La Tasca

I haven't gone out to eat at a nice restaurant in what seems like ages (that's one of the downsides to being an enthusiastic home cook!)... so when I was treated to a surprise lunch date on Saturday, I couldn't say no. A morning of shopping followed by tapas is now officially the way to my heart.

Steve took me La Tasca in Windsor, and it couldn't have been more perfect. If it had been a little later in the day, I would have loved to explore the sangria and wine menu... but I was perfectly content with the array of dishes we ordered. Some of the stand-out favorites were the braised pork cheeks, and the potato & octopus gratin.

The setting was really perfect for this time of year... a sort of indoor-meets-outdoor venue, set in the old train station. Strategically placed electric heaters made it warm enough to shed our coats and forget that we were technically outside. It's a must if you're in the area for the day, and screams authentic from the menu down to the imported wait staff. We can't wait to go back!

On Being Inspired

Spring is influential in so many ways. The to-do-list mentality takes a backseat to the desire to just sit and watch the world go by. You can hear laughing outdoors again. Toes that were encased in boots for months crave a good pedicure and a new pair of open toed shoes so that they can soak up the sun, too. The floral sundresses come out of closets, and their gauzy skirts float in a warm breeze.

They say that fall in New York is romantic, but I've found that nothing says romance more than budding green life, colorful flowers, sunshine, and the return of outdoor happy hour.
Here's to the first truly warm day this year, and hopes for many more colorful lunchtime walks in Madison Square Park.

Lunchventure

It's not uncommon in NYC to stumble upon the production set of a movie, tv show, or commercial. Frequently I will walk down a street with movie trailers or equipment parked along the curb, and don't give it two thoughts. I've even accidentally strolled onto the set of a commercial and was loudly (lol) told to move... so yesterday's events didn't come as a surprise. Headed to a lunch in Bryant Park with Kate yesterday, we had to relocate from our favorite lunch spot under the trees because an episode of The Face was being filmed. It's always so interesting to watch how much effort and time just goes into framing one shot, or some B-roll. The entire time that we were sitting nearby, it seemed like nothing was happening, but dozens of people ran all over making minuscule adjustments in the sweltering sun. Part of me wished Naomi Campbell would have shown up while we were there, but I didn't have the luxury to wait around.  

Couldn't Naomi have shown up for like, 5 seconds so I could snap a photo??

The hustle & bustle of 6th ave at lunch...

I was LOVING Kate's vintage dress. 

Ladies who Lunch

Escaped the office at lunch today for a catch-up with a good friend in Bryant Park. It was so nice to get out for an hour and relax before the weather turns sour for the rest of the week. Successfully survived Mercury retrograde day 1!