Ace Hotel, The Breslin and Stumptown

Posted on | February 18, 2010 | 7 Comments

Sorry for the lack of posting this week, I’m in New York. I’ve been a busy bee working and visiting with friends and family. This morning my sister brought me over to the new Ace Hotel on 29th street in Manhattan. Design group Roman and Williams transformed the space into a hipster Brit infused oasis. Check out the plaid wing chair in the above photo. The back of the chair was upholstered in navy wool decorated with brass tacking. So freakin’ cute.

Attached to the Ace is The Breslin a British style pub run by Peter Cho and the Spotted Pig (my fav place to grab a burger) crew. I walked through pretty quickly but I was struck by the green molding. In the sunlight the wood appears limey in the shadows it becomes a dark olive gloss. Tufted benches, thonet style chairs, and brass accents give the space a cozy feel. Need a little pick me up? Hit Stumptown coffee just off from the hotel’s lobby. I had a latte and croissant—super yum with a nutty quality. Above and below photos from Roman and William’s website.

Ace Hotel
20 W 29th Street
New York, NY
212.679.2222
acehotel.com

The Breslin
16 W 29th Street
New York, NY
212.679.1939
thebreslin.com

7 500x333 Ace Hotel, The Breslin and Stumptown

breslin meat room 500x328 Ace Hotel, The Breslin and Stumptown

ag stumptown3.jpeg Ace Hotel, The Breslin and Stumptown

Category: New York, eating out, interiors, travel

Farmer’s Diner & Antique Mall

Posted on | February 5, 2010 | 17 Comments

One last post about my Vermont weekend. Sunday morning it was still freezing cold. I had planned for us to go snowshoeing but I was being a baby—8 degrees at 10 am is just too cold to be outside. We headed over to The Farmer’s Diner for breakfast. I was totally impressed with their homemade english muffins. I would love to try making my own.

Next to the diner is a Cabot cheese store and Antique mall. I sampled a few cheeses but it was hard to get them down because I was so stuffed from breakfast. Greg kept telling how disgusting I was for even trying to fit anything else in my belly. But it was cheese and I love cheese. We poked through the hundreds of booths admiring all the treasures. I was amazed how patient Greg was being. I didn’t really find anything I needed but I did snap a few photos. So many perfect still-life compositions.

The Farmer’s Diner
Quechee Gorge Village
5573 Woodstock Rd. RT 4
Quechee, VT

The Vermont Antique Mall
Quechee Gorge Village
5573 Woodstock Rd. RT 4
Quechee, VT

Tools For Sale at Antique Mall In Vermont

Old Bottles for Sale at Antique Mall in Vermont

Tom Swift Books at Antique Mall in Vermont

Category: eating out, vermont, vintage finds

Vermont Cheese Trail

Posted on | November 5, 2009 | 3 Comments

Consider Bardwell Farm

I dying to go to Vermont to check out their Cheese Trail. Vermont’s artisanal cheese industry has seen a big boom as more consumers become interested in handmade cheeses. I began my love affair with cheese back when I worked in new york. Every Friday I would pass through Grand Central Station to treat myself to a new selection of cheeses from Murray’s Cheese Shop. Murray’s selection is amazing and their staff is incredibly knowledgeable. Thinking back about all the wonderful cheeses I have tasted makes me salivate. God, I love cheese…maybe even more then chocolate. Well maybe not dark chocolate but it’s close.

The last few days it seems everywhere I turn I’m hearing about Vermont’s cheese movement. In the Novemeber 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living is a lovely story about five Vermont cheesemakers. The cheesemakers were featured on her tv show today, click here for clips. On twitter, I found an articles on nationalgeographic.com and bostonmagazine.com about the cheese trail. I’m sensing a roadtrip. Have you ever gone cheese hunting in Vermont? Check out the cheese trail map here.

cheesemakers featured on martha
Blue Ledge Farm
Consider Bardwell Farm
Saxelby Cheesemongers
Thistle Hill Farm
Willow Hill Farm

p.s. I was checking out the farms and it looks like april-october is the best time to go.

vermont cheese man 435 Vermont Cheese Trail

Inspiration From The Village Tearoom

Posted on | October 6, 2009 | 5 Comments

On our quick trip to New Paltz we stopped for lunch at my favorite restaurant in town, The Village Tearoom. The styling of the restaurant is perfectly homey without feeling dated or granny—a look I’m trying to achieve in our home. We sat in the upstairs dining room where I became pretty enamored with the wall color and curtains. The orange/peachy walls glowed in the room. I want the scrolling floral fabric for curtains in my dining room…maybe it’s Lee Jofa? Greg was eyeing a newly hung ceiling decorated with worn beams. So cute. Below our lovely rainy day fall lunch. I had Potato Toussaint Cheese Tart & Salad (foreground); Greg had the Turkey Pot Pie. The sage leaf on top of Greg’s biscuit was a sweet touch I’m totally stealing.

The Village Tearoom
10 Plattekill Ave
New Paltz, NY
thevillagetearoom.com

Category: New York, eating out, interiors

Penang: Malaysian Food

Posted on | September 4, 2009 | 7 Comments

Last night was our first date anniversary. We meet in 2002 at a coffee shop in New Paltz, New York. I won his heart by making him a spectacular latte. Actually, it was the worst I ever made. I was so nervous because he was so cute. We celebrated by going into Boston for a night of walking around (love September weather) and testing out the new Canon EOS Rebel T1i.

Kinda randomly we stumbled upon Penang in Chinatown. The food was amazing and super affordable. Greg and I are big curry fans and many of the items on the menu had Indian influences. We started with Roti Cania an Indian style pancake that was served with a curry side. A-mazing. We were spooning the curry side into our mouths it was so delicious. For dinner I had Green Curry Chicken with Eggplant and Beans in a Hot Pot. Greg had Thai Chicken and Rice. My soup was incredibly delicious. The perfect amount of spicyness, sweet, and tang.

The photos from above and below were taken with the Canon Rebel Ti1 with no flash or tripod. Impressive. I can’t believe how sharp my images were with such low light. Today the Nikon comes in the mail. I can’t wait to check out the competition.

Want to see more nice shots with the Canon? Check out on flickr.

Penang
685 Washington Street
Boston, MA
(617) 451-6372
penangusa.com

Category: boston and metro, eating out

Red’s Eats Wiscasset, Maine

Posted on | July 27, 2009 | 5 Comments

As you make your way through Wiscasset you can’t miss Red’s Eats. A fish shack made famous for it’s lobster rolls and fried fish. New England is on a fried fish overload. I know I should love it because I grew up in New England but frankly I don’t. Do we really need to fry everything??

If your not in the mood for fried fish (my boyfriend swears by the fried haddock) go for the lobster roll. Red’s gets awards again and again for being the best. Great big chunks with butter or mayo on the side. I thought it was ok. The chunks were so big they were hard to chew. I like my roll with slightly smaller chunks mixed with a just little mayo. The mayo keeps the meat moist and totally yummy. Red’s is a fun stop nonetheless and the staff is super nice and helpful. I hate to be negative but I hate posts that fluff the truth especially when it comes to food. Maybe mayo on the side is your thing?

Red’s Eats
Rt 1 & Water Street
Wiscasset, Maine
207-882-6128

Category: eating out, maine

Breakfast at Driftwood

Posted on | June 11, 2009 | 8 Comments

I slept in kinda late this morning. It’s the third day in a row of gray skies and rain. Everyone is feeling a bit blah. Greg and I headed down to the Driftwood for breakfast. The Driftwood is an old school New England greasy spoon. Just steps from the harbor this breakfast joint serves classics like blueberry pancakes, eggs & kielbasa, and on weekends Fried Dough. I had the kielbasa. Mighty delicious. I’m so glad I moved back to New England.

Driftwood
63 Front Street
Marblehead, MA
(781) 631-1145