The Tastemaker Top 10 with Maya of Charmingly Styled

The Tastemaker Top 10 is a collection of 10 questions asked by me and answered by some of my favorite bloggers. Here they will tell you a little bit about themselves, their blogs, and of course, their favorite foods and restaurants. Today we are talking to Maya, writer behind the fashion blog Charmingly Styled. She is also one of the masterminds behind the Midwest Bloggers network... a busy girl for sure! Her answers had me laughing out loud, so read on and get to know Maya!

Name: Maya McDonald

Blog: Charmingly Style

Location: Chicago, IL

In a few sentences, tell us a little bit about your blog: Charmingly Styled is a Chicago based life and style blog focused on the little charms that make life so good.


Now, tell us about your...

1. Favorite meal, food, or cuisine: I am a sucker for restaurants with locally sourced ingredients! I love Range in Lincoln Park and The Little Goat Diner in the west loop. When I'm not feasting, I can usually be found double fisting a latte (I love Floriole in my neighborhood!) and a margarita!

2. Least favorite meal, food, or cuisine: Aye! This is a hard question because I like so many things. I was just talking to someone today about how much I loathe most dried fruit. Dried blueberries and raisins are not my faves.

3. Favorite restaurant in your city: Do I have to narrow it down? That's so hard! I love Xoco for a lunch date, or Little Goat Diner for dinner. Any place that serves Tiramisu milkshakes and pork belly pancakes is good in my book :)

4. Favorite restaurant outside of your city: I'm from Madison Wisconsin originally, so I have a huge affinity for the amazing food back home. I love Osteria Papavero downtown (amazing Italian food - try the Budino pudding!) and Salvatore's Tomato Pies in nearby Sun Prairie.
 
5. Favorite food memory: I love visiting the Green City Farmer's Market in Lincoln Park. I remember moving to Chicago last year right as the Farmer's Market started for the summer. I was a little hesitant about the move, but as I sat in the park eating an amazing crepe with friends, I thought to myself, "This is home. I can totally do this!", which was reassuring to say the least!  

6. Favorite guilty pleasure food: Hook me up to a latte IV with dark chocolate and I'm one happy camper! But really, I couldn't survive without them.
 
7. Favorite ingredient (something you love to cook with, or something you see on a menu and know you have to order): I hate to admit this on a food blog, but I am a terrible cook! Working in advertising and having a blog doesn't leave me with very much free time during the week. Honestly, most nights I come home and cook eggs, so I suppose I couldn't live without them - literally.

8. Favorite kitchen tool, utensil, product, etc.: Does dark chocolate count?! Really though - it's my life force.

9. Favorite recipe: Again, I'm a terrible cook - but I LOVE Gweneth Paltrow's recipe for Salmon Siracha and lime (yeah, I liked her cookbook - sue me!) Find it here. 

10. Favorite thing about blogging: Meeting so many fantastic people! I've had a blast collaborating, meeting and becoming legit friends with so many amazing bloggers.

11. BONUS! Five favorite blogs/blogs that A Squared readers should know about:
- Alyssa of The Glossy Life (amazing food recipes!)
- Alison of Heart Of Gold and Luxury (my go to source for gorgeous food photography and amazing recipes!)
- Alissa of The Adored Life (she's basically my spirit animal, and her blog posts actually make my laugh out loud!)
- Elizabeth of Beauty Bets (I write a weekly feature and I love Elizabeth's beauty musings)
- Lauren of La Petite Fashionista (you'll never meet a sweeter girl, and I love her colorful blog!)


Thanks so much for your thoughts, Maya!

Do you have a blogger that you'd recommend to be featured on the Tastemaker Top 10? Or are you a blogger that would like to participate? Email me at aasquaredblog@gmail.com and let me know!