Guide to Savannah, Georgia

Another year has come and gone, and with the changing of the date comes my yearly pilgrimage to Savannah, Georgia where I rest, reset, and reflect on the resolutions of past and present. A few things have changed around town and though I have done many stories on Savannah in the past I wanted to share a quick update on where she stands now and my fav spots not to be missed. 

Eat:

The Grey, farm to table in a renovated bus station is my favorite spot for dinner.

Elizabeth’s on 37th, classic southern in a beautiful old mansion.

The Wyld, just outside of downtown this spot is casual dock side dining overlooking Savannah’s lowland marsh.

Zunzi’s, casual for lunch

Back in the Day Bakery, charming 1950s style bakery with fresh homemade pastries, sandwiches and breads. 

Atlantic, eclectic modern menu located in a renovated gas station 

Green Truck Pub, best burgers in Savannah and a good beer menu

*Coming soon Husk Savannah!!! 

Also see: Collins Quarter, The Vault, Sandfly BBQ, Cotton & Rye, Sugo Rossa, Gryphon Tea Room, Public, Local 11 Ten, Garibaldi, Vinnie Van Go Go‘s 

Drink:

Artillery, chic little cocktail bar in a historic building with a great drink menu. My favorite spot now!

Pink House, take the outside stairs to the basement for the live piano music in the old exposed brick footprint of this haunted historic building. Great spot on colder evenings in Savannah with the double fireplaces going.

Coffee:

Gallery Espresso, there are a lot of great coffee spots in Savannah but this is my favorite. I’ve worked from this spot for years. 

Also see: Sentient Bean, Foxy LoxyPurrvana Cafe & Cat Lounge (yes, a cat cafe!)

Shop:

shopSCAD, handmade art and crafts created by SCAD students and alumni is not to be missed. 

The Paris Market, from candles to coffee and french bed linens 

One Fish Two Fish, traditional southern homeware and decor and a great collection of nightgowns

Alex Raskin Antiques, amazing antique collection for the home in an incredible historic Savannah building which is worth a visit in and of itself to see. 

Savannah Underground Market, more like a flea market than antique store but serious treasures and great prices on everything from furniture to vintage clothing and books 

*just take a stroll up and down Broughton Street*

Sleep:

I had the fortune of staying at SCAD’s Magnolia Hall which is a private guest house but I’ve stayed many other places in Savannah:

The Gastonian, a quiet old southern home with large porches close to Forsyth Park. I always request the Carriage House for privacy and a clawfoot tub. 

Kehoe House, another beautiful historic inn 

The Brice, is OK. The lobby is great but I find the rooms to be a little too generic for my taste. Good to have in your back pocket if everything else is booked. 

West Elm is opening a new hotel in Savannah soon which I am looking forward to experiencing. 

Palmetto Bluff, outside Savannah in the country on the water is this very beautiful luxury resort

Guide to Geneva, Switzerland

I am really enjoying how easy it is to zip around Europe on the train. It’s been a nice break from the stress of air travel. From where I am in Provence I jumped on the train at Avignon and three hours later I arrived for a short weekend getaway to Geneva. Here is what I learned from my visit: Geneva in the summer is amazing, which is very welcomed break from the heat of Provence. It’s clean. It’s beautiful. The blue-green views of Lake Geneva from anywhere you are is like having a backdrop painted by a great European master. Because it is such an international destination you have amazing restaurants and hotels. The public transportation is fast, easy, safe, reliable and free for visitors! The city is not actually a big as you might think so if you stay in the hub everything is easily walkable. Perhaps though, my new favorite thing about Geneva is how quickly you can go from the bustle of city life to the country where biking in vineyards makes for the sweetest escape. 

Here is a guide to some of my favorite places for a weekend in Geneva:

EAT: 

Restaurant parc des eaux vives– With stunning views of Lake Geneva this restaurant is situated in a 16th century manor house on gorgeous manicured grounds serving local farm to table plates. I had the fish caught fresh from Lake Geneva! 

Izumi– My favorite place in Geneva, I always eat here! Located at the top of the Four Seasons right in the heart of Geneva, this Japanese fusion restaurant has amazing 360 degree rooftop views. Not that they need amazing views because it’s one of the best sushi restaurants in the world. *Just a note- it’s very small and very popular so you must make a reservation. 

Café du Marché– If you make it out to the charming neighborhood of Carouge this was an amazing cafe with seasonal fresh dishes and cool decor vibes. 

Alma– New, cool, trendy and hip is how I would describe this Peruvian restaurant in Geneva’s wonderfully walkable Eaux-Vives neighborhood. 

Au Vieux Carouge– Really small, local, no frills, 100% Swiss fondue. You’ll leave smelling like cheese but loving every minute of it. *You must order the meringue in double cream dessert. Still haunts me to this day. Also, because of its small size you need a reservation. 

Les Armures– Another fondue place we loved (and famously visited by the Clintons) with a bigger menu but still true to the heart and soul of local Swiss food.

Domaine de Châteauvieux– If you want something really, really special and gastronomic this place is outstanding and set in the most beautiful location in a 16th century Chateau and vineyard. 

See:

Vieille Ville– Geneva’s Old Town is a beautiful and charming area with many historic sights hundreds if not thousands of years old, cafes, shopping and beautiful public spaces. 

The Vineyards- we easily took the #18 tram from the main train station to CERN (20 mins) where E-Bike Tours is located and hopped on electronic bikes to ride off into the countryside ultimately ending at a local winery where we spent the afternoon tasting the local terroir. 

Lake Geneva- Perhaps the main attraction, there are so many ways you can enjoy the lake, from sunbathing with the locals by the lighthouse to a variety of boating options. We took a dinner cruise around the lake on a historic steam vessel on the Geneve Jardin-Anglais line. We also watched the famous Bol D’Or Mirabeau sailboat race from the water on a chartered trip with Geneva Boats

Carouge– The “Greenwich Village of Geneva” is a cool, hip, and artistic historic neighborhood with artisan shops, cafes and a wonderful Saturday farmer’s market. 

Mount Salève– You can pop over from Switzerland to France and take a cable car up to the top of Mount Salève with awesome views of Geneva as well as great nature hiking trails. 

Stay:

Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues– My favorite of all the hotels we have stayed on our trips to Geneva, by far. It’s historic and glamorous and romantic. Your rooms have views of Lake Geneva and it’s perfectly situated in the city making it easy to get anywhere quickly. Geneva has many five star luxury hotels (which are all situated in a line along the lake) but there is something about this one that makes it the best of all. Or maybe I just really love places that look like royal palaces… 

Guide to Dallas, Texas

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There are two things I love dearly: Champagne & Texas. So it was a joy when Veuve Clicquot asked me to do an Instagram takeover guide to Dallas this past weekend! As if going back home could get any sweeter…

Below are the images in the series they edited down to their 5 favorites but here are a few of my other must see, eat, play places!:

Shopping

Forty Five Ten– A new luxury boutique offering designer clothes and home decor in a historic building surrounded with Texas live oaks with its own cafe.

Neiman Marcus– The historic flagship luxury retailer store opened originally in downtown Dallas in 1907 and still stands to this day with the chic Zodiac restaurant.

Grange Hall– A new and lavish shop that boasts and exquisite collection of home décor, jewelry, handbags, apothecary and other opulent oddities with a floral shop and gorgeous restaurant.

Cocktails

Five Sixty Reunion Tower– See in the above image. This chic and glamorous restaurant and bar by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck sits high atop Dallas in the Reunion Tower, a famous spherical piece of architecture iconic to the Dallas skyline.

Midnight Rambler– An underground craft cocktail salon located in the hip Joule Hotel in the heart of downtown Dallas.

Bowen House– Set in a historic house in Dallas’s cosmopolitan Uptown neighborhood, this charming and cozy watering hole serves craft cocktails and Texas bites.

Activities 

Nasher Sculpture Center– Located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District, the Nasher is one of my favorite art museums to take in modern and contemporary sculptures, especially in their curated gardens.

Dallas Arboretum Botanical Garden– I grew up visiting this tranquil and beautiful 66-acre botanical garden with historic structures and sweeping views of White Rock Lake.

Dallas Farmer Market- A Texas-sized sprawling daily market with a focus on seasonal produce, local farms, speciality foods, honey and beds of flowers all for purchase.

The Rustic– Kick up your boots and listen to live Texas music on the patio under string lights at The Rustic in the heart of Dallas, featuring a bar stocked full of Texas made beers and liquors and farm to table eats.

EAT

Bolsa– A cool Bishop Arts District spot in a historic building known as Settles Garage with local seasonal food and amazing flatbreads.

Pecan Lodge– Texas BBQ joint located in Deep Ellum serves up classic comfort with a variety of smoked meats, sides and desserts served on no-frills metal trays, a true southern experience.

El Come Taco– Don’t let the location in a strip mall fool you- this small, loval and hip counter-service taqueria offers the best Mexican fare famous for their street tacos and breakfast tortas.


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Above~ Have champagne, will travel. The perfect backpack for both, by Buscemi

Below~ Attending Veuve Clicquot’s kick-off dinner at the Hotel Zaza starting a nationwide journey for the Champagne house in a silk satin dress by Kaelen & Schutz heels.

Dallas_Texas_04 Continue reading “Guide to Dallas, Texas”

EAT L.A.

EAT L.A., a photographers guide to best and most photogenic restaurants in L.A.

It’s that time of year in which every New Yorker says… “Maybe I should move to L.A.”. I’ve been very resistant to the idea of the perpetual perfect 72 and sunny day, being the proud New Yorker I am I declare things like “I like seasons” and “I hate driving”. But…. when it’s 18 degrees and dark most of the day I find myself singing a different tune.

So, I decided to focus on something I do best: eating well. I love food. I love GOOD food. I love beautiful food. I love weird food. And if I’m going to ever really consider making the popular migration west, I want to know what’s the skinny on one of my favorite activities… and here is what I found when you Eat L.A.


Favorite Food Spots in Los Angeles

Salazar || Cafe Stella || Milo & Olive || Malibu Farm || Alimento || KazuNori || Rose Cafe || Republique || Petit Trois – ||Odys and Penelope || Bestia ||Cassia || Trois Familia || Guisados || Salt Air ||Guerrilla Tacos ||Tasting Kitchen || Verve || Love & Salt || The Bunglow || Salt & Straw ||Redbird || Gjusta || Sqirl || Sycamore Kitchen || Osteria Mozza || Jon & Vinny’s || Rustic Canyon || Maré || Sugarfish || Destroyer || Pizzeria Mozza || Sotto || Eightfold Coffee || Ostrich Farm || Baco Mercat || Las Perlas || Mercado || Father’s Office

EAT L.A., a photographers guide to best and most photogenic restaurants in L.A. EAT L.A., a photographers guide to best and most photogenic restaurants in L.A. EAT L.A., a photographers guide to best and most photogenic restaurants in L.A. EAT L.A., a photographers guide to best and most photogenic restaurants in L.A.

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Guide to Buenos Aires, Argentina

I’ve dreamed of experiencing Buenos Aires all my life. I heard it was beautiful and romantic. I heard that the food was incredible, the wine as rich as the culture. I had heard it was the Paris of South America, and you all know how I feel about mon amour Paris. All these things had been whispered to me, and they filled my mind with wanderlust. When I finally visited, I knew everything I had heard was right. I would love to share with you the discoveries that led me to fall in love with this magnificent city…

This list is made possible because of my amazing guides from Mai 10. Mai 10 is a travel agency focused on privileged access and inspiring destinations. Because of Mai 10, the city sparkled like a glass of champagne.

A tour of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fueguia Perfume

This beautiful boutique perfumery has a few locations around Buenos Aires, featuring a collection both chic and minimalist. I fell in love with a new perfume called Juan Manuel: named after a man they used to call “de Rosas”, which means “for the roses”, it has a smoky scent like you were sitting in a room full of roses by a roaring fire.

A tour of Buenos Aires, Argentina A tour of Buenos Aires, Argentina Continue reading “Guide to Buenos Aires, Argentina”

5 Favorite Lunch Spots of Tribeca

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We’ve been living in Tribeca for a year now – not that long, but long enough to sample many of the neighborhood’s restaurants and make habits of where we like to go most often. Here are my current top 5 Favorite Lunch Spots of Tribeca

KAFFE 1668

coffee shop turned lunch spot

I’ve been coming to Kaffe 1668 for coffee and organic juices (the Brazil nut is my hangover cure) for months before I realized they have an extensive and amazing lunch menu with many of the ingredients coming from local farms. Their Alkalizing Salad with Quinoa is a weekly staple of mine but when I’m really feeling like an all-American treat I go for the Turkey Club which is TO DIE FOR. Bonus – your lunch items come with a complimentary tea. Yay.

Kaffe 1668, one of my 5 favorite Tribeca lunch places I'm currently loving

Below, outside Kaffe 1668 in Banana Republic’s recent collaboration with designer Roland Mouret which made the PERFECT high-waisted pant I’ve been living in! The collaboration is mostly sold out online but can still be found in-store.

Kaffe 1668, one of my 5 favorite Tribeca lunch places I'm currently loving

TINY’s

The little space that could…

First off, it’s pink. When you’re a building as old as the one Tiny’s hangs out in, you have to really make a splash to be seen. Even if the facade wasn’t pink though, we’d still know about it because the food is DELISH. Why I love it: Perfect lunch spot for business meetings or casual dates with a very ‘hip’ crowd…. and the burata salad with peach compote is on my list of “last meal” items. SO GOOD.

EH9A7386 Continue reading “5 Favorite Lunch Spots of Tribeca”

Guide to Savannah

Savannah, Georgia

My love for Savannah started on a father / daughter trip about five years ago –  obviously I got to pick the destination – and something very strange happened to me…I felt at home there and that took me by surprise. I enjoy Texas, where I was born, and I love New York,  the place where my work and dreams are, but every time I get down to this small southern town I get that feeling of peace, that I am where I belong. Savannah has so much of what I love about New York to it: it’s walkable, has great restaurants, beautiful parks, great coffee, art, interesting people, antiques and historic dreaminess. I’ve gone back every year since over and over again, tweaking my list of must-dos, and must-eats. Here is my guide to Savannah if you’re just visiting like me or thinking about going to SCAD one day.

Savannah, Georgia

 COFFEE JOINTS

fountain

Savannah, Georgia

LUNCH SPOTS

 

 

 

 

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Christina’s Guide to New Orleans

Yesterday we heard all about the life of our Southern muse, Christina Graci…and today we get insider knowledge about all her favorite New Orleans hot spots! A city so full of culture, life, music, color, food and amazing shopping, it’s no wonder it’s one of the fastest growing cities in America. So here’s the scoop!

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Above & Below~ Christina is wearing a vintage dress from an estate sale, shoes by Roger Vivier, vintage tassel earrings, a vintage ocelot leopard belt, and HopeConfidence, and Stability Charms by Pandora Jewelry.

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New Orleans Museum of Art

“Museums are my favorite places to go alone or with my brother, Chad.  I am fascinated with history and culture so I truly find visiting the museum enlightening and so peaceful.  The architecture of NOMA is beautiful too.  It is located in City Park and has great exhibits.  What more could you ask for?!”

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Helen’s Guide to Charleston

The best recommendation is by word of mouth…

So yesterday we chatted with Helen about her life, business, and home as part of a very special series on inspiring women across the United States in partnership with Pandora…but today she’s taking us on the town! She gave us a list of her Charleston favorites – “I’m listing a lot of food because it’s so good!” – and we headed out to see what Charleston, South Carolina was all about…

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First I made her take me to her pop-up shop, Pretend Store, where we chatted with the current designer in house, Proud Mary’s Harper Poe.

“We used to have our office in the little building that is now Pretend Store. We bought the building and renovated it a few years ago and when it was time to move out we didn’t know what we wanted to do with it so Pretend Store happened. It started as a way to bide our time while we figured out then longer plan for the building and turned into a way for us to connect with people that we’ve kind of had design crushes on. We rent the building to each participant for the month and then they do with it whatever they want. It’s been really fun seeing the space transformed time and time again. “

  

 

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Courtney’s Guide To San Francisco

The best recommendation is by word of mouth…

Monday we met one of my muses, Courtney Klein, who is kicking off a series I’m starting on inspiring women across the United States in partnership with Pandora who focuses on these kind of modern day women. Whenever I travel to a new city I can’t call home I always want to know from people who share my same sensibility, where to go! Courtney gave me a list of her S.F. favs including a few that sounded so good I had to see for myself:

1. Gravel & Gold

“An expertly curated collection of beautiful ceramics, beauty products, clothing, home goods, and other bits and bobs that have a totally California vibe.”

I may or may-not have bought a few things for our studio

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