Coffee Love....

This week is National Coffee week, and Sunday saw me visiting the London Coffee festival in the London's east end. The festival is held in Brick Lane a short walk from Liverpool Street in the Old Truman Brewery building.
The morning was miserably damp and chilly, but this did not deter the huge crowds that came out to visit the brunch time slot of Sunday morning.
The London Coffee Festival is a mecca for all coffee enthusiasts and hosts everything imaginable to make, drink and accompany coffee is every form.

As well as every coffee attribute possible, there was also plenty of places to sit and enjoy the Java or Espresso Martini's.
With DJ's playing the decks and a band in the Hyde Park space the whole event had a very cool vibe about it.
The event also hosted the Coffee Master's competition where 20 baristas were pitted against each other across events to be crowned Coffee Master 2015. Disciplines of the event can be found here.
Some of my favourites from the event... Toms Coffee, every bag of coffee purchased will Toms will donate a week of clean water to someone who needs it.
Cold Brew - it seems that the cold brew phenomenon that hit New York last year is coming across the pond for this summer. Cold brews in abundance from multiple coffee merchants... looking forward to a summer of chilled coffee brew.
Milk & Sugar - Bourbon bar and Gin Parlour.
Cawston Press adult soft drinks... the Rhubarb and Apple is my favourite.I loved the stand and the juices were gorgeous.
Cakesmiths - gorgeous tray bakes perfect to accompany any cup of coffee.
CrossTown doughnuts - gorgeous glazed ring doughnuts - love the displays of these delicious rings of decadence...

With a host of coffee vendors to sip caffeine from my favourite on the day was Grumpy Mule. My espresso was the perfect hit required for the moment.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the London Coffee Festival and learnt lots about coffee & all its accompaniments.
I liked the venue and all its different rooms; however think that for the time slot that I had booked the organisers over subscribed as crowd control was an issue. (especially lots of double / single buggies - don't get me started on that rant!)

As its coffee week I will be sharing some more coffee favourites this week.... Here are 5 coffee favourites from London and 5 from New York.

A slice of the Big Apple....

Hello.... I'm back from the Big Apple and straight into the flurry of work and Christmas events!

The suitcase is only partially unpacked and I have over 1,000 pictures to review and edit!.... some of which I will be sharing over the coming weeks, so bare with me as I share a brief slice of my week.

My 5 days stateside were fabulous and I packed so much in, when I look back on the pictures I think I will be posting all through January to share my adventures!....and adventures I had!

My 5 days featured seeing rock stars, film stars and former presidents!...  I ate a sprinkle of cupcakes and supped a few cocktails, and savored lots of coffee!. My travels saw me walk many miles, and I lived lots of movie moments.

There was also lots of fun and festivities as New York switched from Thanksgiving into full Happy Holiday's mode. The gorgeous tree was lit at The Rockefeller Centre whilst I was there. In amongst the festivities there was also time for some quite reflection at St Patrick's Cathedral and the heartbreaking 9/11 memorial museum and lots of protests in light of recent news events.

My love of books also featured heavily in my trip.... my kindle was filled with fabulous NY reads which I will be sharing with you along with some great literary loves in New York, including the gorgeous NY library.
I hope that I have tickled your taste buds from the Big Apple, and pop back for some bigger bites in days/weeks to come....

New York State of Mind.....

This time next week I will be waking up in the city that doesn't sleep..... yes I am off to New York! I am a little excited.
It's 2 years since I was last there and really looking forward to going back. My bucket-list of things to do/see/eat/drink is in excess of 60 ... not sure I will achieve that in 5 days, but I will do my hardest.
My Instagram feed is full of pictures which are just adding to the excitement, here a few of my favourite sights over the last couple of weeks...

• Saks holiday lights & Rockefeller Angels from marekrr
• Rockefeller centre from library hotel
• a fabulous B&W street photo taken by DanTVusa
• Centre St/Broome St Taxi scene from A guy named patrick.
• Veterans Day lit Empire State from Dantvusa
• Bloomingdales gorgeous photo of the One World Trade centre
• Brooklyn Bridge & City skyline from David Gandy
• Empire State lit in Tiffany Blue for Alzheimers
• Fall follliage in Central park from russnyc.

As well as collating favourite sights, I have also collated some of my favourite eats & drinks locations. Looking at my list I think I am going to eat & drink my way around the city!

 

• Sprinkles cupcakes & Bloomingdale's - the perfect combination.
• Katz Deli - if it was goo enough for Harry & Sally then its good enough for me!
• Baked - so pleased to see this Brooklyn Baker has moved into the Tribeca 
• Sweet Revenge - a favourite NY must, where else can you get cupcakes & wine!
• The Smith - perfect for breakfast & dinner... will definitely be visiting more than once. 
• Campbell Apartment bar - tucked into the eves of Grand Central Station, looking forward to sipping a cocktail here in one of Gossip Girls favourites ... xoxo..
• Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate & EggNog from Shake shack.... not just great burgers.
• Bookmark Lounge in The Library Hotel, cocktails to match literary greats... complete with a heated balcony lounge.

As I'm typing this I have my New York playlist on in the background and I'm listening to the aptly named New York State of Mind!.... showcasing Billy Joel & Barbara Streisand.

will be sharing more of my New York countdown this week....

New York Loves ~ Fashion week

New York loves has had a brief hiatus over the summer period however with New York fashion week in full flow I thought it would be a good starting point to share some NY associated fashion  favourites.

Garment District
Stretching between 33rd & 42nd street and across 5th, 6th and fashion avenue 7th, the Garment District is a gorgeous. The Garment District houses every store possible to make and design gorgeous fashion, filled with button stores, zip stores, ribbon stores along with yards and yards of fabric outlets. It may not look glamorous but its NY and its just fabulous. Along with amazing fashion outlets the Garment District houses a Fashionistas Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame features 28 fashion designers, 14 posthumously, featuring Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Diane von Furstenberg, Oscarr de la Renta, Marc Jacobs.
The Garment District also hosts a free walking tour which takes you on all the hidden treasures of the area and the history of its area.

Bryant Park  - has been the home of Fashion Week for many years and usually as the white tents are erected the buzz starts across the city. Featured in many films and TV shows as the fashion home, S/S15 moved to Lincoln Centre this season.

DVF in the Meatpacking District. - Diane has been in the fashion world for many years, her biopic is a fascination read, the women who bought the wrap dress to us all. Her studio and store are iconic in the district, often seen in TV shows - The Hills, The City and coming this Autumn DVF has her own reality show, which will see her give 8 contestants an opportunity to compete for a job with her brand.... The Apprentice for Fashionistas.

Parsons - The New School for Design - famed in recent years for the home of Project Runway, this fashion school has 6 campus's in Manhattan.

As with all NY loves posts I have plotted a map of the key areas blogged, along with 2 of my favourite photographs from the Garment District. The big button and needle along with the bronze Garment Worker.  Alas Teresa's bakery is no longer there and is now a Chase bank, but this is one of my favourite images of a snow capped worked in the city from many years ago.

 Here are other posts from previous visits, along with my previous New York Loves posts.Please let me know if you would like a particular topic covered in my NY loves posts, pop back next week when I will be sharing my London loves equivalent from London Fashion Week.

New York loves ~ Ice-Cream

Its that time of the month again, when I share some favourites from New York. .... what with it being warm on both sides of the pond I thought I would blog something sweet to keep us cool, so this week its all about Ice-Cream.

I've picked 5 of my favourites either for flavour, ambience, showcasing New York or just theatrical fun.

• Serendipity ~ famed for its Frozen Hot Chocolate desert, this was the 1st coffee house boutique to open in New York in 1954, offering coffee and desserts it soon became a venue to be seen in. You can easily wait up to an hour to be seated without a reservation... however the wait is worth it as the Hot chocolate dessert is delicious... situated a short walk behind Bloomingdales, its the perfect cool down after a shopping bonanza.
• Sprinkles ~ the cupcake specialists from LA opened a cupcake parlour a few years ago in New York, this has been joined this year with its ice cream parlour. This is on my "to visit" list this year as I would like to try the Red Velvet cone & ice-cream... if its as good as its cupcake then I am in for a treat...(will post back when I have visited.)

• Davey's ~ this very cute little parlour in the East Village is the brain child of David Yoo. With the ice-cream made from scratch its become a social media delight this summer... I am really keen to try the 'Brunch' cream - sweet cream ice-cream, with brioche French toast, cinnamon maple syrup & coffee glazed bacon.
• Emack & Bolio ~ founded in Boston by a lawyer, the name originates from 2 homeless guys that he did pro-bono work for. The funky little parlours are famed for its creative dipped cones. This soho parlour has been open 9 years and is a eclectic cacophony of sprinkles & treats. Next time I visit I am opting for the coffee ice cream float.... mmmm
• Brooklyn Ice Cream factory ~ situated in an old fire-boat house on the fulton ferry pier underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. This iconic NY parlour not only serves delicious creamy ice cream, but also serves some of the most iconic and fabulous views of the city.... this venue is the perfect treat along with rest point on the waterfront after a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge

 

I hope that these 5 flavours of parlours have cooled you down a little!.... What are your New York Ice-Cream recommendations and why?.... would love to hear so that I can add to my list for my next visit. I hope that you have enjoyed my NY loves post this week Here are my previous posts, pop back next week for London's equivalent Ice-Cream loves.
.... (please note that all views are my own and I have not received any payment for this post)






New York Loves - Central Park

This weeks New York loves is all about Central Park. Its one of my favourite parts of the city and every visit I spend many hours walking and exploring this beautiful oasis of nature.

The park is 843 acres and started being built in 1858. Following the depression the park slowly began to decline and the flower beds and lawns eroded and decayed. The park over many years became the playground for illicit and often illegal activities and gained a reputation as a place to avoid after dark. Over the last 2 decades a number of task forces and committees have worked tirelessly to bring the park back to its former glory and become a safe haven for families, communities, tourists and new-yorkers to meet, play and enjoy.

I have many favourite spots in the Park... here are 5 of many!
The Boathouse ~ featured in many movies and synonymous in Sex & the City when Carrie & Big end up in the water, this beautiful eatery is the essence of summer dining in the Park. From early morning breakfast to weekend brunch through to sunset dining, the views across the boating lake are delightful. Nestled mid point in the park, the boathouse is adjacent to a number of gorgeous walking trails and landmarks.... perfect, even if just stopping for a coffee. More from my visit here.



Alice in Wonderland ~ this gorgeous bronze statue is a short walk from the Boathouse and sits just north from Conservatory water. Commissioned by philanthropist George Delacore and constructed by Jose de Creeft in 1959.
Alice stands eleven feet tall. The Mad Hatter is a caricature of George Delacore and Alice is modelled on de Creeft's daughter... more information here.

Belvedere Castle - Sited halfway into the park, this quaint little castle offers panoramic views of some of the parks legendary landmarks, from The Great Lawn to Turtle Pond  and The Ramble. This landmark started out as a Victorian Folly, but has over the years been used as a post for the National Weather service and recently as a Nature Observatory.( more from my visit here.)

Hans Christian Anderson -This stunning statue was opened to the park in 1956 to celebrate the authors 150th birthday. The statue is extremely popular in the summer months as each afternoon story telling takes place around his feet, where little children and big children alike can listen to  Andersen's well-known tales, such as The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Little Match Girl and The Ugly Duckling being told. The statue in recent years has been dedicated to all the children that lost parents in the 9/11 attacks.





Gapstow Bridge - this is my favourite little bridge in the Park. It was built in 1874 and then replaced in the stone structure that you see today in 1896 and offers some of the best views of the new York City skyline from the park. It is one of my musts on every visit. .. just a short walk in from the Plaza entrance to the park it really is delightful. I have visited over many seasons, from spring to autumn and my favourite time in the city.... Christmas. The picture below demonstrates what a difference a day makes in the city... Christmas day 2010 (top) and Boxing day 2010 (top).

As you can see the Park offers so much for so many and its why its a must for any trip to the Big Apple. Here are other posts from previous visits, along with my previous New York Loves posts.Please let me know if you would like a particular topic covered in my NY loves posts, pop back next week when I will be sharing my London loves equivalent.

New York Loves ~ Burgers

America is home of the hamburger and within New York I think they host some of the best burger joints in the world.(I also believe that London comes a close 2nd!) Originating from German and Dutch settlers in the Eastern states in the 1800's Burgers or Patty's come in many forms. From Sliders, Deckers and Slopy's they all have a part to play in the rise of restaurants delivering a great burger.
Here's 5 of my favourites;

• Shake Shack - celebrating it's 10th birthday last week, this iconic Burger bar started out as a Hot Dog stand in Madison square park. Now it has a 24hr line cam for all to view the length of the line for ordering. Shake Shack now have 2 other locations in NY which offers in house seating, all keeping the vibe & ethos of the original. Here's 24 things that I didn't know about Shake Shack!. A visit to the Shack is a must for any trip to New York, Hamburger, Cheesy fries & frozen custard is a must for me on each trip.
• Minetta Tavern - this Greenwich Village eatery opened its doors in 1937, chef Keith McNally took over the reins in 2009 and this iconic bar is back on the map as a place to be seen & eat. McNally is behind some of NY's other food successes, such as Balthazar and Pastis. Minetta is famed for its Black Burger - at $27dollars its not a fast food, but made with some of the worlds best ingredients its the caviar of the burger word.
• Burger Joint - Le Parker Meridien - situated behind a curtain in the lobby of a New York hotel is the last place you would expect to find this graffiti old school burger joint. However Burger joint in the Le Parker Meridien hotel is just that. Serving Burgers along with beer and wine, its the perfect place to meet up with friends. I loved this cool little burger joint when I visited. Burgers are good and the vibe is very cool.
• PJ Clarkes - this very cool bar restaurant not only serves one of the best burgers in the city but has a history dating back to 1884, it has fought prohibition, depression and is one of Manhattan's iconic bars. A favourite of Jackie Kennedy, Frank Sinatra to name but a few, this bar is worth a visit just to revisit that old school glamour. Situated on 3rd avenue its worth popping into, even if its just for a beer.
• Bill's Bar & Burgers - sited just along from the Rockefeller centre this burger bar is the biggest stand alone burger joint in the US. With the capacity to seat 400, booking is advisable at busy holiday periods. Opening in 2009, I found this burger bar on a cold snowy blizzards' weekend and was thankful for the warmth & fabulous food it offered.

As with all 5 loves posts, here is a map of my New York locations for you to try..... enjoy.

What are your New York Burger recommendations and why?.... would love to hear so that I can add to my list for my next visit. I hope that you have enjoyed my NY loves post this week Here are my previous posts, pop back next week for London's equivalent burger loves.
.... (please note that all views are my own and I have not received any payment for this post)

New York Loves - Memorial

Last weekend was Memorial weekend in America. I love the fact that the US celebrate their military with a pride and a passion that outside of Remembrance weekend we don't do enough of in the UK, however I do think people loose sight of what memorial weekend is all about, and use it as an excuse to celebrate the start of summer filled with b-b-q's and fun and not remembering all those that have not made it home. Rant aside I don't want this to be a maudlin post, but a chance to see a different side of New York and one filled with pride, honour, sacrifice and thanks.

 During visits to New York I have stumbled across some beautiful memorials, which when visiting the city are worth seeking out, and give you pause for thought in a city that really doesn't sleep.
FDNY Memorial Wall - running alongside 10 ladder company's firehouse adjacent to the World Trade Centre site is a beautiful bronze memorial depicting life as a New York Firefighter as the twin towers fell. It is a stunning sympathetic piece of art which has been masterfully crafted, dedicated to the 343 fire officers that lost their life on that fateful day. Here are my thoughts when I visited it in 2012.

Governors Island - Governors Island, a 172 acre island in the heart of New York Harbour, previously a military base, and then home to the coastguards. It has now become a recreational area, which many of the historic buildings being held in trust. The 30 acre site is filled with many memorial sites, a perfect place to relax and enjoy the views onto Brooklyn and Manhattan.
NYPD Memorial - sited on the harbour side of the World Trade Centre, this water and wall memorial features every police office that has died in the line of duty in New York City. It is a calming space, which offers a small space of peace in area filled with hustle & bustle. Here's more from when I visited in 2011.

Battery Park - is a space filled with many memorials, the largest and the most iconic is the East Coast Memorial. This memorial honors the 4,601 missing American servicemen who lost their lives in the Atlantic Ocean while engaged in combat during World War II. It is beautiful. I have blogged several times of my love of this space, here is one from 2011, when the fleet came in for Fleetweek.

9/11 memorial - this month has seen the 9/11 memorial museum and I have mixed thoughts on it. I have visited the memorial pools and found them moving, humbling and a sentimental tribute to the space and the lives lost. Here are my thoughts from the time. Having visited NY pre 9/11 and post, the memorials in place are a fitting tribute to an event that changed the face of the world we live in today. A space that allows you to pause & reflect in a tranquil environment.

As well as the memorials around the city, one of the best times to visit is during Fleetweek!... its a chance to thank a sailor or military personnel in person!.... a couple of years ago I visited in May and watched the fleet sail up the Hudson river

and  met a few sailors in Times Square!. It was a week filled with sunshine, sailors and fun in the city!... plenty of opportunity to shake them by the hand and say Thankyou.

For a little bit of light hearted fun during fleetweek, check out Sex & the City's episode called Anchors Away which features fleetweek, or read Ali McNamara's great book "From Nottinghill to New York actually. I hope that you have enjoyed this New Loves, here are my previous posts, sharing some of my favourites from New York.

~ x ~



5 New York loves - Coffee

As I shared my New York Tea loves earlier this month, I thought I would share my coffee loves this week. Coffee is the much favoured hot drink of choice in America. 20 years ago a TV series hit the airways which would launch the coffee shop into a different stratosphere. Now it was cool to meet up with friends in a coffee shop, instead of a bar!... Yes, Friends launched 20 years ago and lived on our screens for 10 years, with some of its most memorable scenes in Central Perk itself. Although a fictional coffee shop in New York, the friends apartment block on the corner of Grove & Bedford street in Greenwich Village is still one of the most photographed movie location buildings.

 In New York itself you cannot move more than a block without seeing the iconic Starbucks sign and its coffee shops nestled among the sites of New York. There are over 50 sites in Manhattan, so you are never far from a cup of the hot brown liquid gold. However it wasn't Starbucks that gave me my New York coffee love when I visited nearly 2 decades ago, but the fabulous deli of Dean & Deluca. This store on Broadway in the heart of SOHO was everything that I imagined a NY coffee and deli venue would be. With smaller coffee shops nestled across the city, this brand now worldwide epitomises everything great about food in New York.
Coffee is so popular in NY that last year the subway map was released with a coffee stop at every subway location. This is a fun way to explore the city, although not sure how much sleep you would get if you grabbed an espresso from each stop... caffeine consumption would be astronomical!

Today I am sharing some of those stops of coffee loves from across the city;
Gasoline Alley; a cool urban coffee shop, with minimal decor other than a statement bicycle hanging above the counter in the heart of NOHO (north of Houston street) on Lafayette street. Where once the streets were filled with car mechanics and gasoline stations it is now filled with coffee shops and boutiques. Gasoline is an homage to an era gone buy, serving  Intelligentsia coffee, and Dough donuts.... 2 great brands making a name for themselves in the food news of New York.
Bluebird Coffee Shop; is a very small cute neighbourhood coffee shop in the heart of the East Village on East 1st street. With limited seating it really is a treat of a find, and the coffee served in cute blue cups is delightful.

The Bowery Coffee shop is located on the corner of East Houston and The Bowery, it has an eclectic feel. The old-world-style storefront features ice cream parlour tables and a zinc-topped counter. Along with dark & delicious coffee, Doughnut Plant fritters and Balthazar croissants are also available.
Birch Coffee has three locations across the city with its own coffee blend and iced blend available. All venues are aesthetically designed to fit its area. I recently featured this coffee shop in my Social media sunday post and I am looking forward to visiting in December. Anywhere that features books & coffee is a winner for me!.
D'espresso coffee shop in Madison avenue just around the corner of Grand Central Station. This coffee shop is the most stylishly designed and features an amazing library book installation which is just gorgeous. Another must visit for me this year...

As with all 5 loves posts, here is a map of my New York locations for you to try..... enjoy.

If my post has wetted your appetite for a coffee adventure in New York, ITunes has 2 great New York Coffee apps which you can download. One is free and the other is a nominal fee.... I really love the coffee cup map!....

 

I hope that you have enjoyed my NY loves post this week.... Here are my previous posts, pop back next week for London's equivalent coffee loves.

(please note that all views are my own and I have not received any payment for this post)



 

 

Afternoon Tea - New York Style

Today's New York loves features Tea. It's not the first thing that you think of doing on a visit to New York, as coffee is much more favoured. There are some great places and its becoming a much sort after way to stop & relax for an hour in the city that doesn't sleep. I have picked a mix of venues as it would be easy to list 5 hotels, however on my travels I have stumbles across some fun & quirky venues.

Most of the big hotels offer Afternoon tea, or High tea as it is often called in the city. My favourites of these is of course The Plaza. Twenty years ago on my first visit to NY I stayed in this fabulous hotel prior to it becoming private apartments and suites. The Palm Court where tea is served is sumptuous, decadent and very 'old school' New York and was completely wasted on a girl in her early 20's!... I am looking forward to returning this year for tea when I visit in December.
There are a few Tea shops which have popped up over the city in the last few years. Tea & Sympathy is a cute little tea shop and store in the heart of Greenwich Village. It sells everything British, which I am sure the ex-pats living in New York must love, and serves a great cup of tea, cake & cucumber sandwich. Its straight out of a 40's style tuck shop and a huge hit with new Yorkers who love a slice of Britain.
My next Tea stop is Sanctuary T Restaurant which is located in Soho on the corner of Grand and Broadway. This restaurants menu is styled around Tea and offers a huge range of Teas from across the world. With is minimal styling, it really is a Tea sanctuary. Perfect place to stop, sit and savour a relaxing cup of tea whilst pounding the streets of the city. With great brunch & dinner menu's is not just an afternoon tea stop.
Alice's Tea Cup has a 3 venues across the city. If Alice in Wonderland could have created a tea shop then this would have been it. Its like a curiosity shop filled with gorgeous scones & fabulous tea.
Here are my thoughts from a previous visit. Perfect little curiosity shop for afternoon tea, for big and little girls.

Finally my tea room of choice, is the gorgeous 7th floor restaurant in Bergdorf & Goodman, also known as BG's. Situated on 5th avenue and with fabulous views across Central Park, its a perfect place to stop and refresh if you are a lady that lunches or shops!
I have mapped my tea venues in New York, some of these may need to be booked in advance. Pop back in a fortnight and I will share my coffee loves of the city.