We are moving! After almost six years in my beloved Madison, Wisconsin, the Choi family is moving to the east coast!
Before I get into it, I first just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for your continued support, encouragement and well wishes. My little space on the internet has grown over the years and sometimes it’s hard to put all of yourself out there. I mentioned and shared on social media that we were moving, in hopes of getting the news out there in order to help us sell our house (if you’re looking for a house in Waunakee, please reach out to me) and immediately after I did so, I was filled with regret and wanted to retain some sense of privacy.
I know I regularly share things going on in my life but this was hard.
For those of you who respected that I wasn’t ready to share everything, and have waited, thank you. This was an opportunity for my family that just came up. We had to make a life decision to move our family to the east coast within 2 weeks. It’s been stressful and hard but we are very excited to see where this next chapter of life takes us!
This is a very bittersweet blog post for me to write. Five and a half years ago, we moved here from Seattle, WA and I didn’t think Madison, Wisconsin would ever grow on me.
After advice and looking at houses, we chose Waunakee to live and raise our kids, mainly because of the schools, and met some really great neighbors and people. Upon moving in, we were greeted by five or six families, all coming to the house one at a time to introduce themselves and say hello and welcome us to the neighborhood. Some baked brownies, one family gave us a frozen lasagna (which introduced me to Gino’s Italian Deli! Thank you, Nicky!) and other baked goods I can’t remember. . but all of them, I kid you not gave me hand written note cards with: their names, email addresses, phone numbers, cell phone #’s and names and ages of their children and their kids’ information if they were old enough to babysit.
We moved here in November of 2013. That winter would be one of the coldest here in like 20 years or something. In the month of January, on a day where the kids were home with me, with what felt like 3 consecutive days being home from school because the wind chill was -30, and I felt like I was going crazy, I was thinking to myself. . how am I going to do this? How am I going to live here in Wisconsin?!
But then the spring came. Suddenly people I had never even seen before emerged from their houses. People were friendly and smiling. Flowers were blooming and we were in shorts and flip flops.
I am writing a completely separate blog post to share how I fell in love with Wisconsin. Madison, Waunakee, I really love it here and our time here was been amazing.
Obviously, with my food blog, I started exploring the city and what the restaurants here had to offer. I wanted to see what the chefs in the area were doing. Paul and I, back then, were doing a date night every month and trying new restaurants in Madison.
Madison became a place for me to grow. Grow as a person but also grow my brand, my following and because of the size of Madison, I was able to get to know a lot of people in this community. I don’t think I would ever have had the same experience had I lived in a different, larger city. Madison has been a treasure for me and I love this city so much.
Here’s my round-up of some of my favorite spots and restaurants in Madison. A lot of you have asked for this! I hope you enjoy!
If you’re local and live here, get out and support your local community.
So, this is farewell for now, but I will be back to visit for sure! Until then, if Madison, Wisconsin was ever on your “places to visit” list, go! Visit! Come here! And if you’re local and live here, get out and support your local community. Eat out, go to the Farmer’s Markets, support local businesses and restaurants! They need you in order to survive!
Madison, Wisconsin will always have a very special place in my heart. I do plan to have a happy hour at Heritage Tavern: looking like Thursday, August 29th from 4 to 6pm.
New Beginnings
At the end of August, we will be moving to Pennsylvania! We will be living close to Philadelphia, PA. I will be a 2 hour train ride to New York City! DC, Maryland, New Jersey are all also close by.
Some of you who follow me on Instagram and live in Philadelphia have already guessed correctly. . since my family and I were there over July 4th. We were even stopped on the streets in downtown Philadelphia as we were walking to Independence Hall.
Philadelphia, I can’t wait!
The food scene in Philadelphia is vibrant and diverse. I am beyond excited to explore and get to know the city. It’s the city of brotherly love so. . See you soon, Philadelphia!
Hip Foodie Mom
Regarding my food blog and Instagram, everything will remain the same. I’ll still be developing recipes and creating video content. Something exciting that I’ve always wanted to do: as soon as we get settled, I’ll be looking into hosting cheese board workshops in the NYC/Brooklyn and Philadelphia area! So please stay tuned!
I’ll be spending a lot of time in both the Philadelphia area and NYC and exploring all the food so if you have recommendations, please send them.
Also. . .
We are building a house. in PA. I am beyond excited. Stay tuned for more. Thank you again for all of your love, support and encouragement. I’ll be the first to say that you can absolutely find real, genuine and nice people out there on the internet and social media. And to you all, I am forever grateful and I’m so excited to see what happens next!
Thank you,
Alice
Congratulations on the move! How exciting! My family is from Wisconsin so I always enjoyed seeing it as you explored it. My husband is from Philadelphia and it is a fabulous place to live and so close to so many other places .
Hi Cathie, thank you so much!! We can’t wait to explore and get to know the city!
Wishing you the best for you and your family!?
Hi John, thank you so much!! Very much appreciated!!
How exciting!!! So happy for your new chapter and I look forward to your fabulous posts!!!
awww, congratulations! How sweet your neighbors were on arrival in WI!
That made ME emotional! You’ve really helped put Madison back on the map and it’s been so fun to watch you take pride in Wisconsin’s culture. I can’t wait to see what fun stuff you’ll get into in Pennsylvania! I see Hershey knocking on your door here in the near future. So happy for your family and congratulations on the big move!
Alison, thank you so much! Means a lot to me. . thank you!
Best of luck on your move and new adventure.
Thank you so much!!!
I wish you all the best as you prepare for your big move. (I cannot imagine all the things you still have to do!) I sure do enjoy your content, and how you show your geniuine love for your city, friends and mostly, your family. You deserve all the happiness and success that life has to offer! Stay strong, and I look forward to seeing more ‘Hip Foodie Mom’, from Philly!
Hi Lesley! Thank you so much! I really appreciate this message . . I am very stressed but taking it one day at a time and looking forward to settling into my new home!
Oh Alice ! I feel your pain on embracing all this change so quickly, but you are the picture of grace under pressure ! I am also happy to say WELCOME TO THE EAST COAST ! You will thrive anywhere you land – and hey NYC being close is just one more reason the FOOD NETWORK needs to call my girl Alice! I am very happy to you and sending you all the good vibes on your new adventure !
Hi Krysten!! Thank you so much! I really appreciate this! I am so excited! East Coast, here we come!
Yes !!!! Im in Doylestown please come this way and see my quaint little town! I lived in Princeton, NJ for 20 and here now for 5 years !! PA is gorgeous vibrant and so very interesting, fun and your family will love it here too ! Congrats and good luck with the move Alice!!!!!
Hello Elizabeth! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to explore and get to know my new home!!
I’m sad for you that you are leaving Madison. I can tell how much you love it. I kinda wished I lived there after following you for a couple years! But I’m excited you’re moving to Philly! I’m in the suburbs so I feel like we’ll be neighbors! Lol…I cannot wait to see what you find here!
Hi Patty!!! You’re in the suburbs? Where?? We might be!
Bucks County!
wow, that’s so exciting… CONGRATS! I wish you and your lovely family best of luck.
Thank you, Sandra!!!
I have a friend who lived in Yardley, PA for for some time. It was a really nice area. Best of luck to you and your family!!
Hi Bethusa, thank you so much! I really appreciate this!
I have to say I was super bummed when you announced your departure from WI. I live in the Madison area and have relied on your restaurant recommendations and have not been disappointed. Heritage Tavern has been my hands down favorite. Thank you for the introduction. You and your girls have brought many smiles to my face during your adventures. Your love and joy is so evident. Alice, thank you for showing so much love to Madison. You will be missed. Philadelphia has gained a gem. Now go show us why we should visit Philly ?
Hi Lacey, thank you SO much for this kind message. This has been one of the hardest decisions ever because we love it here so much. Thank you for your kind words. I will be back to visit as much as I can and I’m excited for Madison because there’s so much more coming! New restaurants, the Public Market etc. . it’s going to be amazing .. much love to you and thank you so much for your support!
Congratulations on your upcoming move! Your post felt like a love letter to Wisconsin(and the Madison area) and was so heartfelt. It’s exactly the reason we just moved back to Waunakee after living in California for two years. I’m sure you will have a wonderful time making Philly your new home and discovering new places and friends. Take care of yourself and may you have peace in your heart, home and family.
Congratulations on the move. I grew up in Janesville, WI, but have now lived in Connecticut for 28 years. I still have some family in southern WI. The move, building a house, it’s an exciting time. Best wishes to you and your family. There is so much on the East coast to explore, not just food, but history too! Enjoy!
Alice, Congratulations! I am so happy for you and your family. I got to know you through Instagram and I fell in love with first your recipes then you and your family…of course that includes Cinnamon! I know only great things will come of this for you all and I hope you don’t forget me! I certainly can’t wait to find out all about the food scene in Pennsylvania.
Good luck. It truly is a pleasure to know you.
WOW! What an amazing adventure ahead…I’ve been following your blog for about two years now and just love it!! If you’re ever in Lambertville, NJ (which is a NJ suburb of Philly), please stop in my store, ZINC HOME! We have some pretty cool home furnishings and we were voted Best of Philly in Philly Magazine!!! Lambertville also has a great food scene!
Best of luck to your entire family!!!
Good luck on the move, Alice!!!
Congratulations on the move and starting a new adventure here on the east coast! Even though you asked for food recommendations in Philadelphia and NYC, there are great spots in NJ!! I highly recommend that you stop by my favorite Italian restaurant in Denville, NJ called the pasta shop! My recommendations are the mozzarella sticks cannoli and my favorite pasta dish is the sweet corn ravioli in a brown butter and basil sauce with shaved summer truffles. You will not find a local favorite, with outstanding customer service and delicious homemade pasta at that reasonable price point. Not too far from there (literally, you can walk!) is NJ’s rated number one Chinese restaurant that serves authentic Chinese cuisine along with Chinese American favorites!
In Jersey City, you will find a variety and diversity of different cuisines. There’s a section called India Square, some Filipino restaurants or some trendy bars in the downtown area. On top of that, there’s also the PATH train that you can take to go to the city! Welcome and good luck with the move and transition
Thank you so much, Dorothy!! I really appreciate this! I’ll definitely check out The Pasta Shop!!
I’m from the Philadelphia area. My brother and sister still live there. Duling and Kurtz in Exton is nice restaurant for lunch or dinner. They also have guest rooms – I spent my honeymoon night there 35 years ago! Bonefish Grill is a popular spot for good fish. It’s in Exton as well. And, Wegman’s is the best grocery store I have ever experienced. There are two in that area. And, Exton finally has a Whole Foods! Not sure where you are building, but enjoy.
Hi Nancy! Thank you so much!!! I really appreciate this!
Hi Alice,
I started following you back in 2016 when I was living in Denmark and knew we’d eventually end up in Madison. You provided so much information about Madison on your blog that it got me familiar with Madison before we even moved here 2 years later. I am originally from the northeast and I think you’ll love it! You will be so close to so many places like NYC, CT, and Boston. I wish you many blessings with the move and this next chapter for you and your family! XOXO
Hi Denise! Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much for being open and sharing your moving experience with all the feelings. I know how hard it can be since we just moved across country from an area we loved to a place where we know no one. Hearing your stories and seeing your journey is encouraging me as a wife, who’s husband moved for work, and a mom, who’s children are going through change. You are an example of positivity while embracing life’s changes. God has blessed me through you! God bless you and your family during this sweet, memorable and growing time in your lives❣️❣️❣️
Hi! oh my goodness, thank you so much! I feel like God has blessed me with people like you and encouraging words like this! Thank you!