MrAndrewBradley

Some weeks start off with no plans and then end up incredibly busy. This was one of those weeks. On Monday night I got a text from a friend that invited me to hear Judy Smith as part of the Sacramento Speaker Series . On Tuesday we met at Pronto to have dinner, headed over to Devine Gelateria & Cafe for dessert and then walked to the Convention Center Theater to hear Judy Smith speak about her experience working in the White House , handling crisis PR for a variety of high profile clients and even learning more about the ABC television show, Scandal . Although there wasn't much I learned from her PR wise (hours are crazy, do what's right, manage a crisis, ...), her stories were interesting and I'll have to start watching Scandal on Netflix soon (after I catch up on House of Cards ). On Wednesday I downloaded the new Outback Steakhouse 365 iPhone app and found out the special was a three-course dinner for $11.99. I don't pass up nearly free meals out, so I...

I arrived at The Meritage Resort and Spa on Thursday before the inaugural Masters and Makers @ Meritage event that started on Friday. In an effort to be healthier on this trip I brought my own breakfast (bananas and peanut butter ) and purchased one sandwich at Blend to have for lunch on Thursday and Friday. I think it worked out well and it will be a good plan for future visits when I'm staying for multiple days. Thursday evening for dinner I continued to try out new menus, this time at The Commons: A Wine Bar (formerly the lobby bar). I started with a wine flight and seasonal vegetables before trying two different entrees ... grilled cheese and Filet Mignon sliders. Both were fantastic and great versions of comfort foods that also paired well with the wines I was trying. The first event on Friday was aptly titled "The Masters and The Makers" ... in essence a wine tasting with a wine maker, winery owner and a few wine buyers. I learned a lot, like oak barrels not...

After meeting with a group of reporters from Texas at The Meritage Resort and Spa , I stayed for dinner to continue taste testing the new menu items at Siena . I started with a half order of mussels, then tried the duck confit before finishing with the Jack Daniel's Apricot and Raspberry Bread Pudding . On Friday I invited friends over to my house for the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and dinner ... we had Costco's deep dish pizza, salad, the new Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups and cheesecake (we cut the pieces in half and tried all the flavors). On Saturday after church we headed to Cabos and on Sunday I got a run in after the rain stopped. Monday I headed to Cafeteria 15L for a Cal Poly Alumni event and to see what some current students were up to after getting recognized on the floor of the California State Senate for their accomplishments. Pictures for those with iPads .

The week started off with a cooking segment on Fox40 with Chef Krisztian Karkus from T he Meritage Resort and Spa . He prepared a dish that he will teach everyone to make at next week's " Masters and Makers @ Meritage " ... Seared Arctic Char with Sweet Potatoes, Sautéed Mustard Greens and Tomato Olive Relish . After watching him make it and getting to take home some of the extra ingredients, my mom looked at the recipe and recreated the dish for lunch, simply delicious and one of the best home cooked lunches ever. I also made time to go out with friends ... Happy Hour at Lucca in downtown Sacramento , dinner and dessert at Mel's Diner in Auburn (a former roommate of mine works there and I never went while she actually lived at my house), a bike ride to check out Folsom Pond (formerly known as Folsom Lake ) and more ice cream at Leatherby's . For Super Bowl Sunday my parents and I went down to my grandma's house in Lodi and took her and my uncle...

The week started and ended (I suppose as most do) with meals out. I took my parents and a friend to Crush 29 in Roseville for Happy Hour on Wednesday and then on Thursday evening headed to the Bradley Lodge . We decided to stop at a restaurant in Valley Springs that my mom had heard about earlier in the day at a dentist appointment .... Hawg Dawg . With lots of options for " dawgs " and burgers, we decided to try a few things and enjoyed everything we ate, along with a few beers and a glass of wine. At the Bradley Lodge we continued to eat well, with a spinach ravioli that included broccoli and kale from my grandma's garden, while getting work done. We were raking pine needles in January when there should have been 4-5 feet of snow on the ground. As a field trip we went to the new Ebbetts Pass Visitors' Center and did some shopping at The Outhouse Collection , now u nder new ownership after the owner we had all known for years retired . On Sunday I met friends at...

It was another fun week, even though the 49er 's didn't make it all the way to the Super Bowl . I started out with dinner at Blue Nami and a movie with friends at the Palladio . On Friday I met my parents at Leatherby's for lunch and ice cream (the sacrifices we make in order to use a Groupon ). On Saturday I headed back to Folsom with friends to use a coupon at Buffalo Wild Wings (my first time there), the boneless wings were the way to go for sure, all the different sauces were amazing too. For dessert we decided on PinkBerry ... fruit makes it healthy, right? On Sunday, after a long run, I headed to Cactus Mexican Dining in Woodbridge for lunch ... a shrimp and crab chimichanga ... with my parents and grandma before watching the 49er/Seahawks game . On Monday I was in Napa at The Meritage Resort and Spa for a press tour, photo and video shoot. We got some great new shots and video from throughout the property from Crush Ultra Lounge to Blend to the Trini...

My week started off with a cooking segment with the Executive Chef from The Meritage Resort and Spa on Good Day Sacramento . He showed and explained how to cook with Brussels Sprouts (too be honest I never really liked them until I started having them cooked correctly) ... since I was healthy for "breakfast" I ended up at Red Robin for a Tower of Onion Rings for dinner (p.s. ... they now have Happy Hour all day throughout the restaurant on weekdays). On Tuesday I drove to The Meritage for a lunch meeting ... flat bread and desserts to share and a calamari sandwich (with a side of Brussels Sprouts) for me. Wednesday I met with a friend from high school for an awesome dinner and a few beers at Kilt Pub . Friday I finished the a busy work week with a few Redbox movies and a Dungeness Crab .... on sale for $3.99 at Raley's (thanks for the tip mom!). If you ever need an excuse to spend an hour or two eating dinner ... buy a crab, not only is it tasty, but it's t...