Flo's New York Weekender

I couldn't believe my luck I realised that a leisurely bank holiday weekend in New York would actually save money on my work trip to Dallas and Chicago.

It has been 9 years since I was last there and a weekend is not nearly long enough, but I had a wonderful time catching up with old friends, eating tremendously well, and of course shopping, drinking and dancing. I have made a list of the highlights from my stay and am already counting down the days until I can return... 

Brunch!

Brunch is the archetypal New York meal to indulge in, and I had two fantastically calorific ones at Juliette in Brooklyn and the Park in Chelsea.

Juliette has a roof (drinks only) where I started with a blood orange mimosa...

...before moving onto some serious corn beef hash and eggs. Mmmm

While you're in Brooklyn, Caprices by Sophie makes the best coffee and is absolutely adorable (be sure to try a raspberry eclair too!) 

On Sunday I had The Park's famous 'breakfast pizza' washed down with an uber healthy kale juice for ironic effect...






Markets and shopping...
I am horribly envious of the food on offer in New York. High up on my lust list is the moving food market - Smorgasburg - whose many stalls serve all manner of things from ice cream sandwiches to bahn xeo to pulled pork sliders. Had I not had a huge brunch I would have eaten just about everything.

The one on saturday had fantastic views across the river...

Sunday was spend wondering Chelsea market where I bought a blood orange infused olive oil from The Filling Station that makes the most delicious salad dressing.

We got there via the high line which is also lined with temptation - I had some of this plum and cardamon ice:

Just around the corner from the highline is Warby Parker - a relatively new glasses shop where you can get frames with your lenses fitted for just 100 dollars. Needless to say, I bought two pairs! But they don't yet do international shipping so unless you have a kind friend who will post them to you (thanks Rob!), allow up to 10 days to collect them.

Another brand I discovered out there is Parker (also sold in Harvey Nicholls) where I got this lovely white dress.

And B&H electronics where I bought my beautiful new Fuji xm1 for a little less than back in the UK.

By Night...

My first evening was spent in the legendary Standard, and kicked off in style with a potent old fashioned.

The second evening began with mastering Beer Pong and Flip Cup on a Brooklyn roof top against the most beautiful sunsets, and ended up in Kinfolk dancing to hardcore Hip Hop all night. 

Thanks to Carla and the miraculous properties of coconut water I somehow stumbled onto my flight back home... Can't wait for my return

Seafood in the city: Bonnie Gull

It has been a while since I blogged about a new opening but our big move required celebrating. The new Bonnie Gull Seafood Cafe opened just under a month ago in Exmouth Market. I used to work near the first one that opened in Fitzrovia so I knew we would be in for a treat.

A combination of bright Breton stripes, gingham table cloths and simple wooden serving solutions makes you feel as though you're by the sea as soon as you sit down. We had gorgeous weather and a table outside in the sun. 

This was the first London evening that properly felt like summer had arrived - we drank a delicious bottle of cremant as the sun set and stayed chatting and eating for maybe 3 hours before leisurely heading home. 

 Of course the Oysters were a must. The maître d help us chose the exact right ones for us - not too big, not too small and deliciously creamy. 

Exmouth market is great for people watching because of all the great restaurants around that spill into the street on hot summer nights. There's also such an eclectic mix of people there, from neighbouring market stall sellers to city lawyers and my advertising and branding homies too.

I ordered the 'Smash your own crab' and totally smashed it. So much so that at one point, I shot a leg into my dining partner's face. He had the fish and chips which is a mammoth sea beast in crispy golden batter. Both came with excellent sauces - my marie rose was to die for and his tartare had little pieces of hard boiled egg in it - it's all about the detail.

 

 Told you I smashed it.

 Inside, the decor continues to delight with a gorgeously well stocked bar on a white and blue background, shellfish on a bed of ice and a chalk board that they illustrate every day with the catch of the day to show you where their fish is caught too. It's so much nicer to eat fish in the city knowing where it came from and when it was caught!

We finished up with a billionaire shortbread and ice cream with caremelised nuts. The desert selection allows you to either go for a full on pud like we did or opt for a smaller, more novelty option like Brighton rock or fudge - a nice touch on the menu.

You can book online or on the phone. Check out their website here.

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Humble Designs

Shhh... I'm sneaking up on some of my first guests to get a shot of the finished house before it's really ready. Rough around the edges is probably the best way to describe where we are now. There's still a fair bit of raw skirting boards and taped up edges around, not to mention the two major jobs that need to be done on the roof terrace and the downstairs garden. 

Despite still being in some disarray, the first 12 days in the house have been and gone, we've painted some more, hung some things, talked endlessly about the sofa layout and had an antique wardrobe arrive in an old palette that stank of fish which then nearly broke both Robbie and our lovely new neighbours' backs when we tried to get it up the stairs.

I will do a post on buying antique real wood furniture for far cheaper than MDF later on - the downside is that it's some heavy sh*t.

The little house has come alive from being lived in and to embrace a cliché  it feels like home in a way that nowhere has before. As I keep telling family and friends; our sweat and blood has literally sunk into these floorboards. 

The bedroom is slowly being assembled. The new wardrobe compliments an old chest of drawers and the floor perfectly. I got it from Ebay for £110 (similar here) to replace an MDF piece of rubbish that I panic-bought last year for £250 that died in the move. Antique wood pieces are always cheaper than new MDF and if you look after them, will look after you forever. Ebay can be a hassle but is worth it for things like this. 

God I love these floors. Robbie did such a good job on filling the gaps that the upstairs retains all of its heat and they are smooth to walk on. So nice to have kept some of the original parts of the house and have them used anew. I wonder when these were last trodden on by human feet. It could have been back in 1890 when the house is dated to - it certainly looked like it when we uncovered them.

Each morning, we wake up and open the terrace door to the South which lets in the breeze and sprinkles a little extra sun down our stairs. A cup of coffee on the roof is such a lovely way to start the day. 

We are using the spare room as a study and general work space. The view onto the terrace is gorgeous and the grape vine keeps it private too.

Merlin, our house owl and a gift from my grandmother 'to watch over' us is fiercely guarding the stairs.

So nice to have the space to keep well stocked up on the everyday essentials.

Our living and dining room is fast becoming my favourite place in the house. The table - also bought from Ebay - is a sturdy piece of pine which extends to seat 8 people when necessary - though I'm sure I'll manage to get more around it. Our two John Lewis ex- showroom sofas (Ebay again, and 2/3rds of the original price) compliment eachother perfectly and also divide the space up in just the right way. Once the pictures are properly hung, this space will be so peaceful.  For my living room Pinterest board and other inspiration, take a look over here. For now, I'm off to finish bits and pieces.

#Happy

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