So stuffed

Today was the food show! It was downright A-MAZING. So many vendors and so much food just being shoved at you to try. Chocolates, coffees, wines, beers, liquors, casseroles, breads, oils, veggies, etc. etc. Also, because it was technically a "restaurant show," they also had tons of cleaning products, insurance companies, equipment, and marketing products. Overall, really cool. There was also seminars about how to market your restaurant on social websites such as Twitter and Facebook, maximize your menu, and appeal to all customers. Oddly enough, we ended up staying from 10am-5pm. 

Our preceptor, the executive chef at the hospital, walked around with us for the last hour or so. This was actually really fun because he knew a lot of the vendors. Because of this, when he walked up to the vendors with us, they took more time to explain their product and how it could affect our patients nutritionally. I came home with bags and bags of loot and foods...and I think I've sampled enough beer and random food to make me float.



And of course...

Pizza crusts, mayo, coffee, tattoos, shot glasses, ice cream scoops, cook books, tortillas, bottle openers

T-shirts, informational handouts, pens, first aid kits, cleaning products, pizza cutter, bumper stickers, drink mixes

But here are some fun vendors we sampled and visited that were really delicious/cool...

• Frostyogurt (frozen yogurt products, no added sugar or other additives) 
• Zoey (new soybean oil that is non-hydrogenated, made in MI)
• Randy's Granola (made in MI, yummyyyy)
• Mama Mucci's Pasta (cheese stuffed dumpling pasta and barley mushroom risotto)
• Hacienda Mexican Foods (chips and salsa)
• Olive-it! (Garlic stuffed olives!...one of 100-some kinds)
• Saugatuck Brewing Company (hard cider)
• Chazzano Caffe (had a really cool scientific double-filter coffee contraption and espresso maker)
• Dunkin' Donuts (yumm coffee and donuts)
• Big Moe's BBQ Sauce
• Gourmet Mondiale (white balsamic vinegar, raspberry balsamic vinegar...etc. etc.)
• Earthy Delights (mushrooms, honey, tea)
• Grand Traverse Distillery (cherry vodka, made in MI)

Among many, many, MANY others! Honestly I am really surprised that I didn't get a stomach ache going from eating small samples of roast beef to pickled asparagus to vodka to smoothies to chocolate and on and on.