NYC History, Piccolo & Some Soup Dumplings

I wanted to make sure we got out and about with mom visiting for the weekend. She's easy to please when she visits, but I wanted to experience some new adventures as well as introduce her to some of my favorites.  

Sadly, when we woke up, it was pouring rain. The forecast had predicted rain all week, but I kept praying that it would miraculously clear once she got here. God is good, but I guess He decided it needed to rain that day. 

The great thing about NYC is there are so many awesome indoor options. I had been wanting to check out a Bill Cunningham photography exhibit at the New-York Historical Society Museum, so after a sleep in and breakfast at home, we pulled on our ponchos, opened our umbrellas and stepped out into the spring rain shower.

The New-York Historical Society Museum is located on the Upper West Side at W 77th and Central Park West. It is just south of the Natural History Museum. It is the oldest museum in NYC, founded in 1804. It's goal is to explore the policital, cultural, and social history of New York City and State through research, presenting history and art exhibitions, and putting on public programs. The hope is to show the incredible influence New York has had througout history and today nationally and internationally.

This exhibit is titled New York Rising. It is an interactive historical artifact wall highlighting New York's influence during the American Revolution and founding of the United States. The touch screens allowed you zoom in on the different pieces and learn more details about their significance.

here is new york is a collection of images highlighting the events and aftermath of September 11th. The purpose is to echo themes of resilience, renewal, and transformation...which have been apart of New York City's journey since it was first colonized.

My mom was so excited to stumble upon Audubon's Aviary. It is a massive collection of watercolors by John James Audubon. She is facinated by birds and loves art containing them. Needless to say she really enjoyed it.

I particularly enjoyed this guy. His little owl face made me laugh.

These magnify glasses allowed us to view the details in the art more clearly.

The Bill Cunningham Facades exhibition was the real reason I wanted to come. I recently watched a documentary with the Frans about Bill Cunningham and was fascinated by him and his life. He's a photographer and writer here in NYC who is well know as a staple for the New York Times Style & Fashion section and his video commentary On The Street: Bill Cunningham. He is highly respected and honored throughout the fashion world.

The purpose of Facades, shot in 1968, was to document the architectural riches and fashion history of New York City. He shot models, including his muse Editta Sherman, in period pieces in front of historical settings.

We next stumbled upon the Luce Center. It basically is a massive floor of artifacts pertaining to New York History. The items are grouped by type and you can walk among them and learn about their historical significance. The collection is composed of over 40,000 pieces.

My favorite pieces were the Tiffany Lamps; there were hundreds and they were all so unique, vibrant, and beautiful.

Famished, we popped over to Piccolo Cafe for a bite to eat. Mer met up with us and after, we headed out to do some shopping.

Insert shopping here. I hope you conjure images of spring pastels, boyfriend jeans, bangles, and graphic tees.

After some freshening up and a short rest, mom and I set out for dinner at RedFarm.

RedFarm totes themselves on being "innovative, inspired Chinese cuisine with Greenmarket sensibility". The ambience is one of a farm to table new-American cuisine restaurant, but scents of soy sauce and pork belly provided a conundrum for the senses.

The Upper West Side location has been open almost a year, but I had yet to try it due to tales of massive wait times. Mom and I were not starving, so we decided to stick out the quoted hour and a half wait with a drink at the bar. Luckily, we were seated in less than twenty minutes!

We started with Katz's Pastrami Egg Roll. The mustard dipping sauce was an excellent compliment. I love the shout out to NYC and the fusion of old and new cuisine.

We then moved onto some Dim Sum. Gosh I love dumplings. Upon recommendation we ordered the Pork & Crab Soup Dumplings. They are delicately formed dumplings with broth and meat inside the noodle. You can eat them a number of ways, but we decided to poke a small hole at the top, sip out the broth, and then eat the dumpling. I love food that not only tastes good, but provides an experience as well.

Our second dim sum choice were the 'Pac Man' Shrimp Dumplings. The garnish is a pac-man shaped tempura sweet potato stuck in guacamole. It was a nice tasty surprise.

Next came the Lotus Root, Okra, Snap Peas, Pressed Dofu & Preserved Vegetables dish. Basically a vegetable stir-frye. 

The final dish was Wild Rice Noodles with BBQ'd Duck Breast.

The food at RedFarm was absolutely incredible. I'm excited to return again and try totally new dishes. The menu provides a large variety for every type of eater. I highly recommend a visit.

Overall, this was an excellent day.

xoxo

Buvette with Mom

I told you it was coming. 

A dinner at Buvette post.

Before you say, "not another post about Buvette", Mom was in town, and I couldn't resist introducing her to my favorite little spot. 

I love when my Mom comes to visit. Even at 29, there is nothing like being taken care of by your mama. Everything is just a little extra special when Mom is around...you can go to that restaurant you've been wanting to try but didn't want to foot the bill for, it's an excuse to play tourist and visit multiple museums in one day, and cabs are always the preferred method of transportation. 

My beautiful mother.

We had to wait a bit, but ordered a bottle of their French Chardonnay to pass the time.

We started with the Aligot. It is melted cantal cheese, potato puree & smoked ham over a thick piece of bread. Probably one of my favorite things on the menu.

Next, we salivated over the Duck Rillettes. It is described on the menu as spiced duck confit. Smeared over a warm toast, it is melt in your mouth delicious. They pair it with a few olives and caperberries, which provide a spicy and salty compliment.

Next came the Poireaux en Vinaigrette or leeks in mustard vinaigrette. A little vegetable was necessary. The leeks were cooked just tender enough to pull apart with a fork, but still had a slight crunch.

We ended with the Cassoulet, pot of slow cooked duck, pork & beans, & the Moules a la rouille, steamed mussels with garlic toasts. 

I love the Cassoulet. I tried cooking cassoulet a few years ago and failed miserably. I was so scarred by that experience I have yet to try again, but Buvette's version sets a high bar to live up to. 

The mussels were interesting. They were steamed and then stuff with an herb bread crumb and baked. The sauce was delicious, but all the steaming and baking left the mussels a bit dry. I think it is an acquired taste that I don't have. 

Nonetheless, it did not keep us from finishing EVERYTHING.

Merci beaucoup Buvette for another satisfying meal.

Bonne nuit! 

Noah Movie Premiere

I got to attend my first red carpet movie premiere this week. When I received the invite, I couldn't pass up the opportunity, who knows when it will happen again?! 

I had no idea what to expect, but was lucky to have the perfect dress for the occasion. 

This red dress number was a sweet find on ASOS. It has been sitting in my closet for about two months and was so fun to finally wear. 

I recently splurged and bought this new leopard clutch from Claire Vivier. I'm in love with it and it paired perfectly with the dress.

Mer and I shuffled quickly out of our apartments and into a cab to head downtown to the premiere of Noah.

The premiere was at the classic Ziegfeld Theatre.  We ran into a few more familiar faces outside. 

Sadly, we did not get to walk the red carpet.

The Frans got a pic before taking our seats.

Just a little bathroom shot.

One more Fran.

I had my popcorn and I was ready to watch the film.

But, not before being introduced the cast and getting a little too excited that Hermione aka Emma Watson was sitting down the row from me.

The movie was intense. I know there has been a lot of controversy and talk surrounding it, but I was glad I got to watch and form my own opinion. If you go see the movie, my advice is to come with the perspective that it is a Hollywood Blockbuster, not some "Christian" or "Bible Story" movie. I was thoroughly entertained by the film and sat at the edge of my seat, waiting to see how it would end. Since it was a loose interpretation of the original story in the Bible, and a large amount of artistic freedom was taken, I was not sure Noah and his family were going survive the flood. I also don't remember rock monsters, but when I say artistic liberty was taken, you can see what I mean. In the end, nothing compares to the beauty and pain of the original story of Noah; but, if this movie sparks an interest in people to go to the source and open a Bible to read the story, I'm ok with it.

After the movie was over we headed to the after party at the Central Park Boat House. Now this was awesome. I purposefully walked around trying to bump into famous people. The free food and drinks were nice too. The director decided he wanted only Vegan food served, which I was up for trying. If Vegan food is done well it is really good...unfortunately this was not the case here.

Overall, it was an amazing new adventure and such a fun night. Hope I get to do something like this again!

I was in love with Emma Watson's dresses. She wore a full length black satin Oscar de la Renta number to the red carpet premiere with suede navy Christian Louboutins. It had a plunging back and was gorgeous and super elegant.

picture c/o MTV twitter

For the after party she changed into this gauze and floral number by Erdem. I saw it up close and it was beautiful. I love that it is elegant, intricate, yet still young and flirty... a pure work of art.

picture c/o MTV twitter

This Cinderella is about to turn back into a pumpkin.

xoxo