New York, 2013

Last month I had the opportunity to visit NY again. So exciting!!
It was a business trip, so I didn't have too much time to try new and fancy restaurants or go on long walks, but I did get to visit new places (I finally crossed the bridge and went to Brooklyn!), go to museums and revisit a couple of my favorite places (Eataly and Bouchon, for example). Here are some delicious moments of the trip that I was able to capture:

Happy Hour at Eataly

Breakfast at Bouchon (cafe latte with brioche and jam)

Central Park from above (Mandarin Oriental Hotel)

Manhattan "seen with Brooklyn eyes" (Williamsborough Bridge)

Drinks and late lunch at Rabbit Hole. Brooklyn, NY.

Running some errands... (I couldn't stop myself from walking "gazillion" blocks as I always do when in NY)

Hot Dog at Times Square (Why not, right?)

Running some errands - part two...

Delicious lunch at Tiny's & The Bar Upstairs (so good!)

Need more tips about NY? Find some good ones here. 

Herb Gardens

I love the idea of ​​having my own fresh herbs, available in my yard or by my window. Until some years ago, if you wanted to grow your own herbs, you would need a house with a big yard or live in the countryside. However, nowadays there are nice herb gardens that you can keep indoors and with artificial light!
It's not difficult to find houses with these herb gardens by the windows in LA and, oddly enough, they look beautiful and kind of easy to use. If you are up to do this, and if you buy the right products (seeds, soil etc), I think it can work!
For those who might like this adventure, here are some cool options:

Officeoriginair

Bacsac's

AeroGarden

Sagaform

PS: I won't be able to post the next days, but I'll be back next week with more tips and news! A great week to all!

The Huntington Library

During my in-laws' visit, we spent a day in Pasadena (the home to the Rose Bowl Stadium - host of the 1994 World Cup and the biggest monthly flea market) to finally visit The Huntington Library.

We knew that we would see beautiful gardens and a great library collection. And that's exactly what we're given: nice walks through plants and flowers and, in the library, some of oldest manuscripts (and other materials) of our history!

Go in the morning and then visit Old Town for lunch. There is a cool street with nice shops and restaurants. Definitely a good day!

Getty Villa and Getty Center Museums

JP Getty was one of the wealthiest Americans in the world. An avid arts and antiques collector, his extensive collection is the soul of two great museums that bear his family name: Getty Center and Getty Villa. The two are quite different, but both have your own richness of content and history.
Getty Villa is the first of the two museums. It's smaller and beautifully located on top of a mountain overlooking PCH and the sea. It's dedicated to the study of Greek, Roman and Etruscan arts (including the gardens are Roman-inspired).

Getty Center, also located atop a mountain overlooking the entire city of LA, has a super-modern architecture and is huge! It's dedicated to Western arts from the Middle Age until today (I saw incredible temporary exhibits such as Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt) and the gardens. I was able to rescue a pic of my last visit, but I'll look into my archives and post others because it's beautiful. You can spend a whole day there!

When in LA, take some time to visit these museums. It's free! (you only pay for parking). You'll spend hours admiring not only the amazing collections and exhibitions, but also the view, the arquitecture and the pleasant environment that were designed to accomodate so much culture!

Ojai Valley Inn & SPA

Two weeks ago hubby and I went to Ojai Valley Inn & SPA in Ojai, CA.

Ojai is a small town less than 2 hours away from LA and is best known for this resort.
I've been hearing about this resort for a while but I also knew it was too expensive. However, I got a nice discount and this was the perfect excuse to finally visit this place that everybody talks about ... And now I know why: it's truly amazing! Lots of green, quiet, and great amenities.
The guests are usually couples and families, and they go there mainly to play golf and for the spa. But they also have swimming pools, tennis courts, fitness center with free classes etc.
We really wanted to enjoy the pool, relax and read. I didn't have any SPA treatment, but hubby played tennis with a professional and I did yoga outdoors!

About the food, they have some restaurants inside the property (a upscale, a pub and a healthy one), but only two are open late (I mean, 11pm). They are full at peak hours, but it is not a big deal (photo below is the dinner we had at the pub) and you can make a reservation or sip wine while waiting for your table.

We had an amazing weekend in this wonderful place, with beautiful sunny days and fireplace at nights! And look at that last picture of the sky during the sunset! Priceless!

If I have one not so good comment about the resort is that everything is a little bit overpriced (from the rooms - at regular price - to some services to food), but sometimes we have to let the money go and enjoy the good things of life, right?

My Favorites: Honor Bar Burger

This My Favorites' edition (check out previous editions) is special, because I always have great time when I'm in Honor Bar - amazing place, not only for the burger (which I will speak in a second), but also because it is a very pleasant environment, with live jazz every late afternoon, nice waiters and a ultra-affordable price.
The menu is simple but delicious with a few burgers, appetizers, wines, imported beers and fine drinks.
Hubby and I have tried almost the entire menu and came to the conclusion that the Honor Burger (first burger pic below) joins the list of our favorite burgers.
Made with meat, cheese, tomato and a special coleslaw. The salad dressing is divine and, along with a perfect cooked meat, are responsible for making it a super soft and moist burger.
Another excellent choice is Crispy Chicken Sandwich Ding's (second burger pic below). It comes with the same coleslaw but instead of meat is a delicious crispy chicken fillet!
All this accompanied by good-quality jazz, a glass of wine or beer, and a thin and crisp French fries (don't forget to ask for the 3 dressings that comes with it!)

It is a small space and happy hours are crowded, but is quieter on weekends.
Oh, and by the bar is the restaurant from the same group called South Beverly Grill. I have not had a chance to try, but some friends had and they said the food is also very good.

In love! - Bodum Portable BBQ

The winter is ending in Brazil and people start to get out more, take walks outdoors and also the BBQ season begins!
But you are not in the mood to face the waiting list for using the grill in your building? Want something more private? Or just to change a little bit the family lunch on Sunday? My suggestion is a portable BBQ from Bodum.
Small (measures not exceeding 16'), has a cool design and is available in different colors. The price is super affordable, and by its size, is easy to carry and store during the colder periods. I saw it at the store and, as the post title says, I was in love!

Good excuse for barbecue on the weekends!

Suggestion for the weekend: Carlos Miniseries

This weekend I finished watching the miniseries Carlos, on the Venezuelan revolutionary Carlos the Jackal.

Originally composed of 3 parts, the miniseries was shown on French television and won the 2010 Golden Globe - Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television. Besides that, the leading man (Edgar Ramirez) was nominated for an Emmy this year and shows his amazing skills speaking Spanish, English, German, Arabic and French.

Here in the U.S., in addition to the original version available online (Netflix), they did a short version for festivals and movie-theaters, but I suggest watching the extended version.

Filmed in several different countries, the documentary mixes fiction and reality, and through it we can learn more about that revolutionary era (the 60s) and its ideals. Very interesting!

Picnic two thumbs up!

Yesterday was my last show at the Hollywood Bowl and this season will be missed: the shows were great, the weather was super nice and the task of bringing food and drink was delicious!
This time, my hubby and and I went to concerts along with another couple, so we took the opportunity to bring something different, tasty and easysuch as: sandwiches (wraps type), hummus, baby carrots, chips, melon with prosciutto, brie with jam, grapes, cherry tomatoes salad, sliced ​​breads (different styles like focaccia, baguettes), water and wine.
This menu is perfect not only for concerts but also for the park, museums or on the road. But remember to take everything chopped and ready, and do not forget cutlery, disposable plates and cups (good tip here), napkins and bottle openers.
To carry all this, you can take a normal bag (the one below was used by me in my first trips to the Hollywood Bowl!)...

Or if you are - or will be - a fan of picnics, you can invest a little more in thermal bags with compartments and dividers like these (some of them cutlery is already included):

Or the most traditional, English style, charming like these:

All products above are from Picnic at Ascot. An amazing store with everything to make your picnic even more enjoyable (and they also have blankets, chairs, coolers, etc.). But the important thing is to do everything with love and affection, have fun, and enjoy these delicious moments with your loved ones.

Hollywood Bowl: we'll be back next year!!

Details...

No stress! Relaxing in the middle of the flea market...

Berthillon

As I wrote a lot about Paris this week, here is another French post about a delicious French ice cream called Berthillon.
This tip, given by a parisian friend, is amazing! The ice cream is super tasty and creamy, and you really taste the flavors (one of the flavors I had was passion fruit and it seemed like I was eating the fruit!)
You can find the ice cream in many places throughout the city but I suggest you to go to the original store on St Louis Island. Besides the ice cream, you can also go to their tea room and have other delicious treats made ​​by them.
But be prepared, the waiting line is very long especially in the summer!

Grand Prix Laguna Seca

This post is for those passionate about motorcycles and speed: from 22 to 24 July is taking place in Laguna Seca, CA, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, the motorcycle world championship.
Last year I had the opportunity to go and it was amazing! Well-organized, millions of motorcycle enthusiasts and pros (pic below from the parking lot!), shops, restaurants, anyway, I loved it! If you want to go, I guarantee you will have some very interesting time!

Have a safe and nice trip!

Travel + Leisure magazine released today its annual list "The Best of" 2011. If you are planning a trip, check its website out, because they have ranks for almost everything: best cities, beaches, car rental, safaris, hotels, cruises, spas, etc.. As we all know, it is very hard to find an airline that we are please with. So here I will list the top five airlines for domestic flights and the top five for international flights:

Domestic Flights

1 - Virgin America
2 - JetBlue Airways
3 - Hawaiian Airlines
4 - Southwest Airlines
5 - Sun Country Airlines

International Flights
1 - Singapore Airlines
2 - Emirates
3 - Etihad Airways
4 - Air New Zealand
5 - Virgin Atlantic Airways