Blogger Meetup

Last weekend I attended my first blogger meetup, organized by Claire and Michelle. They arranged for an early afternoon Pilates class at Verve 360, followed by lunch at Habitat.

I had done a few Pilates DVD's, but never with actual instruction. I was so nervous and only knew to expect a lot of core work.



The studio was so lovely, which I hope distracted everyone from the fact that I looked like this:

via "whatshouldwecallme" - a brilliant tumblr you should definitely follow.



Fortunately, our instructor Linda was very patient and guided us through a tough workout. Afterwards, we were definitely ready for lunch.

Claire and Michelle chose Habitat, which was close to the studio and had a great selection of seasonal dishes.

The decor was gorgeous in a subtle, muted way. It was hard to believe that we were right in the middle of downtown Pittsburgh.

I ordered the bibb salad with compressed watermelon, mint, pickled red onions, feta, and an herb vinaigrette. The server explained to me what compressed watermelon is, but most of it went over my head. I know I heard her say "extra virgin olive oil."

Apparently, it means that you vacuum seal the fruit, which removes air and intensifies its flavor.

Some of the ladies ordered the "express lunch," which was a bento-style plate of four different courses - soup, salad, sandwich (taco!), and dessert. The dessert was an Oreo cheesecake, which looked delicious.

Photo by Angela

Habitat's sous chef Paula graciously toured us through their numerous kitchens, during which Claire was much more attentive than I. For more details on the kitchen tour, be sure to check out her recap.

We sampled these baked parmesan cups filled with a tomato bruschetta.

The organization maintained by the staff was incredible.

I had a great time with these amazing ladies. Top row, left to right, is Melissa, Nikki, Claire, and Angela. Seated next to me is Gabby. I've heard chatter of an autumn meetup - fingers crossed :)

Have you ever attended a blogger meetup?