Harmony

Ah, the beauty of food.  I do love it.  It is artful, comforting, romantic, deceptive, delicate, delicious....and at the same time completely necessary.  What a beautiful thing.  I'm not sure why it intrigues me so but I could spend hours with a stack of cookbooks (assuming there are photos included) imagining what platters and bowls I will use to display the artwork I will prepare.  I've decided, as I enter my second trimester of pregnancy, that I love food now more than ever (except that I cannot pair it with a bottle of wine). 

And so, I've decided to share The Good Life as I see it...to be eaten :)

Appleton Wisconsin is not like I might have imagined (if I had taken the time to imagine it).  It is eclectic and commercial, bustling and a bit laid back, easy to navigate but complex in a way. My first visit there was as the girlfriend of a baseball coach that led the Marietta College Pioneers to a Division III College Championship. The guys came home in 2011 with giant flashly rings not yet knowing they'd be back in just under a year to defend their title. 

Consecutive appearances in the final game of the College World Series is not likley, but let me tell you....these are no regular kids. So, my second visit to Appleton was as the pregnant wife of that said baseball coach (pretty good year) to watch the Etta Express make history with a second consecutive national title.

Being the coach's wife means I take in more than my share of brats, peanuts, and founatin pop.  It means I am subject to (and often the subject of) various odd superstitions on gameday.  It means that I have another family...specifically one that is mostly hungry and sweaty.  It means that during BP (batting practice), scouting reports, coach's interviews, and team meetings I have a lot of time on my hands to explore....which I love to do.

Exploration for me usually means a morning walk (to help with the bratwurst problem), a little culture (usually not more than taking in a local historic landmark), the hunt for TJ Maxx, and the never ending quest for good eats!

Blueberry Crumb Bar with a side of Mocha Harmony

Our championship hotel was situated in what I would call downtown, adjacent to the campus of Lawrence University.  I do not know much about Lawrence but it oozes of the liberal arts.  There is an overall feeling of theater, lierature, music, and philosophy on campus.  Coffee shops, unique boutiques, young hippie parents, and alternative bars surrounded our hotel on College Avenue. 

As I made my way down the street one early morning on the hunt for a creamy sweet steaming cup of caffeine, I happened upon the Harmony Cafe.  It was the only thing open at that hour on this particular street and I knew when I walked in that it was just what the doctor ordered.  A colorful hand written chalk board announcing Mocha caught my eye and as I approached the counter to order I laid eyes on the Blueberry Crumb Bar (I'm a sucker for anything that says "crumb" in the title....which to me simply means butter and sugar).  The electronic blinking "order up" device made Harmony's old school charm come of age in a complementary way.  The bar was delciously simple - just right for an early morning with lots of eating yet to do. 

And so, I started my Appleton food journey with great pleasure at a streetside table with blue-mocha and the Post Crescent.  It had only just begun....