a n h - m i n h . c o m

Since this blog serves as a reminder of things I did — as I get older, I can't rely on my memory as much! — I thought that in addition to the Year in Cities post, I'd write one about the best places I ate during 2009. Food-wise, it was a pretty phenomenal year. (This list is in no particular order.)

• Every meal we enjoyed in Italy. Seriously, I think I gained 10 pounds while there. For the first time in my life, I had pants that I couldn't zip up anymore.
• Alinea in Chicago is a total experience. I dined there once before, but this time, it was even more over-the-top, with Chef Grant Achatz coming out to create this crazy (in a good way) dessert on top of our table to end the meal. I could not have asked for a better birthday dinner.
• I've been going to The Slanted Door since its early days on Valencia Street. I know a lot of people complain that it's not authentic Vietnamese or it's way too pricey. But I don't care. I love this restaurant, and always enjoy a great meal and have a good time when I'm there.
• I read some awesome reviews about Cyrus, but this Healdsburg restaurant still surprised me with just how wonderful it was. Our anniversary dinner started with a caviar and champagne bar, and ended with a candy cart where we got to pick whatever we wanted. And whatever sweets you can't finish that night, you can take home in a little favor box.
• My sister and I first visited Yakitori Totto years ago and now, every time we travel to NYC together, we have to squeeze in a dinner there. (If you go, call ahead for a reservation; the wait can be long.)
• My mom was responsible for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners this year, which she hasn't been for a loooong time, and both were delicious. She usually cooks the traditional holiday foods, as well as a few Vietnamese dishes that my siblings and I love.
• Macarons from Paulette in Hayes Valley.
• Cookies from Anthony's in the Mission.
• For Jon's parent's anniversary and his dad's birthday, the four of us ate at the chef's table at Marinus, the restaurant at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel. Eating in the kitchen and interacting with the chefs is always such a cool experience.
• The lobster rolls at Neptune Oyster in Boston. (Locally, I like Old Port Lobster Shack for lobster rolls.)
• Since our trip to Italy (it was my first time there), I often crave fresh, homemade pastas. Quince and flour + water are a couple of local places that have successfully satisfied this craving.
• Another fantastic spot for pasta: Oliveto in Oakland.
• I never visit Hilton Head Island, SC, without going to Captain Woody's at some point and ordering the hush puppies with honey-butter.
• Momofuku Milk Bar in Manhattan. (You can now order their cookies and Crack Pie online.)
• The Village Pub is, hands down, my favorite restaurant in the Peninsula.
• Hot Doug's in Chicago.
• Little Skillet, which is located in an alley in San Francisco and has no tables or chairs, serves up yummy chicken and waffles.
• Every year, Michael Bauer — the food editor at the SF Chronicle — hosts a party for his staff and freelance writers. Since he is now in charge of the Home&Garden section, as well as Food and Wine, I was able to attend last month's shindig. I am pretty sure I consumed about two dozen of those tasty pigs in a blanket. (It's sort of a dream of mine to be able to tag along during one of his visits to a restaurant. If I wasn't writing about home/design, I would love to review restaurants.)
• And then there was the French Laundry. What can I say that hasn't already been said about this place? It definitely lives up to the hype. (We recently received a copy of Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home cookbook, and I may have to resolve that in 2010, we cook a meal from it.)

I'm not sure how I'll top this list in 2010, but I'm sure gonna try.

Posted at 10:47 AM | Link | Comments (4)

It's time to post the annual travel list. Same rules as 2006, 2007 and 2008: One or more nights must be spent in each city.

• Sacramento, CA
• Park City, UT
• Napa, CA
• Carmel, CA
• Saratoga, CA
• Rome, Italy
• Florence, Italy
• Venice, Italy
• Lake Como, Italy
• Chicago, IL
• Las Vegas, NV
• Hilton Head Island, SC
• Santa Rosa, CA
• Sausalito, CA
• New York, NY
• Austin, TX
• Boston, MA
• Yountville, CA

We started the year with a wedding in Sacramento, and our last trip for 2009 was a visit with Jon's parents in Hilton Head Island, SC. We just got back last night, so I'm looking forward to a relaxing New Year's Eve at home.

Happy New Year — and here's to an even better 2010!

Posted at 08:27 AM | Link | Comments (0)

I did absolutely no cooking this Thanksgiving — not even re-heating of leftovers. Jon and I went to my parent's house last Thursday, and the following morning we hit the road. Destination: Yountville, where we accomplished the Thomas Keller trifecta.

That's right: Dinner at Bouchon on Friday, dinner at French Laundry on Saturday, and brunch at Ad Hoc on Sunday.

Mmmm. Lobster. Bacon. Truffles.

I am pretty sure I gained about 15 pounds this weekend. And I didn't get any holiday shopping done. Thank goodness for this Cyber Monday thing and all of the great discounts that go with it. (Did you hear that the Gap is offering 20% off all of their brands + free shipping today?)

Posted at 07:49 AM | Link | Comments (0)

We got back late last night from Boston, where it was actually a bit warmer yesterday than it is here in the Bay Area. The purpose of Jon's visit was to attend meetings at his high school, located about an hour outside of the city. My purpose was to eat and explore and eat some more.

A few notes from the weekend:

• Sometimes, when we go out to fancy dinners, I don't feel like consuming alcohol. So I'm always appreciative when there's a good grown-up non-alcoholic beverage on the menu — such as Navarro's grape juices.* Even better though? L'Espalier offers a juice tasting: pear puree, pomegranate lime, apple cider Earl Grey, Concord grape and maple fizz.
• Yes, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are great. But I really loved the Gibson House, a historic museum in the Back Bay. Tours are only given at 1, 2 and 3 o'clock, so you have to pretty much show up on the hour (or wait outside). I was the only one on the 2pm Friday tour, so I got to spend the hour asking the guide lots of questions.
• The lobster rolls at Neptune Oyster!!! Jon ordered his cold, I got mine hot and dripping with butter. We got lucky and arrived when there were open seats at the bar, but if you do have to wait, at least you can browse the seriously cute store Acquire — which I think is just a couple of doors down.
• If I had a kid and lived in the Boston area, I would probably take them to the Museum of Science every other weekend. That place is so cool. (Even for people without kids.)
• While at Louis Boston, I came across some Madeline Weinrib napkins. I had no idea she made table linens, but apparently it isn't really news. (Food&Wine's blog reported on this a year ago.) I purchased a set of the chevron pattern napkins in orange. (Arbitare carries them in camel, black and grey.)

A couple of photos from the weekend:

* I always keep Navarro's pino grape juice on hand at home. I usually mix 2 parts grape juice + 1 part sparkling water or club soda, then add in a few sliced strawberries. (I borrowed this idea from Flea Street Cafe.)

Posted at 09:23 AM | Link | Comments (1)

Jon and I met up with his parents in Austin this past weekend; we flew out from CA and they flew out from SC. The main event was Sunday's LiveStrong Ride for the Roses, which Jon and his dad participated in.

In addition to the ride, there was a lot of relaxing, exploring of Austin, and good eating over the course of the three days. I especially liked the decor and food at La Condesa. We had to take the in-laws to Torchy's Tacos trailer. And the night before the bike ride, Jon and I went to Asti so he could load up on pasta. Delicious. (Loved their affogato and donuts dessert.)

We also visited the State Capitol. I just realized that I've been to Texas' capitol building twice now. California's? Zero.

Posted at 07:43 AM | Link | Comments (2)

OK, it was slightly more than 48 hours, but not much more. The weather was great. (Especially compared to this crazy storm that arrived in the Bay Area on Monday night.) The food was amazing. (How does Momofuku Milk Bar get that soft-serve to taste exactly like cereal milk?) The shopping was stellar. (I wish we had Uniqlo and Comptoir des Cotonnieres in the Bay Area.)

I think I ran into the editor publisher of Canadian House & Home in the hotel elevator one afternoon. By the time I was almost certain it was her, it was too late to strike up a conversation. Oh well ...

I've got some deadlines to meet, but will leave you with photos from one of my favorite H&H features. Stylist Sabrina Linn's home appeared in the August issue:

P.S. I subscribed to H&H back in June and finally got my first issue last week. So if anyone else out there is considering signing up for the magazine, prepare to be patient. But it's worth it!

Posted at 07:59 AM | Link | Comments (9)

For our anniversary this year, Jon and I headed north, spending one night in Santa Rosa (Jon rode in Levi's GranFondo on Saturday) and two nights in Sausalito. The weekend's dining highlights — of course there had to be some dining highlights! — included Cyrus (that place is amazing) and Murray Circle (loved the "Elvis" dessert with pancetta ice cream).

We also made a trip to the Heath Ceramics factory yesterday. And today, I got another ceramics treat: Meeting Emily Brown of Emilia Ceramics. I am smitten with these lamp, which come in three colorways, and am trying to figure out where I can put one in my house:

 

Oh, my least favorite part of the weekend? Getting a parking ticket today in San Francisco. Boo.

Posted at 05:23 PM | Link | Comments (0)

I have a soft spot for the Covent Garden Hotel. During the London portion of our honeymoon, that's where we stayed. It's a charming boutique hotel that's close to lots of great shops (Orla Kiely is across the street!) and restaurants.

This week, the Firmdale — which operates the Covent Garden Hotel — opened its first non-London property: the Crosby Street Hotel. I love the way designer Kit Kemp brings so much color, pattern and texture into the rooms. (Most of the photos below are from the Covent Garden Hotel; the Crosby's website doesn't have too many available yet.)

Crosby Street Hotel

Covent Garden Hotel

Covent Garden Hotel

Covent Garden Hotel

Covent Garden Hotel

During my next trip to New York — coming up soon! — I've already made arrangements to stay at another hotel. But I may need to pop into the Crosby Bar for afternoon tea.

Posted at 04:51 PM | Link | Comments (1)

We got back last night from a visit with Jon's parents in Hilton Head Island, SC. I got my hush puppies and sweet tea fix — and managed to consume plenty of other fried foods as well. (I'm going to count that round of miniature-golf and the hustle through the gigantic Charlotte airport as exercise.)

Since I've still got South Carolina on my brain, I thought I'd post a few new snapshots from Charleston interior designer Angie Hranowsky's online portfolio. I love her work.

Posted at 08:04 AM | Link | Comments (1)

My sister recently completed her first marathon, so a group of us went to Las Vegas to celebrate. A vacation in Vegas always seems to require a post-vacation — at least a day or two of doing barely anything. (Unfortunately, I had to be at work bright and early this morning.)

One of the unexpected perks of our trip: While there, we found out that a friend was exhibiting her spring 2010 shoe line at the World Shoes + Accessories show at the Venetian. So of course we had to check that out. It was so fun to be able to get a sneak peek at several designer collections.

Speaking of sneak peeks, I'm loving the ones that Grace posted today on Design*Sponge. Looking at pretty interiors is always a nice way to start off the week.

Posted at 09:31 AM | Link | Comments (0)

When traveling, I hate checking in luggage. So I'm always interested in hearing about how other people successfully pack lightly. Yesterday, Maggie (over at Mighty Girl) gave a rundown of the outfits she brought to Puerto Rico. And last week, Decorno detailed how she fit three weeks' worth of clothing in a carry-on.

My outfits usually revolve around which shoes I want to bring. A typical trip will include: sneakers that are part of my on-the-airplane attire (like black Converses); 3-4" heels; dressy-ish shoes that are comfortable enough to walk around in all day (my Anyi Lu ballet flats are the best); and flip-flops. If the weather's warm, I'll also throw in a pair of flat strappy sandals because they take up hardly any space and can be worn with almost anything.

Oh, and if I pack a coat, it's got to be versatile enough to go from day to evening and work with different colors. So a classic trench tends to do the trick.

Posted at 04:47 PM | Link | Comments (5)

Jon and I took a couple of days off work and spent a long weekend in Chicago. It was fantastic. Everywhere we went, Chicagoans seemed sad that it was so cold for July (mostly in the 60s), but we thought it was just perfect for walking around and enjoying the city.

We went to the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science & Industry (mainly for the Harry Potter exhibition), the building formerly known as Sears Tower (had to check out the new Ledge),* the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Art Institute (the new Modern Wing is so cool). But you know where we stood in line the longest? Hot Doug's. That's right. We waited 2.5 hours for hot dogs. But not just any hot dogs. I tried the foie gras and Sauternes duck sausage with truffle aioli, foie gras mousse and sel gris. AWESOME. I also had a few bites of the merguez lamb sausage with spicy harissa and goat cheese. Delicious. (The duck-fat fries were a bit of a disappointment. The ones at Spruce are way better.)

In other food news, we had the best dining experience on Saturday night at Alinea. And I do mean THE BEST. I've had the pleasure of eating at some amazing restaurants in the past — including at Alinea once before — but this weekend's meal was ridiculously good. Grant Achatz is a culinary genius. It's hard to describe this place; it's the kind of restaurant you just need to try for yourself. Photos in the restaurant are tricky without the flash, but here is the brilliant chef himself, assembling one of the 22 courses on our table:**

* The wait at Sears/Willis Tower would have rivaled Hot Doug's if we hadn't purchased the Fast Pass tickets ahead of time. Seriously, they were worth every penny. Otherwise, I think we would have been in line for 2-3 hours.

** Some of the 22 courses are just a single bite. And yes, I said on our table. We actually ate off the table; a silicone tablecloth was laid down before the chef prepared the big dessert course.

Posted at 08:17 AM | Link | Comments (5)

When we were in Italy in April, we took a cooking class in Tuscany. I was in charge of jotting down notes because, seriously, no one wanted me actually participating in the preparation of food that would eventually be our lunch. (I'm a terrible cook!) I also took a ton of photos because I knew I'd eventually put everything together in a Blurb cookbook.

Since the recipes are pretty simple — I love that about Italian meals — the book has way more photos than text. Which I think actually makes it an even better memento from our trip. (My nephews were super cute in the kitchen.)

Posted at 08:51 PM | Link | Comments (4)

Our trip to Milan/Lake Como last month coincided with design week in Milan. I couldn't resist taking dozens of snapshots of the giant lampshades hanging above Via Montenapoleone, which were installed as part of the annual celebration. At night, Teresa Sapey's Luce dal Lino project illuminated the street.

The photos were taken at opposite ends of the street. I especially like the patterned lampshades.

P.S. Grace/Design*Sponge has a post today with some snapshots from Milan 2009.

Posted at 09:29 AM | Link | Comments (0)

I took over 1,000 photos during our recent trip to Italy. It's going to be a while before I get through them all, separating the good from the bad (oh, and there will be plenty of bad, I'm sure). I took this snapshot of a window across the street from a pasticceria that my sister and I visited several times during our stay in Florence:

This wouldn't work at all in my house, but in this setting, I love the way these neon "curtains" look.

Posted at 07:49 AM | Link | Comments (0)

Thanks for an amazing two weeks. Even though we just returned home last night, I already miss you and your many gelaterias.

Posted at 07:20 AM | Link | Comments (0)

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions for 2009, but I can't stop thinking about Hollister Hovey's post about her #4 resolution: "More adventures!" It's not so much the idea of traveling more that's on my mind; it's the photos she included. She looks so well put-together as she visits L.A., Paris, Marrakech, etc.

I want that!

If you look at most of my travel photos, I'm wearing jeans and sneakers. But if you look at my closet, that's a small percentage of my wardrobe. So going forward, I resolve to pack more stylish outfits when I travel — and make sure I get photographed wearing at least one of them.

Posted at 08:11 AM | Link | Comments (1)

We kicked off the New Year by attending the wedding of one of Jon's college friends. Then, a few days later, we were on a plane headed to Park City for a family ski trip. (Well, it was a ski trip for everyone but me.)

The city and slopes weren't very crowded, but I suspect that will change drastically next week when the Sundance Film Festival starts.

Posted at 08:42 PM | Link | Comments (2)

I figured that we're close enough to the end of the year for me to post this annual list. Same rules as 2007: One or more nights must be spent in each city.

• San Francisco, CA
• Portland, OR
• Carmel, CA
• Maui, HI
• Saratoga, CA
• London, England
• Paris, France
• New York City, NY
• Napa, CA
• Tokyo, Japan
• Hong Kong, China
• Austin, TX
• Valencia, CA

Although there were less cities visited than in 2007, it was still an awesome year travel-wise. (And the important thing is that I beat Nick by one city!)

Hope you all had a fantastic 2008, and fingers crossed that 2009 brings lots more good memories.

Posted at 02:31 PM | Link | Comments (2)

A few months ago, Jon participated in the San Jose LiveStrong bike ride. His fundraising total led in an invitation to the Ride for the Roses in Austin yesterday. So off we went to a city that has long been on our list of places to visit. A few things worth mentioning:

• The Longhorns were playing at home on Saturday so there was orange everywhere we looked. Orange shirts, hats, shoes, matching cheerleading outfits on a set of four-year-old triplets waiting in line at Amy's Ice Creams. I guess I didn't really grasp just how big a deal UT football is there. Now, I get it.
• Eating out of trailers and Airstreams isn't something we normally do, but that's exactly what we did in Austin. We stopped at Torchy's Tacos (um, FRIED AVOCADO TACOS) and Hey Cupcake on Saturday afternoon.
• While Jon was busy biking 90 miles yesterday morning, I was eating fried okra and sweet potato fries. And checking out the shops along W. 2nd Street. I was ecstatic to find an Art-O-Mat at Mercury Design Studio, which is filled with such lovely furniture. If it was at all feasible, I would have taken half of the reupholstered vintage pieces home with me.

P.S. Thanks, Kim, for all of the great suggestions!

P.P.S. My suitcase has been on constant standby lately. Just as soon as it's unpacked, it needs to be re-packed for another trip. Don't get me wrong, I *love* travel. I consider it one of the big splurgest in our lives. But you know what else was a recent, pretty major splurge? Our house. And it's going to be great to finally spend consecutive weekends there in the coming months. Hopefully, that means I can cross a bunch of stuff off of the to-do list.

Posted at 10:46 AM | Link | Comments (2)

What a weekend! My sister and I arrived in NYC around midnight on Friday and, 48 hours later, I was already back home in the Bay Area. One of our first stops was ABC Carpet & Home, where we spied these seating options:

I couldn't resist getting a pair of these stools (on sale!).

We loved this petite upholstered chair, but it was $2500. Yikes.

Obama chairs, but no McCains or Palins to be found.

It was a great trip, but too short! Still, we managed to cram in lots of good eating and shopping. Now I need a nap. (And my credit card needs a rest, too.)

Posted at 09:52 AM | Link | Comments (0)

Just as we were about to land in Tokyo, I realized that I had forgotten my wallet at home. Usually, I forget to pack pajamas. This time? Just all of my credit cards.

That oversight, coupled with the fact that we were trying not to check-in any luggage (I hate waiting at baggage claim), cramped my shopping style. But I still couldn't resist picking up a set of these "Design Chair Cushions" at Sempre.

In the store, they displayed them with several different chairs — including the Eames fiberglass design that we have in our kitchen. I had actually been looking for cushions for these chairs because I always feel like I slide back too far and then the table ends up feeling a tad too high. Even though they didn't fit in our suitcases, I managed to successfully carry four of them home with me on the plane.

Posted at 10:18 AM | Link | Comments (5)

During our first full day in Tokyo, Jon and I managed to meet up with Jill, who was nearing the end of her trip. She led us down some marvelous alleys, including one that was home to this shop/cafe:

Posted at 10:45 AM | Link | Comments (0)

We're back! This year, to celebrate our fourth anniversary, Jon and I took a trip to Tokyo and Hong Kong. Here we are right after our early-morning sushi breakfast at the Tsukiji fish market:

More later — once I've caught up on work and life in general ...

Posted at 09:43 AM | Link | Comments (0)

Since I was in NYC last week for less than 48 hours, I didn't get a chance to visit ABC Carpet & Home. But I did make it over to Barneys housewares department, where I picked up this Madeline Weinrib rug:

Also at Barneys, I spotted these cute stools and ottomans done up in Judy Ross patterns:

And at Anthropologie, they had a bunch of vintage suitcases that had been transformed into tables with the addition of some wooden legs:

Those suitcase tables are now officially on my DIY project list.

Posted at 11:22 AM | Link | Comments (2)

A while back, Meg put out a call for some helping hands for her fabulous Modern Economy sales. I couldn't make it to the SF event in April, but signed up for the Portland sale. It went down this weekend, which also marked my birthday. Initially, I was going to travel solo ... But then my sister wanted to join me, since her best friend lives up there. And then Jon decided to tag along as well.

So, in the end, I got to spend my birthday weekend with all sorts of great people. Which, of course, makes me one lucky lady. But on top of the awesome company I kept? I picked up some fantastic stuff at the sale. AND I enjoyed meals at Clyde Common and Saucebox. AND I met Lise (from Apartment Therapy) and Sally in person! AND I just had to squeeze in multiple trips to Stumptown Coffee.

Not only was the Stumptown coffee excellent, but they had these beautiful glass light fixtures. Pretty, pretty.

Posted at 08:07 AM | Link

Yikes. It's been about two months and I have yet to upload my photos from our trip to London and Paris. Terrible! But here are a few shots from one of my favorite shops, Liberty:

Posted at 02:36 PM | Link

A Cup of Jo linked earlier this week to Abbey's "staycation" post, and it got me thinking about taking a quick local retreat. Cavallo Point, which opens its doors next week, is definitely on my list of places to check out soon.

The property is situated in Fort Baker (Marin Headlands) and offers amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Of the two types of accomodations available — historic (top photo) or contemporary (bottom photo) — I would go with the former. The historic rooms are located in turn-of-the-century Colonial Revival buildings that were originally the Fort Baker Officers Residences.

I love that they're going to offer creative arts and culinary arts programs. Oh, and there's a spa for Jon as well.

Posted at 09:37 AM | Link

• The salted caramel hot chocolate at Amai — which absolutely hit the spot on a rainy Friday afternoon.
• Meeting some of my favorite bloggers in person.
• Pretty Mayle dresses that will be perfect for those days I have to wear grown-up clothes to work.
• The dessert sampler at Mercer Kitchen. Everything on the platter was seriously delicious.
• Celebrating Joy's birthday.
• Walking around Javits for NSS and ICFF with Jill.
• Finding out over breakfast at Norma's that a friend is 13 weeks pregnant.
• Drinks at the King Cole Bar in the St. Regis — just a few hours after watching that scene in "The Devil Wears Prada" where Andy gets the Harry Potter manuscript from Simon at that very bar.
• Dinner at Yakitori Totto, which is always good.

The biggest highlight of the trip was simply spending time with my sister/BFF. And, since Jon wasn't there, I had to pick up a few souvenirs for him:

The bicycle seat shower cap was a designboom Mart purchase that I couldn't resist — even though Jon doesn't really ride his bike in the rain. And the candy bars are from the Chocolate Bar. (The bottom one is illustrated by David Horvath of Ugly Dolls fame.)

Posted at 10:20 AM | Link

I just got back from four days in NYC filled with lots of yummy meals, meet-ups with good friends, some excellent shopping, and productive visits to the NSS and ICFF shows. More on the trip later ... Right now, I'm going to get outside and enjoy the sunshine!

Posted at 02:04 PM | Link

Over at decor8, I've written a post highlighting some of the houseware stores I visited in London. Below is the Barcelona chaise given the Tricia Guild treatment (with her fantastic textiles).

Posted at 07:04 AM | Link

Contrary to what its name implies, Leeds Castle is actually not in the city of Leeds in northern England.* Rather, it is in Kent — near a tiny village called Leeds — and it is an easy drive from London. Since my nephews, ages 5 and 6, really really really wanted to see a castle during our European vacation, we took a day-trip there.

When we arrived in Kent, there wasn't much snow to be seen. But just around lunchtime, it really started coming down. Of course, we had to take photos since we didn't think anyone would take our word for it that it was snowing:

Inside the castle — where it was nice and warm — I totally loved this bedroom:

There's so much color, texture and pattern in this room, yet it all works somehow.

* Thanks, Ian, for the clarification!

Posted at 11:29 AM | Link

This blog has been a bit dormant lately because we just got back from ten days in London and Paris! What a difference a few days and a few hundred kilometers made:

Snow day: London's Hyde Park on Sunday, April 6

Poppies in bloom: Paris' Jardin des Plantes on Thursday, April 10

More on the trip later ...

Posted at 08:31 AM | Link

Relaxing by the pool in Hawaii for hours and hours is nice and all. But maybe not the best idea when you have a schmancy event to attend a week later. And you now have tan lines that will look ridiculous with the spaghetti-strapped dress you were planning to wear.

(Why didn't I choose a shady spot under an umbrella!?! At least for half of the time.)

So, Internet, I am now racking my brain trying to think of a different dress to wear to this function ... which is in three days.

Posted at 12:01 PM | Link

I hear the weather was lovely here this weekend in the Bay Area. But you know where it was even sunnier and warmer? Maui. Which is where Jon and I spent the past few days. All of that lying out by the pool can be tiring, I tell you! Or maybe it's the wailing babies and shaking rattles on the five-hour plane ride home last night that have got me feeling fatigued?

I need a nap to recover from our rather quick trip. Unfortunately, I think our company handbook explicitly prohibits sleeping at your desk.

Posted at 08:27 AM | Link

Yessss! Lara solicited reader suggestions for must-visit places in London, and the list is quite good. I am totally going to print it out and use this for my own trip later this year.

And this just in! IDEO has released travel books! Including one on London. Must get.

Posted at 08:36 AM | Link

We spent the weekend in Carmel, celebrating Jon's birthday. There were gifts (though sadly his big present requires a six-month wait). There was cake (tiramisu). There was a much-needed visit to the spa (him, not me). And, of course, a trip to the Big Sur Bakery (one of my favorite spots).

Posted at 10:18 AM | Link

I am insanely envious of people who can take great photos. Right now, I am really enjoying Alex's pictures from her (ongoing) trip to Europe. You can check them out in her Flickr photostream and follow along on her blog.

Oh, and I didn't realize this until recently, but she also has a site —"How She Sees the World" — that documents her travels in photographs.

Posted at 02:59 PM | Link

Although I don't think I want my own bedroom to be bright and bold, I can appreciate well-designed rooms that are. For just a couple of nights, it would be fun to stay in a room that looks like this:

Or this:

Photos from the Maison 140 Beverly Hills.

Posted at 01:03 PM | Link

While we were in Hayes Valley this weekend, we popped into Flight 001 (a store I love) and loaded up on Streetwise maps. These are my absolutely favorite. I also like the Moleskine City notebooks, which I carried with me in Prague and London last summer because they were small enough to fit into my pockets.

I'm excited about going to London again this year, but not excited about paying 30 USD for fish'n'chips. Stupid exchange rate.

Posted at 09:41 AM | Link

Although Jon and I were in Portland for less than 48 hours, we managed to cram in lots of food-related things, of course. Including: Clyde Common, Voodoo Doughnut, Pearl Bakery, Cava, Daily Cafe and Saint Cupcake. And we stayed at the Ace Hotel, which we loved — despite how noisy it was. (I guess that's the trade-off for staying in such a bustling part of town!) And we drank waaay too much Stumptown coffee this weekend.

I also enjoyed an outing with some very talented and design-savvy ladies from the Bay Area, Portland and Philly. Only this group would veto entering a shop because the company logo is so unsightly!

Posted at 12:41 PM | Link

Okay, I like the show, but I swear I'm not obsessed with it. (At least I don't think I am?) But in case there are other GG fans reading this site, I thought I'd share Gridskipper's GG Guide — detailing the real-life NYC settings for various scenes.

Posted at 09:36 AM | Link

Trying to make this a tradition now ... Same rule as last year: One or more nights must be spent in each city.

• Hilton Head Island, SC
• Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
• Carmel Valley, CA
• The Sea Ranch, CA
• New York, NY
• Berkeley, CA
• Moscow, Russia
• Prague, Czech Republic
• Bucharest, Romania
• London, England
• St. Andrew's, Scotland
• Inverness, Scotland
• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Napa, CA
• Los Cabos, Mexico
• Saratoga, CA
• San Francisco, CA

BTW, I know some folks include their own hometown in their list, but my friend Nick and I agreed not to. In fact, our tally system calls for excluding any cities within your home county. (Which I guess doesn't really matter for him since San Francisco is a county of one city.)

Posted at 10:12 AM | Link

So how did we end up spending Thanksgiving in Mexico?

Earlier this year, my dad put in a request for a family vacation to Los Cabos. Now, this is a man who doesn't ask for much. Which means that when he does ask for something, everyone pays attention. But with the kids' school schedules and other vacation plans already on the calendar, the only time we could all travel together was Thanksgiving week. So off we went — 12 of us — down to Mexico last Tuesday.

While we still managed to have turkey for Thanksgiving dinner (well, everyone except my brother, who opted for a grouper entree), it was the empanadas, the churros, the hot chocolate (good in the evenings), the fish tacos, the chile rellenos, the mango smoothies and the buñuelos that I have the fondest memories of. Food-wise, that is.

In terms of quality family-time, there was plenty of that as well. In addition to days (and I do mean entire days) spent at the beach or pool, there was a dolphin outing and a fishing excursion (we've got the mahi mahi sitting in our freezer as a souvenir). My brother's family took the bulk of the photos, but here are a few from my camera:

The view from our beachfront balcony.

Continue reading "Thanksgiving Travels" »

Posted at 08:17 PM | Link

Good times. Jon and I spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Mexico with my side of the family. We've been back in California for less than five hours and I'm already going through churro and chile relleno withdrawal.

Photos and more travel notes to come.

Posted at 07:53 PM | Link

Spotted in the Co-Op at Barneys on Madison this weekend: A dresser that was made over with a funky paint job. Seems like an easy pattern to freehand.

At the Anthropologie in Soho, I loved these gallon jugs that were transformed into pendant lamps. A great, affordable DIY project perhaps?

I liked the way this scarf was displayed at the Hermès store. Apologies for the poor photo quality. It's the best I could do before one of the sales associates sicced the security guard on me. (The things I do to have something to blog about!)

Posted at 03:02 PM | Link

I spent the weekend in NYC and although I was not running the marathon, I am still tired. Very tired. I don't tend to take many photos when I travel there — perhaps in part because lots of stores reprimand you for snapping pictures (even without a flash). But I did manage to get this photo of the sixth floor (the Children's Department) at Takashimaya. I love the tree-roots effect, especially the shadows on the ceiling:

By the way, if you're making a trip to the store, be sure to hit the lowest level — home to the Tea Box Café. It's such a nice respite from the bustle of the city, especially on a chilly fall day. I am a big fan of the East-West Afternoon Tea, as well as the Japanese snacks available in the adjacent shop area.

Posted at 10:50 AM | Link

Over at AT:SF, I wrote a post today about the Covent Garden Hotel, which is one of my favorite hotels. Aside from a great location and superb service, I'm crazy about the use of color and pattern in the place. Firmdale — the company behind the Covent Garden Hotel — is responsible for several other London hotels that also feature lovely decor:

Haymarket Hotel

Soho Hotel

Drawing Room at Number Sixteen

Posted at 10:11 AM | Link

Since our anniversary fell on a Tuesday this year, we put off our anniverary trip a few days and headed up to Napa on Friday afternoon. Every year, around our anniversary, we take a trip somewhere. Somewhere close, somewhere far — doesn't matter. The only rule is that it can't be a destination where we've already stayed overnight together. We're supposed to alternate planning the trip, so it's a surprise to the other person. But I blew it this year so Jon knew in advance that we were heading to the Wine Country.

We stayed at the fantastic Carneros Inn, which I *loved*. I've been wanting to check out this place for years, and it did not disappoint. At all. Food highlights included dinner at FARM, lunch at Bistro Jeanty (the tomato soup in puff pastry is excellent), and dinner at Ad Hoc. Of course, we enjoyed a few tastings (Joseph Phelps, Twomey and Silver Oak). Here are some photos from the weekend — taken despite the fact that I dropped/broke our camera:*

Among the grapes at Clos Pegase, which features architecture by Michael Graves.

Eh. We weren't that impressed really.

Our cottage at the Carneros Inn.

Mmmm ... Yummy wood fence post.

* Jon is always harassing me about using the wrist-strap when I'm taking pictures. This just further proves that I really should listen to him more often.

Posted at 06:04 PM | Link

Until three years ago, I lived a passport-free existence. I was finally prompted to apply for a passport when Jon and I planned our honeymoon to Europe. Since then, I've been fortunate enough to go on some truly fantastic trips. I'm taking a lot of photos around the house these days, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite travel keepsakes:

Coincidentally, today's "Room to Improve" column in the NY Times asks: How can I display travel souvenirs without making my house look too messy?

* Prague is known for its beautiful glass and porcelain products. But you know what else you can find EVERYWHERE in Prague? Puppets! So one of our souvenirs from Prague is a Harry Potter puppet. Yeah, that's right.

Posted at 07:59 AM | Link

Any guesses as to which hip dining establishment is shown below?

This is the McDonald's just off Pushkin Square in Moscow. I'm slightly embarassed to admit that our first meal in Russia was here. But isn't it THE nicest McDonald's you've ever laid eyes on?

Let me back up a bit and explain: Our flight landed in Moscow at 6pm and we had 8:30 reservations that evening at a perfectly good restaurant (Turandot). We took our position in one of the half dozen or so passport lines and were fairly confident we'd be able to get out of the airport, check into our hotel, change our attire, and walk from the hotel to the restaurant in 2.5 hours.

We were wrong. The passport control area became insanely busy as more flights arrived. And what did the powers that be decide to do? SHUT DOWN two lines. Seriously. "Welcome to Russia!" people joked. But no one was laughing. Especially those poor people who were in the two lines that were suddenly closed. And yes, two of those poor people were named Jon and Anh-Minh.

Two hours into the experience, we finally got to The Booth. The lady in The Booth seemed to have a problem with my passport, as she motioned for me to step back and wait. And that was all the information I was given for the next 20 minutes. (At least Jon got through without incident and was able to secure our luggage.) My mystery situation was eventually resolved, so we went off to meet our car service. Which was no where to be found. One story was that the driver went to the car to get something and would be back soon. Another story was that he gave up on us and left and was stuck in traffic and wasn't sure how long it would take for him to return. We finally connected with him (after $40 worth of cell phone calls!) around 9pm.

Which meant that 8:30 dinner wasn't happening.

By the time we checked in and the hotel did whatever 30-minute thing they needed to do with our passports, we were starving. In the car ride between the airport and hotel, we had spotted a McDonald's. And we knew for sure that, no matter what language the person behind the counter spoke, s/he would understand a few magical words: Happy Meal. Big Mac.

So at 11pm, we walked into the very crowded McDonald's and had ourselves a good ol' American fast food meal.

Welcome to Russia!

P.S. In the photo above, there are no lines at the registers because this is one of two register areas in this McDonald's. The other set of registers was packed, even though the restaurant was closing at 11:30pm.

Posted at 09:03 PM | Link

Then you may want to check out the Kiosk Book on Germany. The folks at Kiosk — which is a site/shop that I love — have put together 120 pages of resources for fellow travelers.

In case you're not familiar with Kiosk: Every few months, they launch a new collection that is based on their finds in a specific country. First there was Japan, then Sweden, then Mexico, and now Germany. (I think Finland is next!) More books will follow, which is great because I'm always struggling to find a good, comprehensive guide to the cities that I visit. I usually end up putting together info that I gather from magazines, guidebooks, the Internet, friends, etc.

If I ever open up a boutique, I may have to borrow from Kiosk's model. What an awesome excuse to travel AND shop! Oh, and then write a little book, too? Those are almost all of my favorite hobbies combined!

Posted at 08:31 AM | Link

So here's the deal: Jon's grad school program ended with a big International Study Trip. This year, it was decided that the itinerary would include Moscow, Prague, Bucharest and London. (We added a few days in Scotland on our own — so Jon could practice his left-side-of-the-road driving in a zillion crazy traffic circles.) Of the four cities, there are two I probably would never have thought to visit on my own. Just guess which ones.

A few things I remember about the trip:

* In case you're wondering what a $25 glass of mango juice looks like, here you go:

Posted at 06:35 PM | Link

So last month, when I mentioned that Jon and I would be taking some time off to hang out, I left out one detail: The hanging out would be done in Europe.

EUROPE!

St. Basil's Cathedral, which is right along the Red Square in Moscow.

Frank Gehry's "Fred and Ginger" building in Prague.

A covered alley in Bucharest's old town.

That behind us? Centre Court at the All England Club! (We endured several Wimbledon rain delays to watch Henin and Serena Williams win their matches.)

The birthplace of golf: St. Andrew's (specifically, the Old Course's Swilcan Bridge).

The crazy thing is: We were in Europe for 2.5 weeks and NEVER had any Euros in our wallets. None of the countries we visited use Euros as their main currency.

We had a fantastic time, but it sure feels good to be back home. More on the trip later ...

Posted at 06:17 AM | Link

Phew! Where to begin?! The trip to NYC (with my sister) was a whirlwind. I took so few pictures because we were just so crazed, running around all over the place from early in the morning until late in the evening. Some of the highlights:

• Lunch at The Modern
• Shopping, of course
• Crossing paths with Rod Stewart in our hotel lobby
• Dinner at Yakitori Totto
• Center-orchestra seats at Wicked
• Brunch at Pastis
• More shopping
• Cupcakes from Magnolia (they actually aren't my favorite, but my sister had never had them)
• Discovering designer Cindy Lee
• Dinner at Per Se
• ICFF + NSS in one morning = sore. feet.
• Cooper-Hewitt (including lunch in the lovely garden there)
• Finally! I visited ABC Carpet & Home
• And other shops
• Shake Shack
• Leftover truffles and macarons from Per Se
• Dinner at Nobu 57

As you can see, there was a lot of good eating. Make that: GREAT eating. My stomach is happy. My wallet? Not so much.

Posted at 11:28 PM | Link

In the handbag department, a conversation between sales associates:
Girl #1: He looks like a bald eagle!
Girl #2: Well, he's only nine months old.

In the children's department (where, by the way, I picked up an adorable red jacket), several sales associates were discussing how hot J.Crew's clothing collection is these days. One of them remarks: "Yeah, I always tell people, 'Have you heard of this new designer, jah-cru?'" (It's going to be the new tar-zhay!)

Posted at 03:18 PM | Link

I just got back from NYC ... More on that later — when I'm a bit more rested ... While I was gone, the SF Chronicle ran a story I wrote about renters who spend their own time and money fixing up their places.

(I must say: One of the downsides of being a freelancer is not knowing when an article is scheduled to run!)

Posted at 08:21 PM | Link

So I completely forgot to take any pictures last Saturday — even though I was all psyched to participate in "24 Hours of Flickr." At least Evo had her camera by her side ...

Look at all the pretty colors!

Notice how ridiculously large that chocolate cake is. We managed to drive that beast from SF all the way to The Sea Ranch without much damage to the towering chocolate pieces. What can I say? My husband knows how to work those windy roads when there's a two-foot cake in a cooler in the way back of the car. (Apparently, all of that extra-careful driving made him really hungry.)

My feet are the ones that look like they belong to a seven-year-old. (I wear a size 2 in children's shoes.)

I like this picture because I look really tall. Thank goodness for big rocks to stand on.

One last look:

Posted at 03:26 PM | Link

We spent the weekend down at Sea Ranch, where the coastal breezes were quite welcome. We grilled lots of yummy meats, walked down to the beach, caught up on magazine reading, relaxed on the deck, stayed up way past our usual bedtime, and barely made a dent in a chocolate cake the size of my torso (we were there celebrating Phill's birthday).

Now we're back at home — where it's 80+ degrees in the house. Yep, it's around that time of year when we start wishing we had a/c in the house.

Posted at 08:59 PM | Link

Moleskine is releasing its City Notebooks for U.S. cities this year (starting with Boston, NYC, SF and Washington, DC, next month)! Guides are already available for about a dozen European cities, and several more U.S. ones will be in stores in the fall.

From the Bluelines post about the notebooks:

There are blank pages with tabs, maps, perforated note pages, and stickers to mark galleries, markets, museums, hotels, even gestures and words. There's also tracing paper that lets you mark a path or route -- but there are absolutely no recommendations. Those are up to you, and your fellow travelers, to find.

I usually compile manila folders full of maps, restaurant print-outs, shopping notes, etc. So I love this idea. (BTW, you can easily buy the City Notebooks on Amazon.)

Posted at 12:25 PM | Link

Last week was insane. It was my first week back in the office after vacation, and it included visits from auditors and accountants (no fun!). Plus, I was working on three freelance articles that entailed lots of driving around the Peninsula.

Thank goodness for three-day weekends!

We spent ours in Carmel Valley, where I caught up on some sleep and some crafting. And, I made more progress on the writing. And we rooted for Tom Brady (local boy) and the New England Patriots. And we ate a lot of excellent food. And we celebrated my sister's birthday.

Even though I keep a separate food blog, I can't resist writing about the weekend's culinary highlights here as well — because it was so, so special. Jon and I joined my sister and her husband at the Chef's Table at Marinus. This was our first visit to the restaurant. I don't know what the dining room experience is like, but the booth in the kitchen was amazing. Pictures and descriptions of our Marinus meal — as well as our stop at one of my favorite spots, Big Sur Bakery — are here.

Posted at 09:22 PM | Link

Posting has been light lately because I was enjoying a winter vacation that didn't feel very wintery. First stop: Hilton Head Island, SC, where it was tank-top-and-shorts weather. Second stop: Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, where we spent our days at the beach, by the pool or on boats.

Sunset on Day 1 in Turks


View of the pools + beach at The Somerset


Jon sailing in Grace Bay

Posted at 09:05 PM | Link

I wish I had done this last year (as many others did), but better late than never ... Here's a list of cities visited in 2006, the only rule being: One or more nights were spent in each.

• San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico
• Carmel, CA
• Hilton Head Island, SC
• Charleston, SC
• Chicago, IL
• Pismo Beach, CA
• New York, NY
• Boston, MA
• Los Angeles, CA
• Inverness, CA

Posted at 09:11 AM | Link

So the other day, I was searching for a clutch that I purchased in Chicago back in July, but had never used. I was rummaging through all sorts of luggage (I have a small collection of carry-on bags) and came across some dirty t-shirts. Still in my bag. Left over from our trip to Boston. Which was in August. FOUR months ago. Rather than being disgusted by my total inability to unpack/clean up/launder my clothes after a vacation, I thought to myself: "Wow. It's been far too long since I've used this bag/gone on a trip!" I think Jon would like to implement some kind of rule where you can't go on a new trip until you've unpacked from the previous one. Too bad our house is a democracy and I would veto such a legislation, for sure.

Oh! And not that I need any more luggage ... But how cool is this Ro trolley? The leaf design comes in several bag styles and two colors. And AT:NY has a special 40% discount code, good for the entire Ro site.

Posted at 02:27 PM | Link

Jon is returning today from a trip to the Pacific Northwest. A trip that included a visit to the Nike headquarters, and a one-hour shopping spree at the employee store there. Jon and the rest of his classmates were even granted the usual employee discount (I think it's 40%). And what did my husband buy me?

Nothing.

In a giant shoe store. Where great deals were to be had.

Zero.

But I still love him. (Because I realize that I can be difficult to shop for.)

Posted at 09:23 AM | Link