how many gin cosmo's is too many?
the carlyle! and my thoughts on moving to nyc part 2
as maybe some of you might already know, i am heading back to nyc in a few weeks, for an entire month of pop-up’s, and so here wraps up my trip back at the end of january. and if i am honest, i can’t wait to go back!
welcome back to my recent trip to nyc, and chaotic thoughts about being bi-coastal. if you missed part 1, then you can circle back here
you remember that we left off with my last night in brooklyn—which was a very sound sleep from what i can remember. why do i sleep so well in hotels and generally when i travel, it’s kind of amazing but also kind of annoying that i just do not sleep as well when i am at home. but that’s a story for another day.
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i woke up early and went to meet lee and jay for a bagel, before picking up some laundry that i had dropped off the other day (shout out celsius). we went to apollo bagels which i have been meaning to try for so long, and let me tell you that it did not disappoint. imagine a ny style bagel (as in the bagel itself) topped with courage style toppings. i went to the williamsburg location and there were no lines! i was, overall, very impressed. the interiors were chic and minimal too, which obviously—i loved.
i then walked over to greenpoint for a very exciting meeting with a restaurant about one of the many pop-up’s i have scheduled for when i am in nyc for (spoiler alert) the entire month of april. i will reveal all soon, but this nyc trip might even involve a little trip to miami for a pop-up too, who knows. ;)
after some final strolls around my beloved brooklyn, and of course—one more stop into my favorite vintage store, perhaps in the entire of nyc—10ft single by stella dallas. it is just the best place—a treasure trove, with pretty good prices too. i will say however, nyc thrifting and vintage has nothing on la vintage in terms of prices. vintage in la, is second to none.
i went back to pick up my bags from the penny hotel, checked out, and then drove across the williamsburg bridge in a uber, to check into the second hotel of our stay, the ever iconic—bowery hotel.
our room was so perfect, as always (we always ask for the same room)! with sweeping views across the LES and classic interiors. it really is my favorite hotel in NYC by a mile, and the sightings in the lobby are never a miss. i bumped into jared leto on my way in—that was a good one in my books!
my best friend gala and my husband, andy were arriving separately each within a few hours of each other, so after a quick freshen up i decided to sink myself into one of the comfy sofas within the bowery bar and meet up with a friend while i waited on them to arrive.
trevor (anchovy trove) and i have followed each other for such a long time, and i am such an admirer of his food. we cook and think about food in a very similar way, and have bonded in dm’s over the year about how much we love simple but delicious food. so when i let him know i was in nyc for the week, we arranged to grab an afternoon glass of wine. he came to meet me at the bowery, and we just had the best time catching up. a true gem—we talked about food (obviously), our partners, our favorite restaurants in nyc and so much more! i am so happy to now call him a friend, and we plan to get dinner with our partners when i am in nyc next month for work.
next up gala arrived and came down to the bar just as trevor left. perfect time to order a round of gin cosmo’s, we decided. and this is where the night really began!
this night ended up being known as the night of three dinners! to say we bar / restaurant hopped is an understatement. here is a little run down of everything we ate and drank.
first stop when my husband finally arrived was another round of gin cosmo’s at the bowery bar and two order’s of their polenta fries. if you know, you know.
next stop was eel bar, one of my favorite new-ish spots in the city. same people as cervos, harts and the fly eel bar is a spanish leaning tapas bar with some larger plates too—and it has such a cool vibe in terms of lighting and interiors. lot’s of stainless steel and iridescent lights. this is my second time coming, and both times were fantastic. anything this restaurant group touches turns to gold in my eyes. we ordered more cocktails and a few bar snacks that included the pickled cucumber and anchovy gildas as well as the long onions with anchovies and idiazabal—can you tell that i love anchovies?
next we bopped over to corner bar, one of our favorite spots for a slightly more fancy, bistro-esqe dinner. it is attached to nine orchard hotel and never disappoints (i have written about it before). we ordered many things but stand out was the steak, as always. and, the dill pickle martini!
after one more nightcap at the ajoining swan room, we called it a night. about time too!
the next day, it was safe to say we were all slightly hungover, but still managed to trek the city, shop til we dropped and of course fit in a restorative dim sum lunch in chinatown. it was absolutely freezing still, so won ton soup was very much welcomed! and let me tell you, if there is a woodear mushroom on the menu—i will be ordering it, and order it i did! i can’t remember the name of this spot, but it was so damn good and everything we needed in that moment.
we wandered around soho, waiting for gala to join us, and squeezed in a little more shopping too. but before we knew it, it was time for an afternoon pick-me-up (or hair of the dog, as we refer to it in the uk). gala met us at balthazar in soho, and so we parked up at the bar for some drinks and a few snacks (quelle surprise). we shared a bottle of white wine, then of course followed by a round of gin cosmo’s for good measure (lol). some say balthazar can feel a little dated and touristy these days, but i disagree. it’s kind of a classic in a nostalgic way—i love the bustling afternoon bar situation on a saturday afternoon, and it sort of reminds me of going to the pub.
it was our friends 40th birthday celebrations that night, and so we all headed back to freshen up, order more drinks to our rooms, then head out to jackie’s birthday dinner—which just so happened to be across the road from the bowery, at the il buco private dining space. we ate some glorious food, drank some even more glorious wine and celebrated our girl turning the big 4-0.
after dinner we headed back to the bowery bar for a nightcap, and in true nyc fashion, we all stayed up way past our bedtime—no thanks to some really good espresso martinis. but, when in rome i suppose!
the next day was a slow start, to say the least.
andy and i woke up and knew we needed jewish food stat. we walked from our hotel to s&p lunch in the flatiron district and waited in line for over 30 minutes but the line was just not moving, so we gave up and hopped in an uber to 2nd ave deli. i ordered matzo ball soup and some latkes, which were both perfection. this was my first time coming here, and i was impressed by how good all the food was.
we had to throw in the proverbial towel after lunch and went straight back to the hotel after lunch for a nap. as much as i love new york, and all of the fun it beholds—it is tiring. im sure this is not helped by the countless cosmo’s, over the past few days too. perhaps there is a limit on how much fun one can have?
dowling's at the carlyle
come sunday night, a lot of the birthday crew had dispersed, and there were just four of us left to celebrate, more intimately—somewhere special.
i asked jackie a few days before if she would like me to work on getting us a table at dowling’s, which is found within the ever iconic, new york city landmark, the carlyle hotel (part of the rosewood group).
the carlyle is situated at the corner of madison avenue and 76th street, the carlyle, a rosewood hotel has been a classic landmark of manhattan’s elegant upper east side since 1930. located just one block from central park, the carlyle is a 35-story, 192-room hotel offering guests a combination of discretion and grace. the carlyle is surrounded by galleries and designer boutiques on new york’s posh madison avenue and is located blocks from the metropolitan museum of art, the guggenheim, the met breuer and the frick. the strong art deco influence, introduced by the hotel’s first decorator dorothy draper, has been meticulously maintained, from the famed black and white marbled lobby to art deco motifs of the hotel’s specialty suites. many of the accommodations have been updated further with a more contemporary flair from designers such as alexandra champalimaud and thierry despont. every american president since truman has visited and its rich history includes visiting royals and heads-of-state including hrh, the prince of wales; the late diana, princess of wales; trh the duke and duchess of cambridge to the kings and queens of denmark, greece, spain and sweden.
safe to say, it is a very special place, and perfect for a friends 40th birthday celebrations.
everything about dinner was equisite from beginning to end. right from being greeted from the street entrance and being take to our table, to the generous pour of champagne tableside upon arrival, the incredible food, and the absolute best service i think i have ever had in any restaurant ever. it was quite literally perfect in everyway.
it was my first time at the carlyle, despite wanting to go for so long, and i can assure you—i will most certainly be going back. as often as physically possible.
bemelmans bar
two of our party left after dinner, as the weekend was finally catching up with them. jackie and i on the other hand, were raring for more (afterall, we were at the carlyle) and so once we had finished our last drop of dessert wine, and final bite of the table side bananas foster, we made our way across the restaurant and slid into perhaps the even more iconic—bemelmens bar, situated within dowlings.
with masterpiece murals by ludwig bemelmans, the creator of the classic madeline children’s books, bemelmans Bar draws socialites, politicians, movie stars, and moguls with its extensive drink menu and live entertainment, primarily being jazz.
we were shown to a table at the back of the bar, and ordered two dirty gin martinis. soon enough, we ordered two more. we stayed and talked, and listened to the jazz until the lights came up. it really was one of the most special nights i have ever had, and it was even more special that i got to spend it with one of my best friends, jackie.
as incredible as nyc is, la is where my life is right now, where my community is, where i feel happiest. i am so lucky that my job allows for me to go back and forth so often and none of it ever gets lost on me. i know how lucky i am.
i am working on many things behind the scenes at the moment, things that require me to be committed to los angeles in my immediate future.
we are however, planning on perhaps renting a small studio (if we can find one for the right price) so that my husband has a more permanent crash pad for when he is there for work (which is at least once a month typically) and so do i, for whenever works takes me there. but let’s be honest, i always mix work with pleasure—and so i will be there are often as time allows.
as i mentioned previously, we will be in nyc for the entire month of april! i have three pop-up’s planned, with one being a full blown residency, which i am beyond excited for. more info coming soon!
spring in new york city?—i could not be more excited!
nyc will always be there, and i will always be there (in someway, shape or form) too!
talk soon!
xo
Spill the T on vintage shopping in LA! ❤️
This was a really super read. I felt like I was there. What a great share. Fun start to my day!