food — Blog - Parsley and Pom Poms

If you are looking for an adorable (and very pink) place to eat and drink in Manhattan, head down (or up) to Nolita. Nolita stands for North of Little Italy, and by golly is this neighborhood worth the stop. Ever since Pietro Lolita and Cha Cha Matcha took root, bloggers, tourists, and locals have flooded the hotspots, and trust me it's worth it. These two, hip and vibrant restaurant and cafes, are just around the corner from one another. Grab a yummy steak sandwich from Pietro, or one of the mouth watering cocktails. Then complete your trendy food tour by grabbing a beautiful tea, to go, at Cha Cha Matcha. Each place is dreamy in their own way. Pietro is pink from head to toe, or as they like to call it, "Pink As F***". Excuse my language! Cha Cha is a tropic getaway in the crowded streets of NY, where on a hot day like the one we visited, you can cool down with a delectable iced ginger matcha drink or a matcha soft ice-cream twist. The tall, thin, hipster guy working the register is the nicest man, ever! A little customer service goes a long way, no wonder people keep coming back! I couldn't help myself, but order a warm drink just for the powdered palm trees. You can't get that on an iced matcha ;) Be sure to make a stop at both next time you’re in the neighborhood! xo RCN

Sometimes you are just meant to have a spontaneous date night with a friend on a week night. That is exactly what I did with my dear friend Colleen this week. It so happened we learned last minute that we were both flying solo for dinner Thursday and decided to turn it into something much more delicious and enjoyable than eating salads and drinking wine alone on the couch. Though, some nights that is my favorite thing to do. But, in the spirit of Fall, Colleen and I packed our Autumn picnic essentials; beautiful dinner plates from Anthropologie, a colorful tartan blanket scarf from Zara, flowers and pumpkins for mood (of course!) and headed down to Joe's Stone Crab to pick up the seafood and pie.

Joe's Stone Crab is an institution in Miami. Everyone knows the exact day and time that Joe's begins serving the local hot commodity, Florida stone crab. Both the formal dining restaurant and the take away venue (next door to one another) become blooming with customers craving the crabs come Mid October. In Miami, the stone crab is a signification of Fall, as it is only available starting around this time of year. We ordered stone crab, a crab roll, and the famous key lime pie and headed straight to South Pointe Park.

It made out for a special and relaxing evening with a beautiful friend. I am ready for another Joe's night soon. Only regret was not picking up the jellybeans at checkout. Life is good. xo RCN