cherrypatter nyc
and great ideas for what to do too!
interview: the girls behind thistle & clover:
i’m thrilled to run this incredible interview with rand niederhoffer and camilla gale which is bursting with ideas of their favorite places to eat and shop in new york and beyond. rand and camilla are the brains behind the amazing little shop thistle & clover which opened up in fort greene in the fall of 2008. with a real focus on up-and-coming designers, thistle & clover hosts regular trunk shows. and tonight they are hosting one featuring lauren wimmer’s jewelry and marais usa’s party shoes. complimentary sweets and bubbly will be there too so if you are in.
on december 12th and 13th, they’ll have a pop-up party shop in conjunction with lucky magazine and the brooklyn flea’s “gifted” holiday market where they’ll be launching their first edition run of their private label jewelry collection (the pieces are so cute). the pop-up shop will also have holiday dresses and an outfit styling kiosk (hmmm, i could benefit from that!).
clearly, rand and camilla are out and about quite a bit, and i really must go to joseph leonard after all the raves, among their other recommendations. rand lives in park slope and camilla is in fort greene. thanks so much c & r!
shops:
top spots for clothes and shoes (in addition to your shop!)?
c: ludivine and albertine in the west village (she has an amazing array of french designers), catbird in williamsburg for jewelry, and barneys for shoes
r: it’s always fun for us to see the way another buyer curates the season’s collections. i’m currently obsessed with frances may’s online boutique. the portland, oregon, based shop carries a lot of the same labels as us: lewis, rachel antonoff, ymc and church & state.
house warming gift?
c: i always like to give candles or home fragrances. jo malone on the upper east side or red flower in soho always has great scents.
r: abitare in brooklyn heights has the best home accessories. their staff is so friendly. it’s a pleasure shopping there!
stationery?
c: greenwich letterpress and kate’s paperie.
r: ditto greenwich letterpress. big time. i could live in that shop.
for flowers?
c: grdn in cobble hill has incredible seasonal arrangements—my husband always uses them.
r: stem’s storefront on south oxford st is just blocks away from thistle & clover! the owners rado & delgis have a gorgeous mix of antiques, handmade goods and seasonal flowers. also, stem recently offered to supply party favors for the attendees of our upcoming marais usa & lauren wimmer trunk show … so we’re also a little biased!
kids’ gifts?
c: it’s insanely expensive, but the scandinavian line dig og mig has the most beautifully made children’s clothing.
r: i love pink olive.
for your mum, aunt or other important women in your life?
c: a massage from lather or great jones spa.
r: camilla and i just started designing jewelry with help from our friend, max steiner. our first limited edition run of necklaces arrived in store this past week. i haven’t taken my tiny four leaf clover off yet! it’s the perfect gift in my opinion. and pretty much everyone on our christmas/ hanukkah list will be receiving them!
what about for men?
c: last year i got my husband some great knits at steven alan in tribeca. he looked adorable in his cashmere hat!
r: second steven alan. i also love the j. crew specialty men’s store in tribeca. and it’s just around the corner from the franklin street steven alan
for weddings?
c: calvin klein home has a wonderfully minimalist aesthetic—their color palettes are full of grey blues and chocolatey browns. i can always find something classic there.
r: i always think it’s nice to choose one registry item and one unique find from etsy, like a recipe book or a hand painted mug from a local artist.
something fun for you?
c: some odd rubies on the lower east side has the most unique offerings. i love the quirkiness of that boutique.
r: i moved into a new apartment in park slope this past june, so all my personal indulgences tend to be furniture related at the moment. council on atlantic, opened by a friend of ours, miranda bennett, just expanded their collection of antique furniture. the girls there have beautiful taste!
all-around favorite shop?
c: fairway on the upper west side. it reminds me of my childhood. it’s just the best. it’s quintessential nyc.
r: love a good specialty food shop too!
for the basics?
c: the guys who own on dekalb are so efficient and nice! madame paulette is the only place to go to clean your high-end labels (but be warned, it’ll cost you your wallet!), confetti nails on the upper east side is the neighborhood’s best kept secret—it’s very affordable and they really take their time. plus, they give you a whole arm massage as part of the mani!
food:
favorite date-night restaurant?
c: al di là in park slope. i actually prefer the wine bar next door. it’s cozy, unpretentious and delicious.
r: joseph leonard definitely: right lighting, right drinks list, even the right itunes mix. (though the waiters are cute too, so it works without a date just as well!)
with friends?
c: the smile on bond street in manhattan. they have mariage frères tea there and the sandwiches are so yummy! plus, my friend matt owns it.
r: fette sau (their bar pictured above) in williamsburg is one of my all time favorites. i love how it’s so relaxed and low key.
for drinks?
c: terroir in the east village. it’s a wonderful wine bar with a great happy hour—last time it was $6 rieslings!
r: when i lived on the lower east side, camilla and i used to go for late night vino at grotto on forsyth. it’s a well kept lower east side secret since you have to go down a little narrow stair case to find the restaurant & bar inside.
most amazing dinner dish?
c: the tortelli di amatrice at convivio in tudor place. i could eat plates of this pasta if it wouldn’t immediately kill me!
r: pappardella on the upper west side. i substitute the penne a la norma penne for the house made papparadelle and then ask for extra parmesan.
dessert?
c: has to be the chocolate room in park slope for the world’s best chocolate cake. and parisi bakery in the east village for cupcakes.
r: the fondant cake at extra virgin or magnolia bakery’s banoffee. it’s a hundred times more delicious than the cupcakes. and those are pretty good!
for breakfast or brunch?
c: i’m not a huge breakfast/brunch eater, but penelope in murray hill always had a cure for my sunday morning hangover!
r: bubby’s in dumbo is amazing. so is café cluny in the west village.
favorite asian resto? middle eastern?
c: i go back to hibino in cobble hill every month and can never get enough. tanoreen in bay ridge has hands down the best humus i have ever had.
r: is fun if you’re in need of a very new york experience for out of town guests. you have to go up an unmarked staircase through the back door of a restaurant and into a speakeasy style cocktail lounge. you can order sushi and sashimi off the menu there.
favorite neighborhood spot?
c: vinegar hill house (their pasta pictured above). it’s a little outside of the neighborhood, but i crave their cast iron chicken and guinness cake!
r: camilla had our opening night party at the in 2008. asio, the owner, even whipped us up special thistle & clover cocktails for the evening. it had prosecco, muddled blackberries and little gold flakes floating on the top! it’s still a great place to have a quiet drink or two with friends.
the best coffee, pastries, prepared foods?
c: the roasting plant in manhattan—it’s the willy wonka of coffee houses. payard was the best bakery before it closed! my family used to get our buche de noel there and now we are at a loss! city bakery has the most delicious, and healthful, spread of prepared foods perfect for a quick meal on the go.
r: the parisian breakfast basket from on greene st. it comes with coffee, a baguette with butter & jam, a freshly baked croissant, and the muffin of your choice.
comfort food?
c: dim sum go go—they have incredible steamed dumplings (my alltime favorite food!).
r: my house! i make clotilde dussolier’s cumin gruyere cheese puffs for my boyfriend on movie nights in. they taste amazing and are the perfect bite size treat.