food

Gulf Shores, Alabama

/ Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

We “shore” had fun on our long weekend trip to Gulf Shores! It was one of my last weekends of “freedom” before starting my new position for Delta Airlines, and it was great to have some quality time with my two favorite fellas.

We drove in two Fridays ago, and immediately dropped off our things before grabbing dinner and drinks. Our AirBnB hosts had some interesting taste, that’s for sure…

We walked around a local park, where Lin immediately got attention and love from other dogs and people, before heading to a nearby brewery. We enjoyed some live music and nice conversation with a couple who lived in the area for the last decade or more. We always appreciate conversations with strangers and local recommendations! And of course, Linley got even more love and attention—not that he needed it haha.

Our dinner closer to the beach took forever because the weekend wait times were insane, but it was nice to sit down, relax and cheers to a great first evening of the trip. We met some kind wait staff and guests at the table next to us, who loved Lin and kept feeding him fries.

The next morning, we headed straight to the dog beach, which was not what we expected. But alas, we had fun before grabbing lunch at a local spot on the main beach. And although the dog beach wasn’t what we expected it to be, we had a blast watching the blue herons near us and watching Lin grab sticks from the water.

I wish we could’ve brought Lin on the main beach, because that was beautiful! I wanted to get on the water so bad, but we’ll save that for when we’re in Savannah this fall instead. Even being by that water was beautiful, and we had a blast sitting up at the beach bar. We enjoyed some mezcal drinks and delicious seafood, while, you guessed it, Linley got more love! It was cute to see him dig in the sand to cool off again, which is something I’d missed from all our Michigan beach adventures.

No Tracey vacay is complete without an afternoon nap, and that’s exactly what we did during the hottest part of the day. Once we woke up and freshened up, we all got some ice cream and walked around a cute shopping center along the pier. We got some cute dog mom, dog dad and a funny toy for Linley after we all enjoyed our desserts and a drink, and then walked along the water before heading out for dinner.

Our wait for dinner was so long, but we luckily found a great backup spot that was super dog friendly. The best part was that it was called “Cosmo’s” after the owner’s dog, and we couldn’t pass up the chance to visit. We enjoyed good seafood, live music (and the singer brought his chocolate lab, too!), kind wait staff and even a stroll through a local pet store after dinner.

My mental health hasn’t been the best with some family and friend stuff that’s come up lately, so there’s a part of me that felt really bad about bringing some of those feelings up during the trip (i.e.: I never want to ruin Alex’s time or feel like a burden). But I also know that these two make me smile more than anything in the whole wide world, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. 💛

Media taken Friday, June 6 & Saturday, June 7, 2025 in Gulf Shores, Alabama✨

Damn good seafood!

/ Cate Tracey / 2 Comments

Today I sit with my first positive Covid test since the pandemic (yes, you read that right: I only had Covid in January 2020 before we know what it was, and this weekend…) BUT I had an awesome week before this happened and wanted to share some good eats. 💛

Alex and I went to Lure — a delicious seafood spot here in Midtown, Atlanta. I was excited some espresso martinis (with tequila instead of vodka!), tasty fish and to eat my bodyweight in oysters. Alex ordered the swordfish for me to try and I ordered one of my favorites: sea bass, this time with a tomato broth. Thank goodness I could actually taste my food then, because it was the best meal I’ve had in a while!

We also had to take our classic “Here Cate, hold both drinks” photo:

…and here’s a few more since we met:

I’m thankful I have a permanent dinner date who loves being goofy as much as I do! 🤗

Turns out, I get the “two-drink photo” from my parents… ☺️

Seattle to Vancouver

/ Cate Tracey / 2 Comments

Before I begin to write about my adventures in the Pacific Northwest, the jaunt from my house to the Detroit metro airport deserves a shoutout. I survived what was probably my scariest driving experience to-date (yes, even worse than the Michigan winter blizzards!) and met incredibly kind strangers along the way. The women getting on the airport shuttle and the passengers next to me on my flight to Seattle were amazing—as was the badass shuttle driver who pulled off this stunt:

I couldn’t wait to see Alex again after not seeing him for a few weeks. Our weekend in Atlanta was perfection and I couldn’t wait to be in his arms and presence once more. I also felt lucky enough to still meet his best friend (also coincidentally named Alex!) even though my flight was delayed a couple hours.

Before heading north to Vancouver, Alex and I met one of my coworkers-turned-friends Eli, who I’d actually never met in person until then. We ate delicious sandwiches and talked as though we’d all known each other for quite some time. Eli is seriously the sweetest and I’ll miss working with him very much! It was great to meet up and I know we’ll stay in touch.

The drive, the border crossing, and the much-needed map were all great and easy. I can’t put into words how much simply being next to Alex and experiencing all these little things with him means to me; I never thought I’d ever find love again – or at all – and I can honestly say that I’ve *never* had anything quite like *this.* Alex has quickly become my best friend.

We enjoyed drinks at a local French-style bar and a lovely dinner on Granville Island in Vancouver, where we ate our bodyweight in oysters, crab, yellowtail sashimi, Brussels sprouts and chowder. It was the perfect start to what was an effortlessly perfect vacation with Alex. 💛

Media taken Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Cousinly Quality Time in NYC

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The last time I saw my cousin in New York was summer 2017—far too long ago. But all that changed last weekend as we finally spent time together in The Big Apple.

My flight got in late Friday evening, so we grabbed a nice dinner and a quick night cap. We went back to Katy’s place—which was super cute and exactly what you would expect from a New York City apartment—and got ready for bed. Being with her again meant the world to me!

We attempted to take a stroll that Saturday morning, but the weather told us otherwise. Katy found a cute little cafe where we mixed up our coffee orders (totally my fault!) and then made our way through Columbia’s campus—en route to brunch in Times Square.

At Friedman’s, Katy, her sister, dad and I had the best potato-filled brunch of my life. The gluten free chocolate chip pancakes and sweet potato fries were to die for, but the conversation and that feeling of picking up right where we left off were even better.

No matter how stuffed we felt, Katy and I were determined to make our way to her friend’s birthday celebration, which was full of crafting and watching Broad City. I’m incredibly lucky to have met Katy’s high school, college and now grad school friends—because we have always lived in different states and I’m a few years older than she is. Katy and her friends are always welcoming, which was really nice and led to a fun, lazy day of candle making and painting. I definitely made everyone laugh when my paint exploded all over the table, but at least I can say that I predicted the future 😉

Still full from brunch (no joke!), Katy and I grabbed dinner at an awesome vegan place called JaJaJa—where our bartender Mario called us twins and handed us each a free shot. One of many reasons why I love my cousin as much as I do is that we can go from the most profound conversation to laughing and joking around. Our meal was full of that, which is something I’d missed very much and very deeply. We ended our night out with another drink at a different bar, playing a game of “What’s Their Backstory?” and me guessing one of our bartender’s names on the first try.

As much as I love the city, my favorite moments with Katy are always the simplest ones. I cherished our night of listening to Leo P on the sax, hearing her tell me more about her partner Ben and drinking tea until we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore. And it’s truly all of those “in-between” moments (taking the subway, walking to a destination, etc.) that make me love and miss Katy as much as I always do ❤️

On Sunday, our last day together, we started at a gluten free bagel and sandwich shop, and a stroll through Central Park. It was cold—especially with my iced coffee—but it was so worth it! Seeing people out and about because of the weather and our semi-decent coronavirus situation was something that didn’t go unnoticed, and something we certainly didn’t take for granted. We braved the cold until we couldn’t anymore, so we relaxed at Katy’s apartment, enjoyed more tea and life/family-related conversation, then ventured off to find more delicious vegan tacos!

Our time together always flies by and feels too short. I wish Katy and I lived closer together because she’s truly a sister to me. I don’t know who or where I would be without her in my life.

Swanky Speakeasy

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One if my favorite spots in my tiny hometown of Fenton, Michigan is the Relief and Resource Co. – a speakeasy with amazing cocktails, great eats and superb service. The ambiance and artwork are bar none! My friend Donna and I enjoyed gin cocktails and charcuterie here this week, and had a wonderful time per usual.

The only thing that would’ve made it better is if Linley could’ve joined us 😌

Photos taken August 31, 2021

Lunch in an Igloo

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I took my Little Sister to one of my favorite hometown restaurants: The FireHall. As you can probably infer from the name, this used to be Fenton’s fire station, which now has some of the best BBQ, homemade mac and cheese, and unique eats.

Another unique thing about this restaurant is that you can dine in heated “igloos” during the winter months. There is usually a long waiting list to dine outside, but we were able to snag it this time!

The food, the ambiance and the company were all 10/10!

Fall Feels

/ Cate Tracey / 2 Comments

Autumn is a wonderful time of year; the air is brisk, the colors are vibrant and the clothes are cozy as can be. This weekend truly felt like fall with my loved ones.

Witches Night Out

My parents live where I grew up (Fenton, Michigan) and recently moved into the oldest home downtown. On Friday night, we dressed up as witches and spent the night shopping, drinking and dining in costume!

Pumpkin Patch

My little sister and I went to a giant pumpkin patch in Saginaw. Aniya and I escaped from the corn maze in 40 minutes (our new record!) and had lots of hot cider on such a cold and windy day!

Brunch in Downtown Flint

Say what you want about Flint, but their downtown is booming and better than ever. The Flint Crepe Co. never disappoints, especially when you can order all of the gluten-free goodness your heart desires. The company didn’t hurt either, because my best friend Danielle always has me crying from laughter! There’s even some new murals downtown.

Apple Orchard

Nothing screams fall more than visiting an apple orchard, getting some donuts and strolling around with your mom and pup!

I hope you’re enjoying autumn as much as we are!