As you travel along Interstate 90 across South Dakota you might notice a brown sign which says “Badlands Scenic Loop”. A glance at your road map shows a 31 mile loop going south of the interstate. From the vantage point out your window on I-90, nothing but flat open grassland as far as the eye can see, it would be easy to just keep on driving. Yet those willing to take the scenic route will be rewarded with one of the more incredible (almost paranormal) phenomenons in the U.S.- the Badlands.

If I had to pick a large U.S. city and live downtown, Chicago would be near the top of my list. I have a soft spot for the Windy City and love visiting whenever the opportunity arises. Through work and through play I have managed to see Chicago at least once a year since moving to the Midwest. Mr. B lived in the city for several years after college and has a great sense of the streets, making it easy to navigate our way through the neighborhoods and shops. A recent business trip brought Mr. B to town and I tagged along on a quest for baby items. While my head is still spinning from the plethora of infant paraphernalia sold in baby stores, we managed to enjoy a few fantastic meals in the midst of the craziness.

Two years ago I finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal Vegetable Miracle. A fascinating and humorous account of her family’s year long experiment growing and raising their own food, it makes even the blackest thumb dream of turning green. At the back of the book was a short list of resources and on that list was an organization called Seed Savers Exchange located in Decorah, Iowa. Curious as to what type of seed organization was located in my part of the country I hopped online and quickly got lost in the gorgeous photographs and unique descriptions of over 13,000 different varieties of heirloom vegetables and flowers available to order and plant. I ordered a few packets of tomato and lettuce seeds and watched as they grew. The beauty and flavor of heirloom vegetables got underneath my skin and before I knew it I became a member of Seed Savers (only $40 a year) and even gave a membership to my Dad for Christmas. (Dozens of varieties are available for anyone to order online but by becoming a member you get access to the full 13,000.) Fast forward two years later and I was driving across Iowa with Mr. B and my parents en route to the weekend long Seed Savers Exchange Annual Camp Out.

After kicking off our time in New York with a fantastic dinner at Babbo, Dana and I proceeded to take the city by storm, going from one end of Manhattan to the other in search of fun times and good eats. We were in town for the BlogHer ’10 conference, a gathering of 2400 bloggers (mostly women) who discussed all aspects of blogging and technology. The sessions were informative and filled with lively debate as speakers and attendees dug into issues such as advertising, branding, and building communities. We listened, we laughed, and we partied with fun food bloggers at night.

This past week I spent several days bouncing around New York City getting into all kinds of phoo-d trouble with Dana of The Kitchen Witch. I will post highlights of the trip later this week. First, however, I want to share how we kicked off the festivities with a dinner at Babbo, the home base for famous chef and restaurateur Mario Batali.

Tucked away on a quiet street in Greenwich village the exterior of Babbo appears to be another unassuming bistro style restaurant. Yet behind the black door a world of bustling waiters, gregarious patrons, and beautiful food awaits. Following the hostess past the narrow bar and packed tables we ascended a flight of stairs into a room filled with white linen and sparkling silver- all illuminated by light pouring through an enormous skylight. One would think that white glove service would lead to a formal (some may even say stuffy) atmosphere. Yet here is where the man in orange crocs throws you for a loop. Instead of muted whispers and clinking glasses, the room is filled with the sounds of Bob Marley and boisterous conversations as diners let loose and enjoy the experience.

Our first course, a beautiful caprese salad, reflected the confidence of the kitchen.