Heidi’s Birthday Adventure
Between running a cafe and a family, carving out time for adventures has to be intentional- and for my husband Isaac, and I, that means getting away for mini-vacations to celebrate our birthdays! If you’re new hear, adventure is a big word to our family, and to our business- that’s why one of our gluten/refined-sugar/dairy free granolas is called Adventure! We value discovering together and our granola provides the perfect on-the-go fuel. Keep reading to find out where we went for my birthday this year!
We generally choose a destination within a few hours driving distance from our home in Central PA and are always sure to include some stops at indy bakeries and shops. For my birthday in September, we planned an overnight trip, without the kids to Washington D.C. Although there will always be things that need to be done at the bakery and at home, having some quality time exploring another place and checking out new spots always re-inspires us for everything we have waiting for us when we return!
We started the trip by seeing our favorite band:Joseph, at a venue called Sixth and I. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a SweetGreens close to the venue, in the Chinatown neighborhood of DC. We stayed just outside the city at a Double Tree Hotel and rode the metro into the city the next day! Our feet were our main transportation for the day and we loved taking in all the sights that would be easy to miss if you were driving! Our first stop was Rise Bakery- a 100% gluten free bakery founded in 2014 by owner Mike Koritko after he was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. A carry-out spot, Rise offers a slew of breakfast pastries and sandwiches in the morning and freshly baked pizzas in the afternoon; each item is prepared by hand on-site in small batches, using the best of ingredients, never sacrificing flavor. My favorite was the plain toasted bagel with butter. You’ll also find croissants, biscuits, cookies, speciality loaves of bread (like jalapeno cheddar or challah) and some vegan items too! Allergens are clearly marked.
We also checked out Sweet Crimes, “a criminally delicious” gluten free bakery! With a line-up of unique sandwiches, donuts, and more, their rotating menu is a reflection of their “test-kitchen” style business- always innovating new flavor creations and options. In September they had a raspberry almond scone and a spinach, red pepper & goat cheese quiche, along with vegan pumpkin bread. It’s very easy to visit here if you are also dairy-free. I ordered a matcha here with non-dairy milk.
After eating and sipping, we went to the National Gallery of Art to walk through their temporary exhibit: Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment. Featuring paintings by Monet and Pissarro, 130 works tell the story of the birth of impressionism, the then “new” mold-breaking style of painting. The exhibit will continue to be on view through January 19th and D.C. is the only stop in the US to view the collection!
Before heading home, we got gluten free pizza from North italia. It is on the pricey end and while they did mix up my order, it was still very good- especially for those able to tolerate dairy. North Italia is not solely gluten free, but offers the option for gluten free pizza and pasta substitutions. Their menu is packed with tantalizing flavor combinations inspired by northern italy- like a prosciutto, fig, arugula and goat cheese pizza, and roasted salmon entree served with caramelized romanesco, broccolini, fregola, basil pesto, and lemon gremolata. Are you drooling yet? The menu also features a generous number of rustic veggie-forward sides like butternut squash polenta and tuscan kale. There are locations all across the US, so you may have one close to you!
We never get tired of adventuring, eating delicious food, meeting like-minded people or experiencing talented musicians- and we think you can do these things just about anywhere you choose to visit! Where will your next adventure take you?