Restaurant L’Ostal in Darien is a Stone Cold Stunner

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Restaurant L’Ostal in Darien is a Stone Cold Stunner

It has been a very long time since I’ve dedicated a full blog post to one restaurant. And the few times I’ve done it in the past have been reserved for my most favorite local spots. Well, a new favorite local spot emerged last year!

Restaurant L’Ostal quietly opened in Darien in early 2021 after COVID caused Chef Jared Sippel to shutter his Manhattan restaurant. New York’s loss was Connecticut’s gain. L’Ostal isn’t just the best restaurant to open recently in Fairfield County - it’s one of the absolute best restaurants to open in the general area in the entire decade that I’ve lived here.

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I Can't Wait To Get Sitters Again

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I Can't Wait To Get Sitters Again

If you are, like me, (i) a parent who has had NO access to babysitters for the past year and/or (ii) a person who is still uncomfortable with the prospect of indoor dining, then, probably, you are, like me, REALLY missing the glorious feeling of having an adult meal inside a restaurant.

In normal times, my husband and I fairly regularly treat ourselves to a sitter in order to have some alone time together and to try some of the nicer spots around. I miss that A LOT.

Alas, spring is getting nearer. Vaccines are happening. And my SECOND COVID birthday is fast approaching. MAYBE soon things will be some version of normal again. Until then, I’m daydreaming about all my favorite local spots to revisit when I have a sitter. Here is that list in case you feel like daydreaming with me.

Think of this as the grown up version of my “Where to Feed Your Kids” list!

PS I included below only spots that I’ve been to (and been impressed with) over and over. I have a whole other mental list of spots that I’ve done just once, and badly need to try again (e.g. Don Memo in Westport, Maria in New Rochelle, the Whitlock in Katonah and L’Inizio in Ardsley).

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Mexico City is Close, Cool, Contemporary and AWESOME

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Mexico City is Close, Cool, Contemporary and AWESOME

You’ve probably been to Cancun. Maybe you’ve even been to Tulum. But Mexico City is where all the action is. From killer street tacos to fine dining and fancy craft cocktail bars. From anthropology to contemporary art. From Aztec history and centuries old markets to hipster coffee bars. CDMX is a humongous city overflowing with culture, deliciousness and hipness. We had such a blast celebrating our anniversary there. Get a sitter (you DO want to hit those cocktail bars, don’t you?) and GO to Mexico City.

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Get a Sitter: NYC Winter/Holiday Edition

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Get a Sitter: NYC Winter/Holiday Edition

Last week I saw a meme on Instagram that said something like, “What Do you Want for Christmas this year?” And then the mom responds, “a Saturday night babysitter.” Boy can I relate to that one.

I really, really love restaurant dining, and well, parenting cramps your dining style.  We do our fair share of dragging the kids out to eat, as well as paying a sitter so that we can dash into NYC for an adult meal. But even still, I don’t get rock star fine dining on nearly as much as my heart would like.

Here now are the spots in New York City that I would hit if given the gift this holiday season of a sitter AND a magic reservationist that could actually get me in at a reasonable hour. Oh and another big “if” here is IF I had unlimited funds. These restaurants are not cheap - but if you’re going to splurge, these are places to do it.

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