photo OP: THANKSGIVING(s)

RER 11.29.15

Sometimes, you just have to do Thanksgiving twice....
1.

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 2.

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11.29.15

RER 11.29.15

bonding over BRUNCH: Maysville

RER 1.31.15

Some things can definitely catch you by surprise, like how fast time flies. The years blend and bend until you have no concept of how long it  has really been. And then you all sit down, eventually—staggered arrivals—and the faces are so familiar and nothing has really changed, but at the same time, so many things have. It’s a feeling when you come together like time has forgotten to move but events have transpired and developments felt.

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But it’s at that table at Maysville in the Flatiron District, eating super sweet and cakey citrus glazed doughnuts as an amuse-bouche to the amuse-bouche, drinking orange saturated mimosas, you realize it all feels the same. Immutable time.

Your brunch bites are secondary to the conversation flurrying around the table as future plans are divulged and pasts stay where they belong. Something about the crisp winter sun streaming in, reflecting in the mirrors, echoing the clean lines, has taken things out of context but each note is recognizable.

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Pretty French toast, sticky with honey, tangy like orange and smooth as ricotta tastes sweeter out of habit. Warm tones and thick slices bring comfort and a little piece of home, made special with golden honey and bronze orange marmalade.

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Bitter Brussels sprouts, gravy heavy sauce Mornay and salty smoked deli ham, comes to life with shared laughter and secrets. Taboo and leftover memories are eliminated with a thick brick of fried grits and its warm creamy center, echoing the textures of the crisp green leaves of the Brussels sprouts and the decadent sauce.

Chef’s Breakfasts are made less ordinary with birthday plans and getaways and stroller talk. Eggs over-easy, eggs scrambled— same difference, when there are more important details to discuss and crunchy potatoes to forget.

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You linger after the eats and mimosas are long gone and questions of ‘what’s next’ and ‘when’ cross your minds and reach your lips. No set plans in place, but you all know there will be a next time before too long, another chance to evade time and pick up where you left off.

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DOUGHnut leave me this way: Dough

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After a lovely lunch, we headed to Dough to appease our (ok, my) sweet tooth. It was a kind of awkward hour, but there was still a lengthy line, filled seats at the harvest table, a lot of chatter and a ton of beautiful doughnuts. There were a bunch of flavors, all colorful with character. This made choosing one (or two) doughnut extremely difficult.

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In the end, I went with the passion fruit curd filled and the pumpkin varieties, while my friend ended up with a salted chocolate and a cinnamon sugar. Each doughnut base was delicious—fluffy, fried and fresh, but a few bites at a time were just enough. Though extremely tasty, the rounds were a little heavy and decadent.

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The details were what really set the doughnuts apart. The tangy passion fruit curd cut the fat and the lemon sugar really brightened the snack on the whole. Pumpkin and pretty pepitas made a Dough doughnut perfect for the season, sweet and a little spicy. The chocolate of my friend’s doughnut was very deep and rich and the pinch of salt added another layer, while the cinnamon sugar doughnut was classic and simple.

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Can not wait to try more flavors. Maybe next time I would just get one, maybe… (::winkwink::)

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photo op: DEMAREST farms

RER 10.26.14

This weekend, the last before the spookiest holiday of the year, we went on a pumpkin picking adventure to celebrate fall and upcoming Halloween. We took a short enough ride to Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, New Jersey, to partake in a hay ride, pumpkin patch, more apple cider doughnuts than I care to mention, hot apple cider, and fresh fruits and veggies produced by the farm. Take a look at some of the delicious fall eye candy!

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What do you do to usher in fall? Is apple picking a family tradition? Or does the family that carves together, stay together? Stay tuned for more of our pumpkin experiences, carving and chowing down on those warm pepitas.

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10.26.14

RER 10.26.14