We went to Ramen Yebisu in Williamsburg yesterday. I am of the belief that you have to eat noodles on New Year's Day. For longevity and all that good stuff. This place serves Hokkaido-style ramen, which was a first for me. It was super delicious. We had the veggie miso ramen. The broth was thick and hearty in the best possible way. They definitely need to expand to a larger location. Like triple the size. The place was packed.

I love the new ping pong set-up at Bryant Park. The design is so Japanese (to me). Compare and contrast with these Japanese Zen gardens. I am totally entering their Wednesday night tournaments this year.

I made a new tablecloth and decided to go all colorful for our TG table this year. Lots to be thankful for, that's for sure. Happy TG everyone!!!!

Check out these upcycled zipper bags by my friend Supermaggie. They're one-of-a-kind, so shop fast. Supermaggie and I did an indie designer show together years ago and I got an awesome hot pink felted scarf from her, which I love to this day. ‪#‎shopindie‬

I love a good market. And lucky for me, Brooklyn is becoming wall-to-wall with markets. Well practically. And where there isn't an indie designer market or a flea market or a locally-made food market or a night bazaar with indie designers, fleas and locally-made food, there's a hand-painted mural advertising another one in Manhattan. A Holiday Pop-Up totally counts as a market. Today was the last day of Smorgasburg. I I hope more vendors showed up over the course of the day. We were out pretty early. And it was pretty darn cold today. Here are some pertinent links. Photos from top:

1. Smorgasburg mugs and totes! Gotta love market branding. 
2. Smorgasburg, Williamsburg ends today for the season. Because it's darn cold.
3. Artists & Fleas, Williamsburg. The original market the neighborhood, and they just made their space twice as wide (debuted Nov 1). They also have locations in Chelsea Market and LA.
4. The Market NYC originated in NoLita. One month ago they opened a second location in Williamsburg, in the cooperative space near Spoonbill and Sugartown
5. The Market NYC
6. Tictail started online and added a market later. They're a Swedish company. I am totally checking out their Holiday Pop-Up on 90 Orchard Street. 
7. Smorgasburg on a warmer day. Pizza Moto is my utter favorite.

What is it about gold hardware on a black bag with a chain double-strap that makes you think luxe? Chanel. End of sentence. It's easy to evoke a luxury feel with these hardware details, thanks to Chanel who did it so singly and strongly.

Let's take Marc Jacobs, for example. He had his own signature bag style in 2004. It was wonderful. And then he abandoned it to make Chanel-look bags with quilted leather and chain straps. Why? I really do want to know why.

But anyway, the bag my subject was carrying in Midtown is likely luxe, given the proportions and the nice quality of leather. Does anyone want to venture a guess as to the brand?

I like the chaos of the composition #streetart #Williamsburg

Taken on October 5. I thought the structure was rather pagoda-like. Again, I love the high contrast light.

Or at least I want you to want this.

Ann Taylor Loft 3" wide braided leather belt -- brand new 
(was $39.50; now $16.98) on my Ebay shop!
http://ebay.to/1qOItG7

How about now?
Yes, you want this.

Wednesday night seemed like a good night for celebrating, so we found ourselves making a beeline to La Esquina in Williamsburg. I had taken a photo of the Happy Hour sign days before, you know, for future reference. We ate indoors in the converted chrome "rail car" style diner on the bar side.

The drinks were very tasty -- not overly sweet. The atmosphere was comfortable, warm and cozy. And we had a very nice bartender -- we'll call him Brian, because his name was Brian -- who comped us a round, which was rather excellent. All in all, very celebratory. The chips, salsa and guacamole were pricey at $15, but hey, we were celebrating. Sometimes it's fun to spend a little too much.


Cafe de la Esquina
225 Wythe Avenue (Metropolitan/N 3rd)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718.393.5500
Happy Hour: W-F noon-7pm
Sat-Sun 11am-6pm

James Cagney ‪#‎streetart‬ ‪#‎brooklyn‬

Ideally, I'd like to encyclopedically wear everything in my closet. Like from Left to Right, A to Z. I know a woman who works at Seventeen who does just that. She wears a dress a day, L to R, then moves a new batch to the front. That seems like heaven to me, to get that much use out of what you already own.

I've been inventorying each category of clothing I own over the past year, writing down every piece I have, so I can either wear it, or put it on the chopping block (Ebay). Today I inventoried my sweaters. I have 42. Is that a lot? It sounds like a lot. Approximately how many sweaters do you own? For the record, I am keeping all 42. I have one for sale on Ebay. But this one is #43.

I am just going to come right out and say it. Russo's in Park Slope, whether it's their 7th Avenue location or their 5th Avenue location*, makes the best vegetarian Italian sandwiches in Brooklyn. Oh wait, Lorimer Market in Williamsburg also makes the best vegetarian Italian sandwiches in Brooklyn. Their "Mikey Bags" is all eggplanty and delicious. So stay tuned for a post devoted to Lorimer Market. But this one is for Russo's.

Russo's fresh mozzarella is heavenly. And they do wonders with their garlicy sauteed broccoli rabe. We always share two sandwiches when we go, and bring them all the way back on the G to Greenpoint. That's dedication to a sandwich. We're specific like that. One fabulous sandwich is broccoli rabe, fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomato. The other fabulous sandwich is broccoli rabe, portabello mushroom, artichoke. The guys who make the sandwiches are so nice. Then again, the guys who make the sandwiches at Lorimer Market are so nice too.

So we're pretty lucky to live in Brooklyn with all these great vegetarian Italian sandwiches that are under $10 and are large enough for dinner. I should probably close with a hashtag. #brooklynrocksforfoodandstuff


Russo's Mozzarella and Pasta
363 7th Avenue (10th/11th Streets)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718.369.2874
*their East Village location doesn't make sandwiches

I liked the high-contrast color combination on this building in Williamsburg. I wonder what the button does.

At long last, I've listed my Bamboo Belts on Ebay. They're cute and preppy and make good gifts ($11.40 a piece). The red twill tape is 1.5" wide and the bamboo rings are real bamboo. I have all sizes XS S M L. 

Check out other bamboo items on my Ebay shop.

Strawberries*, four walnuts**, iced green tea***. Just the pep i need to shoot more stuff for Ebay.


*This is a supplement to my usual breakfast of pb toast & coffee, which occurred 30 minutes prior.

**I don't love walnuts, but I like them enough to eat a few, and they are good for you. I have resolved to eat four walnuts per day.

***I probably never have to buy green tea again. When I was told by a nutritionist to drink two cups a day, I thought great! I already have a decent supply on hand. I make a pitcher of iced green tea every few days. It's great on a long run too. I fill one of my water bottles with water and the other with tea. I much prefer it to Gatorade, which is blucky.

Note the ghostly sign above the rather specatcular entry. "PANDEMIC". I wonder what this once was. On Broadway in Williamsburg.

Mozzarella, pesto & tomato sandwiches before they are pressed. Additional flavor: balsamic reduction, tomato bruschetta, black pepper. The bread is garlic focaccia. All in all, pretty delectable. To go with the souped-up vegetable and lentil soup.

Kent Avenue, Williamsburg #streetart #tripel #meta

The light this time of year is incredible. Don't you think? Also the use of orange for a restaurant, be it awnings, umbrellas, tables, chairs, always makes me salivate. Am I the only one? I think orange must be connected with fine dining in my brain somehow.

Since before we ran the ‪#‎RNRPhilly‬ Half Marathon in September, we've been wanting to try the "pretzel on a hook" at the Kent Ale House. We went Friday night. The gigantic pretzel was totally worth it: piping hot, delicious and served with with Pommery mustard. As it turned out, the ‪#‎AmazonStudioSessions‬ were being set up right next door.

Look, they sell Pommery mustard on Amazon. http://amzn.to/1u0me6O Color me amused.

The Williamsburg Bridge. Always amazing. We run this giant thing every Sunday. It's our bridge. Climbing the foot path on the Brooklyn side is like taking off in an airplane. It's incredible.

Artopolis is a hidden gem of a Greek bakery if you live anywhere but Astoria, Queens. If you live in Astoria, you are very likely to have visited once, and then quite often. Perhaps we are the only ones who live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn who know Artopolis, or at least I'd like to think so. They have so many tasty treats including every Greek dessert from galaktoboureko to baklava and even have special displays for the melomakarona and kourabiedes (pictured above). They must be extra special cookies in the Greek pantheon of cookies, I would gather.

But what we come for, most frequently, are the mini spinach pies. They will heat them up for you. They are only $1 each. They have cheese pies too. What could be better? Their coffee, iced coffee, iced frappe (Greek style, view here) is tasty and reasonably priced too. Four spinach pies, a coffee and an iced coffee is just $7.50. What are you waiting for? Meet me for coffee!


Artopolis
23-18 31st Street
Astoria, Queens
718.728.8484
Take the N to the end of the line

And who doesn't like bamboo-esque? I esque you. Sorry.

But yes, you want these.
On my ebay shop.
http://ebay.to/12iHvMI

Well this is a first. In Hot Pursuit of a Handbag, Brooklyn Edition. I saw this excellent bag with oddly placed handle this past weekend on Franklin Street in Greenpoint. Normally, the best place to catch a glimpse of a luxury bag I'd want to own is in Midtown Manhattan at lunchtime. And in the past, Greenpoint was the neighborhood of ironic totes. But not so much any more.

Can you name the designer of this great pebbled leather bag?

And here's the other side of that crochet street art piece in Williamsburg. But I'm pretty sure the letters have been rearranged by some sort of vandal with crafting skills. I think they once spelled out "imagine" or other hopeful sentiment. ‪#‎streetart‬ ‪#‎crochet‬ ‪#‎brooklyn‬

Or maybe "the magic"? Well, the magic is gone because someone stole the letters. And the vibrancy of the yarn has certainly faded too.

For all of you hopey-changey types out there. #believe #streetart #brooklyn #crochet

I found that I have 75 unpublished drafts among my blog posts. I guess I felt this one was too mundane to post. But now I don't. I am gathering this was March of 2011. And yes, I still use the pad every single day. I am totally buying another when it runs out.


I treated myself to some pre-birthday gifties today. The Martha Stewart Home Office Collection at Staples is pretty great. I had to hold myself back. To-Do List Notebook, $2.99

Who else grew up eating taralles? Those addictive dough rings, speckled with fennel seeds or hot pepper flakes that in New Jersey are boiled first, then baked (like bagels!), or in New York, just baked. Sure, the proper Italian plural would be taralli, but these are Italian-American, so it's okay to add an s on the end.

Rose & Joe's in Astoria makes some of my favorites in New York, and for a nice price too. $4.75 per pound. You can mix the fennel [R] and the hot pepper flake[L] too.


Rose & Joe's Italian Bakery
22-40 31st Street
Astoria, Queens
718.721.9422

I challenge you to beat this price. Two bucks for a Korean Hite beer, on tap, and two bucks for four pan-fried veggie dumplings! That's just $8.70 for two at Vanessa's Dumpling House in Williamsburg. And we had fun.