It’s no secret that I love Greek yogurt. By far, my favorite brand to use when cooking and baking {or just eating with a spoon!} is Chobani. So I was really excited when I received an invitation from Chobani to attend their inaugural blogger dinner this past Saturday night at The Federalist in DC.
Group photo courtesy of Sara!
Jackie and Emily {crouching next to me} were our fantastic hosts from Chobani. It was really interesting to hear about the history of the company and how it’s grown in just a few years. From listening to how Emily and Jackie talked about Chobani, it was obvious that they love the product and the company.
Greeting us when we sat down were these awesome canvas bags full of swag. Since this was my first official blogging event hosted by a company, this is also my first swag bag. I was excited. It’s the little things.
Chef Harper McClure created a menu to highlight the use of Chobani in each course. And he did not disappoint!
{I normally do not take photos of my food in restaurants but since I was at an event specifically for food bloggers, I made an exception.}
After we put in our orders, baskets of fresh bread were served to the table. Naturally, I had to eat one of each: a piece of cornbread and a piece of baguette, slathered in butter.
The appetizer was amazing.
White Gazpacho
Poached Laughing Bird Shrimp, Minted Yogurt
The gazpacho was so creamy and delicious. I loved the green grape garnish and the shrimp were absolutely perfect. I liked it so much that I commented to Jackie that if I weren’t sitting in a restaurant I would have licked my bowl clean. She encouraged me to do it anyway, but I remembered my manners and refrained.
For my entrée I went with the lamb.
Slow Cooked Spring Lamb
Gin Soaked Cucumbers, Spring Herb Salad, Espelette-Yogurt Emulsion
Suggested Pairing: Coeur de Terre Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
I was torn between choosing the yogurt poached halibut, because I thought poaching fish in yogurt sounded intriguing, but I went with the lamb because it was paired with a pinot noir. I am a sucker for pinot noir. Let me tell you, the lamb was incredible. It was done two ways, as shown above, and I cleaned that plate too.
Family Style Sides
Roasted Heirloom Cauliflower
Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms
Confession: I had two servings of the cauliflower. It was that good. It was buttery, crunchy, slightly sweet, salty and smothered in herbs. If you don’t like cauliflower, I think this dish will make a believer out of you.
Oddly enough for me, I wasn’t super excited about dessert because I didn’t think I liked panna cotta. I was wrong.
Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta
Strawberry Preserves, Shortbread Cookies, Long Pepper Sauce
This panna cotta made a believer out of me. It was so velvety smooth. I ate each bite with a piece of shortbread, some preserves and the peppery sauce for as long as it lasted. Another plate cleaned!
I had a great time talking with other DC area bloggers, Jackie and Emily. As a working mom, I choose to spend the majority of my free time with my husband and our baby girl but it was fun to get out on my own for a night. I even met up with a friend after dinner for a quick drink before heading home and collapsing into bed way past my bedtime. Too bad Caroline doesn’t understand the concept of sleeping in just yet 
.
As for what was in the swag bag…..
a lunch bag, a water bottle, recipe cards and recipe card holder and Chobani recipes. How fun!
Thank you again to Chobani for inviting me to this really fun event!
