Room service breakfast, The Mark Hotel, NYC.
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Oh, OKAAY, here’s the entire picture…
So, I sneaked away for a quick trip to NY this week.
Didn’t even bring a camera, just my iPhone and walking shoes.
It was, after all, Serious Sale Season.
I kept my packing to bare minimum carry-on by fed-exing my coats and boots to the hotel beforehand. So much easier then schlepping heavy bags and worrying about them getting lost or stolen, which has happened to us on more than one occasion. I brought a pre-printed return slip for homeward shipping. Done & done.
We took in a play the first night, which I didn’t entirely love so I’m not going to mention the name. I think people in the theatre work way too hard to have amateur critics critique them, don’t you?
We had a couple of splendid dining experiences, including one night at “Eleven Madison Park”, mentioned in a previous post and listed in my slow-to-update “Travel” tab
Palate cleansers of heavily marinated diced apples, Apple Jack bourbon, and some molecular hijinks being prepared in the kitchen at “Eleven Madison Park”
and then there was the wild mushroom and poached egg pizza at “ABC Kitchen“
This was my second visit to this really fun & buzzy Jeans George affiliated restaurant and I would highly recommend it.
I also enjoyed cocktails one night with “Habitually Chic“‘s Heather Clawson at “Bar Pleiades” in the Surrey Hotel. The rich, delicious concoction sporting a dense head of foamy condensed coconut milk above was called a”Thai-somethingorother”. The perfect libation to evoke the warmth of the tropics on a frigid NY night. We were sitting beside Goop Senior, Blythe Danner, who looked quite fabulous, although I’m sure Gwyneth will be letting herself go all to hell any day now. I can just feel it.
If you haven’t already checked out Heather’s new book “Creativity at Work” you really should. A thoughtful compilation of creative souls in their work environments, with beautiful photos and very down-to-earth introductions by Heather, as well as inspiring interviews with each subject. A perfect gift or addition to your own library; here my copy (bought the day before Hurricane Sandy hit on my last trip to NY) sits on the living room table this Christmas.
As always, walking and window gazing through the streets of Manhattan never disappoints.
I scoped these massive antique crystal urns lit from within on Madison Ave. I’d love to know their origin. Even better, I’d love to see them used now in an entirely modern space. Martyn Bullard would probably know just how to do them justice.
I dreamt and drooled through the recently opened Christian Liaigre flagship store on the upper east side.
Just give me one of everything, thank you.
and snapped this cute window at Jo Malone, really as a reference for a friend who is opening a tea salon in India! Swoon.
With my good friend Patty, whose hand I’m employing here for scale, I found a wine glass in Bergdorf Goodman that had my name written all over it. (back off Andrew!)
We had lunch in Bergdorf’s Kelly Wearstler designed restaurant which is usually delicious and ripe for people watching.
Somehow I always end up standing in front of the lady’s room mirror, ever so slightly lifting the sides of my face up.
I stayed at The Mark Hotel where, as long time readers are aware, my love of black & white stripes has been applied with reckless abandon.
The best part of The Mark experience? The Jeans Georges restaurant room service!
Rushing into the lobby one day, I humiliatingly tossed a warm hello to a lady I was so sure I knew (who then asked my name and we both drew a blank 
) only to realise 1/2 way up the elevator she was a NYC realtor from a reality show my husband watches. Upon returning from dinner the same night, Sonja fill-in-the-name, from “Housewives of NY” was standing at the entrance and let’s just say Sonja had been enjoying more than a few cocktails. Ouch. But then I guess you don’t end up on reality TV by being a wallflower.
The Mark hotel (photos from my Instagram)
So, a little food & drink, a spot of shopping & people watching, a drop of culture and the company of loved ones- a perfect week in NY.
and least we forget (azziff) ‘Downton Abbey’ tomorrow!
My butler’s bells are vibrating in anticipation
Wishing a Splendid Whheeekend to All!
~
Multifarious varieties of fungi at our local Farmer’s market
Vermont Wildcrafters
) as the record holder for The World’s Largest Known Organism. Based on it’s current growth rate, it is estimated to be somewhere between 2,400-8,650 years old. FYI, I know some humans that fudge their ages that much. This would also place the giant fungi as one of the oldest living organisms on the planet.
And to think a Giant Fungus could be growing just beneath this idyllic woodland picnic scene…
Chanterelle macaroons from Pierre Herme
Martha has this delicious sounding recipe for a “Mushroom Martini” 
Purists (and Martha) would likely kill me for saying this, but these gallon sized buckets of freeze dried(?) assorted mushrooms from Costco are surprisingly good, especially in a pinch for soups & sauces.
Caveat; If my counsel means anything to you-do not, I repeat DO NOT stick your nose inside and take a big smell.
One of my favourite ways to prepare mushrooms is to simply flash fry some of the fancier, frilly ones in a 50/50 combo of butter & olive oil until they get crispy, drain on paper towel then serve still hot; sprinkled with coarse sea salt and a generous squirt of fresh lemon juice. Like decadent, earthy potato chips-yum!
Do you think it’s easy working fashion into a post about mushrooms?!
I’ve had this image and recipe in my files for years thinking I would someday attempt it. I think it was also from Martha. It’s really the pastry that scares me, but this year might be the year. Rest assured I so will be sharing the photos if I ever make this.
Link for Morel mushroom Christmas ornaments below
Mushroomy tiles
Mushroomy rug
Mushroomy coasters from Barney’s (I have these in violet-so pretty!)
I think Hermes
Toadstools in my friend’s garden in Greece
I’d love a couple of these in my garden
There’s really something quite magical and pure about mushrooms, don’t you think?
Fresh walnuts from the market, leaves & the last of our apples for the season
Smoke Signals
Here I’ve found a recipe to “smoke” your own ice at home-but be careful kids!
“Smoke on The Water” at Bar Centro in The Bazaar, LA, literally smokes with a blast of liquid nitrogen and Islay Scotch.
Smoked salt via 
.
