Milk Bar

My Instagram feed has me dreaming of life in Australia most days of the week. Beaches, sunshine, surfing, space, smiles, shorts, coffee, and endless plates of avocado toast with poached eggs seems to be the routine norm in that faraway, Trump-free land. Sadly, that typically resembles a total of 0% of my current life, but today my Australian dream was momentarily made a reality.

The sun shone, (yes it was -1˚C, but let's ignore that), I went for a blast round the park, and met injured, non-running B outside Milk Bar, which is a hop, skip and jump away from the Prospect Park's main entrance. After a 30-second wait the two seats in the window were ours. Water was poured, coffees ordered, and the "which eggs" debate began. 

We settled on plain eggs (two perfectly poached eggs) served on thick-crusted, soft in the middle sourdough, with extra avocado for good measure for me, and salmon eggs (similar but with the decadent addition of smoked salmon, pickled shallots, and fresh dill) for B. If you're looking for the perfect egg, come here. They have this Aussie-style brunch sorted. The granola with fruit and yogurt also looked beautiful, the pastries from Sullivan Street Bakery are, reportedly, buttery perfection, and next time I'll order a cappuccino with chocolate dusted on top. 

Milk Bar, 620 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

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5 Things & 3 More

5 happy things from the last 5 days:

1. Weeknight yoga.

2. Racing up the Prospect Park hill.

3. B's cookies.

4. New trainers.

5. Lasagna.

3 things to read this weekend:

1. 50 pictures of the Obamas. In case you haven't cried enough about the state of the world this week.

2. Have you seen mine and C's new website? Have a read this weekend to discover our favorite things to eat, drink, see, and do in London & New York.

3. Turmeric is magic, you guys. Eat it now.

Have a beautiful weekend. Shout loudly, march proudly, and be yourself.

xx

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B&H Kosher Dairy

Returning to New York life after a week away is alway a challenge. Especially when it's January and the temptation to coop up inside with endless cups of tea, a never-ending stream of Netflix, and a torrent of emails often overwhelms. But last weekend it was time to break out of that negative rut, and get out into this amazing city we're lucky enough to temporarily call home. It was time to throw ourselves back into the fun, inspiring, thought-provoking places, moments, and people you can find in the Big Apple. So, with that in mind, at 12pm last Saturday we cycled over Manhattan Bridge in search of some blintzes at B&H Kosher Dairy.

I must have walked past B&H multiple times without even turning to look inside. But when you do make it past the bright green exterior, you walk straight into an old New York movie scene. This 400 square foot space is filled with one bar down one side, and a few tables down the other. You have to turn sideways to fit down the gap in between. The kitchen is a cubby hole at the back, next to the bathroom. You order from the tables by shouting over the heads of the people at the bar. If you do sit at the bar, be prepared to act as go-between by passing plates of challah and cups of coffee to the people sitting behind you.

B&H opened in 1938, and, despite a short closure in 2015 due to the 2nd Avenue gas explosion, has been serving Jewish comfort food ever since. However, the Jewish immigrants it once catered for are long gone, the kosher certification has expired, and it is now managed by a Polish Catholic and an Egyptian Muslim. The fact that this story is true, and that this deli is still open and serving up classic Yiddish fare, is just one reason why New York is such a magical city.

So we ordered a taste of everything. Coffee of course. Home fries (potatoes mixed with onions, veggies and other goodness and cooked on the griddle) with two fried eggs; super sweet, crispy on the outside cheese blintzes; a mix of fried pierogis, as recommended by everybody there; plus the freshly made, fluffy challah schmeared with soft butter, which is passed to you with a cup of iced water almost as soon as you walk in.

It's places like B&H Dairy which really bring New York to life. That make living in this city like living your life in a Woody Allen movie. That mean that despite all its many, hard, intense challenges, you discover these shiny gems, and suddenly your faith in this place and its people are restored.

B&H Dairy, 127 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003

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5 Things & 3 More

5 happy things from the last 5 days:

1. Weeknight Negroni.

2. Cycling to work. 

3. Deep pink and orange morning sunrise skies.

4. Morning matcha.

5. B's lentil soup.

3 things to read this weekend:

1. This isn't a new article, but I still feel the issue of resting is one which is too often overlooked.

2. Beautiful images and beautiful words as always from Mimi. If I need to escape, this blog is where I go.

3. Tarajia spent her summer in Paris, the city I dream of returning to every single day. Her list of where to eat is as perfect as can be expected from this amazing woman.

Have a beautiful weekend. Stay warm!

xx

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Holborn Grind

Back in the good old days of East London life, lunch at Shoreditch Grind was a regular occurrence. Sitting in the sun-drenched windows on the Old Street roundabout with a plate piled high with salads, a strong coffee on the side, and a magazine to flick through made for a good Wednesday lunch break. Since then, I have moved on to the other side of the pond, and Shoreditch Grind has spread all over London. Lucky London.

On our very, very brief visit to London town during our most recent trip back home, we had an hour to pass in Holborn, so obviously Holborn Grind was our first stop. Coffees for everyone and a couple of pastéis de nata to share. Because nobody can look at those custardy, flaky, sweet tarts and not resist having a few bites. It made for a perfect start to an in-between Christmas and New Year morning. Strong, beautiful coffee, sweet bursts of sugar, a perky playlist, and nothing to do but wait for our next coffee meeting. As all London mornings should be spent.

Holborn Grind, 199 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BC

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5 Things & 3 More

5 happy things from the last 5 days:

1. Finishing reading one book, and making progress with a next one.

2. Dumplings for lunch.

3. Meeting the uber-talented, totally-inspiring Cynthia Erivo.

4. B cooking dinner, every single night.

5. Snowy mornings.

3 things to read this weekend:

1. Resolved to incorporate mindfulness into your life in 2017? Here are some tips.

2. This snowman affogato is so adorable.

3. Maman & Papa gave me the Classic German Baking book for Christmas, and I can't wait to dive in. These 11 questions with the author have got me even more excited to discover this world of my sweet-toothed heritage.

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Tarte Tatin at Great Queen Street

Happy New Year! I hope you all managed to find some time for peace and laughter over the holidays. 

The silence around here is a result of being back in old Blighty for the Christmas week. Any spare moments where the internet was functioning were spent working, and not blogging. But now we are back in wet and cold Brooklyn, and normal life will resume. So now, before the crazy January period begins, I wanted to share a totally non-resolution-focused, totally undetoxing treat we ate the one day we were in London last week.

We nipped into London to celebrate Grandma's 80th birthday with lunch at Great Queen Street. I've written about this Covent Garden gem before, so won't repeat the details, but last time we didn't discover this tarte tatin. But don't worry, almost two years later we now have. And I encourage you to go and eat it sooner than 2019.

The tarte is made for two, and before it's bought to the table, a serving spoon and serrated steak knife are set down between you and your pudding partner. This is a promising sign. What follows is tarte tatin perfection. Layers of buttery puff pastry topped with soft apples, which still just hold their shape, and a deep, dark, grown-up caramel. A melting scoop of calvados ice cream perches on top, to add a boozy, chilling contrast to the sweet, warm, winter-perfect tarte underneath. Forget those New Year's resolutions, head to Great Queen Street, and order tarte tatin. You're worth it.

Great Queen Street, 32 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AA

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