Sorry, We're Open

There's some advice that you hear all the time. But no one really seems to listen to it. Like in every beauty article I read, I mean those ones written by 70 year old women who look like they're 45, giving their best beauty advice, they always say that wearing sunscreen everyday is their number one secret. I've read it atleast six times. It seems totally valid, and fairly simple and yet not everyone is wearing sunscreen every day. Recently I bought a super natural, good-for-your-skin-sunscreen...I think it's time I start using this kind of advice to my advantage. And let's be honest, I'm the farthest thing from tan...might as well embrace the pale and work towards a gorgeous middle aged face.

The other one people without a doubt always say they regret is not traveling when they were young. They find a great job, get tied down, one thing leads to another, get married, and boom...there's suddenly no time for whimsical month long adventures and no chance to drop everything and just move somewhere crazy.  This one is always in the back of my head.

After five years of any number of roommates, dorms, and rented rooms...I simply cannot wait to have a place of my own. I think about decorating an apartment and having dinner parties at least once a day. I'm so ready.  And yet there it is, the fact that I'm only 23 and while the daunting 25 makes me feel as if I'm quickly getting older by the second, I'm really a child in the scheme of things.  A child who has some skills that could really be put to use in just about any part of the world. You can cook, photograph, or farm anywhere. So, what's the rush? I have to remind myself quite often that this is my time. It's all about me. It's my time to explore, to make spur of the moment decisions (mostly because when you're 23 and tied to very little, why not?), to move to a big city, to work my butt off for a really minimal salary or apprentice for people simply so I can learn and soak up all their skills and knowledge.  Twenty three is the perfect time for this, and forty three usually isn't. This is what I need to remember. Because in twenty years I want to say I took the risks and landed on my feet (because let's be honest, it's not always glamorous...but we usually do land on our feet), I learned from the best and made a name for myself.  Maybe I wasn't rolling in the big bucks, but that comes with time and hard work, from learning from as many people as possible and turning it into my own skill, and feeling damn lucky that I am able to take these chances at this point in the game.

** All pictures from a pre-graduation trip to the city; Unbeatable baked goods (get the Kabocha Canotto!!) at Sullivan Street Bakery, Mexican Street Corn at Cafe Habana, and Greek yoghurt treats at Chobani Soho- the perfect spot for a healthy snack**

Joseph Leonard

I think I've made it obnoxiously clear how much I love brunch (re: Prune, Locanda Verde & Jeffrey's Grocery)

What's not to be obsessed with? Bloody Mary's & Sleeping in? I'm sold.

Staying true to both the above criteria, I've got a new go-to brunch spot for ya...

Ladies and Gentlemen: Joseph Leonard.

I knew I was going to like this place when 1.) I saw the inside of the restaurant & 2.) I saw that they served their omelet with french fries and brioche. 

Look familiar? It's owned by the same guy that own's Jeffrey's Grocery right across the street.

We ended up waiting for quite some time, which was fine because we weren't ravenous just yet AND while waiting we spotted Jesse Tyler Ferguson (from Modern Family). 

I always seem to have celebrity sightings when I'm with my cousin Lily, we also always seem to go to brunch, at least lately. 

When we finally got a table they hooked us up with fresh fruit, fries & their amazing brussels sprouts for being so patient (can't say that's regularly one of my strong suits but I hear it's a virtue...)

Customer service win for everyone!

Shredded roasted brussels sprouts with sriracha. It's like they asked me what a few of my favorite things were, put them all in one dish and gave them to me free. So. Damn. Happy.

And as we demolished our treats we dove in to some bloody marys.

I got the "Bloody Caeser" vodka, clamato, sriracha, chipotle, oyster

Spicy and delicious. And hello! There was an oyster. AMAZING.

Mom got the "Bloody Mary No. 20" vodka, tomato, olive, beer chaser (sidenote: hello hand model!)

Perfectly classic and the beer chaser was a stellar touch. You know how I feel about those perfect square ice cubes too, don't you? Sign of a good meal to come.

Somehow we saved room for the main course, though we definitely couldn't finish everything off. 

My mom, my cousin/prop stylist/sous chef, and I shared everything. 

It's how we do. It's literally in our genetic makeup. We cannot help it.

My choice? Avocado toast with eggs over medium. 

The eggs were cooked exactly how I like them, this is usually not the case. I don't roll with runny whites, it's just not right. Runny yolk & crispy white...perfection.

Everything was deeelicious but the avocado toast was my favorite. Simple and well executed. 

Mum went with the polenta and crispy pork belly.

"Pork belly is the reason we eat meat."

And lily chose the mushroom and eggs complete with sunny side up eggs, brie & onion marmalade.

Dig it.

I loved this meal, and I loved this menu. The decor is rustic and hip and well, I loved that too. 

Oh and the service? Hilarious. 

What more could I possibly say?

Emmer & Rye

My miniature summer break is quickly coming to an end, so to top off this vacation of friends, food, family, beer, and whiskey I headed to Emmer & Rye for one last taste of the Seattle restaurant scene.



A bloody mary to start. I think I might be becoming a drinker...in the fun, young way that is. It's fast becoming my favorite vice. In moderation, of course.



We all shared the Farro Fries to start

I really liked these, it was almost like they cooked the farro(a type of wheat) like oatmeal, let it cool & fried it up so the outside was nice and crispy. The sage-yoghurt dipping sauce was so refreshing and flavorful too.

Then my mum & I shared a few small plates(which in reality weren't very small at all) and an entree. Here's a look at what was on the table between the five of us.



That's a lovely little dish isn't it? come on, just say it. It's gorgeous. ok, good I agree.

That would be the Spot Prawns with a spicy emmer cake & snap pea broth. need I say more? It was great.



And then there was the Cauliflower with Local Mushrooms, Spicy Greens & Walnut Vinaigrette. mmm this would have been a great meal all on its own, it was so savory and surprisingly hearty.




Crispy seared King Salmon with Morels & English Peas



This was a nightly special, the salad had pickled beets, arugula, fennel, cucumber & parm. It was really nice and refreshing, a salad worth paying for...not just a bunch of greens in a bowl, yanno? I'd eat this again, and again. and again?



Last but surely not least, an assorted pickle plate: Asparagus, Beets, Green Beans & Fiddleheads. Boy, I love pickles.

Eat at Skillet!

Hello Hello

While I go to school in New York, Seattle is home…and I’m back home for the first time in just about 6 months. Exclamation marks cannot properly display how excited I am to be spending three weeks in this amazing city.

If you haven’t been here you better start making up for lost time and book that plane ticket about 10 minutes ago. 

And while you’re here, there are quite a few restaurants you’re going to need to hit up, so let’s begin with Skillet.

They used to just have a food truck, well actually a food “airstream” a really adorable little airstream at that. Well they semi-recently opened up a diner sort of place and we stopped by for brunch today

….and you know what brunch means right??! good food and cocktails of course!

super fun cocktails, and an impressive little bar if I do say so myself

check out the bourbon lineup

I settled on a bloody mary though. mmmm meal in a glass, right?

all the beverages are served out of jars, only way to do it in my book.

and to eat? Kale Caesar Salad! yah I said it. 

I love kale. love love love it, and eating it raw and lightly tossed with caesar dressing was great.

did I mention Kale is ridiculously good for you? yah it’s damn near perfect.

pops got a cornmeal waffle with fried eggs & pork belly. 

and mum got this tasty grilled salmon sandwich.

Such a great meal, brunch should start happening on days other than sunday…

you know I’m right. 

Eataly

anyone been to eataly? it’s ridiculous!

I have no idea how anyone was able to land this much space in New York City, even Mario Batali and the Bastianich clan but jeez the place is huge…apparently it used to be an event space

anyway its filled with high end Italian groceries, and sevearl miniature restaurants featuring amazing dried/cured meats, cheeses, fish, meat, pasta, pizza. 

a couple of weeks ago we stopped by and had a lovely bottle of white wine and the Grande Piatto Misto Salumi e Forgmaggi, oh and lots of bread and olive oil

mmmm

locanda verde

A couple weeks ago I went into the city with some wonderful friends and had dinner at Locanda Verde for my birthday. 

Aubrey and I shared, because we pretty much wanted all the same dishes…it seems to be a trend, a great trend. here’s what we settled on:

blue crab crostini with jalapeño and tomato

grilled bread with sheep’s milk ricotta, olive oil, sea salt & herbs 

so simple. so good. maybe i’ll start a ricotta appreciation blog? ricotta deserves that and more.

fritto misto of rock shrimp, Ipswish clams & calamarif(shout out to clams all over the world….you are so efffing tasty!!!) and i do believe that was a blistered little pedron pepper right there on top, perhaps my favorite of any green pepper

 and 

spring pea ravioli with pancetta, ramps(wild leeks, i reallllly want to go foraging for ramps round these parts) & parmigiano reggiano

mmm look at all that green, peas are so great. I want to spend a weekend cooking with peas, and listening to csny. i’ll put that on my to-do list.

Check out this cocktail my buddy got for me

yup that’s one HUGE ass ice cube! impressed. it’s those extra inches on the ice cubes that really wow me as a customer…

huh I really don’t recall what was in this drink but I know there was rye. well, it was some form of whiskey, i’m liking whiskey more and more lately

what a great way to start the truly lovely month of May.

Revere Beach

On the way out of boston we stopped at Kelly’s on revere beach,

Just a tid bit of information…kelly’s pretends they are famous for their roast beef (i’ve never tried it there and don’t really have any interest in doing so) but in my eyes they are famous for the lobster roll

It is easily the best lobster roll you will ever eat. It’s packed with the meat from 2, yes 2 one pound lobsters, mixed with the smallest bit of mayo and cellery and put on a griddled buttered bun.

The kelly’s on Revere beach is the best way to go, first off its right on the water, secondly the other locations aren’t aesthetically what i go for

Aubrey and I shared a lobster roll and fried clams.




if you haven’t had fried clams than you better get on that asap, and you should probably get on that in cape cod and if you don’t like seafood then its high time you change you’re palate…but thats just my personal opinion

It was windy but we played on the beach for a bit and found one hell of a variety of shells