Gansevoort Market stop
British Bruffin
We had booked a morning visit to the Whitney Museum of American Art, but I wanted to grab a quick bite to eat. Enter Gansevoort Market, an industrial food hall in the meatpacking district, brimming with coffee, baked goods, ice cream, pizza, lobster, macarons … just about everything you could imagine.
I went for a Bruffin – part brioche, part muffin – which could be ordered in a variety of flavors. I got the British, made with bacon and sharp cheddar and topped with a Union Jack flag. They reheated it so wasn’t as amazing as I’m sure it is when it’s fresh out of the oven, crisp and buttery. I’d get a fresh and hot one next time.
Then we stopped at Meyers of Keswick for a cup of tea. The Brit who took our order made a great cup of builder’s tea made with Yorkshire tea with the perfect amount of milk. It’s rare to be able to order a good cup of tea in the U.S., but this was the real deal.
16 charming bookshops in the U.K. everyone must visit
Armchair Books in Edinburgh
Armchair Books
If you are an avid reader, be sure to check out Buzzfeed.com’s “16 Charming Bookshops in the UK Everyone Must Visit.”
We used to live next door to Armchair Books in Edinburgh, a lovely little store which is #3 on the list.
“You could easily lose a weekend while nosing about the dreamy Armchair Books. Delve into stacks and stacks of inviting tomes at this Edinburgh institution. If you’re still on the fence, Armchair Books are also great value on Twitter. Plus their logo is a dinosaur reading!”
Dining at The Spotted Pig
I’ve been wanting to eat at the Spotted Pig in NYC for quite awhile.
With British chef April Bloomfield at the helm, it has reached legendary status among celebrities and foodies alike and has shown the world over that British food can be tasty.
Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris eat at the Spotted Pig.
We came for dinner on Friday night around 7 p.m. and were told that it was a two to two-and-a-half hour wait. There don’t take reservations – ever. Only the opportunity to leave your cell number and, of course, there’s this great big beautiful city to browse while you are waiting.
We had a drink at the White Horse Tavern, which was nearby, and best known for being Dylan Thomas’s favorite watering hole (along with many other writers like Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, James Baldwin, and the list goes on. It was a cash-only bar and felt like your average local pub in Britain.
Then we just took a stroll, making stops at Goorin Bros. Hat Shop and Sockerbit Swedish sweet shop, where we bought one of these for the holidays:
These gnomes are not edible.
It wasn’t until about 10 p.m. that they called our name. Score!
Highlights from NYC trip
A view of the NYC skyline from our taxi
Earlier this month, we took a weekend trip to NYC to celebrate my husband’s birthday. We took the red eye on Jet Blue Friday night and flew back home Monday evening. It was a fine time to visit – the weather was unseasonably warm (high 60’s) and bright and sunny.
Some of the highlights:
1. Staying at Courtyard Marriott Manhattan/Soho (on hotel points alone!) Great hotel and location for exploring the area. Very clean with a really friendly and helpful staff. Added bonus of having a Starbucks inside for an early morning caffeine fix.
New London tube map for walkers
Transport for London has just unveiled its new London Tube map, which shows how long it takes to walk to stations (so you can finally make an educated decision on whether it IS faster to walk versus take the Tube.) As a side note, it’s been my experience that it’s ALWAYS faster to walk when you’re up against the Circle Line, but that is neither here nor there …
Teignmouth at sunset
I’ve blogged before about the idyllic little Devon seaside village, where my husband grew up – Teignmouth.
For those who haven’t been, check out this drone video taken at sunset – it’s a little moment of zen.
Gin and tonic crisps?
Leave it to the Brits to come up with this:
What do you reckon? Would you give them a try?
21 Brilliantly British Halloween costumes
While Americans are paying top dollar to buy a Minion or Joker costume this year, the Brits are having a ball dressing up as alcoholic beverages, TV presenters and, of course, Tardis.
Take a look at Buzzfeed.com’s countdown of 21 brilliantly British Halloween costumes.
As for me? I’m going as Wenda or Wilma, the Girl Friday to Where’s Waldo? or Where’s Wally? (which varies, depending on where you live!) Have a happy Halloween!
What if Gordon Ramsay went nuts on “Masterchef Junior” kids?
What would happen if Gordon Ramsay treated the contestants on “Masterchef Junior” like contestants on “Hell’s Kitchen”?
Someone just put the two into a blender and, well, the results are quite magnificent. NSFW on account of the crazy bad language.
The best of Winnie the Pooh
I spotted this on Facebook and had to share!
A.A. Milne’s first volume of Winnie-the-Pooh stories was published 89 years ago today. Here are great quotes to celebrate:
1. “Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. ‘Pooh!’ he whispered. ‘Yes, Piglet?’ ‘Nothing,’ said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. ‘I just wanted to be sure of you.'”
2. “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
3. “Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.”
4. “You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
5. “Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them..”
6. “It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?”
7. “I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.”
8. “I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen.”
9. “Sometimes,’ said Pooh, ‘the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”
10. “Promise me you’ll never forget me because if I thought you would, I’d never leave.”
11. “‘How do you spell love?’
‘You don’t spell it…you feel it.'”
12. “People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”
BRITRISH.COM 