Virginia is for Lovers

Image found here

Maq and I are off to Lynchburg this weekend for a beautiful fall wedding. The bride has been a dear friend since college and we are so excited to celebrate their nuptials. After this weekend, the wedding season closes until spring and the holiday season kicks-off with Halloween.

In honor of Virginia, below are a few tips on finding the products of this state in New York City.

Looking for a Virginia ham? Try Fairway's Redhook location (and possibly UWS location) or the Meat Markets on Arthur Ave in the Bronx. Also,don't forget The Carolina Country store in Brooklyn.

For Virginia peanuts, specifically those from the Williamsburg Peanut Shop, stop by Jubilee Market or order the peanuts here.

The Big Apple

Image found here

It's apple season in the big apple. Time for a few recipes.

Apple Cake

Apple Pie

Baked Apples

Curried Scallop-Apple Salad

Pork with Sauteed Granny Smith Apples

Savory Onion and Apple Tart

Waldorf Salad

Trick or Treat!

Southern Living is up to it again! This time 'Made by Southern Hands' is all about Halloween. MoonPies in orange and black, candied apples from Texas, salt water taffy from Savannah and cake pops out of Mississippi, support these Southern hands this Halloween.

Image found here

Halloween or anytime, a cow tail is always good treat. Did you know these delicious caramels come straight from Baltimore?

The State Fair

My parents are not exactly state fair folks. Nonetheless, they bought tickets to Columbia's fair this year to enjoy an elephant ear, corn dog, and fisk fries. Looking for the state fair in New York City? Check out City Grit.

City Grit is a Culinary Salon with southern-bred Sarah Simmons as the chef and curator. Experiences are ticketed events held in a 70 seat dining room and on October 25th, they are turning your favorite fair treats into a multi-course meal.

Image found here

Off to Sparkle

I am back from DC and off to Spartanburg, SC tomorrow! In honor of this trip to SC, below are a few of my favorite places.

Columbia

Mr. Friendly's          Five Points      Non(e)such       Home!                  Papa Jazz

Groucho's Deli        The Vista         Verve              Andy's Deli           The State House

Goatfeathers            USC                Garibaldi         Gourmet Shop       California Dreaming



Charleston


SNOB                 Cypress                 Gibbes Art Museum     Kickin Chicken      Museum Mile

Peninsula Grill     Blind Tiger           Sullivan's Island           South of Broad        Basil

Blossom              Mo's Crosstown     Poe's                            Market Pavilion       King Street

Fleet Landing      Ravenel Bridge      CSOL                          Rue de John            Yo Burrito



Spartanburg

The Beacon          Wofford College

Wade's                  Converse College

Nu-way               

Have an Important Weekend

Image found here

I am traveling to DC for work next week. Though I have lived there, worked there, and visited there, I am always amazed by the feeling of power in this town. What an important place in the world!



Image found here



Image found here



Sweat Tea

Most people don't take their tea ice cold and with enough sugar to make one's teeth fall out. Those of us growning up in the South, however, would have it no other way. Living in the Northeast, it is easy to find cold, unsweetend tea, but cold, sweetened tea is not so easy. Thankfully, Georgia's Eastside BBQ has just the fix. Serving pulled pork bar-b-que, fried catfish, and fried chicken, Georgia's can also satisfy any sweet tea craving.

And a little tip for making one's own tea, the trick is adding sugar while the tea is still warm.

No free lunch

There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but a discounted lunch or dinner does, in fact, exist! Savored partners with restaurants to help them fill their tables, members reserve these tables through Savord for $10 per reservation, and as result a 30% discount is applied to your bill. How's that for a deal!

One can also change or cancel her reservation up until two hours before the scheduled reservation time and if the group's savings don't exceed the booking fee, Savored will refund the price of the reservation.

Happy dining!

Support Your Local Farmer

With apple seaons in full swing, Maq and I headed up to Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard for a day full of fall fun (apple picking, hay rides, pumpkin patches). Taking MetroNorth from Grand Central, we had a lovely afternoon outside.

And the Winner is . . .

The Holy City!

Every year Conde Nast Traveler rates the top tourist destinations and for the past 18 years, San Fran has come in at No. 1. Charleston debuted on the list in 1993 coming in at No. 6. The city has moved up the ranks over the years holding tight at No. 2 for the past three. This year, however, Charleston pulled through to No. 1!

The other cities that top the list are as follows: No. 2 San Francisco No. 3 Santa Fe No. 4 Chicago No. 5 Honolulu No. 6 New York No.7 Savannah No. 8 Carmel No. 9 Seattle No. 10 Boston

Way to go Charleston (my old town) and New York (my now town)!

The Brooklyn Flee Market

With the beautiful weather this weekend, Maq and I ventured out to the Brooklyn Flee Market in Fort Greene. It was an easy trip on the 'C' and a great way to spend Saturday afternoon. Open every Saturday from April through November 19th, the market features 150 vendors. We wandered through the various booths sifting through rugs, antiques, local food, and vintage clothing. Maq found a great shoe shine kit straight out of 1962 (and finally all of that shoe polish sitting out on the floor recently has its own tucked away place!). The big purchase of the day though had to be the mink stole I found at Britannia Antiques' booth. Purchased with its original hanger and a note dated 18th December 1964 from Rochelle Furs certifying the value of the 'natural autumn haze mink stole' to its first owner, it will be a piece I treasure for years. It was such fun to find these treasures. We had lunch before heading out but the food carts looked amazing. I would highly recommend making the trip and finding your own lovely surprises.

Have a thoughtful weekend

Celebrating a life of genius, words of wisdom from Steve Jobs:

“You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

While we're on the subject

While we're on the subject of pie, I did a bit of digging for the best Key Lime Pie in New York City. Maq lived in Miami during our courtship and this delicious treat was on every restaurant menu. According to the New York Times, Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies, is the place to be. One can purchase the pie at Steve's Red Hook bakery or these retail locations. Speaking of Miami, here are a few of our favorite spots to try when escaping the cold New York winter.

To eat:                                                  To see:

Michael's                                              Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

Sra. Martinez                                        Art Basel 2011 December 1-4

Prime 112                                             Adrienne Arsht Center for the Preforming Arts

Red Light

Pie

Derby Pie (R), as it is known, was first created as the Speciality Pastry for the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky. George Kern, manager of the restaurant, developed the recipe with the help of his parents. The pie was named after a family vote and registered with the US Patent Office and the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1968. Since then, it has been baked and distributed solely by Kern's Kitchen; a small family commercial kitchen in Louisville. To find Kern's Derby Pie, click here. When looking for a similar pie in New York City, try Pie Corps' Chocolate Bourbon Pecan pie. Pie Corps offers handmade, seasonally inspired and locally sourced sweet and savory pies. You can find Pie Corps' deliciousness at these locations.
Or to make the pie yourself, try this recipe. Happy Baking!

Modern Art and the Brown Bag Lunch

Most New Yorkers don't have much time to spare. If you do have space in your calendar from 12:30-1:15 on Mondays and Thursdays, head over to MoMA for their Brown Bag Lunch series. Enjoy lectures on modern and contemporary art while munching on your lunch packed from home. Tired of your usual turkey sandwich? Try Aisan Slaw, an autumn chopped salad or this delicious cob.