cherrypatter nyc

redlipstick had been on my radar for a while (and i had even mentioned them here) although i had never gotten around to checking out the prospect heights store.   so when i heard that redlipstick had moved to one of my favorite strips in red hook (across from fort defiance and kitty corner from baked), i really had to go by, and now i cannot believe i waited so long.  redlipstick will definitely be a must visit on my seasonal hunts to find new, fun and affordable clothes.  

i am totally in love with this jacket above, a green plaid wool blend tunic by a californian company called glam and i also really liked some of the pieces by peppe pelusa.    the really cute, airy shop had a bunch of great little dresses as well as a fantastic selection of blouses and sweaters some of which could traverse the work/play boundaries which is all important to me.   redlipstick’s stock changes frequently and they also rotate their designer list so there will always be something new to ooh and aah over on any visit.     

redlipstick also had some really great jackets, including the quilted one pictured above which is exclusive to redlipstick made by the japanese company montbell.   the above jackets have been very popular, and i can see why.  the jackets weigh only 7.7 ounces, are super warm (down-filled), rain resistant, well-made and come with a stuff sack.  although currently sold out, the good news is another order, in burnt orange and black, should be coming in this week.  and if this jacket won’t keep you warm enough, redlipstick is also carrying another exclusive — wool hand warmers– from bemidji woolen mills out of minnesota.

redlipstick is also filled with a number of beautiful knits designed by the owner staceyjoy elkin who has been a knitwear designer for 30 years.  she just came out with an accessory pattern book too for those of you who knit (in theory something i would like to think i would do but in practice it’s never going to happen).    i adored these pompoms which staceyjoy makes out of leftover yarn scraps (she cannot bear to throw anything out) so now i just need to figure out how to put them to good use. 

other woolen accessories at redlipstick include these gorgeous scarves knitted by staceyjoy pictured above, as well as a great assortment of tights and striped over the knee socks by lisa b and fingerless gloves by carolina amato.  there’s a whole jewelry display with local designers like jane diaz jewelry too. 

finally, just in case you haven’t found anything in the clothing department, redlipstick has some cute stationery and kid-friendly items like these really fun articulated dolls by amy earles and these tiny hand soaps (a little creepy).  there’s a blog/website in progress so that if you’ve moved away and still covet some of redlipstick’s goodies their within reach.  for now, fortunately, redlipstick is just one of many reasons why i must visit red hook frequently — pool or no pool.  red lipstick, 390 van brunt street between coffey and dikeman streets, brooklyn, new york, .

soon after labor day, j was lucky enough to have his job moved (most of the time) from jersey city to 30th and broadway.  the digs aren’t so nice, but  it sure has been huge treat to not only be in manhattan but also in a virtual food mecca with all the vendors selling tasty treats this past fall at madison square park. and then this guy really hit the jackpot when he figured out that stumptown’s first new york outpost was part of the very cool, very hip, ace hotel.   and of course i am super jealous.  my office used to be just a few blocks away and the food options have only gotten exponentially better since my days on broadway.

after hearing j. go on and on about stumptown all fall — how amazing the baristas are, how the beans are roasted in red hook, how consistently excellent the coffee is – i finally got to try it out a few weeks ago. first and foremost, i really totally love the space.  super excellent design by roman and williams both in the hotel lobby especially and the coffee spot is also great (love those lights).   the baristas too, as has been noted elsewhere, were excellently dressed and not at all snooty but downright friendly (that was a shock at this trendy spot).  as for the pastries, not quite abraço (they get some goodies from the frankie boys like the pretzels) but certainly decent. 

as for the coffee, i feel like i cannot give them a fair assessment given that i only had it once so maybe j will chime in.  my one cup was good but not amazing.  the foam was not as rich and creamy as i like (see picture above) though the coffee itself was rich and just the right amount of bitterness.   there’s so much good coffee these days, that it is really hard to excel.  i think i’m still loving southside, and a new (but late to the party) obsession is gorilla coffee.   however, if i were anywhere in the middle of manhattan, stumptown will be my destination as i cannot think of anything decent nearby,   so i am sure i will be back if only to hang out in the lobby and if course to check out the breslin which is now mostly open. stumptown at the ace hotel, 20 west 29th street between broadway and 5th avenue, manhattan, new york, .

saltie, the new sandwich shop which popped in williamsburgh this fall, has been getting plenty of press these days, and i’m happy to report it seems well deserved.  we came into the super appealing, sunny, open with a really cute stool/counter set up in this “nautical” themed space last week en famille, and our exuberant (is that the word?) children were well tolerated, and everyone was super gracious considering the droppings that were left on the floor (so sorry about that, we did leave an extra tip!).   

we were all rather starving and definitely in an eggy mood since it was  “brunch time and all.”   to satisfy our cravings, i got the saltie pork schnitzel with pickled (or so it seemed) radishes and celery along with capers and anchovies topped with a fried egg.  the schnitzel was pretty good (though i think i like the one at schnitzel & things better), but i really liked the combination with the dark brown bread and when you got all the ingredients piled on right it tasted fantastic, salty but great.   j. got himself the delicious ship’s biscuit with soft scrambled eggs and ricotta, and those eggs were definitely not dry which made that combination perfect.  for fussy k. we eventually managed to get some cheese on their house-made focaccia (saltie’s is not so well set up for individual needs, and believe me if we didn’t have a needy child in this department i wouldn’t even try to do it) but they managed and the critters were happy too.   

our favorite saltie item by far was the saltie caramel ice cream sandwich.  that ice cream was rich but not too creamy, and they have the salt teased in there just so so that  then when paired with these thin not sweet chocolate wafers it was perfection.  i also tried saltie’s lavender shortbread which was interesting but not a winner.  other baked goodies that we didn’t have room for included a buckwheat olive shortbread, ricotta pound cake, chocolate pistachio cookies, buckwheat apple scones, and a quince tart as well as a coffee coffee cake that looked perfect.   from my readings, it seems that saltie rotates the baked goods frequently so it would be worthwhile to check out the goodies often.

if saltie were anywhere near my normal daily rotation, i would be munching her goodies weekly.   i wanted to try nearly every other sandwich on the board like the scuttlebutt which is a combo of feta cheese, tomatoes, arugula and hardboiled egg or even the captain’s daughter, also made on foccacia with sardines, capers, pickled eggs and salsa verde.    and there are specials constantly too, as well as various sides and salads that come and go. if only there were a quick way to get to williamsburg from park slope!  saltie: 378 metropolitan avenue at havemeyer, brooklyn, new york, .

storm king  art center is one of my all time favorite places in new york, or really right outside of new york (it takes about an hour and a half by car if all is going well).  it is so incredibly beautiful up there, and the sights are constantly changing that it is always worth a visit at least once a year.   we had not been since we had k which means that it was at least six years ago which was far too long. 

the main draw this year was the fantastic new installation by maya lin called storm king wavefield pictured above. these rolling hills were quite beautiful and i’m sure that they will look great as the seasons change too.  there is also a related maya lin exhibit on view at storm king’s museum building called maya lin: bodies of water. 

i’m a huge fan of the enormous pieces of sculpture that are scattered around storm king’s property (more than 500 acres).  some of my favorite pieces are by mark di suvero (pictured above),  isamu noguchi,  alexander calder’s black flag (pictured below).  and don’t forget to go seek out andy goldsworthy’s lovely storm king wall which is more than 2,200 feet long which weaves its way down a hill and across a pond and then back up a hill. 

there’s no where to eat at storm king so either bring a lunch or come well fed.  you cannot eat on the grounds but there are picnic tables at the entrances that are fairly pleasant especially if it’s warm or at least sunny.  this is the very last weekend of the storm king season. they close on monday till april so if you have the chance to sneak up there i totally recommend it (here’s a nice photo gallery in case you need more convincing), and if not you can always go next year.  storm king art center, old pleasant hill road, mountainville, new york.  more detailed directions here.

around since 1946, pageant print shop started out as a bookstore, and has now evolved into a huge collection of old prints and maps with an excellent range of pricing too from as little as $12 for some of the smaller items and then the bigger and fancier pieces can get up into the $100s (sometimes with a frame).  while pageant’s maps cover the world, they have a really excellent focus on new york maps with lots of maps 19th century stuff.

if you’re looking for some imagery, pageant is a great place for ideas.  topics include hunting and fishing, children, sporting, music, art deco, water world, flowers, ferries, religion and botanicals  as well as things like old board books and political cartoons.  many of the prints are so old that the copyrights have expired, so pageant really is a fantastic source for new designs or incorporating into a special graphic project.

and although the space is quite small, everything is well organized, reasonably priced and i’m just happy they’re here at all.  not surprisingly, pageant’s owners (the daughters of the original owner) have had some challenges with space (rent too high is the big one) and they moved to this east village spot about five years ago.  let’s hope their nonprofit landlord allows pageant to continue to keep their prices down and their inventory always changing.   pageant print shop, 69 east 4th street near bowery, manhattan, new york, .

i’m so excited to have molly killeen’s recommendations for food and shopping in new york city, not only because it’s so interesting to see where a great baker loves to eat but also because she brings a much needed queens perspective to cherrypatter.  as the woman behind made by molly, molly makes the most delicious coconut dream bars and last week i was thrilled to see her featured in the new york times by melissa clark for her st. louis gooey butter cake.   molly, who had been the pastry chef at amy’s bread for nearly nine years, treks out to park slope every sunday with her husband and her adorable son to sell her goodies at our local farmers’ market.  we are lucky to have her.

thanks so much molly for fitting us into your crazy busy schedule, and for inspiring our family to spend this past sunday in long island city and astoria checking out your favorite haunts.  i especially loved that great little sweetleaf cafe and so we’ll be back in your hood soon.

shops:

top places for clothes?

anthropologie. the woolens and tweeds at brora, a scottish company (wait for the sales!), and the frye boot company, which has well-made leather shoes with great hardware in addition to their boot selection.

go to place for house gifts?

sarabeth’s blood orange marmalade with a jar of clotted cream, or a trio of sarabeth’s jams with homemade biscuits or scones.

click here for more: interview: made by molly

housed on bustling, or almost bustling, vanderbilt avenue in prospect heights is fabrica, a quiet unassuming design store with some treasures inside.  fabrica has some wonderful reupholstered furniture that the owner demi adeniran has revamped to great effect.   after hunting down unique mid-century pieces, fabrica then refurbishes them beatifully with the most glorious textures, patterns and colors like the pink striped french chairs pictured above ($1,850 for two).  the furniture stock rotates, and on my visit fabrica had a super cute midcentury modern side chair for $575, and i was shocked that the red ottoman pictured below was selling for $225.  i don’t know where we’d put it, but i want it.

fabrica also offers great pillows that have been designed and upholstered by demi.    she is very into color (my kind of gal) and i definitely cannot wait to talk to her about our suede dining chairs which need a serious redo after way too many mucky kids’ hands have had their way with them.   i liked how practical some of the pieces were for families, and she  is a big fan of the knoll textiles as they are both affordable and durable though she is well versed in all kinds of fabrics if you have something else in mind.  in terms of interior design, fabrica is a full-service shop and her work can range from simply designing custom made drapes to a complete overhaul of your space. 

fabrica’s physical shop has been around since 2005, and is filled with lots of goodies for the home.  fabrica has plenty of  vintage glasses, antique mirrors and lamps.  the modern aesthetic is mixed with ethnic pieces like stone buddah heads and brightly colored ceramic vases.  the shop also features local jewelry designers and a few other knickknacks like cute wallets by iris tyler.  

for me the lure of fabrica is that furniture, and i’ll be coming around regularly to see what new has found its way into the shop.  they are open thursday through sundays, with mondays through wednesdays by appointment only.  fabrica, 619 vanderbilt avenue near st. marks avenue, brooklyn, new york, .

there’s not much to say about these dumplings except that they are fantastic and so cheap. i did lots of research here, here and for starters,  and prosperity dumplings kept coming up number one in manhattan’s chinatown and i think i’m sticking with them. no need to go elsewhere in manhattan (maybe queens, but i have a lot more research to do to figure that out).

the prosperity dumpling  is near perfect i’d say.  these dumplings are so juicy, the pork chive stuffing is so tasty and the wrapper is freshly made and not too thin or fat.   my friend and i had the fried versions, and even though it was past prime time (which is most likely midday) they were still crisp and exceptionally flavorful.  i think there is something about the oil and the huge pot that they fry them in (maybe because that oil has been used hundreds and hundreds of times).   apparently, the bare bones shop waters down the hot sauce but i can live with that if that’s what helps keep their little business going. 

i also really like this eastern part of chinatown — away from the tourists, and it feels like the real china to me anyways.  i’ll be back for huge bags of frozen dumplings available at the crazy price of 50 pieces for $8.  it’s a good thing we have that extra freezer stuck away in our bedroom for emergency freezer needs like this.  oh, and i also just read here that they have a new branch in sunset park — and it is spacious.  definitely have to try that this weekend when s and i are on our own.     , 46 eldridge street near hester street, manhattan, new york, ; 4317 eighth avenue at 44th street, brooklyn, new york,

although we don’t live terribly far from sunset park, we don’t take advantage of the neighborhood the way we should and that is definitely our loss, especially in the latino food department.   a few weeks ago i headed to the family-run and super affordable  frame it brooklyn to take care of our latest home purchases  –  beautiful, map cutouts from famille summerbelle that we got in perfect condition from the sweet bodie and fou shop.   this trip was an excellent an excuse to head further south and venture down 5th avenue to the heart of mexican food in new york.   inspired by new york food guy’s excellent assessment of the options, i headed for tacos xochimilco and ordered the pambazo, or a mexican sandwich.

tacos xochimilco was pretty empty on my visit (well, it was the middle of the afternoon).   the space is also pretty barren (more like a deli) though i thought the blue roses were a nice touch.   i got served right away, and the pambazo was clearly made when ordered and it was amazing. i have never had one of these things before. the pambazowas served on a super soft roll.   it was oozy, and gooey, and basically a huge mess to eat.  filled with mayonnaise, lettuce, potatoes, onions and then covered in a spicy chilesauce with queso fresco, the pambazo is a filling creature.  there might have been some refried beans in there as well — it was hard to tell as it was a jumble in there.   whatever. this thing was delicious and i was stuffed. after making the trek, i was sad i didn’t have enough room to do a proper taste test of the competing tamale stands right outside the shop.  just need to go again soon i guess.    , 45-01 5th avenue, brooklyn, new york, .

i definitely wish i had studied architecture more formally. instead, i do it as i go in my day job as a developer of affordable housing.    sadly though, resources and timing constraints don’t let us get the most exciting architects on board for our work. to make things more challenging, the more than five or six funding sources that are required for a typical project have their own set of restrictions that further limit our architectural vision.    i wouldn’t say we do bad work, but it’s definitely not cutting edge.  the families who move in usually love it. it’s all very “americana” but if i had my way we would be doing some much more interesting stuff. 

and since i know how hard it is to get just good architecture done, let alone designs that can stand the test of time, i am in awe of fabulous architectural pieces that actually get built.  the works by eero saarinen fall into that category for me.  this finnish guy created iconic masterpieces in his short lifetime (he died at 51) with the really amazing twa terminal being my favorite as well as that st. louis gateway arch.   the eero saarinen exhibit “shaping the future” provides a retrospective on saarinen’s caerer, his furniture ideas and a little bit about the man.  see below for my mini guide on places to eat, see and shop nearby.  eero saarinen: shaping the future, museum of the city of new york, 1220 fifth avenue at 103rd street, manhattan, new york, . exhibit starts on november 10th and runs through january 31st.