The Blue Olive: More Local Holiday Shopping Tips

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

 

The Blue Olive is a premium olive oil and vinegar tasting bar located at 26 Charles Colman Blvd. Its owners, Beth and John Canevari, have been Pawling residents for over 10 years. They once visitedThe Blue Olive a store with the same concept in Boston, had an amazing experience, and wanted to share it with the Pawling community. Together, with co-owners and close friends John and Laura Leahy, their dream became a reality last July when the store opened.Continue Reading

Have You Tried Barr Hill Yet?

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

Relationships are important in the restaurant industry. Quality restaurant owners and staff care about their relationships with all of their customers and they care about the relationships with all of their vendors. This is one of barr hillthe reasons why it was such a pleasure getting to know Todd Hardie, one of the owners of Caledonia Spirits and Winery in Hardwick, Vermont. This relationship is particularly special because of how it formed. A very dear friend of mine, and a favorite customer of the entire M&D staff, Maria Reade, introduced my father to the winery’s name.
It is because of this introduction that a fantastic and unique hand crafted gin was added to M&D’s bar lineup some time ago. It has since gained a ton of popularity all over the east coast. The next time you are out, look for the bottles that are labeled by hand, it will be Barr Hill Gin, from Todd’s distillary and winery up in Vermont. What makes them so buzz worthy? The question holds a hint … Continue Reading

Recipe from Madrid: Bocadillo de Calmares

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

 

Greetings from Madrid! I met up with McKinney & Doyle’s General Manager Andrew Sarubbi a few days ago in Barcelona and we are making our way over to Portugal but not without a few stops in between. Madrid is incredible. I love the atmosphere, the food, the wine, and the energy. I wish we had more time here but I know we’ve got an amazing week ahead of us. To keep in tune with last week’s post, I want to share another recipe. But this time, travel with me to this beautiful city in Spain and taste the city’s most famous sandwich – the Bocadillo de Calmares (fried squid sandwich).Recipe from MadridContinue Reading

Tuscan Bread Salad: Panzanella Recipe

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

 

This post was published earlier this week on Foodie Turned Fit – my health and fitness blog.

Everybody loves Italian food. I have been lucky enough to have been spending the week in a stunning Tuscan villa overlooking the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. But I haven’t just been absorbing the beautiful scenery. No. I’ve been tasting some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve been to Italy just once before. Five years ago I spent some time in Venice, Florence, and a small village called Paderno del Grappa. I remember the food being outrageous. But I must not remember it as vividly as I should have because there are just no words to describe how incredible authentic Italian food really is. After visiting some local markets and dining in quaint cafes run by local families for generations, I wanted to share some of my findings with you. Tuscan Bread Salad: Panzanella Recipe Continue Reading