the drive back from ojai last weekend yielded many impromptu stops along the way...

hearst castle, san simeon, ca
(bling central 1930s style)

dinner at il vecchio 

(where you can devour a delicious italian meal while gawking at ariele's incredible woodwork)

beach at carmel, ca
(cold + windy, but that sand is so clean + soft)

ny... in conclusion

// manhattan











/ 1 meatpacking district / 2 warby parker / 3 - 4 the high line / 5 west village / 6 - 8 frankies / 9 freemans

[ endless thanks to lissa and jennifer for their wonderful new york recommendations! looks like i'm going to have to come back to ny to continue through their list of must-see places. ]

a continuation of my ny trip

// brooklyn




was it naive of me to think i could explore brooklyn in a single day? yes, definitely. i came to this realization after spending more time than i anticipated at brooklyn museum's keith haring exhibit (pictured above), which left only a couple of hours to soak in williamsburg. some highlights:

eats // van leeuwen for ice cream / five leaves for the five leaves burger (pictured below)




shops // mociun for jewelry and textiles / brook farm general store for all household needs / bird for clothing i can't afford but desperately want / moon river chattel for rustic home goods (my mom's favorite bk store) / mast brothers chocolate for the obvious / beautiful dreamers for special curiosities + gifts

// chinatown



in my mind, there's only one chinatown.
it exists in nyc.




my trip to ny came to an end over a week ago. with all of the dinners, lunches, and dimsums, my stomach could probably benefit from the reprieve. just the same, i keep dreaming about the yummy chinese dishes and snacks that i had with my grandma - things i grew up eating that i haven't found here in oakland despite futile efforts. let's just say, i made up for lost time. for those of you who have a chinese grandma (what?! you don't have one?!), you know that no two snacks/dishes are the same. it's all about going to THE vendor - the one who makes it fresh. here's a (very) short guide to the vendors that provide some of my favorites:

// 27 sunshine seafood restaurant (46 bowery) - best dimsum, in my opinion. get there before 11am and bring friends, as more people means you can try more dishes. be sure to order...

- gnaw-cherng (pictured above), which is beef wrapped in white noodle with a sweet soy sauce
- dan-taht (pictured below), an egg custard in a pastry shell





// fung wong bakery (41 mott street) - for lo-paw-beng, a round flakey pastry with a translucent white winter melon paste in the center.

// great ny noodletown (28 bowery) - for pork and wonton noodle soup.

// fong inn too (46 mott) - for bah-hong-tee, a white sugar sponge cake. it goes best with cha-siu, a bbq sweet roast pork (pictured below).




and to think, there are so many other hidden gems in chinatown! more ny pics to come.

i'm getting ready for a trip back to new york and i'm so excited to finally explore brooklyn a little more. with the guidance of brooklyn diary, i think i'll have no trouble finding some great spots. and yes, i am the nerd who prints out the google map pre-trip despite owning an iphone with mapping capabilities. what can i say, i like to be prepared.

any places i should check out in brooklyn or manhattan? the brooklyn museum's keith haring exhibit and moma's cindy sherman show are already on my list of to-dos...

new york...

/ 1 / central park / 2 / high line / 3-4 / west village with mikey, kenne, and natalie / 5 /  five leaves / 6-7 / wagener estate breakfast with russ / 8 / sam at seneca lake / 9 / adrienne's parents' house on keuka lake / 10-12 / hastings-on-hudson, my hometown.

i just got back from a week in new york. it seemed far too hectic to jump on the blog with my bridesmaid duties, but i'm catching up now. i have few photos to share since i stuffed my face for much of the trip and let's face it - you need two hands to securely hold a hefty burger. more often than not, burger beats camera.

above, the lovely table setting at adrienne + shaun's country wedding with local jars of honey for guests to take home. below, the lady of the hour looking lovely as ever.

congratulations a + s!

i love a long weekend, don't you? i'm back from a quick jaunt in vancouver visiting m where i had the pleasure of eating my way through the beautiful city. i came prepared with a long list of restaurants and spent more time eating than taking photographs. currently, i'm still feeling stuffed (food baby anyone?). if you're ever in vancouver, eat here...

:: guu / izakaya (japanese tapas)
:: epicurean caffe bistro / italian breakfast and lunch
:: nuba / lebanese - vegetarian friendly
:: paul's place omelettery / delish breakfast omelettes
:: vij's / deemed one of the "finest indian restaurants in the world" by the new york times

also, great people watching at jericho or kitsilano beaches. and thanks to angela for the recs :)

a trip in pictures / 1-3 / stumptown coffee at ace hotel. it's pricey for a reason. a little known fact about portland's ace hotel - there are free old school erasers and pencils... not really a selling point, but it's a real perk in my opinion. other portland highlights: frances may, alder + co, clyde common, jam. wish i had time to eat at the farm / 4 / roadtrip means winding skeins of yarn from happy knits for future projects / 5-6 / the ferry from vancouver to nanaimo on vancouver island / 7-9 /  granville island's public market / 10-11 / vancouver / 12-13 / a friend