Random, but successful shopping

So, the other day I wandered into Anthropologie post-beach and bikini-clad...I wanted anything but to go to Verizon w/ C and so I found myself strolling the racks at Anthro. I was super excited to find a LOT of stuff that I liked. Don't get me wrong, it's a great store and usually I like their stuff, but this time I really liked their stuff. And, it looked good on me. So, I bought it. It = a swiss dot sleeveless shirt in buttercup yellow - check it out here,

I guess why this is blog-worthy is that Anthropologie generally fits a certain figure, a certain style and certain tastes that don't always mesh with mine. My friend Heather, however, wears a lot of their brands and does it well...it's like almost old-fashioned, but with modern elements and fabrics. I can't figure it out, but I did see this adorable sweater shirtdress thing that I already have planned into my summer-to-fall wardrobe. Seriously, how cute is this? With super dark jeans, black heels and a chunky black bangle? Love it.

Ah, the joys of new discoveries.

Clio - not just for anniversaries

So after 6 years of living and eating in Boston, I FINALLY made my way to Clio the other night for some snacks and drinks at the bar. Having eaten at Uni once, but being a huge fan of Toro, I know that Ken Oringer would do it right...I just thought it was "too right", like "special occasion with your parents" right. I was pleasantly surprised to have very creative, yet unpretentious food there with high, but appropriate prices given the caliber of food.

We both started with a drink from their drink list - me a shiso mojito, C a saketini of some sort. His was simple and elegant, mine was salad in a glass, but both were tasty. Brian, C's brother works there and he also gave us samples of some of the other creative libations (don't be afraid of the Hanout drink...it's so good) and showed off the restaurants affinity for all things nitrogen. I mean, if you see "LN2" it means that there is some sort of chemical balancing act happening...I felt like I was on Top Chef.

Anyway, back to food. We both went straight for two of our favorite things - soft shell crab and tuna sashimi. The soft-shell crab was tempura fried served with parslane (quite tender) and a magical sauce that I can't for the life of me remember (good mojito) but we couldn't get enough of it! The crab was so meaty and tender and delicious - the best I've had in a long, long time.

The tuna was also amazing - it was topped with these thinly sliced strips of green onions and seaweed, black and white sesame seeds, and a light garlicky, ginger vinaigrette. There was a piece of a "roll" which was thinly sliced wonton wrappers, deep fried and topped with tuna tartar...we fought over who got to finish that (I had the bigger bite).

The last and most simple dish was a tri-stack of Heirloom tomatoes - black and red Brandywine I think - with green goddess dressing and crispy, fried clams...unbelievably delicious and light. Perfect (and surprise) ending - thank you Alec!

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I never went because I thought that Radius and No. 9 Park were more my "level"...what a strange mentality...it's expensive, but no more than any of the other top restaurants in Boston. Plus, it's cozy and intimate - head there in the fall for a night out at the bar and see what I mean!

Finca el Puig

C and I had a great dinner last night at Dante in Cambridge...the arugula salad was amazing, the maccheroncelli was delicious (and very springy), the steak was prepared well and the fries were crisp. Service was good and accommodating but the best part of the meal was this wine...I LOVED it. I actually told the sommelier that I wanted to marry it - is that weird?

Definitely going to try to purchase this locally (or in Chicago) for my personal stash. Here's the label - enjoy it responsibly.

Dresses As Art

As I was walking down Michigan Avenue last weekend (you know the one, the Magnificent Mile), these darling dresses started popping up in small gardens on the west side of the street. Apparently they are part of an exhibition from the International Academy of Design and Technology. They dresses are made of rather strange materials (hair, anyone?) but done in such a beautiful way that you can't help but stop and gawk.

Way to go art students - I applaud your originality. Here are a few of my favorites.

Chi-town Dish - Custom House

So, at long last, we have found an apartment in Chicago...it was sort of quick and sort of painful, the band-aid of my life right now. Luckily, it's over and I was a big girl and now I have a place to call home.

C and I started the weekend on a rainy Thursday, nearly electrocuted and drenched in the South Loop, but we made it to the Custom House. This delightfully un-trendy eatery boasts luxe booths, leather, low lighting and a menu fit for carnivores. C and I were surprised to find several braised dishes and heavy game selections on the menu, this is July, right? There were only 3 seafood dishes...one of which I had and it was delicious. Before we go there though, let's talk about how fabulous and under-rated octopus is as a dish? Octopus for me is like a little taste of heaven, I have not had any I do not like...this meal was no different as we ordered this wonderful octopus caponata with fresh roasted veggies, pine nuts, golden raisins and tasty grilled octopus. This was a great way to start off the meal, very light and delicious and made me want another 4 plates of it.

For my entree, I went w/ the Wisconsin White Perch with a crusty panko topping served with room temperature gnocchi/bacon/shallots. The smokiness of the bacon and the light, white fish were great. I would order the gnocchi as a side again and the fish made me excited to explore the world of lake trout.

C ordered from the braised meat list and went with our perennial favorite: the short rib. These short ribs were like butter-fall-off-the-bone goodness - served with two horseradish cream-filled beignets. Different. I'll leave it at that. To share we ordered the pea, pea pod, bacon, and turnip salad. It's cold, mixed with creme fraiche for a summer barbeque salad type consistency - absolutely delicious. Loved it a lot. Their other sides consisted of whole grains like quinoa and farro, to fun starches like gratin and whipped Yukon gold potatoes. If there was a vegetarian option of sides, I would have definitely gone for that. It was very tough to pick just one.

We skipped dessert, though there were some interested options. I would recommend the Custom House to anyone looking for superior service, great food, and a quiet but beautiful dining room.

Red Sox Nation

So, I'm off to the Sox game tomorrow...very much looking forward to it, though I won't be able to get my yearly "I LOVE YOU BIG PAPI" in since he is still not playing. Pblt.

My new found love (along w/ half of America) is Dustin Pedroia. Are you serious - how much do you love this kid? A LOT.

Chi-town

Chicago is Fast Company's City of the Year!

How cool is that? Excited for my trip this weekend...

Newport News

Spent a few days in Newport this weekend, drove down on July 4th to America's "first resort". While we weren't totally psyched for the forecast (gray, rainy, humid), we wanted to walk around, be by the sea, eat al fresco, and watch a great fireworks show. Check, check, check, and check.

We found a room at the Jailhouse Inn - a perfect location for wandering Thames Street. We started our day out with a lucky find (a parking meter w/ 45 minutes already in it, score) and wandered down to the water. The sun was breaking through the clouds, people were out and holiday happy, we found two seats at the bar and ordered a beer. Ah, summer. 20 minutes later we were slurping chowder (my family's favorite) at the Black Pearl and sunning ourselves, another beer down.

After an envious walk along the harbor, we window shopped our way up and down Thames street, scouting for our next meal. There are quite a few really cute boutiques there - more than I remember. Not just bikini's and sweatshirts anymore. I also found myself nostalgic and remembering all the summer's I've spent in Newport...between trips with my mother and my father's mother, I have really seen and enjoyed it all. Having this be our last summer living w/in driving distance to Newport, it was just sad to think I might not be there again for a while.

Anyway, if you haven't been, I would strongly suggest it. It's not overpriced, it's family and couple friendly, there are great bars with live music and pubs if you want something more low-key - the restaurants are random. My favorites for solid food options and consistency are below:
- The Black Pearl
- 22 Bowen's
- The Red Parrot
- The Brick Alley Pub
- Christie's
- The Chanler at Cliff Walk
I've also heard great things about: Flo's Clamshack, Cafe Zelda, and Castle Hill Inn. A quick plug for the most lovely, efficient Starbucks, too.

Hope you had a lovely 4th of July!

27 Dresses...

Okay, more like 3, but still. I work for a WOM marketing and media company and I'm always pleasantly surprised when I find my own real world examples of WOM. This just happened to me and so I'm going to share.

I have these really cute silk dresses from Calypso that are the quintessential summer dress. They pack easily (ie wrinkles are truly your friend), are very light-weight, and are silk, so they're dressy OR casual depending upon your shoe. I wore a wrap dress to work about 5 weeks ago and it was commented on quite frequently. One person in particular, who was familiar with the brand, really probed me for information. (What other colors? Which size is right for me? How hard is it to wash?) I love to talk about fashion and I think it's a great brand, so we chatted it up for a while.

Today, I am wearing a different dress from Calypso, identifiable because it's silk and in their Newbury Street display right now. This sparked a conversation with the aforementioned co-worker and she said she liked my other dress so much, that she went and bought it in three colors. She also bought another style and a few other things while shopping.

Now, I didn't make her go to Calypso or convince her that this dress is the BEST DRESS IN THE WORLD, but I shared my opinion, the facts that I was aware of from personal experience, as well as an insider information that empowered her to not only look into the dress further, but to actually purchase (and in multiples).

I think that is 3 points for honest, real-world WOM - influencing purchase decisions of fashionistas everywhere.