Breaking Bread With Olives

Since I’ve been back in New York I almost feel like I’m in a new place, although familiar because now I know my way around. One of the ways I’ve been enjoying this city is by going out to eat and reuniting with friends. On this particular day I was meeting up with a friend I knew from college (it’s a funny story actually), and she recommended this place called Bread in Nolita. I was up for it!

There was an old scooter parked in front of the restaurant in Italian fashion.
I took a seat by the bar to wait for my friend, and just observe the restaurant.
Then my friend arrived and we were reunited!
Like the name implies, their specialty is anything bread, but they have plenty of other options…

Like pastas, salads, vegetable starters, soups, sharing plates, entrees, and desserts! They also have plenty of beverages to choose from–especially wines. It took us–no joke–more than 30 minutes for us to finally decide what we wanted. Most of that time we were talking away, catching up with each other. The waiter checked back on us frequently and had a good attitude about us taking forever. Eventually we decided that we needed to change our focus to the menu. What to choose, what to choose.

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The Weekend-Long Date

A little over two years ago, my best friend and I had wedding ceremony as a symbol of our friendship. Some of you may recall the recap I shared as a testament, We Are Gathered Here Today. This weekend she made an impromptu visit to see me, and it was her first time in New York City!

It all started with a little temptation…

Next thing you know she drove through the night to get as much time as she could. Finding a great parking spot for the weekend only a couple blocks from my place was just the beginning of the lucky penny that shined over our next couple of days.

Always beautiful, even when she barely gets rest.

She had her coffee black with sugar, and then off we went to explore the city’s west side.

Awfully tall representatives

 They were having a family street fair over in Tribeca, which was a part of the Tribeca Film Festival. There were lots of kids with painted faces walking around, getting into character. We walked through Greenwich village, perusing through chocolate shops, boutiques, stationary shops. Strolled through Washington Square and made our way through Union Square…

On our way up we went to a book lover’s haven–Strand.

My friend was overwhelmed and in love all at the same time. I imagined having a weekly ritual, going there to pick up a “new” book. You can find books that are out of print, on any subject from psychology to banned titles, or even old fortune books. Eventually we headed over to Eataly–a great place to take vistors, and I wanted to check out their fresh fish selection.

Here you can find refrigerated cases of fresh, handmade pastas.

While you’re browsing the pastas you can smell the aromas of sauces cooking, and look over and you’ll find someone enjoying a delicious platter at one of the many dining areas in this establishment. It’s a large cafeteria with a market and “restaurants”. Whether you’re in the mood for a morning cappuccino, a glass of wine, beautiful pastries, gelato, cured meats, chocolates, or vegetables… you will find something. Another neat thing is that you can try things based on various regions throughout Italy!

The smell of cheese lingers through the air over in this section.

After we toured Eataly, we headed back up to my neighborhood for dinner. We had planned on going to Candle Cafe’s relatively new Upper West Side location (I feel spoiled only living a couple blocks away), but the wait was too long for our hunger to wait.

I ended up taking my date to a nearby restaurant and jazz club

Cleopatra’s Needle by night always caught my eye when walking home. It seems like a place that’s been there for a long time. I’d look in through the paneled windows, to see tables of people leaning in over wine glasses, grooving to the live jazz music that goes on every night. I also often see patrons dining alone, simply enjoying their own company. Something about this place, with its dimly lit and old-fashioned setting, is so inviting.

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New York Recap Part 2

Drum roll please! Now the real adventure begins. Since my friend was working her normal hours, I was left to come up with things I could do to fill my time. As if that’s hard to do when you’ve got a city like New York at your fingertips… or should I say feet? Because I did plenty of walking!

I’m honestly having a hard time remembering what I did exactly, because it was a whirlwind of a trip. However, I do remember I did a lot of shopping around the SoHo area. I was a big girl and took the subway all by myself. I got lost a couple times, but no worries I eventually found the right way. Although, I did almost end up in Coney Island.

Underground life.
Underground life.

Here are some things I tried on

Cute black jumper..
Cute black jumper… or whatever they’re called. So serious!
Favorite new blazer!
Favorite new blazer!
The pockets.
The pockets.
Some color for you.
Some color for you.

Everything I ended up buying was black! Of course you guys know me, and I will definitely dress those things up with some color.

I made my way to Dean & Deluca.
I made my way to Dean & Deluca.
So much to cheese!
So much to cheese from!

The ceilings were high and the floor was a clean marble. The shelves were stacked high with gourmet treats, sauces, preserves, and whatever else you can imagine. They were also kindly offering samples of their assorted bakery breads. Oh how I wish there was one near me!

I chose something that I knew I couldn't find anywhere else: Creme of Dates and Almonds.
I chose something that I knew I couldn’t find anywhere else: Creme of Dates with Almonds.

I also stopped by Top Shop and tried on things that were out of my comfort zone. The clothes was totally glitzy and glamorous. It was so much fun! Whenever I’m in New York I feel the need to step up my style a notch and live on the fashion edge. Before I headed back to Brooklyn, a store across the street had caught my eye. I stopped in Pearl River and totally thought of you Katie! They have so many cute dishes there. Before I headed out I stopped in the small food section to see if they had Lucky candy. Alas, they did not. However, I did find some interesting drinks and I decided to open one on the way back home.

Banana Flavor Grass Jelly Drink
Banana Flavour Grass Jelly Drink

I honestly had no idea what to expect, but just hope that it tasted like banana atleast. I ended up enjoying this a lot, and I love drinks with chunks in them. Since I got in the refrigerated section, it was nice and cold.

I also saw a bunch of these fancy looking ice cream trucks.
I also saw a bunch of these fancy looking ice cream trucks.

Their menu had illustrations of their flavors’ plants. Example: a vanilla bean for vanilla.

Musicians in Union Square on my way home.
Musicians in Union Square on my way home.

We took it easy that night, and just lounged around with the windows open. Definitely felt like summer the whole time. Sorry I didn’t really take very many pictures of my eats. For the most part, I was on a budget so they weren’t very spectacular. Just portable meals I put together. Plus I packed some super dense bars and bags of nuts to keep me going since I knew I’d be walking a lot. One of the bars I packed were the Nature’s Path Optimum Blueberry Flax & Soy. They were so good!

Two thumbs way up!
Two thumbs way up!

The next day I got dressed and headed off to find some galleries. I was looking for Deitch, but it must’ve disappeared whenever I went near it. But while I searching for this mysterious gallery, I witnessed a robbery/police chase. Cuh-razy! I ended up just wandering around going into random stores. I walked into this Brazilian designer’s store and I spotted the most beautiful Brazilian guy I have EVER seen… then he spoke in Portuguese and I secretly turned into a puddle inside. I also hopped into Barney’s CO-OP, and an adorable shop with lingerie from Japan. I also managed to find this store with amazing things from the Far East. I was almost too afraid to touch anything because everything looked like an artifact. I love when you can tell that something was made with true craftsmanship. No worries though, I did get to see some galleries!

I stumbled into this cute boutique with a ton of beauty goodies.
I stumbled into this cute boutique with a ton of beauty goodies.

The girl working there said I could snap a picture if I tried one of their scrubs in that huge fountain set up in the middle. What’s the catch?

Dali at the William Bennett Gallery.

Dali at the William Bennett Gallery.


Some more.

Some more.


A real character!

A real character!


I found a bench by a park to sit down and enjoy my packed lunch.

I found a bench by a park to sit down and enjoy my packed lunch.

I was walking to Gramercy Park when I spotted this little spot. Some Italian women were sitting next to me, and they seemed to know everyone in the neighborhood. It was really nice to sit there and make small talk with them. Especially since I’d been alone most of the day. After my little lunchbreak I just walked around with no destination in mind. I saw a doggy boutique and I noticed there was a crowd in front of the restaurant across the street. Apparently Mischa Barton was filming something there, and of course the paparazzi were on it!

I also stopped by this awesome bookstore called Strand.

I also stopped by this awesome bookstore called Strand.

Then Liz called and told me she was heading into the city. While I waited I went into Barnes & Noble and looked through brain game books, cookbooks, and fashion magazines. Finally, Liz met up with me in Union Square. We went over to Sephora and basically tried on makeup for about an hour.

Not a good day at work.

Not a good day at work.

Before we headed back home we met up with Liz’s roommate and her friends for happy hour.

Cutest French bulldog Ive ever seen!

Cutest French bulldog I've ever seen!

I did manage to find some things I know you guys will love!

Can you guess where I found the goods?

Can you guess where I found the goods?

I had been to this Whole Foods before, but I never really looked around. Previously I had just gone to the hot bar (which is incredible by the way), and upstairs to eat. But that day I ventured on downstairs in search of a couple things. It turned out that what I was looking for was by the cash registers, but I didn’t mind exploring the Whole Foods grounds – not one bit.

The only one I wasn't a big fan of was the German Chocolate Cake.

The only one I wasn't a big fan of was the German Chocolate Cake. So sue me!


I also tried another one of my finds from Pearl River - Basil Seed Drink, complete with  actual basil seeds!

I also tried another one of my finds from Pearl River - Basil Seed Drink, complete with actual basil seeds!

Later on, Liz had one of her friends over and we played Scrabble. It was my first time playing and I can see why so many people love it! I’m really into games that test your knowledge and perhaps teach you something new.

It’s so weird writing up these recaps because I have so many things in my present life that I want to share with you. When will I ever get you guys up to speed? Soon enough I hope.

Oh! And there’s plenty more to come. I have a feeling next post is going to be bursting at the seams with pictures.

p.s. I’m glad to be back and blogging! I missed you guys too. And to answer Brooke’s question: I sleep with coconut oil in my hair about 2-3 times a week, I don’t wash it everyday, natural shampoos and conditioners, I never brush only comb, and most importantly… eating fats with nutritive values really helps! Oh and my mom recommends taking a multi-vitamin for hair, skin, and nails.