NOURISH HEALTH + TASTE + STYLE

Travel Top Ten :: London Recap!

The USDA may have released the new food uber-simplifiied pyramid visual today, but I thought it'd be a tad more interesting to talk travel.  I'll never complain about having to eat and scout great food, shops and restaurants for a living.  I'm freshly back from a work-focused whirlwind trip to London and Copenhagen--2 absolutely stunning cities for food and design.  London?  Great food?  Oh my lord yes.  Don't be too quick to judge, London is making a serious move on the food scene and I've got a load of photos to prove it.  Here are my top picks from around the city - Copenhagen's recap is up next!

(above, the adorable takeaway shop Melrose & Morgan)

 

the culinary wonderland that is Ottolenghi  |  my menu at St. John, the king of nose to tail cooking |  a fresh, scrumptious breakfast at Shoreditch House - poached egg, avocado w/cilantro, wholegrain toast & a slice of lime.  pure genius.

gorgeous colors and artisan foods at Broadway Market and blooms at Columbia Road Flower Market

a quiet sneak peek at J & A Cafe just before a wedding reception |  love London’s bright doors

Borough Market, the expansive queen of farmers markets |  wonderful, wonderful cheese at La Formagerie  |  fresh local oysters and tradition at Wright Bros.

Monmouth Coffee needs to come to the US |  more wonderful cheese at Neal’s Dairy Yard  |  quaint home and garden products at Labour & Wait

40 Winks, quite possibly the most beautifully decorated boutique hotel ever |  flowers + fresh baked bread make a perfect match at Leila’s Shop

one more lovely link to check out, Brawn, the most talked about new restaurant across the pond

Coveting Copenhagen

To wrap up the recap of my recent travels, here are some of my favorite finds from Copenhagen, Denmark, a city known for exceptional design and newly known for its extraordinary take on Nordic food.  Food + design...and I was right at home from the second I stepped off the plane.

 

 

everyone, literally everyone, bikes…everywhere |  design runs deep in this city, even at a simple hotel breakfast, love that flatware |  serene outdoor design hidden in the back of a boutique

patterns galore with these lavastone boards  for the kitchen at Stilleben  |  delicate handcrafted ceramics at Keramiker Inge Vincents  |  the most incredible licorice-caramels at Karamelleriet

inventive yet approachable Nordic cuisine at Relae  |  cutting edge design at Hay House  |  the view & a rocking lamp at Ruby, which serves up the best cocktails in town

food, drink + design swim together at Fiskebar

Noma.  Voted the “Best Restaurant in the World” twice over.  Couldn’t get a reservation, but they were gracious enough to give a brief tour.  Amazing.

Danish design comes to life in a fantastic wine bar and shop, Ved Stranden

To Do List :: A Few Good Links

In an attempt to hideout for part of the weekend and escape the miserable heat and humidity that hit the East Coast last week, I took to my cozy couch yesterday and caught up on some work, a stack of food mags and some overdue web surfing (not nearly as cool as the real thing, but without a body of water nearby, it's second best).  Anyhow, here are few good links to kickstart your week with.  Happy surfing!

*Mark Bittman strikes again.  Very smart NY Times Op-Ed column yesterday on subsidizing vegetables and taxing junk food and soda - which could generate $13.2 billion in federal tax dollars and cover about 8% of medical costs associated with obesity.  Total estimated U.S. obesity cost for 2012: $166.2 billion!

*In other nutrition news, NY Times contributor, Jane Brody also strikes again.  Great column on how new research finds that counting calories as an effective method of losing weight may be passe -- I vote a big YES to that one.  Check out her column here.  Stay tuned, more to come on this one...

*JCrew enters the world of blogging & Tumblr!  L.O.V.E.

*Amazing new online mag (aka guide for small gatherings) devoted entirely to entertaining, food & widespread inspiration (see above photo for proof).  Can't wait for the 2nd run of Kinfolk.

*Eyeing this for a new greenmarket tote.

*Photography retreat meets Marrakesh via polaroid & food photography goddess, Jen Altman. Instant Love.

*Package-free grocery shopping.  In.gredients brings a sustainable micro-grocery store to Austin, TX.  Awesomeness.

*Looking forward to my batch of jalapenos budding on my balcony.  First born, see below.  Guide to an herb/veg garden of your own, click here.

*Dance party brunch this past Saturday outside in 100 degree heat.  Great concept, mother nature made a bit challenging to execute.    Thankfully there were water balloons on hand and CityGrit NYC has some great upcoming dinners once the weather cools.

*Rue Issue 6 goes live this evening!  Keep your eye's peeled for some far-off foodie wanderlust with my column.

*Perfect healthy treat to beat the heat.  DIY popsicles!