Gentrification of Upstate New York is nothing new. Several towns (and I’ve written about many on this blog) in the Hudson Valley and Catskills have gotten the Brooklyn treatment in the last decade or so. But not all such restorations have gotten the same level of care as The Henson Hotel, a brand new luxury inn in sleepy Hensonville, New York.
Read MoreIt 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.
Read MoreIf 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).
Read MoreI was very slow to learn about the major revitalization of a 1947 movie theater happening just 20 minutes from my house in Bedford, NY. Back in Spring 2017, a revamp to the tune of over $8 million began to transform the former movie theater into what is today a beautiful cultural hub called the Bedford Playhouse.
Now that I’ve finally visited, I am hooked on the Bedford Playhouse. There is a lot to love about this place.
Read MoreGoosefeather is a brand new, happening spot in Tarrytown, tucked far away from the rest of the retail in town, at The King Mansion in the Tarrytown House Estate. The fact that the restaurant is so hidden but already rather packed can only mean one thing - a TV famous, NYC famous chef is at the helm.
The spot has been open less than a month and the food and atmosphere is already many notches above the pack. I’ll tell you more below, but first, stop reading, book a sitter and make a reservation.
Read MoreYou’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.
Read MoreI follow a TON of food and restaurant related accounts on my personal Instagram. Over the past year or so, I’d noticed several of those accounts, including NYC based food folks, pimping out a fairly new Chinese food restaurant in Hartsdale, NY. As this is sadly not a usual occurrence, I took notice and put O Mandarin high on my to do list. With a good amount of delay, we finally made it there last summer. And now we keep going back. Find out below why this spot is a great addition to the suburbs.
Read MoreLast 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.
Read MoreIf you follow local food news at all, then you already know that Chef Bill Taibe is a rock star around these parts. If you don’t follow local food news, then I’m here to tell you that Bill Taibe is a rock star around these parts.
A James Beard Award Semifinalist for multiple years, Chef Taibe is the real deal. His three* [some signs indicate there’s another on the horizon!!] restaurants, all in Westport, CT, are so damn good, they’re not only worth traveling to, but I believe they rival some of the best of NYC dining. The Whelk, the oldest of the three operating restaurants (RIP Le Farm), is my personal favorite and especially shines in warmer weather. Read on for more details.
Read MoreEveryone knows that Manhattan has a lot of really killer restaurants. Since I am a food obsessive and a general lover of Manhattan, I get asked often where to eat there. A daunting question, no doubt, but I’m always happy to wax poetic about NYC eats.
Read MoreWhere do I begin? Paris? South Africa? Tokyo? Ok, I’d love to go a lot of places without kids but a list of achievable goals might be more useful. It’s not surprising that these choices mostly include alcohol.
I’m a mom. I’m a corporate lawyer. I really like to explore, eat and travel and I also like to plan where I’m going to eat, where I’m going to explore and where I’m going to travel. I hate the gym but also hate sitting still. I love NYC and try to get there often. My kids see me on my phone a lot looking at pictures of food, pop ups and dogs.
I started this blog because I was sending too many one-off emails to friends with suggestions on what to do and where to go. My posts are not intended to be full fledged reviews, but rather quick glimpses of what I've been up to. Hopefully posts will inspire you to check out some of those same things.
