unique art galleries and upscale boutique shopping. I checked out several art galleries, boutiques, and my personal favorite the Cottage Of Sweets.

One of my favorite art galleries I checked out that day was the Rodrigue studio. This gallery opened in 1991 and features art of the the big blue dog by George Rodrigue. Rodrigue is from Louisiana and you see the blue dog every where in New Orleans so it was fun for me to see the art closer to home. George and his wife Wendy met in Carmel in 1997 and have a home there when they aren’t in Louisiana.

Once my husband was done with his photography adventure we had dinner reservations at il Grillo (which means cricket in Italian). The restaurant is owned by Emanuele and Anna Bartolini and was opened in 2015. The menu focuses of rustic Italian food. The couple also owns La Balena which is another lovely Italian place in Carmel. il Grillo is lovely and completely cozy only a few small tables so not great for a large group. You also must make your reservations in advance and be willing to eat late (our reservation was for 8:30).

We started our meal with burrata toast. The picture do not do the toast justice, it was lovely. For my entree I had the ricotta gnocchi with kale. The gnocchi had amazing texture and taste! So yummy. But let’s be real I was kinda saving myself for dessert. We settled on a plate of their delicious Italian cookies. My favorite was the raspberry thumbprint cookies. With full bellies we went back to our hotel to crash and take off early back to the Bay Area the next morning.

Follow Your NOLA 2016

April 21, 2017 · 4 Comments

Over the holidays we had a awesome opportunity to visit one of my favorite cities, New Orleans. Back in February I realized I had enough Southwest points for one round-trip flight from the Bay Area to New Orleans so we quickly booked the other flight. I have been four times before so I have a general idea of what to do there but every time I visit I feel like we are just scratching the surface to what the city has to offer. I thought I’d do a recap of highlights of each day of adventures plus some tips to others thinking of making the trip.

Day 1

We were smart and booked a very cheap but uncomfortable hotel near SFO for our o’dark early flight. Flying to a destination I always try to book a early flight as it always seems you avoid delays and then you are ready to jump in on the fun. After a quick layover in Vegas we caught a uber to our hotel.

Tip: MSY has a dedicated spot for Uber/Lyft pick ups you must exit the airport walk across a bridge way and you will seen signs. Thought this was a smart thing to have!

We stayed at Hyatt Centric Hotel nestled between the French quarter and canal street. Loved the location, room (with balcony) gym, and restaurant.

Tip: loved the balcony but didn’t love that a few nights we woke up to noise at 4am which sounded like a garbage truck. But we did see a wedding second line out our window on last night so it kinda made up for it.

We spent the afternoon getting the lay of the land of the French Quarter. We made a stop at my husband’s favorite Krystal, which is a southern version of White Castle. From there we wandered around Royal Street and caught a Cajun band called the “Hokum High Rollers” and a fun brass band.

Tip: allow yourself some wandering time on Royal Street not only are their some amazing shops and art galleries there are usually some quality music to enjoy too, make sure you tip!

We decided that night that we would try to catch a show at Preservation Hall. This historic music venue in the French Quarter was established in 1961 to preserve and protect traditional New Orleans jazz music. It also operates at record label and a touring band. The hall operates 7 nights a week and for $15 in cash you can enjoy the greats in jazz in a intimate venue.

Tip: Some evenings they offers concerts up to five times a evening (5pm, 6pm, 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm) the earlier shows tend to be less crowded but you still need to get there at least an hour before the show to get a seat, otherwise you’ll be standing in the back and it can be hot! I recommend grabbing a drink from Pat O’Brien’s next door in a go-cup and then wait in line.

“Preservation Hall. Now that’s where you’ll find all of the greats.” — Louis Armstrong

After the show we settled on one of my favorite places to eat called the Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro. The restaurant is owned by the same folks that own the cheesy but fun bar on Bourbon Street called The Tropical Isle. I love sitting on the Patio to have dinner and think that this building has been around since 1809! I had a delicious chicken dish stuffed with goat cheese and was a happy camper.

Day 2

We started out the day with quick workout in the gym and then walked to our bike tour that started near Frenchman Street. Our tour was through the Confederacy Of Cruisers, which is a local bike tour company. For $89 for a 4 hour tour that winds through different neighborhoods and local restaurants. Some of the areas we visited on the bike were the French Quarter, Bywater, Marigny, and St. Roch. Our tour guide was a local and a long time student of Tulane University. Seeing the city on the bike was magical there is nothing like spinning through historic neighborhoods like where the Streetcar Named Desire was! This tour is not for the faint of stomach and since I don’t eat fish there were a few places I didn’t eat as much but I loved everything we ate. Also everything is served family style.

Our first stop was my personal favorite called Bennachin-which was a African vegetarian restaurant in the quarter. Highlights were the black eyed pea fritters, sautéed spinach, and plantains!

From there we hit up the Cheesy Cajun off of St. Claude Street. I loved the decor here and the employees were super nice. We shared some cheesy curds which were out of this world tasty! We also shared boudin links and cracklins (fried pork rinds). Highlight here for me was the Cheesy Curds!

From there we made a stop at Elizabeth’s in the Bywater, a restaurant with “down-home country decor”. I loved the praline bacon! There was also fried green tomatoes and fried oysters served.

Our last stop (after riding through the area where the Streetcar Named Desire ran) was St. Roch’s Market. This place reminded me of the SF Ferry Building with various stalls with local food vendors. I chose a Tropical Moscow Mule and cupcakes (red velvet, vanilla, and salted caramel). My husband had a frozen cafe au lait (DELICIOUS!!). Seriously, I’m not a coffee drinker and I would have this everyday. We said goodbye to our bikes and tour guide (who was lovely) and walked through the French Market next. The French market is where you can pick up pretty much anything touristy from New Orleans it’s worth a stop through because there is usually a brass band on one side of the street to listen to. We rounded out our day at my favorite praline place called Leah’s in the quarter. Leah’s been selling pralines since 1944 and is still family owned. My favorite is the creamy praline which is soft and slightly chewy. It literally melts in your mouth!

Later that evening we decided to hit up the Roosevelt Hotel to check out their Christmas decor and try out some authentic Nola drinks such as the Ramos Gin Fizz and The Grasshopper. Personally I preferred the Gin Fizz, the other felt like a overall boozy shake.We had a late dinner at Acme Oyster House which worked out well because the line is usually very long. I ended up feasting on some red beans and rice and that was plenty enough food for me!

Tip: Tour groups are small and book up so book early! Also a late dinner at Acme works well as lines are extremely long. As long as you are in line before closing you can get in!

Day 3

After all the eating I thought it would be a great idea to go on a run the next morning. We ran near the water up to Cafe Du Monde to enjoy a traditional cafe au lait and beignets. Both of these were so delicious I had to stop myself from gobbling them down as I wanted to walk back and share the rest with my husband. This is a pretty nice walk from the hotel and

fairly flat for jogging, I wouldn’t recommend trying to jog further in the quarter, it’s too uneven.

Later we made our way to the garden district via the streetcar. This is a great way to see the city and is cheap! ($3 for the whole day). Our first stop was the Lafayette Cemetery #1 which dates back to 1833. Here you can tour and learn the history of residents back to 1718. It’s always fascinating to visit cemeteries in New Orleans because due to being below sea level everyone was buried above ground. We also tried to pop in to Commanders Palace to see if we could go in the bar and order one of there famous soufflés but no such luck, it warm that day and we were all wearing shorts. The restaurant has pretty strict restrictions on clothing. From there we wandered along coliseum street to see some of the gorgeous homes. I downloaded a google map extension so I knew where Sandra Bullock’s, John Goodman’s, and Benjamin Button homes were. We also saw the home that Disney’s haunted mansion is based on. Touring these streets made us pretty hungry so our next stop was District Doughnuts on Magazine Street.

I had been lusting over Districts Instagram for months. Every day they capture their unique selection of doughnuts. My group settled on a sangria doughnut, root beer doughnut and a nice chocolate sprinkled one. Surprisingly everyone loved the sangria! Very unique taste and flavor! District also has pretty unique sliders too so I also enjoyed a tofu one.

Isn't This Ceiling Amazing? — Isn’t This Ceiling Amazing?

From there we decided to hit up as many shops on magazine street. This street is long (6 miles!) and pretty much only has locally owned stores so it’s a great treat. My favorites were Defend New Orleans,Miette, and Discoveries Furniture. Miette has the coolest ceiling and really great gifts to bring home. At Defend New Orleans I bought a short sleeve sweatshirt too and admired the posters that featured quotes from famous musicians. Magazine street has literally anything you could want to shop for!

We ended our day at Sucre which is known for their beautiful glittery king cake! They also have beautiful macarons, gelato, chocolates, and marshmallows. We shared a filled cupcake and took some macarons to go! On our way back to the streetcar we realized we realized we had just walked by Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s home.

That evening we had reservations at Domencia which was voted one of the best Italian restaurants in New Orleans. This is a John Besh restaurant and it didn’t disappoint. We enjoyed pizza, pasta, and this amazing cauliflower appetizer.

Tip: the streetcar gets full and you need exact change! Commander’s Palace has a strict dress code! You can pop in for a drink or soufflé you just need to wear pants! For a fancy sit-down meal you must make reservations a few weeks in advance.

Tip: Magazine Street is 6 miles long! Order a free booklet with maps before you go to scope out where you want to start and end your trek! Being that these are locally owned there is also a lot of turnover so stores you that you love could be there one year and gone the next!

Day 4

Day 4 was museum day so we first started with The Old Mint in the French Quarter. This museum is free and operated as a US Mint in the 1880s. You can see how coins were produced here and they also have a amazing exhibit on New Orleans Jazz. Highlights for me was Louis Armstrong’s trumpet and his personal recipe for creole red beans and rice.

After the museum we made a beeline to the Central Grocery home of the muffuletta. Certainly you can get this sandwich elsewhere (and a shorter line) but we stuck it out for a about 30 minute wait and shared this delicious sandwich.

It this point we decided that we should commence with some day drinking as we made our way to our next museum stop which was the WW2 Museum off of Magazine. Bourbon Street is totally magical to me during the day; less crowded and less trash everywhere. One of our stops was Pat O’Brien’s which is known for their classic patio and hurricanes. I settled on a mint julep and we sat at the bar and our bartender even provided some creole flavored popcorn! Next I convinced the crew to go to my guilty pleasure bar the original Tropical Isle. They are know for the powerful and secret recipe called a hand grenade. But my personal favorite is the shark attack drink. The key to this drink is to pick a empty spot in the bar to watch the bartender work their magic.

We decide to walk off our drink and walk to the WW2 Museum. This is a huge museum and honestly you could spend a entire day here. We choose to try to walk through all the exhibits which gives a chronological view of the start and end to the war. At some parts you feel like you are actually experiencing the climate the soldiers might have experienced. It was a real treat to see the planes and videos up close. Upon the museum closing we were super hungry and found last minute reservations on yelp for Meril. This is one of the newest Emeril Lagasse’s restaurants and what makes it different from his other eateries is that plates are more on the smaller side. Highlight for me was the pineapple cornbread! On our way back to our hotel we made a stop at the beautiful Ritz Carlton Hotel. They had the hotel decked out for the holidays which included a 390 pound life size gingerbread house. The house was based on the wedding cake house on St. Charles in the garden district. They also have a beautiful light display in the entry way that will take your breath away!

Tip: There are coupons for a few bucks off in the Go Nola travel booklet.

Tip 2.0: The Mint is a free museum and sometimes offers live music!

The next morning we sadly flew home but we are already thinking (and getting hungry) for our next visit!

BBG X Mighty Pilates

March 13, 2017 · 6 Comments

A few weeks ago thanks to Sweat And Stardust (Maddie) and my BBG Bay Area Group I got the opportunity to try a new to me class at Mighty Pilates.

Mighty is located in the Laurel Heights area of SF. As we were parking I noticed all the cute restaurants and boutiques all on the same street as the studio. Although the studio looks small from the front as you enter the studio extends all the way to back with two distinct workout rooms, it really spacious! The studio has a super cute entryway with cute product to purchase (hello cute Swell Bottles!) as well. I also noticed that their bathroom had a essential oils diffuser which wins major points for me! It’s bright spacious and decorated to be modern and homey.

We were welcomed into the studio and told to pick out a reformer and get set up. The instructor lead us through a variety of moves on the reformer with some moves with cute names like the mermaid. We used other props such as the ring and moved the box on the reformer around to get in to different positions. Some of us were brand new to reformer Pilates and the instructor made the class challenging and fun for us all. I really liked how each move moved seamlessly to the next.

After the class we were treated to the ultimate after class snack: mini chocolate chip muffins and champagne! So delicious and appreciated!

I had the best time and was quite sore the next day. Thanks Maddie and Mighty! ?

All the deets
New Client Special – 3 privates for $225
Single Session = $105
Series of 5 = $500 – $100 per session
Series of 10 = $950 – Just $95 per session BEST DEAL
Also the studio is on Classpass

Barre In The Creek at Kit And Ace

February 6, 2017 · 7 Comments

I have been following Ashley’s blog A Lady Goes West for some time now. I felt a connection with her because she moved from SF to Walnut Creek, close to where I grew up so when my husband and I moved from the peninsula to nearby Concord I was jazzed that we might be able to meet in person. Finally that came true the other weekend!

Pursuing The Clothes, Always Love This Store’s Layout!

Ashley was hosting a barre class at my favorite store Kit And Ace in Walnut Creek. I have become boarder-line obsessed with Kit and Ace because of their amazing pair of pants called “The York pant.” It is very difficult for me to find pants that are between leggings and dress pants that actually fit me and look flattering. These pants fit the bill and are super comfortable! I love these design of the store, it’s airy, open, and organized with a pop of color. Customer service has always been top-notch. I have had the ladies locate items online for me or at other stores and they have even sent me reminder emails. I got to chat with Brianna who works at the store and I mentioned that my beloved pants might be starting to pill and she gave me a comb that should remove the pilling! Also if I had any more issues to bring the pants into the store. I love that they are willing to help and love the extra effort to make sure customers are happy. Something else I learned was that Kit And Ace was started 2014 by Shannon Wilson, former lead designer of Lululemon, and her stepson JJ Wilson. One thing to note is that Kit And Ace is not a inexpensive brand by any means but the items I do have are high quality.

Now on to the event! It was pouring rain that day so it was nice to be in the cozy store. The group spent a few minutes getting to know each other and then we got started with a 30 minute barre class. Since the class was 30 minutes I went to another class before this but the next day I sorta of regretted it! I was very sore! Ashley ran us through various moves: lots of squats and pulses. We were all pretty sweaty but had a great time. Ashley is a very precise and energetic teacher which I loved! You wouldn’t think that a 30 minute barre-less barre class would be hard but man I was struggling!

At the end of the class Kit And Ace invited all attendees to pick out one item from their collection to take home for free! I picked a short-sleeve black flowy top that I have already worn under sweaters and when it gets warmer it will be a great piece to layer some jewelry with. I also left the event with some samples of Vital Proteins, a coupon for KeVita Kombucha, and Urban Remedy Orange Juice (which I think is the best orange juice I have had, no exaggeration). I also took advantage of the store just opening that day to exchange a Christmas present from my mom with time spent on the sales rack.

Many thanks to Ashley for hosting this amazing event and to Kit And Ace for the venue!

May The Zen Be With You: Zenfit In SF

Explore & Chill In Carmel

Follow Your NOLA 2016

BBG X Mighty Pilates

Barre In The Creek at Kit And Ace

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