Good Morning!

Five Leaves, Orange Leaves

As a 4pm pick-me-up I was flipping through some old photos and found these pictures from a brunch at Five Leaves, one of my very favorite Greenpoint restaurants. The space is cozy, the food is elegantly simple (including items like house made ricotta and grass-fed burgers), and the coffee is dynamite. This was a particularly beautiful fall day - oh those amazing orange leaves.

When You're a Jet

There are wonderful places to see outdoor movies during the summer in New York. Bryant Park and Socrates Sculpture Park are two of my favorites. But another secret place is Elevated Acre, thanks to the River to River Festival, and it happens to be only a few blocks from my office. We saw West Side Story. It was a beautiful night. And we drank delicious rosé. Which was just perfect.

Summer Feast

I met Larissa at the McCarren Park Farmers' Market to kick off a Saturday of feasting. While shopping, we decided to make a late lunch of DiPaola turkey burgers on Baker's Bounty onion rolls with homemade pesto, sweet corn on the cob, and a salad with pretty greens, pink radishes, cherry tomatoes, and grated parmesan.







To fuel the cooking, we also snacked - on warm pumpernickel bagels with Consider Bardwell cheese, Red Jacket blueberries, and home-brewed iced tea.



First Basil


Now Pesto!


Thank you farmers!

Labor of Love

There is a beautiful new store in Greenpoint called Le Grenier. Opened just two months ago, owner Maya Marzolf has been working on the space and tending the lovely garden in the back for over a year. As she said, it is truly a labor of love. She even laid the wood floor herself (salvaged from a space undergoing demolition in Manhattan!). It is clear that every item is selected and displayed with care, from the antique ice box to the 1950s Gourmet cookbook to the contemporary glassware. And there is a tempting croquet set - it's not for sale, but shoppers are advised to play a round in the garden. It's all very dreamy. I was there twice in one day and I can't wait to go back!

Eat the Season

Every summer Mark Bittman releases 101 ideas for summer treats - this year it is Simple Salads for the Season. Each one glows with summery goodness. In a lovely gesture, my boss dropped this recipe list in all of our mailboxes. I plan to make at least one tomorrow!

California's Bounty

I just returned from a trip to my hometown, Los Angeles. We ate our way through the week, but the highlight for me was Saturday morning in Santa Monica - shopping with mom at the Farmers' Market, followed by breakfast at Huckleberry (a "local artisinal bakery" owned and operated by Zoe Nathan, a high school friend, and her husband, Josh Loeb) and a stroll around the art galleries at Bergamont Station.

I Love You Pastrami

Sometimes it's necessary to revisit the classics. This deliciousness is from Katz's Deli. It really doesn't get any better. So yummy!