An American in Paris

The countdown to my trip to Paris is on: in fact, I will be arriving there in exactly two months! With a total of five days in town, I’m feeling the pressure to create the perfect itinerary. There’s so much I want to do! I count myself lucky to have a handful friends with exceptional recommendations to share. For everything else, I’ve been relying on a few incredible blogs:
• Elephantine’s picks from last fall are amazing (not to mention her gorgeous photos!). She inspired me to rent an apartment, instead of staying at a hotel. We’re using Airbnb!

• My friend Morgan suggested this, but Oh Happy Day! drove the recommendation home: when in town, plan a picnic on the Seine. Could there be anything more magical than that view? We decided to take it a step further and book an evening cruise down the river. C’est romantique, n’est-ce pas?!

• A reminder from HiP Paris — and Amy Thomas’ new book — that this city is nothing without it’s sweets. We’re working on a short list of where to find the best pastries (and macarons), something I’ll share once I get back from my trip.
• I trust in Rachel Khoo. Her blog and experience running La Petite Cuisine à Paris make her culinary recommendations the place to start. L’Avant Comptoir and Septime are both places I want to check out.

• Advice from Paris in Color to make the effort, and take it all in.  

Now, you go: what should I do in Paris? Recommendations, please! 🙂

(Image 1, 2, 3, and 4)

The Newsroom

This weekend, I had a chance to start watching The Newsroom, Aaron Sorkin’s new drama on HBO. Have you checked it out? 

In college, I was exploring my options and accepted a summer internship at the NBC affiliate station in Boston. I was in the special projects division, and while I knew an on-air career wasn’t for me, I loved the energy that goes on behind the scenes. In fact, I may or may not have held my breath every time I walked through the actual newsroom. It felt sacred — and you always knew that the mood of the room could change on a dime. A news alert would pop up on your computer screen, and you never knew who would be assigned to what and when. It was exhilerating! Truth be told, I never ate a bite of food between 9-6. My nerves! 🙂

But I loved every minute, which explains why I enjoy this show. The personalities, the pace, the rhythm that goes into a successful broadcast — it’s great.

Are you watching, too? Would love to hear what you think!

(Images via E!)

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday, my darling readers! What do you have planned for the next couple of days off? I am looking forward to celebrating my friend’s birthday (a big one: 3-0!) with a trip to Roberta’s Pizza in Brooklyn. Have you been? The Bee Sting — one of their specialities — is delicious with ingredients including pepperoni, mozzarella, chili flakes and honey. It is unreal. Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Are you a Marilyn, Audrey or Jackie?

When it rains, it pours.

What did Rory read?

An Instagram summer! (Check out my own.) 

I heart Paul Newman.

Simple (and healthy) burrito bowls.

A Balenciaga hat. Swoon. 

Blue and gray. 

Cool down.  

(Image via Pinterest)

Seeing a movie alone

Quick poll: do you ever go to the movies alone? This past weekend, I saw Magic Mike…by myself. Truthfully, it wasn’t my first time: going to the movies alone is something I enjoy doing a lot. It’s like treating yourself to date night — you pick the movie, the seats, and decide whether you’ll spring for the popcorn and soda, too!

Don’t get me wrong — I love seeing movies with good friends, but there’s something magical about going alone. Remember Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City; Peggy Olsen in Mad Men? It’s a moment you can have all to yourself — no pressure — just you and the big screen. And in my case this past weekend, Channing Tatum, too. 🙂 

(Image 1 via Welcome to Ladyville; Image 2 via Pinterest)

Dinner at Rosemary’s

This is something that’s always been tough to commit to out loud, but I officially have a favorite restaurant in New York. The place is called Rosemary’s, and it’s the newest addition to the West Village culinary scene. Why do I love it? Let’s start with the food, the ambiance, the stairway to the rooftop garden, which they use to add freshly picked ingredients to almost every dish(!). The atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious; the service friendly and polished. It doesn’t hurt that they offer my favorite dish: made-from-scratch orecchiete with fresh greens and sweet Italian sausage. 

As I said, it’s tough to commit in a city like New York, but when you find ‘the one,’ you know and it’s easy to say out loud. 🙂

Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York (or anywhere else)?  

(Images via Eater and GastroChic)