Today was fun. A new fried of mine, LeeAnne, hosted a “Ladies Lunch & Libations” for eight wonderful women who all happen to be a little food obsessed. I first met LeeAnne in person at Supper’s Hair o’ the Dog brunch on New Year’s Day but we previously “met” on Twitter.  LeeAnne is from Canada and has met a number of local food fanatics (Phanatics?) via Twitter and, of course, her sparkling personality. While the ladies lunched and libated, my husband joined LeeAnne’s beer-o-phile husband, Ryan, on a tour of Philadelphia Brewing Company and a late lunch at Memphis Taproom (fried pickles, holla!)

Meanwhile, we got to munching. Highlights of the day included crackers topped with smoked salmon and a dill creme fraiche, olive oil and lemon poached chicken with a tzatziki dipping sauce and curried chicken salad in won ton cups.  Check out this table!

Ohh, how could I have forgotten about the dates?! The dates were stuffed with cream cheese, caramelized onions and bacon(!!) and topped with candied pecans. Love.

I brought a trio of bruschette–caramelized fennel & parmesan, lemony mushroom and roasted red pepper.

The fennel was especially popular–and a great dish for those of us who aren’t typically fans of the licorice-y vegetable.

Desserts were pretty neat. Amy made beautiful whoopie pies with chocolate stout (I think–Jill made a yummy gingerbread with beer too and I can’t remember which had the stout. Both, perhaps?)

And Christine made dirt in a Snoopy pail and all. How fun!

I even drank beer! I enjoyed a Libertine black lager from Earth Bread Brewery that Christine brought in a neat growler.

No meal is complete without a little meatball!

And Amy too!

Thanks to LeeAnne for hosting a lovely afternoon and to all the ladies for great food, drink and convo that ranged from Gilmore Girls to tattooes to Talula’s Table. What a day.