Cardenas Vinegar & Olive Oil Taproom is an inspiring Guilty Pleasure

As you know, quality friendships stand the test of time. Two of Thin Mint's best friends from college came to visit this weekend.  The SUNY triplets had a blast reminiscing and laughing.  Everyone turned out just fine and with great kids. Of course any great weekend always includes a variety of Guilty Pleasures. While a late dinner at the Han Dynasty was a spicy symphony that everyone loved, their Italian Market Food Crawl earlier in the day was the real showstopper.  Luckily, Saturday's weather in Philadelphia was spectacular.  It finally felt like spring.

From Kermit's Bake Shoppe on Washington to S. 9th St., the city was alive with with upscale shoppers. After a long lunch at, Thin
Mint and friends, aka The Upstate Hotties, wandered into Cardenas Oil &Vinegar Taproom.  It's an epicurean oasis that rejuvenates the Guilty Gourmand.

The Olive Oils,Vinegars and salts at this premium specialty food store are so amazing. You can spend hours discovering new flavors and savoring every Guiltorious moment. Their Salt Bar will transport you from the famed Murray River in Australia to the Himalayan Mountains to the Crown of Creation Salt from Mediterranean Sea. Laurissa knows her stuff and she will  take excellent care of you.

There specialty products will make your food taste much more flavorful and adventurous. Shopping at Cardenas Oil & Vinegar Taproom is an inspiring Guilty Pleasure.

Bart's Place is a Stunning Palace!

Great things are happening in Philadelphia.  With approval waiting in the wings, The Provence Casino is coming to the City of Brotherly Love.  This beautiful 5 star property is going to reshape North Broad Street in a very good way. One can only imagine how many jobs are going to be created by this exciting project.

With a top flight team in place, the remarkable vision of Bart Blattstein is coming to fruition.

Mr. Blattstein is Philadelphia's Michael Bloomberg. He's socially responsible and definitely has the Midas touch. Not to mention that he selected a fantastic name for his new casino and hotel. We encourage everyone to root for Bart and encourage city officials to fast track this important project.  Philadelphia needs to attract more upscale visitors. Philadelphia needs Provence.

When it comes to sampling, change is your Guilty Ally.

Change is your friend in Guilty Town.  We constantly want to try new recipes, new restaurants, new products and new ideas.  The evaluation process never stops and we love that. From Going Green to decadent sauces, we have a lot to explore.

At the request of vendors around the globe, we are making plans to attend the Fancy Food Show in New York this summer. They all want to be a certified Guilty Pleasure. The prestige and increases sales are their top priority. The Blog requests are getting so time consuming, we will be scheduling extensive interviews for one or two days in July.

Once the press is satisfied, I can't wait to try Sweet Corn Ice Cream.  OMG!!!  Thankfully, Guilty is an excellent interview and an even better sampler.

Thin Mint's Coca Cola Ham is destined for the top of Mt. Guiltmore

Crafting menus is one of the best parts of custom-to-the-client catering.  Each menu is different.  You listen, you research and you create.  It's a very exhausting and rewarding process.  Last evening, Thin Mint put together a terrific action station for a Wedding at the Olde Homstead Golf Club She put together a sensational selection of Guiltorious comfort that has greatness written all over it.

Her client now has a Biscuit Bar with Southern Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits and Jalapeno Chive Biscuits.OMG!  They sound awesome, but the real showstopper are the two toppings that Thin Mint added.  Our Executive Chef went back into our culinary vault and chose two eternal classics. Thin Mint's client will have Chef Bruce's famous Chicago Bears sausage gravy. We have had many chef's over the years prepare this slice of the South and very few do it justice.  We're not sure why, but it's a good test of their cooking skills. No one even comes close to matching Bruce's heavenly creation.  It's incredible.

However, my beautiful bride climbed Guilty Peak with her Coca Cola glazed spiral ham. This slow-smoked Country Ham was worthy of being on Mt. Guiltmore.  The salty flavor combined with the soda's sweetness is the ideal accompaniment to the flaky biscuits. Thin Mint's Guiltness Greatness is always appreciated.

Guiltorious adventures at the Borgata

Getting a little stir crazy this winter?  We were too!  There are only so many reruns of Breaking Bad that we can endure without buying a chemistry set.  Guilty and the Living Well Gang needed a crazy night out on the town that was exciting and rewarding.  We knew exactly where to go and it's one of our favorite destinations.  The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City.  From the day it opened, it's been our Guilty Oasis. The tables are red hot, the restaurants are incredible, the Guilty Pleasures are endless and the Hotel is gorgeous, No business other than Provence Catering understands your unbridled passion for Adult a more than the Borgata and MGM Resorts International.

Being spoiled at the Borgata is always a certified Guilty Pleasure,  They always know how to treat people right.  Thanks for Living Well.   

Guilty's favorite dessert

 Everything about this deliciously gooey dessert is incredible.  The look. The taste.  

The handwork.  

Thin Mint is a Guilty Genius.  

The best Holiday Hairdo ever is today's Hump Day Hurrah.

Today's Hump Day Hurrah is an appreciation of Holiday Hairdos around the globe. While there are some spectacular choices in Hollywood, we found his Holiness to be in first place.  Nothing beats Pope Benedict's stylish crop of snow white hair for the Holidays.  The former Pope makes an excellent point with his index finger to enjoy the Holidays this year


In this rare instance, I am taking the Pontiff's advice. That's because I am possessed with the concept of Living Well and enjoying life's many Guilty Pleasures.  It's true. Rumor has it that the Papal College has me on their High-Caloric Watch List. Somehow I have avoided their considerable scrutiny so far.

It does not matter, as my Guilt as been long established and well-documented.  I am doomed. Doomed I tell you! Not in a damnation sort of way, but in a "What's wrong with having Plugra butter on everything?  Isn't extra flavor a good thing?"

I cannot go an hour without daydreaming about some decadent red coconut curry sauce or pining for an overflowing bowl of Banana's Foster with Herrell's Brown Butter Ice Cream. It might be the best ice cream on the planet. It leaves me speechless, but blissful.  

My legendary life is one constant quest for the Guiltorious goods that make us marvel in the moment like a finely aged-liqueur and a chocolate souffle. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and there is so much to savor with family and friends.  With my new Brandy sniffer in hand, a well-worn leather chair makes the perfect perch to watch the Cowboys stumble and fall.

I am doomed to marvel and explore. Doomed I tell you.