New York, Where We Get to the Jeans

Right, where did I leave off, before falling into an exhausted heap? Dinner on Friday, no? Ah, so let's pick up there.

After polishing off an insanely pleasing spread, we walked on over to a bar on the lower east side, where a friend of Heather's was throwing a birthday party for her husband. When I finally started to fade, I headed back to my hotel with plans to meet Lauren for an Important Shopping Expedition the next day.

Saturday morning, I did my best Heather impersonation and infiltrated the Equinox Fitness at 2nd and 54th. It was a very lush fitness centre, and put my own chain to shame with the loveliness and the working equipment. On the way back to my room, I picked up a couple of bananas, some plain greek yogurt and granola at the Food Emporium, and a coffee at Pax Wholesome Foods.

Lauren and I met up late morning, and started walking all about SoHo, NoHo and the LES, through both drizzle and rain, stopping at sample sales and in a few week boutiques. I found a few jersey dresses that I would have loved to have bought at Zachary's Smile, but they were cut too big for my frame. We lunched at a sweet restaurant who's name escapes me (I remember! Say hello to Zoe Restaurant), and I dined on a layered spinach salad with shaved mushrooms, a light vinaigrette and toasted pistachios. One of the best salads that I have ever eaten, and I was sad that, even though it was as big as my head, that I tore through it so quickly. Lauren and I split up around 5PM, and I headed back into midtown, with a mission that only Barneys could fulfill.

My mission? A pair of super-dark jeans with no distressing or obnoxious pocket details. Fulfilled quite ably, by J Brand's 914 in Ink.

By the time I made my way out of Barney's, after cruising through floor after floor of designer dresses, none of which made me want to try them on, not for lack of trying to fall in love with them, it was pissing down rain in a rather unpleasant manner. And my stomach was screaming at me to put something in it. I stopped by Pax and picked up a veg wrap, and made my way, drowned like rat, back to my room. Due to the obnoxiously early Sunday morning flight that I had booked, I decided to make it an early night, and stayed in.

This morning, my 5:30 AM nodding-off while sitting in the terminal was interrupted by a gaggle of screaming children playing Nerf Football while their parents encouraged them to ham it up as they snapped pictures and drank mimosas made at the bench seating. If I hadn't already decided to not have kids, I do so think that this would've been the morning that would've pushed me over the edge.

The flight itself was uneventful, excepting the descent into Toronto. Looking out the window, I saw the most amazing thing that I have witnessed in a long, long time. The cloud-cover between 15,000 and 10,000 feet was gauzy and riddled with holes. The way the sun shone though the empty spaces and illuminated the clouds around them was absolutely startling and stunning.

And now I am home.

The end.

I Go To New York, Eat Raw and Buy Jeans

It's true, I do. But if it works, it works, no?

Friday's flight out was delayed by two hours, putting me smack-dab in the middle of drizzley rush hour traffic on the drive into Manhattan. But the frustration of it all evaporated when I met up with my friends Heather and Lauren at Pure Food and Wine. Excellent conversation and food that was vegan and raw and immensely flavourful. Who could ask for anything more?

We decided to go with the five course tasting menu, pared with a refreshing rose. For most of the courses, we all received something completely different, and I feel like almost everything that came out of the kitchen was something that I had wanted to try. So we shared every dish, and it was so, so satisfying and flavourful, I can't even begin to tell you. Wanna see it? Here it goes.

Amouse Bouche:

• Chunk of cashew cheese topped with a blackberry with a balsamic reduction

First Course:

• Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps with Tamarind Chile Sauce, Pea Shoots, Mango and Cabbage
• Jerusalem Artichoke and Cucumber Dolmas with Cilantro Tahini, Preserved Lemon Oil and Fresh Mint
• Ironbound Island Sea Vegetable Salad with Blue Green Algae Dust, Watercress, Avocado, and Mellow White Miso Dressing

Second Course:

• Marinated Shiitake and Avocado Sushi Rolls with Pink Pickled Ginger, Cucumber, Dulse rolled in Jicama Rice
• Morel Mushrooms with Spring Vegetables and Ramp Cream, Sweet Corn, Sugar Snap Peas and 50 Year Balsamic
• White Corn Tamales with Raw Cocoa Mole, Marinated Mushrooms, Salsa Verde and Avocado

Third Course:

• Cold Avocado Soup with Mango and Chili Chutney

Fourth Course:

• Zuchinni and Roma Tomato Lasagne with Basil-Pistachio Pesto, Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and Pignoli Ricotta
• Lapsang Smoked Portabella Mushroom with Caper Potato Salad, Hawthorne Valley Ruby Kraut, and Wildflower Honey Mustard
• Chanterelle Mushroom and Kalamata Olive Raviolo with Macadamia Cream, Parsely Salad and Pistachio Oil

Palate Cleanser:

• Shot glasses of Melon Water

Fifth Course:

• Chocolate Molten Lava Cake with Mocha Mousse, Chocolate Sauce, and Vanilla Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream
• Passion Fruit Mousse with Lime Cream and Pineapple Coconut Sorbet
• Orchid Trio of Ice Creams of Umeboshi Lemongrass, Chamomile Tamarid Mangluck and Green Tea Cardamom Pistachio

Dude, I KNOW.

I Mark Time in Haircuts

In almost a whole haircut from now, I will be in Manhattan, shopping and eating and spending time with lovely people. Without a conference to attend to take away from my time striding around the city.

I feel like this is going to be the summer of traveling for fun. That means I'm watching you, Chicago and Vancouver. And I'm coming to get you.

Not like that paragraph wasn't creepy or anything.

In randomness, as if I need proof of my shortness, I bought a pair of cropped pants this weekend. And had to shorten them by two inches so that they'd actually look cropped on me, like they're supposed to.

I sometimes forget about the actual fact of my size. Apparently, I do need proof of my shortness.

The end.