A Mean Bean Cappuccino - the Only Way to Start the Day

This is my first coffee post. Not because I don't like it, au contraire. Coffee is a big weakness of mine. I need my cappuccino fix daily. The vicinities of my work have not been too promising when it comes to coffee joints, and I find myself struggling to find my fave and regular coffee-on-the run spot.

But wait no more, the best coffee in the West End has made its self known! And the winner is...Reynolds on Eastcastle Street. With a coffee blend so rich and so flavourful, you'll find that this mean cappuccino gives you that amazing sensation any good cappuccino should give you: the feeling of being bad. Like you've just sinned so badly, you're gonna get whipped. Like you're eating a sweet so vicious, a piece of chocolate so delightful, or a chewy chunk of toffee. But actually, it's just coffee. And it's good.

They offer a range of other products as well: fresh and healthy salads, cute and plumpy sandwhiches, organic crisps and delicious snacks. Their selection of sweets is even better. Pain au chocs, croissants and more. Dip their scrumptious banana cake from Borough Market into it, and then you've got yourself a sinfully good breakfast feast or an even better snack attack. 

Bye Bye 2009- A Retrospective of My Fave London Discoveries

Happy New Year, zesties! This year is going to be a good one. I am so excited to get into gear and accelerate into this new year, better yet, into this new decade, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, where I have yet to discover many many new places, gems and secret spots. My New Years resolution: continue on my quest for London Zest. But first, let me recollect on my favourite London discoveries of 2009.

1. My fave neighborhood: Though I live and breathe the Notting Hill life, Farringdon was by far my best 2009 discovery. Quirky, industrial and cool, it offers some of the hippest London restaurants, cafes and boutiques. St John's for a good old British dinner, Modern Pantry for a funky North London breakfast and Quality Chop House for the most bizarre and out of the ordinary steak dinner.

The Modern Pantry, Farringdon

2. My fave brunch: Bistroteque in Bethnal Green/Shoreditch is always my back-up brunch alternative when I am looking for a little jiggy jiggy. The food is delicious, the scrambled eggs and mushrooms are mouthwatering and the avocado on toast has won me over big time, while the musical background provided by the extravagant and bizarro restaurant pianist have made me a usual at this hot Shoreditch spot.

Bistrotreque, Shoreditch

3. My fave shop: Aime on Ledbury Road is the hub of all the designers that are cool (and somewhat affordable) in my book: Isabel Marant, APC, Vanessa Bruno etc. It's a mystery the shop is always nearly empty, when it's just off of Notting Hill's hip and posh-laden Westbourne Grove.

Aime, Ledbury Road, Notting Hill

4. My fave shoe brand discovery: Bloch Ballet flats are the most comfortable, adorable and affordable ballet flat on the planet, available at Bloch in Covent Garden, Liberty's and Selfridges.

5. My fave jewelry store: Kabiri in Marylebone. I have not yet found an equally diverse jewelry store in London. This eclectic shop offers some of the most original, creative and wearable pieces.

Kabiri, Marylebone High Street

6. 2009: the year of the bicycle: Wandering down the streets of Islington, I discovered London's, better yet, Britain's, most beautiful bicycle shop, Bobbin Bicycles. In this gem of a jewelry box, I found my Christmas present, the vintage, the gorgeous, the one and only Gazelle bicycle.

 

7. London, the land of tea parties: Sketch Tea Parlour and Liberty's Tea Room have given me a new appreciation for Britain's staple beverage and favourite afternoon activity.

Sketch Tea Parlour

8. My fave open market: Borough, of course. No further explanation required.

9. My one and only lunch destination: Leon's on Carnaby, Canvey and Regent Street, organic fast food joint, has me addicted to their Superfood Salad, Beef Chili and Carrot Juice.

10. My fave Notting Hill discovery: All Saints Road, with the yummy and neighborhood find, Italian Ripe Tomato restaurant, and the sweet and lovely The Jacksons, the gem find of the year, with the coolest boots.

A Little Bit of New York Zest

New York has been pretty awesome, what with the Christmas season being in full motion and all. And I've also just really enjoyed walking around Central Park, the Upper West Side and Chelsea, eating at my fave restaurants, shopping at my fave shops, breathing in the Christmas cheer, going to my fave museums, and just taking in all the cool things I used to love about New York. This is my top 10 list of everything from food, shops, walks and cultural bits that make New York, for me, a special and unique place in the world.

1. Best skyline view/ sunset walk: The most beautiful walk and view in New York takes place on the Brooklyn Bridge. I used to recommend this walk to all my friends/family that would come visit. The coolest thing to do is to take the subway to the other side of the bridge and walk (or bike!) back towards the city, at sundown when the skyline is a multitude of colorful patterns, lines and curves. That view, in my opinion, is the best view of the New York skyline.

2. Best neighborhood for an afternoon walk/shop/coffee stop: the Lower East has, over time, climbed its way to my favourite places to shop, walk around and grab a late afternoon coffee or early evening drink. Rivington, Ludlow, Essex and Norfolk are among the many funky shop-filled streets of the neighborhood.

3. Best dress shop: Honey in the Rough: my lovely and bubbly friend Ashley Hanosh's quirky and secret dress and accessories shop on Rivington Street offers the most fantastic and unique pieces for ladies with style and sass. Stop by for a lovely shopping experience and you will not leave empty handed. And that's a good thing.

4. Best banana pudding/cupcake: The Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery on Rivington Street will leave you salivating for more. The sweet smell of icing and banana cream will knock you over with excitement. I've never tasted such heavenly banana pudding or red velvet cupcakes- and I'm no fan of bananas nor have never been one to go on and on about red velvet cake, mostly cuz I never got where that funky color came from.

 

5. Best 2 Italian restaurants: Bar Pitti on Sixth avenue and Houston (Soho) followed by Malatesta Trattoria (West Village) both offer some simple and inexpensive Italian dishes and pastas. Bar Pitti has the people watching, while Malatesta just has a kick ass tiramisu. Your choice.

Bar Pitti, Soho/West Village

 

 Malatesta Trattoria, West Village

6. Best brunch: Bubby's in Tribeca. Best green eggs and ham and eggs benedict south of Houston. This legendary joint has much more to offer than a mile long queue and Harvey Keitel sitting in the back room chatting up the waitresses and sipping on his beer. It's a lively place, really, with some good ol' Southern American food, but some normal American food as well. 

7. Best burger: Shake Shack at Madison Square Park and the Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien Hotel. New York's 2 unmissable burger places, both located in the lower to midtown areas.

Shake Shack, Madison Square Park

8. Best cocktails: Little Branch on 7th avenue and Leroy Street, serves the most funky drinks ( a la Milk & Honey) from the vamped up Pimm's Cup (go Britannia!) to the classic but sexy Mojito, Trinadadian style: The Queens' Park Sizzle.

9. Best manicure/pedicure: and this is for us Londoners who can't get enough of the Vietnamese style mani/pedi, just cuz it's quick and dirty, cheap and chic. Iris Nail on Broadway between 10th and 11th, does the job just fine. You get a little MTV reality junk, with a side order of NYU students' gossip. Love it.


10. One more for the road- Best Borough Market New York equivalent: Chelsea Market (on 9th avenue between 15th and 16th) is the luxury version of a department store food court, offering a wide variety of different food joints, Lobster shacks, delis and grocery stores and also housing the famous Nicole Farhi store and restaurant, known to all us Londoners as 202. 

That's it for now, zesties. Heading to Paris tonight for some New Years celebrations. I hope the Christmas festivities were warm and fuzzy for all of you. Enjoy the New York Zest. In the meantime, LondonZest will be on hold til further notice:)

It's Tea Time!!!

I wouldn't say that I have an addictive personality. I've got my cravings, from my cupcakes to my cheese and crackers, and I do have to admit that if I start eating a box of cookies, it will take a tank, a soldier and a machine gun to stop me from eating the entire thing. Or a cheesecake with raspberry jam on top. Or a tiramisu. Oh oh oh, or a floating island! So yes, I guess if you get me started on something good, I will keep eating it until the whole thing vanishes. Would you call that an addictive personality? I wouldn't. I would just call it what it is. Enjoying the good things in life. Enjoying life, period! It's not like I'm making myself ill or sick to my stomach. I know when to stop. I do! You just have to remind me, that's all. Lately, or should I say, since my London adventure began, I have been realizing that some good things come as an acquired taste. I used to hate Yorkshire Pudding and all types of pudding. I now like pudding and I have grown accustomed to jelly-like substances floating in between my teeth. Tea is another thing I have grown to like. Actually, love is more appropriate. I love tea. I crave tea. I need my tea-fix at least once a day. Like a good little Brit girl, I've got my Kusmi tea tins, my Earl Greys and my Fennel teas. It's just a normal part of my daily routine and let's just say, sometimes a good cuppa is a great moment spent, and can best be enjoyed with a selection of tasty sweet bits.

There are two places that have made it to the top of my list for tea time. The first one is of course, in my favorite department store eva (!) and that is, at Liberty on Regent Street, on the second floor. Tea time at Liberty Cafe is delicious and is most enjoyed with a side of crumpets with jelly, or a high tray of cupcakes, tarts and sweet and salty sandwiches. True Brit Style.

High Tea at Liberty, Regent Street

My second fave place to go for high tea in London is not surprisingly the place with the coolest toilets in the entire city (toilet fetish?), and that is Sketch on Conduit Street, inside the room called The Parlour, imagine that. This tea spot is a real gem of a place, is truly ravishing and is scrumpsciously girly. Coincidentally, I also really enjoy their bar and restaurant for evenings with friends or lovers. 

The Parlour at Sketch, Conduit Street

Mayfair Lady at the Rose Bakery

I am moving again! Weeeeeee! Not far, just a smidgen south of where I am at the moment. My flat is a mess, my head is a mess, my life...well, is a mess, but surprisingly I am still standing. My student days are behind me, and I am looking forward now. To what? Yeah. About that. I have no friggin clue but at least I am looking forward, right? I've always been a fan of staying positive, though, and enjoying the wee things in life that make you feel special. Like for example: I looooove cupcakes or any baked goods with frosting on top. There's something about the fluff of the dough mixed with the nutty crunchiness and the smoothness of the creamy rich squirt of heaven that they put on top, that makes me feel all fuzzy inside. It's a mystery to me why I haven't keeled over from gluttony yet. My friends at work used to call me the closet fat kid. Soooooo un-PC, right? I thought so. Take a cinnamon roll from Gail's for example.  Isn't funny how something so sweet and delicious can give you a better perspective on life. What about a lovely dinner with friends on a Saturday night? Isn't fantastic how being around the people you love makes you feel warm, happy and full of glee. 

A good friend of mine visited from Paris last weekend. As we were aimlessly meandering down Piccadilly on Friday, she had the glorious idea of popping into Dover Street Market for a bite of lunch. No need to express to you how awesomely quirky this store is. Most of you Londoners have probably already been and it's no news to you that this is a real London hot spot...even though you probably don't end up buying anything most of the time (Comme des Garcons...um, who wears that?). You also probably have elevatored yourself up to the fourth floor (4F) where you catch yourself standing in the middle of a magical London lunch spot. The Rose Bakery at DSM is what I call a true London gem. It has everything from the yummy soups, quiches and salads, organic granola and cappucinos (cappuccini?), the absolute best carrot cake you have EVER tasted, and it is crowded with the cool Mayfair fashion, art and advertising professionals, who add to a decor that is at once sophisticated and relaxed. It is the hub of all that is cool in Mayfair. And the great thing is, on a warm and sunny day, you can take it all outside onto the balcony, where you can look down onto Albermarle Street and the rooftops of the Brown's Hotel. You'll enjoy a truly fantastic London moment and will leave happy, satisfied and a wee bit plumpier.

Rose Bakery at Dover Street Market

Carrot Cupcake at the Rose Bakery

Bye Bye Tesco, Hello To The Grocery

 

One of the many great things about London are its numerous grocery stores, from Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco's, to Wholefoods, Somerfields (really?) and more. I don't think I've had this much fun shopping for food before, especially not in New York, where your choices are pretty much limited to the Food Emporium where you end up buying the same TV dinners and Healthy Choice meals that are easy to prepare and don't require much creativity. Okay, you've got Whole Foods, that's true. And you've got Trader Joe's. But who goes there on a regular basis anyway? One of them is way too expensive and the other one is just messy, confusing and frustrating- though extremely good when speaking of value for money.

A big, fun, part of my daily routine as a thesis-writing student is making a trip to the grocery store. As much as I love and appreciate my around-the-corner Waitrose and closer-than-you-need Sainsbury's, I occasionally get tired of my little franchise supermarkets and start itching for something more exciting. The other day, I was in Shoreditch on one of my walking explorations of London trips, and as I was making my way down Kingslang Road, I fell upon the charming food store called The Grocery. Walking in, my head began to spin. This was exactly what I had been looking for! A non-mega franchise grocery store, where I could not only enjoy my shopping experience, but sit down to drink a coffee (while reading Grazia:) whenever I got too tired.  The place is a true London gem, filled with organic fairtrade dairy, produce, fresh off-the-bone meat and fish, just-out-of-the-oven baked bread and...my favourite: unshaven hippies! The Grocery Cafe is at the back of the store and at first glance may seem cavernous and dark, but then just invites you in amongst its beautifully faded and old-fashioned looking red-brick walls. You can sit amongst the coolest people in London, looking like a complete outsider but really not giving a rat's ass cuz you're in grocery heaven.

                               The Grocery on Kingsland Road, Shoreditch

Salad Bar Magic in Covent Garden

There is one thing I have been missing here in London and that is a decent salad bar. New York, for example, is spoiled with them. If you're walking around midtown, you see them left and right. Not only the cheap delis offer them, but you can find them at places like Chop't, Tossed, Cosi or Cafe Europa etc. They are certainly not a luxury over there. And for some reason, London has not reached that point yet. When I worked in Midtown, I used to start jiggling in my office chair, counting the minutes til I could run downstairs to my usual salad place. This was the typical drill: pick a meat/protein: $2, pick a cheese: $1.75, pick a fancy veggie (avocado, asparagus): $2,00, then just add on at your leisure. Your salad would cost at most $8.50...$10 if you were really hungry. I miss that so much! Now I may not  be working here, but I've had my fair share of lunches outside of home. London just doesn't have them! And I have no idea why. Maybe the salad bar culture hasn't arrived yet on this side of the Atlantic...or maybe there are a couple, haphazardly sprinkled around town, and if there are a few, the costs certainly reflect that lack of demand. One thing is for sure though, the salad bar culture has definitely not colonized this town like it has New York.

Occasionally, I find myself in Covent Garden for the lunch hour. Covent Garden is so underrated. You just have to know it to like it. There is this one salad place that you just have to check out. It's called Kastner & Ovens. It is tucked away somewhere between Floral Street and Long Acre, and because there is no sitting area, it is best to take it away and back to the office or to pick a sunny day to go sit in a neighboring park and enjoy its pure deliciousness. They offer some wonderful salads and hot meals, from grilled aubergine and zucchini and feta, to chili con carne and beef stroganoff, which appear to be coming straight out of  a cookbook or your grandmother's kitchen. It certainly is no New York salad bar with salad bar prices, but it is worth your while if you're around the hood.

                               Kastner & Ovens in Covent Garden

                                                                    

     

Don't go home or back to the office without making a detour via the adorable Monmouth Street, where you can grab the best coffee in town at Monmouth Coffee Company (you can also find it at Borough Market).


                            The Monmouth Coffee Company

Colville Mews, Notting Hill

I've just been on the Blogger homepage to update my Blogger profile and for some strange reason, Blogspot decided it was important to mention that I am born the year of the rat. No idea why, they just did. So, after much time trying to figure out how to delete this superfluous piece of information, and to no avail, I decided to let it be. Now I am not one to believe in signs and silly premonitions but this is just too strange to not take as a sign. Right? I don't know, maybe I would have found it cooler to be born the year of the dragon or the spider or something. But the rat? Seriously? Yuck. Hmmm, I guess lil Frankie here is kinda cute.

Wait, wait, wait, this gets better...

Creative problem solver, check! Imaginative, check! Intuitive, check! Hey, this isn't so bad...

So, here I am, procrastinating, taking a break from my long and tedious dissertation writing, hoping to find some inspiration in the blogging process...and maybe from a little coffee break. So I get up from my numb-feeling bumm from all the sitting down, oh so ready to get inspired. I picked up a delicious cappucino and muffin at Tom's Deli on Westbourne Grove and strolled around the block weaving in and out of mews quarters, sipping and munching away, hoping to find some answers. Looking into the cute little Colville Mews, I was intrigued by the big Temperley sign, tucked away behind the white brick walls of the mews alley. Not that I was thinking of going inside...no more shopping for me (I'm living on student budget, which means the cash flow is pretty much non-existent), but I found myself to be smiling at how adorable this remote area of busy Notting Hill was. Crazy! I've been living close by for months, and I've never even noticed this little treasure of a street?

Not only that, but next to Temperley is the tiny Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising, which if you're into media, marketing, fashion, branding, advertising and pop culture in general, like I totally am, you'll have to make a special detour to check out! Right now, it is featuring a show on the very best of Guiness Advertising over 250 years and it is a really fun 30 minutes so go take a look!

        Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in Notting Hill

On the other side of Temperley, you'll also find the small Pippa Small Jewelry boutique, which offers beautifully crafted bracelets, necklaces and earrings that are both ethnic and chic, a look that totally befits the Notting Hill vibe. Her style is cool and fresh and all of it is handmade! She also uses real stones, from amethyst and emerald to Lapis and Quartz, which make for truly special pieces.

                            Pippa Small's Bolivian Blue Pebble

So next time you're in my hood, either come and visit me, or go check out Notting Hill's hidden treasures in Colville Mews off Lonsdale Road.

My Quest for London Zest

I hail from New York City and I have been in London for exactly a year! Can you believe it?! I am now a Londoner...or am I?

New York at first, felt like a cold cold place. Large avenues, with tall high-rises, of which you could hardly see the tops. Fancy fifth avenue shops crowded with fancy fifth avenue coop-owners and not-so-fancy midwest American tourists. Long long winters and cold cold autumns. It is, I must say, one of the most unwelcoming places on earth. But after much time and effort spent there, I finally made it mine. My New York. I searched hard and long, but the reward was priceless! The best part was: I found the gems and treasures of New York by being curious, and I was determined to feel at home. Needless to say, I uncovered my New York gems! From Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery on Rivington Street and Billy's Bakery on Ninth Avenue, where the Banana Pudding and the Red Velvet cupcakes melt in your mouth; to Honey in the Rough, THE one dress shop on Rivington, where my friend Ashley Hanosh, exquisite woman and boutique owner, has created a gem of a boutique, where you will find the most delicious dresses and accessories for an experience that is at once friendly and professional; my impression of New York changed once I set foot in these second homes. It is with great pleasure and excitement that I embark on a new journey to discover London's hidden gems and sterling secrets, in an effort to make London my new home away from home.

Billy's Bakery on Ninth Avenue and 21st Street, New York: Oh Yum!

I now live in Notting Hill, well Bayswater to be precise, and I spend hours walking around not only the neighborhood but the whole city, sniffing for the perfect gems, the perfect shops with the perfect stories to tell.I don't find myself in Islington very often. But if I do manage to drag my bumm up there, all the way up from Notting Hill- er I mean Bayswater- I'll make sure I make it a special experience. And it starts all the way from the top of Upper Street by the Highbury tube stop to the very bottom of St Johns Street. I'm not kidding, this is the best 20 minute walk in London (or hour and half depending on if you get lucky!). And this is why: the adorable, magical vintage boutiques of London are all located there, polka-dotting the Islington sidewalks left and right, so much so that you won't know where to look and what to do with yourself.

My journey begins in Islington, where the vintage boutiques and second-hand shops flourish by the minute.

My number 1: Labour of Love on Upper Street. I just love, love, love it! As my friend Liz Lemon from 30 Rock would say (and no she is not my namesake... "Lemon Zest???")... I want to go to there! I swear, you'll love it too! It has everything from one-of-a-kind costume jewelry, and nowhere-else-in-the-world fancy tops and dresses, to awesome repetto-imitation jazz shoes, for great prices! Plus the shop is so tiny, you'll feel like Alice and Wonderland after she's eaten the magic mushrooms.
 

Labour of Love, Upper Street, Islington

My number 2 has to be My Sugarland on St Johns Street.
Now this shop is for pros. The shop owner is a stylist called Zoe Lem and she has a gift. She can pick out fantastic pieces and has created such a beautiful place to display them in, that everything just works wonders. As I was strolling down St john Street, I took a peak inside this attractive boutique, and all of a sudden, found myself to be lured in by all of the fantastic colours, hats, gloves and tights that were on display, and before I knew it, I was touching everything! My fingers were caught in a whirlwind of beautiful vintage dresses and scarves and... I fell in love. The prices are not as kind as you'd hope them to be, but if you're lucky enough and it's sale time or if you happen to find a piece you know or think is calling your name, don't let it go. It's a sign from above!

My Sugardland on St Johns Street, Islington










My number 3 is called Dress for Less on St Johns Street and it is a charming spot. I walked in yesterday and I was completely smitten. The place is a whole in the wall and you probably wouldn't see it if you didn't know about it, but it is perfect! Walk in and find
a rainbow of vintage designer and second hand clothes, jewels and accessories, from the essential Burberry trench to the occasional Jigsaw necklaces and delightful Sonia Rykiel jumpers, all at a price you will not believe! The shop owner is an adorable woman who calls you sweetheart, luv and cheesecake, or something like that, and she makes her bazaar as cozy as your home. You can just walk in, unload, try on a thousand things at once and she will never cringe! It is truly a find and you must go!

Dress for Less on St Johns Street, Islington                  














Dress For Less Necklace, £20

After some intense shopping, walk down St Johns Street and make a right onto Myddleton Street towards Exmouth Market, where you will navigate your way through the fantastic smells of the food stands and go straight down the finish line to grab some green curry like you've never tasted. Finish your day by warming up with a delicious cappucino or latte and a piece of delectable chocolate pie or crunchy meringue from "Sweet Boulangerie and Patisserie." You will not regret it.