How long to atone for 24 HOURS OF TOO MUCH RICH FOOD???

My husband and I drove down to Bardstown, KY, reputed to be one of the prettiest small towns in America, this past Saturday. We spent one night at a new Hampton Inn on the outskirts and enjoyed walking through the town and visiting some sights in the area. It's on Kentucky's "bourbon trail" -- and I am a fan (see post just below this one) -- and near some lovely horse farms.
Before we went, I did a little research to find out where we should eat and came to the conclusion that the best restaurants in town probably were Circa and (for much more casual fare) Mammy's Kitchen (no website).

We arrived in town on a beautiful, sunny, and cool day in time for a late lunch. After stopping in the visitor's center for advice, we cruised the few possible choices and ended up at a place called Pat's, where I had a veggie burger (the healthiest thing I ate) and split a piece of really good coconut cream pie. That pie was the start of my downfall.
What I learned there was how hard it is to eat healthfully in so many of America's small towns -- especially those in places like Kentucky, which not only is landlocked but also has one of the nation's highest obesity rates. Restaurants stay in business by giving their customers what they want. Apparently in Bardstown customers want a lot of fat and calories!
The restaurant Circa is indeed a pleasant place to dine, set in an historic building right in the center of town and sporting two cozy dining rooms. But the menu just didn't have much in the way of healthy choices. We often order seafood, but the options on Circa's menu were fried (!) lobster tails, or Brie-stuffed (!) salmon. Instead, we opted for meat: lamb ragu for me and a pork chop for my husband.

Lamb entree, Circa

The meal was tasty, of course -- and here's a photo of the lamb ragu with its side dishes -- but loaded with butter. Atop the lamb are pieces of butternut squash, which was too delicious not to be butter-laden. The potatoes in the little side crock also was rich as can be.
Next morning we had breakfast at Mammy's, where I could not resist the (gasp) chicken-fried steak. It's something my dear mother used to make -- she's from Georgia, where it was too hot to cook anything except quickly on a stove, in a frying pan -- and I don't even eat once a year. Of course it was delicious, too. But really!

There's a photo of my husband at Mammy's, waiting for his eggs, and also a shot the window welcoming you to the popular restaurant.

It was only 24 hours of indulgence, but 36 hours later I still feel overfed.
We did enjoy touring around -- out to the Bourbon Heritage Center at Heaven Hill (a distillery) and the Stephen Foster related site nearby called My Old Kentucky Home.

DC Dining -- Just getting started!

We're in Washington for a few days -- hot as blazes, but like much of the rest of the eastern half of the U.S., supposed to become tolerable by Saturday.

Last night we met friends at the upscale Equinox, right in the center of the lobbyist/lawyer/politico universe. Of course, they were all on vacation while Congress and the Prez are away, but the place was packed anyhow. Top photos of the chopped salad (with fresh local figs) and grilled salmon are from there. The food was very inventive; we really loved our side dish of summer succotash and a dessert of huckleberry panna cotta.

For lunch today I met my friend David at a Dupont Circle Frenchie eatery -- tres, tres francais -- where I had the mixed veggie salad with smoked salmon (bottom photo). The restaurant is Bistrot du Coin, and if you are a francophile, you'll feel right at home. The waiter's French accent was very sexy.

We have major dining plans the next three evenings & I will report on how it goes.

Eating out without Blowing It -- Part 1

Guest Healthy Foodie Alexis Bonari has some great tips for us about how to eat out -- which Americans do an average of at least four times a week -- without sabotaging our healthy-eating principles. I'm posting Part 1 today, with Part 2 to follow within a few days. Thanks, Alexis!

Tips and Tricks for Eating Out: Sticking to Your Healthy Food Ethic

If you’ve been working hard to maintain a healthy diet, you certainly don’t want to blow everything on a restaurant, no matter how delicious the cuisine might be. Although it’s usually best to avoid eating out, when you’re at that inevitable lunch date or birthday dinner, there are plenty of ways to make sure you stick to your healthy foodie guns. Check out the following advice for making the most out of the healthy options in any restaurant.

Pre-Game

If you know you’re going out to eat, grab a healthy snack just before you leave. This will keep you from ordering an appetizer and will help minimize your frustration if your friends dig into one. Try something light but substantial, such as apple slices with a little peanut butter or half of a bagel with low-fat cream cheese. Yogurt is also a great choice, but you might want to add some carrot sticks to keep something in your stomach while the appetizers make the rounds at your table. While you’re preparing your snack, think about what you’re going to order. If you’re unfamiliar with the restaurant, look it up online and check out the menu to figure out what you’ll order. Making the decision before you get to the restaurant can help keep you on track with your healthy diet by minimizing temptation.

Get Specific

Make sure you’re familiar with everything about the dish you’re ordering. Ask questions if anything seems vague and don’t apologize for your “picky” behavior. It’s your prerogative to order exactly what you need from a restaurant. Once you know what you’re getting into, order all sauces and dressings on the side to avoid consuming too much of them. Many dishes arrive drenched in potentially fatty, cream-based sauces and dressings like ranch or bleu cheese that can ruin your diet. Don’t order anything fried; instead, inform the waiter that you’d like the dish grilled, broiled, steamed, or cooked in a similar healthy way. Often, menus will let you know when you have multiple preparation options like these.

Coming soon: Minimizing liquid calories and being mindful of your portions

Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching various online degree programs. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

How to avoid "restaurant catastrophes"

Although "cook your food" is an important healthy-foodie principle, I can't deny my love for eating out. Trying a new restaurant -- or returning to an old fave -- is my idea of a fun evening out. The Real Age website has some interesting ideas for ways to navigate restaurant meals so that you don't have to atone for your foodie sins for days afterward. They suggest that the first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes of your evening out might be the most important in terms of making healthier choices. Here's a summary of their tips.

Before You Go

Don’t arrive starving! Eat a little healthy fat -- like about six walnut halves -- before a meal. The healthy fat in walnuts triggers a chain reaction that slows the rate at which your stomach empties, so you’ll feel fuller faster. But the chain reaction takes 30 minutes, so plan for it.

The First 10 Minutes

• Raise a glass. Of water. To your lips. This can fill you up, so you don’t overeat.
• Ask for cut-up veggies instead of bread. Most quality restaurants (including inexpensive ones) provide this option.
• Dip in olive oil. If the restaurant brings you whole-grain bread, dip it in olive oil. People who opt for this over butter eat less bread.
• Request the bottles. Order oil and vinegar on the side. Relying on the kitchen to dress your salad -- even with oil and vinegar -- can deliver as many as 450 extra calories!

The Last 10 Minutes

• Share. Get one dessert for every four or five people, and have just a few bites. If there are just two of you, take half of the dessert home, and freeze it for a special occasion.
• Savor your wine. Ending a meal with a glass of wine lets you avoid the cloying aftertaste of sweets . . . and helps you avoid calorie-bombs, too.
• Go European. Do what many Europeans do: Make salad the last thing you eat.

Dining in Durham NC

My brother and his wife took me to two excellent, mid-range restaurants in revitalized downtown Durham (home of Duke University). Friday night I had a scrumptious pasta dish--pappardelle with mushroom ragu, chard and goat cheese at a place called Watts Grocery. We were so hungry by the time we were able to get there, I did not even photograph that delicious entree. However, I am planning to try to reproduce those flavors soon.

Next evening, we tried the more upscale Revolution. Here are two amazing seafood dishes--diver scallops with a rather sinful slab of seared pork belly (OK, not healthy), and my brother's salmon filet. We also enjoyed some creative cocktails and doggone good wine, too.

To top it off, dinner at their house Sunday night was charcoal grilled steaks and a bottle of 1989 Chateau Margaux.

I think I'll be atoning the rest of the week!