Blog Archives

Dining at The Spotted Pig

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 Spotted Pig

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:

Swedish trolls

These gnomes are not edible.

It wasn’t until about 10 p.m. that they called our name. Score!

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Highlights from NYC trip

NYC view from taxi

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.

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The joy of Ikea

How was your three-day weekend (for the Americans in the room)? If your weekend was anything like mine, it was over much too quickly!

Yesterday we went to Ikea, which was busy busy busy with a good international crowd. It seemed like no matter which direction we turned, there was someone speaking a different language – all united by one Swedish furniture store.

I couldn’t help but notice the international flavor of the prints on display, as well. London, as well as Paris and New York City, were showcased in a big way:

Vilshult

Motif created by Greg Stott. Mounted picture. $49.99

Piccadilly Night

Motif created by Leo Dolan. Mounted. $49.99

Pjatteryd

Motif created by Tom Frazier. Printed on canvas. $19.99

We didn’t buy any new prints on this shopping trip, but we did get a new mattress, some espresso cups, a kids’ rug, some of these and a few other small bits and bobs. One thing to note: Ikea has discontinued its offer of 1% off your next order when paying with a debit card! (I wish we had known about this before we finished checking out…)