Brunch: Aspen Social Club

This weeks brunch was definitely out of the norm.  I've been wanting to try Aspen Social Club since I saw it on one of the "top NYC places to eat" list.  I am a freak with NYC restaurant lists and literally have an entire list of restaurants I love/need to try grouped by neighborhood.  Needless to say, once there, I realized I had been before when I first moved to NYC (ASC doubles as a nightclub).  The restaurant was mostly empty, but it was a nice change from the usual overcrowded brunch spots.

ASC has a cozy cabin feeling to it and skinny white tree trunks in large glass cases line the perimeter of the space.  I took these photos from the website, but honestly the place was THIS empty.

 

I ordered the ASC BLT with avocado, swiss, chipotle mayo, and french fries.  I was worried the food wasn't going to be very good based on the turn-out; however, my BLT was one of the best yet.

How was your weekend?

Fall Favorites

Fall is my favorite season.  Summer humidity in NYC is brutal and I always welcome the transition to cooler weather before the long winter.  Here's my essential list of items I am currently coveting for fall.

1: Voluspa Candles - My mom always has these on stock in our house.  Baltic Amber and Golden Cypress are my two favorite fall scents.

2: Dr. Lipp Moisturizer - I recently got a sample of this in my birchbox and was so impressed that I bought the full size version.  This lip moisturizer is the best I've ever used. I always make sure to carry it with me at all times.

3: JCrew Field Jacket - I love the idea of a field jacket, but have yet to invest in one.  This one from jcrew might be my first.

4: Stella McCartney Rollerball - I love changing scents for the season.  While I usually wear Marc Jacobs Daisy during the summer months, this perfume - with notes of rose, peony, and amber - is edgy while also being feminine.

5: Essie Nailpolish - The fall collection is amazing.  I've already tried for the twill of it, after school boy blazer, and vested interest and can't wait to try the remaining 3.

6: Gold Throw Pillows - I recently scored these Tahari pillows at HomeGoods (sorry, I couldn't find a link) and absolutely love the gold speckled detail.

7: Vince Camuto Boots - I bought these boots a few weeks ago.  The leather is super soft and the gold detail really pops.

8: Cable-Knit Throw - I mean, who doesn't want to cozy up with one of these blankets on cool fall nights.

9: Lululemon Wunder Under Tights - These are my go to tights.  They are a bit on the pricy side, but trust me, worth every penny and now an absolute staple in my closet.

Brunch: Peels

This weekend I went to brunch at Peels in the East Village.  All I can say is this place was TO. DIE. FOR.  Hands down one of the best brunches I've ever experienced in NYC.  We've been having abnormally gorgeous weather and luckily we got a table outside.  Here is a picture of the outside from their website.  SO cute.

I ordered the build-a-biscuit with scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese, and gravy with a side of cheddar-jalapeno cheese grits. 

I mean, could you just die over that?

How was your weekend?

Apartment Decor

I recently moved into a new apartment and am having fun redecorating my (tiny, but bigger than the closet I used to live in) bedroom.  Because of the space issues, I have tried to make each aspect of my room comfortable and also functional to my everyday lifestyle.  Here is one tiny corner ...

Brunch: Lafayette

Saturday I spent the morning brunching at Lafayette a recently new-to-brunch restaurant in the East Village.  For anyone who loves to eat out as much as I do, the chef here is also responsible for The Dutch and Locanda Verde, both of which are on my list to try.

We started with drinks and a bread basket (Lafayette is also a bakery) filled with chocolate croissants, muffins, and danishes.   

For my entree I ordered  the croissant sandwich with french ham, gruyere cheese, and a fried egg.  I've pretty much decided that it was probably one of the best breakfast sandwiches I have ever had. 

Brunch was followed by some shopping in Soho, a little room redecoration (to come soon!), and late night karaoke in Koreatown.

How was your weekend?

Manicure Monday

....errrr tuesday. I always try to get/give myself a mani every monday in order to start the week off feeling fresh.  Although I'm excited for fall to come and love all of the colors for the new fall collections, I'm still not completely ready let go of bright nails.  

Essie Lovie Dovie with silver sparkles I found for 1$ at TJ Maxx.

Brunch: Barbounia

This weekend I brunched at Barbounia, a mediterranean restaurant in Gramercy.  I've been wanting to eat here for awhile and today was the perfect weather to walk around outside if we had to wait.

We ordered mimosas and shared a huge plate of hummus drizzled with olive oil and paired with rustic bread as an appetizer.

For my entree, I ordered the falafel pita with tahini, tomato, cucumber salad, zhoug & amba. 

The verdict? The food was UHHHHMAZING!  Our pitas were SO good and I think it's safe to say that we ate our faces off.  Definitely one of my new favorites and somewhere I'll be returning to for sure.


How was your weekend?

Brunch

Every Monday, without fail, I look forward to weekend brunch.  No joke - my friends make fun of me for texting them each Tuesday being like "WHERE ARE WE GOING!" ... Brunch in New York is in it's own category.  I've decided to start posting my brunch adventures each Monday from the previous weekend. I mean, come on, my blog name has the word "brunch" in it ... must mean something right?

For now I'll leave you with this ...

Brunch last weekend at The Smith. Salmon eggs benedict and cheese grits. Heaven.

currently craving....

This picture describes me perfectly....

Luckily for me - I have this...

I mean, how can you see that picture and not be craving that cheesy deliciousness!?  One of my favorite places for mac & cheese in New York (and trust me, there are a LOT of them) is S'mac in the East Village.  The perfect combination of crunchy breadcrumbs and gooey cheese.  I'm drooling just thinking about it .... 

What would you order?

Fall Favorites

In my opinion, there are few things that beat the feeling of fall in NYC.  Here are a few of the things I'm looking forward to ... 

3 words -- pumpkin spice latte

i may or may not have already snuck one of these into summer at bryant park.

brunch

you haven't brunched until you have brunched in nyc.

oatmeal

best. breakfast. ever. and even better when it's chilly out.

leather jackets

dying over this one from all saints.

FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL!!!!!

What are you looking forward to most about fall?