Chocolate & Zucchini comes to Manhattan

I went to Otto at 5 p.m. this evening to meet the famous Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini fame. She is a 25-year old, Paris-based, food blogger who has become somewhat of a celebrity in the food blogging world. Her food writing and photography has such a distinctive voice and style that she has won over foodies the world over. Her popularity has increased stateside after NPR started syndicating her column.

I had read on C&Z a few weeks back that Clotilde (eighth from left in the photo) and her boyfriend, Maxxence, were going to be in Manhattan. They had organized a get-together at Otto's enoteca so that fellow bloggers and C&Z fans could mingle over Italian wine and antipasti nibbles. Clotilde and Max arrived after a few of us had already gotten an amicable, food-centric conversation going.

Clotilde was definitely the center of attraction from the moment she arrived. Tall and striking, she seems tres sophisticated and as charming in person as in her blog. Luckily, I got to speak to her at the very beginning so did not have to stand around, waiting for the right opportunity. We chatted about her time in the Bay Area, digital photography and my stint in France. Max was very friendly as well and I got to practice my French with him. I found out that he's the technical brain behind C&Z as they house the servers in their apartment in Mont Martre!

Once I had met Clotilde, I was eager to meet the others. The big bonus of this event was talking with other New York bloggers and foodies. I spent the most time chatting with Samantha and Adam who were both very warm and personable:



I was also glad to have met Josh and David who I spoke to briefly. David was particularly generous and bought everyone a bottle of wine and some white bean bruschetta. I thought that was a very nice gesture, especially since we were all strangers. I was most impressed by Jessica who had made macaroons with chocolate-chip filling for everyone.

I look forward to meeting and getting to know all the New York bloggers. Please let me know if you're interested in coming to a potluck - I'm happy to organize and host. Leave a comment here or email me at lools@hotmail.com with the subject: NYC Bloggers Potluck.