Free Zagat Guides in exchange for your review & One Literature Nut's award!!

Zagat Guides continues its policy of sending free review books in exchange for your review. Right now they're collecting reviews for New York City Restaurants (until May 17, 2009), Miami & South Florida Restaurants (until June 14, 2009), Portland's Top Restaurants (until May 25, 2009), and St. Louis Top Restaurants (until May 25, 2009). Do check it out at Zagat.com
http://www.zagat.com/Review/Index.aspx

I've been submitting Zagat reviews for over a year now and aside from getting the free guide, it's fun to review the best and worst places you've visited during the year. I particularly like suggesting new restaurants and stores, hoping that other folks will enjoy them as much as me.

The places and guides change quite often, so check back periodically and you might find one that you particularly like. You can also submit reviews as you go and send them along when the relevant guide promotion begins.

Zagat also sponsors events - they'd asked for volunteers to participate in the filming of the new (and newly cancelled) cooking show on NBC with Marco Pierre White, The Chopping Block last year. I was among the audience receiving a free meal while the contestants battled it out to create, run, and win their own restaurant from Marco Pierre White. The show was interesting enough, though the main thing that struck me was that the two Asian cousins who weren't in danger of being kicked off the show, voluntarily removed themselves because the dialogue was getting mean! I could understand how they felt and why they did it, but had really wished that they stayed in and fought it out.

I also have some great news - I received an award from Becky at One Literature Nut.

This is totally exciting and amazing for me - and such a generous welcome to a newbie blogger. I'm giddy - do check out her site and say hello.
http://mjmbecky.blogspot.com/2009/05/bethenny-frankel-simple-lunch-salad.html

She mentioned heading off to the gym in her post, which inspired me to head over to my gym for the first workout in a LONG time. I'll try to follow it up with a healthy dinner. I'd like to thank her for all of those things that helped make my day!