St. Balmain...Brooklyn Baby

When I said it is the year of babies, I was not lying. I had another baby shower this past week for my sweet friend Katie. It is her first baby, and I was so excited to celebrate her and her family. 

The shower was at St. Balmain in Brooklyn. This new coffee & tea spot is in preparation to open as a full restaurant in the near future. It is a great spot to pop in for a top quality coffee beverage, and I suggest you try one of the Bondi Bikkies.  The crowd is always local, and the baristas are super friendly; they actually know how to make coffee and care that you enjoy your beverage. The decor is clean and simple with rustic woodsy accents. I learned, from friends, that Balmain is a suburb of Sydney, Australia...for those who were wondering where the name came from. 

Heads up...this is going to be a happening place in the summer; the outdoor back deck is significantly larger than the inside of the restaurant. I'm already envisioning evenings sipping Rose this summer, as the sun sets, perched at a small table with friends on the back deck of Saint Balmain. Hope you'll come join.   

The ladies started to arrive and eventually there was a lot of estrogen in the room.

It was a champagne, tea & treat themed party, with an abundance of sweets. I'm surprised I didn't get a cavity from all the candy and pastries I consumed. There was this chocolate-raspberry tart that I probably could have finished by myself...num num num num.

The soon to be Mama loves a Shirley Temple, so of course they were on the menu. Along with Champagne and Mimosas for us not with child.

She's such a pretty pregnant lady.

Katie & Matt decided to not find out the sex of the baby, so she got a lot of white onesies, which will always come in handy, and then one that read "gender-neutral baby shower gift"...classic.

I'm so excited to meet this little one. I was blessed to be able to attend Katie & Matt's wedding last summer, and feel so fortunate to be apart of the celebration of this new little person. Katie is such an example of poise, grace, faithfulness, and trust. She is an example for my life and I'm grateful for the person God made her to be. 

xoxo

d.eileen

Spring has Sprung in NYC

In my opinion and mind, Spring has sprung here in NYC. Though the weather forecast would like us to believe else wise, I'm holding onto the hope that Spring is here. Bright colors, open toed shoes, no scarves...I can not wait!

Every year I start to feel restless for warmer weather about this time. The issue is, we (or at least I) continually fall for the weather trap. See what happens is, we get to it almost being April and the weather consistently remains under 45 degrees, and we wonder why we didn't plan a long weekend getaway to some tropical climate to warmer soil. But then, the temperatures warm, and it gets really hot...too hot...and smelly, and we long for cooler temperatures. This is the point that we forget how we felt March 24th, longing for warmth and a cabana on the beach. 

So, I'm at the point where I am just believing that Spring is upon us. Anyways, by date, we are in the season.

This Saturday actually felt like Spring! After an event in Brooklyn (blog post to come later this week), I knew two things about my day...I needed food and I needed to be outside. A couple of Frans and I headed to the West Village (aka my fantasy future place of residency). 

After some wandering we focused our direction towards lunch at Buvette. I haven't blogged about Buvette yet, but this is my favorite restaurant in the city. I'm sure there will be many more posts to come, but here is the first. 

I was introduced to Buvette by Hannah via her boyfriend Bryan. For awhile they kept saying we had to go, so when we finally did, I fell in love on the spot. Buvette is a French inspire gastroteque off Grove Street. Chef Jody Williams crafts up seasonal menus with French and Italian influences. Every time I walk in I'm transported to Paris (where they - Buvette - actually recently opened a restaurant)...the culture, the food, the romance. I will never pass up an opportunity for a meal here. 

Since it was so beautiful out, we did not mind the short wait. 

The restaurant only seats about 60 people, so if you aren't good with crowded spaces, you might want to prepare yourself for a meal at Buvette.

Today, we are having brunch. 

I will talk about dinner in a future post. 

The menu is composed of small plates which are meant to share. For lunch there are a number of options including Sur Le Pounce, Tartines, Oeufs, Charcuterie, Fromagerie, Patisseries (including homemade Croissants), and Les Croques. 

We settled on a Pouilly-Fuisse to share which paired nicely with our lunchtime feast. 

Mer & Han both ordered the Steamed Eggs - prosciutto and eggs over toast with shaved parmesan. I decided on the Crepes Jambon Fromage - a crepe baked with ham & brie. 

Feeling fabulous and full, we decided to take a little walk with the sun.

 

Our walk led us through the streets of the West Village to the Meatpacking District. Packed with restaurants and shopping, this upscale area was bustling with people. 

After meeting up with a Toya & Natalie, we popped into The Standard Grill for a late afternoon refreshment. 

Really getting into the Spring spirit, we toasted to the first Rose of the season. 

 

I love the memories that I have and the life I get to live. It is days like these where not much happens, but true enjoyment of the city takes place, that you feel refreshed and encouraged to keep going. The smallest bit of sun warmth, the pink hue of the sky as the sun sets over NJ, the laugh of my friends walking behind me. These are the moments where we don't have to take things so seriously and it is easy to just feel blessed.

i love you NYC.

xoxo
d.eileen