Team Bestie hits New York and New Jersey
Team Bestie has officially kicked off!
Trish Stratus and Amy "Lita" Dumas hit the road this past weekend for the first stop of their 'Team Bestie Tour". The platinum attraction at the Legends of the Ring convention this past Saturday was the first in a series of appearances by the two WWE Hall of Famers.
Held in Monroe, New Jersey (just outside of New York City), Legends saw hundreds of fans line up for Team Bestie, a sold out event which included an up-close and personal meet and greet. Right off the bat the signing had a different feel than a typical autograph signing. Gone was the table barrier, along with the awkward lean-over photo opp. With the promoters, Trish and Amy created a uniquely personal fan experience allowing each person several minutes, with enough time to get their items signed and to have a chat. Some even got hugs.
But before the co-signing, the two girls spent some quality bestie time in the city. We asked Trish and Amy for a recap from their fun in the big apple:
TRISH: Amy and I talked about how all these years we would fly into Newark and we would always have a car into the city for our shows. So, we thought, 'let's change it up and try the AirTrain!' However...
AMY: So we ended up on the NJ Transit bus – instead of a 25-30 minute ride, we sat in traffic and it was over an hour! But, we got a chance to catch up so it was fun!
T: When we finally got into New York the quest was to find food!
A: I had heard about a raw, vegan restaurant called Pure Food and Wine that I thought would be perfect for us.
T/A: We were seated in a private nook in the garden, and we decided to go with the 5 course chef's tasting menu and share everything.
We started with an amuse-bouche, a bite-sized treat chosen by the chef that excites the tongue and delights the eye, before the meal is served. We were served bourbon maple and mesquite marinated plum with cornbread, sweet cheese and micro basil – it was amazing!
Then the culinary adventure began! Here's a sample of our favorite dishes:
T/A: We made sure the chef knew we enjoyed our meal!
T: Before it got dark we wanted to hit the streets - our mission was to visit Time Square.
A: We also wanted to do some shopping and fun tourist-y things along the way – something we never got a chance to do while we were on the road with WWE.
T/A: After our romp in the city, we headed back to New Jersey to get some rest and get ready for our first Team Bestie appearance!
Team Bestie's appearance at Legends of the Ring »
MORE TEAM BESTIE
• The history of Trish & Lita in pictures
• Exclusive: Team Bestie HOF diary
• Top 10 Trish & Lita moments
Trish Stratus and Amy "Lita" Dumas hit the road this past weekend for the first stop of their 'Team Bestie Tour". The platinum attraction at the Legends of the Ring convention this past Saturday was the first in a series of appearances by the two WWE Hall of Famers.
Held in Monroe, New Jersey (just outside of New York City), Legends saw hundreds of fans line up for Team Bestie, a sold out event which included an up-close and personal meet and greet. Right off the bat the signing had a different feel than a typical autograph signing. Gone was the table barrier, along with the awkward lean-over photo opp. With the promoters, Trish and Amy created a uniquely personal fan experience allowing each person several minutes, with enough time to get their items signed and to have a chat. Some even got hugs.
But before the co-signing, the two girls spent some quality bestie time in the city. We asked Trish and Amy for a recap from their fun in the big apple:
TRISH: Amy and I talked about how all these years we would fly into Newark and we would always have a car into the city for our shows. So, we thought, 'let's change it up and try the AirTrain!' However...
AMY: So we ended up on the NJ Transit bus – instead of a 25-30 minute ride, we sat in traffic and it was over an hour! But, we got a chance to catch up so it was fun!
T: When we finally got into New York the quest was to find food!
A: I had heard about a raw, vegan restaurant called Pure Food and Wine that I thought would be perfect for us.
T/A: We were seated in a private nook in the garden, and we decided to go with the 5 course chef's tasting menu and share everything.
We started with an amuse-bouche, a bite-sized treat chosen by the chef that excites the tongue and delights the eye, before the meal is served. We were served bourbon maple and mesquite marinated plum with cornbread, sweet cheese and micro basil – it was amazing!
Then the culinary adventure began! Here's a sample of our favorite dishes:
FIRST COURSE
Cornbread Pudding with Pickled Shishito Peppers
crispy kale, pumpkin seed crisp, corn salt
Kale Caesar Roll with Avocado and Pickled Onions
curly kale, caesar dressing, pumpkin seed parmesan cheese, and jalapeño peppers
Crepe with White Asparagus, Pear and Arugula
pistachio cheese, mustard tarragon, pistachio oil
SECOND COURSE
Curried Vegetables with Sprouted Quinoa Poppadom
coconut cumin, cilantro mint, and tomato tamarind sauces
Portabella Mushroom with Cauliflower and Horseradish Aioli
kale chimichurri, mango salsa, barbecue sauce, haricots verts
Sweet Corn and Cashew Tamales with Chili Spiced Portabella
salsa verde, avocado, cashew coconut sour cream, raw cacao mole
Our favorite course was probably the third course – dessert! We actually asked if we could pick the dishes. Not that we didn't trust the chef – he was fantastic! But, we had our eye on a couple of dishes. So, the two we ordered were:
THIRD COURSE
Chocolate and Jungle Peanut Butter Cheesecake
peanut butter cup, salted peanut butter ice cream
Classic Sundae with Banana and Salted Almonds
vanilla and chocolate ice creams, chocolate and cherry sauces, vanilla cream
Cornbread Pudding with Pickled Shishito Peppers
crispy kale, pumpkin seed crisp, corn salt
Kale Caesar Roll with Avocado and Pickled Onions
curly kale, caesar dressing, pumpkin seed parmesan cheese, and jalapeño peppers
Crepe with White Asparagus, Pear and Arugula
pistachio cheese, mustard tarragon, pistachio oil
SECOND COURSE
Curried Vegetables with Sprouted Quinoa Poppadom
coconut cumin, cilantro mint, and tomato tamarind sauces
Portabella Mushroom with Cauliflower and Horseradish Aioli
kale chimichurri, mango salsa, barbecue sauce, haricots verts
Sweet Corn and Cashew Tamales with Chili Spiced Portabella
salsa verde, avocado, cashew coconut sour cream, raw cacao mole
Our favorite course was probably the third course – dessert! We actually asked if we could pick the dishes. Not that we didn't trust the chef – he was fantastic! But, we had our eye on a couple of dishes. So, the two we ordered were:
THIRD COURSE
Chocolate and Jungle Peanut Butter Cheesecake
peanut butter cup, salted peanut butter ice cream
Classic Sundae with Banana and Salted Almonds
vanilla and chocolate ice creams, chocolate and cherry sauces, vanilla cream
T/A: We made sure the chef knew we enjoyed our meal!
T: Before it got dark we wanted to hit the streets - our mission was to visit Time Square.
A: We also wanted to do some shopping and fun tourist-y things along the way – something we never got a chance to do while we were on the road with WWE.
T/A: After our romp in the city, we headed back to New Jersey to get some rest and get ready for our first Team Bestie appearance!
Team Bestie's appearance at Legends of the Ring »
MORE TEAM BESTIE
• The history of Trish & Lita in pictures
• Exclusive: Team Bestie HOF diary
• Top 10 Trish & Lita moments