san francisco: day one

Because I've been sick all weekend/week (hooray for a smoker-like cough and double ear infections). Because I could seriously use a vacation to a sunny locale (it is 40 and raining today, bleh). And because it never got blogged about 7 months ago (where does the time go?!)...I'm going to finally get around to posting photos from our trip to San Francisco! So buckle up, here's five days of California fun!

O-H-I-O! The main reason we were in San Francisco was for the Ohio State/Cal football game. Those Buckeyes will travel anywhere for their team and I had never been to the West Coast, so it was a perfect excuse for a trip.

Our trip would not have been half as fun without Silvia to show us around town. She is from Redwood City (just outside SF) and it was great to have a local perspective while checking out all the Bay Area has to offer.

Our first day in town we went to Land's End Park, got a close up look at the Golden Gate Bridge, explored Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods, took a quick stroll through Mission Dolores Park, and finished up the evening with a few beers at Mikkeller Bar.

royal palms shuffleboard club

Kurt and I recently met up with some friends at the new shuffleboard club in Gowanus called Royal Palms. I had never played the game before but knew it had the reputation for having a rather geriatric following. While I can't say our session was strenuous in any way, we had a blast! I think the decor was my favorite part. They really designed the bar to feel like a cruise ship docked in Florida. I appreciate a good theme and so many of the details were really well thought out.

The courts are the main focus of the space, but there are still plenty of tables and open areas for leisurely drinking (Which is good because you will be waiting for a court. This place is already super popular!). You can even reserve a black and white striped booth by the bar.

Eventually we scored a coveted court, got a quick rundown on the rules from the owner (pigeons!? biscuits?!), and began our boys vs. girls battle. The concepts are pretty simple but the technique takes a little bit of finesse. The girls dominated for most of the game, and while the boys caught up towards the end, the ladies won pretty handily. Better luck next time, guys!

The space used to be a warehouse or factory and the owners turned an old loading bay into a food truck dock. They have a rotating cast of characters (it was Dub Pies in the afternoon and Red Hook Lobster Pound in the evening for us). It's such a cool way to keep your customers full and happy while teaming up with local restaurants who create a variety of amazing foods.

Other things of note: league nights are Monday and Tuesday and they've got quite a roster already! The cocktails are fantastic. Great for day drinking :) And the bathroom wallpaper is not to be missed. How about we put some flamingos in our entryway, Kurt?! I loooooove them!

Happy Weekend! If you are in Brooklyn, definitely check out the Royal Palms. It was a fantastic way to spend a Saturday afternoon. 

macy's flower show 2014

When I was in college, a group of friends and I took a Spring Break trip to NYC. We crashed on friends' hard floors, walked until our feet cried, froze our tails off in March (these Alabama kids were so confused), learned that no one is happy on an empty stomach, and actually had the best time ever. Although my NYC seed had been planted years before, it is still one of my fondest trips and a big reason I moved here after college. One random point of the trip that stands out for me is going to Macy's to check it off our very ambitious list of city sights we just had to see. We happened to be in town during the annual flower show where the ground floor handbag, jewelry, and beauty counters were draped in the most gorgeous floral arrangements. There was a strict schedule to abide by but our group wandered through and enjoyed the blooms for a moment before running off to our next destination.

Last year, Jenn and I decided to check out the show and I was shocked to see it housed in a trailer outside in Herald Square. Don't get me wrong, it was gorgeous, but the show was nothing like I remembered from my previous visit ages ago. This year, I was secretly thrilled to see the show return indoors. It might have been a little less grand and really hard to get photos without people walking through them, but there is something so charming about a familiar memory. I was happy to reminisce about having a fantastic time with dear old friends excited to absorb as much of the city as possible. 

So much has changed but so much remains the same. If you visit now, I will offer you a hard pull out couch to rest your head. You will be forced to bike miles until your legs scream. You'll sweat buckets because I do my best hosting June-August and I don't have A/C. But rest assured you will be well-fed and hydrated because I've learned NYC is best experienced through food. I do love this city!

weekend in review

Weekends are pretty much reserved for food and fun these days. There really was an absurd amount of food...

Sunshine runs around Prospect Park to make room for all those calories!

Cucumber margaritas at Bar Bruno

Kurt and I took a much awaited trip to Lucali in Carroll Gardens. So good!

Fried chicken and red velvet waffles at The Dogwood

DIY project that needs a little more tweaking

Dinner in with friends and a few rounds of Joker

Kurt doing some lightning fast kale planting in his garden

I made deviled eggs for our Easter Sunday Feast.

A few rounds of sidewalk cornhole and enjoying the last few moments of sunshine

I also made some strawberry shortcake with gluten free pound cake and homemade whipped cream. One of my better creations!

A full and happy few days for sure. (I need a few days to detox from all that goodness!) I hope you all had great weekends too!

#nycdonuttour @ doughnut plant [chelsea]

I've seriously been slacking on my doughnut touring recently. It probably had something to do with our terrible winter and my desire to stay within 3 blocks of my apartment (where there are sadly no doughnut shops). So now that spring has arrived, lookout city! I'm coming for you and your sweet treats! 

My latest endeavor was to the Chelsea outpost of Doughnut Plant. I went on a Sunday afternoon, so many of the flavors were already picked over, but I was still able to grab a few tasty options for Kurt and me to "share". The Meyer Lemon & Poppy Seed [yeast] and Valrhona Chocolate [yeast] made it back to Brooklyn but I gobbled up the Blueberry [cake, not pictured] for lunch while running errands. I have always fancied myself a yeast doughnut girl, but that cake was so moist and delicious. I don't even know what to think anymore. Two thumbs up for the Plant.

Doughnut Plant

@doughnutplantny

220 West 23rd Street

Chelsea, Manhattan

379 Grand Street

Lower East Side, Manhattan

And completely unrelated, I've been playing "Divisionary [Do the right thing]" by Ages and Ages on repeat recently. The song is crazy catchy and the video is adorable. So go out there and kick some ass this weekend!