Do you like Japanese food? I recently tried out Bar Chuko in Prospect Heights. It was so hard to not order everything on the menu—each dish was so good. That said, it’s easy to sample a lot since the menu is divided into snacks, bites, bowls, and skewers (all reasonably priced). For $2-3 a pop, the grilled veggie skewers were my favorite part. I tried the corn, the broccoli, the cherry tomatoes and the snow peas (don’t they look so pretty?). As the night went on, I kept increasing my order, adding more and more skewers to try. Next time I go, I have a strategy: Order multiples of each from the start!

My latest Brooklyn discovery: This super-cute Hawaiian-style nail salon called Pau Hana. It’s funny because I’ve never really felt like a quickie manicure/pedicure in New York is all that relaxing, until I found this place. If you close your eyes, it sort of feels like you’re being whisked away somewhere tropical for an hour. It sounds silly, but the Tiki music, the turquoise wash basins, the wicker chairs—it makes a difference. 

My favorite part is the organic nail polish they stock. The brand I tried is called Zoya and—I’m not kidding—my manicure (in Jolene) is still chip-free after seven days! 

Do you have a go-to nail spot? What about it helps you relax?

More summer manicure ideas here and here.

(Image 1, 2)

What are your weekend plans, my dear readers? I am so excited to kick back and relax. I’m also hoping to do a bit of reading. I just picked up this book—have you read it? I need to see it before the movie comes out this fall! Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

My favorite poem.

The large print.

Pop culture weddings you’ve actually attended yourself. (#1 might be my favorite.)

Crinkle fries are back!!

The prettiest yellow bra.

The best Broadway news.

A sun shade for people who burn easy (like me!).

In a word: Breathtaking.

Birthday cake crumbles.

Garlic-roasted tomato sandwiches. Um, yes, please.

(Image via Design Love Fest)

Did you know that Diane Keaton is on Pinterest? I love her boards! This pin of hers made me laugh—perfect for a Thursday, right? 🙂

PS: Are you reading her new book? I loved her last one!

(Image via Pinterest)

Ever since I took a pasta-making class last summer, I’ve been eyeing machines (like this one) so that I could make my own pasta from scratch. Enter this recipe for Quick Pesto Tortellini with Asparagus and Capers. Bloggers Nicky and Max have a work-around so you don’t need a machine to serve up this airy, flavorful treat. They use puff pastry for the pasta part. Brilliant!

The result looks delicious. You can find the full recipe on their blog over here. 

What do you think? Would you give this recipe a whirl?

(Images via Nicky & Max)