Ice cream Social
Tastes like a winner: Austin food blogger headed to Europe
To Austin blogger Jodi Bart, food is more than a way of life. It's a ticket to travel.
For all the super foodies out there, you may remember Whole Foods' 2011 Foodie Fantasy Food Blogger Video Contest. Food bloggers were asked to enter homemade videos of one minute or less.
Tasty Touring's Jodi Bart wrangled her videographer pal Rene Lego to help her record a memorable minute at the 6th Street Whole Foods flagship store. Costumes and wigs were involved and the glorious result looks a little like this:
Bart chose the featured costumes and foods to represent all the countries included in the trip: Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands — countries Bart will now be visiting firsthand.
After being chosen as a finalist, Bart had ten days to garner enough votes to be declared the winner. Each week on the Tasty Touring Facebook page, Bart posted clever promotional images to help keep the buzz going.
And it worked. Over the 11 days of the contest, Bart's video received over 1,800 votes. Bart was declared the winner on April 18.
The Foodie Fantasy prize includes a trip for two with round-trip airfaire and an eight day tour from Berlin to Amsterdam, Brugges and Paris, including hotels and transportation. Bart also receives a $500.00 gift card towards authentic delicacies.
"I have never been to Germany, the Netherlands or Belgium, and I was very young when I was in France," Bart told us. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to experience it all with my boyfriend, Adam, who shares my love of food and adventure."
Before she takes off, though, Bart is throwing a party to thank all the Austinties who voted for her and support the blog that is her passion and creative outlet. Bart teamed up with Graeter's Ice Cream for a "Thank You for Voting" Ice Cream Social this Sunday at the Austin Open Room. (It's the public art that looks like a dining room under the bridge off Cesar Chavez...)
"I love ice cream... and when I asked Graeter's if they would be interested in providing some of the ice cream... they went above and beyond!" says Bart. The ice cream company (which is now being sold at H-E-B) sent Bart 15 gallons of ice cream along with the cups and spoons needed to host 500 people.
As for whether the trip will be a true vacation for her, Bart replies, "Blogging is my hobby so it's part of my idea of fun! I picture myself sitting at a sidewalk table in a Paris cafe, drinking the house wine, eating fresh bread and cheese, and sharing stories of the trip with friends back home."
Sounds like a food bloggers dream come true, indeed.
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You can follow all of Bart's foodie journeys across Europe on the Tasty Touring blog in the weeks to come.