New York, New York!

What a week last week was! Not only did we all launch our 101 in 1001 lists — Check the sidebar! So many inspiring ladies! And one inspiring gent :) — but I took a whirlwind trip to NYC before heading back down South. We were supposed to catch a taping of The Martha Stewart Show, but they overbooked at the last minute and we unfortunately got bumped. Great sadness. J’s two sisters and I did, however, find ways to occupy our time. A brief rundown for anyone else who’s looking for some inspiration for a trip into the city:

Monday night we ate dinner at Franny’s in Park Slope (apparently missing Jake Gyllenhaal by just days!). The three of us split the crostini of wood-roasted pancetta and fennel butter (delicious), the orecchiette with broccoli, garlic, chiles, and pecorino romano (good but a little too salty), and the tomato and buffalo mozzarella pizza (delicious). We finished the evening by watching the premier of The Bachelor, of course.

Tuesday morning we headed up to the Union Square area for breakfast at Friend of a Farmer. M + N were betting that I would love the cozy atmosphere, and they were right. I added sauteed onions to the cheddar cheese, bacon, and tomato omelette, and it was, once again, delicious. (Let’s be honest, how can you really go wrong with bacon and cheddar?)

Next it was time for shopping! We stopped first at ABC Home, more to ogle at the pretty wares than anything else. A few of my iPhone snaps from the six floors:

Floral chandelier!

Adorable turquoise box!

Beat-up stools!

Vintage table sized perfectly for our guest room!

Old wooden ladders!

Metal tables!

Metal garden chairs!

John Robshaw!

RUGS!

Just a few doors down was Fish’s Eddy. I’ve admired their much more reasonably-priced offerings online for awhile, and was very excited to check them out in person!

Our final stop was Eataly, Mario Battali’s gorgeous new shop. The whole place is a treat for the senses, from intoxicating smells to beautiful packaging. We all left with fresh pasta (yes, again, delicious).

Other items of note on this trip: I tried bubble tea for the first time (liked the tea, didn’t like the bubbles); the piles of garbage bags on the streets were astonishing, thanks to the snowstorm that hit NYC the week before; and my new coat (yay Christmas presents!!) did an admirable job keeping me warm.

All photos from my iPhone except for the second and third images and the first image of Eataly, which were from Google Images.