Citrus & Salt

We celebrated my first Mother's Day with brunch at Citrus & Salt. The vibe is coastal Mexican. My vibe is tired but still up for having fun in the city! We ate in the back room with cozy couches and ottomans - it felt sort of speakeasy-ish. It also felt perfect for dining out with a baby. I had a delicious Brunch Chimichanga ($13) containing scrambled eggs, refried beans, poblano queso, salsa and home fries. 

After brunching we emerged into the bright floral and skulls space for a cocktail at the polished marble bar. We had a little more time to spend before our ticketed time at Happy Place just down the street. A fun interactive exhibit, we strapped Cam in the Ergobaby and did all the pose-for-cute-photos and laugh at ourselves things. 

The margaritas here are really good, however, I sipped on a Rosa Spritz ($14) served in a dainty etched coupe glass. Codigo Rosa Tequila, Aperol, hibiscus, lemon and rose cava was a very good cocktail indeed. I'm a lucky Mom!

Citrus & Salt

142 Berkeley St

Boston, MA

Townsman x Circle

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have fun plans shaping up for the new year! Speaking of, if you're getting together with a big group of friends to ring in 2018, Circle Pay is a new app you should definitely check out!

Circle. They are like Venmo, but way more fun. With an interface built around conversations where you can include GIFs and laughter-filled musings with your cash, it's like texting for money. Plus, faster cash out and designed for unique purposes like splitting checks at restaurants.

Townsman. Chef Matt Jennings chic New England brassiere where food and cocktails are devoured with utter delight. (If you are a regular reader, you know it is one of my go-to spots!)

An intimate group gathered at the convivial high top table fronting the bar, where creative and personalized Circle Pay poem place settings greeted us. Over cocktails + Townsman's signature brown bread with salted maple butter + a three course meal we caught up on life while learning about the app!

Course 1 - Seasonal Farm Minestrone. This piping hot soup served in a chic bowl was so comforting on a cold night, befitting from layers of flavor thanks to an herbed pistou. Additionally, I loved the swap in of nutty farro for pasta.

Circle fun fact #1 - No fees! No fees for sending money across border / between currencies + no fees for instant cash outs.

Course 2 - Char-Grilled Steak. The medium rare strip was tender with a rich char - another terrific cold weather dish complemented by savory roasted fingerlings and tons of braised greens over a sweet puree of butternut squash.

Circle fun fact #2 - Your money is insured. All deposits held in Circle Pay are FDIC insured up to $250k.

Chocolate Pecan Tart. The perfect personal sized tart with an equal sized scoop of luscious maple ice cream. 

Circle fun fact #3 - Group Payments. Zip money around in a group chat with up to 20 people. 

Cocktail - Senor Picante. I love when cocktails advertised as spicy actually deliver the heat! This one has tequila, sherry, fresno, grapefruit and guajillo salt.

Circle fun fact #4 - Events. You can set up an event page to collect money from a larger audience, such as fundraising for a marathon or a charity collection. I know so many of you would benefit from something like this!! (But if not, there will always be the hilarious feature that is GIPHY!)

Interested?! Sign up right this way...

This dinner was complimentary and I was compensated for my time. 

All opinions are my own. 

Townsman

120 Kingston Street

Boston, MA 02111

Palm Springs | Eat + Drink

Truss + Twine | Uptown Design District | 800 North Palm Canyon Drive

We arrived to Palm Springs from Joshua Tree on a Monday evening and quickly learned Monday + Tuesday are the industry off days. I googled 3-4 places on my hit list which were either closed or done serving dinner by 8 pm. We hit the jackpot with Truss + Twine located just a few blocks away and serving food until late. We entered into a super dark industrial, minimalist space, where the staff turned out to be incredibly welcoming; shaking up some strong cocktails and eager to serve us from the small plates menu of elevated desert cuisine.

We drank: Brooklyn ($15) rye, dry vermouth, Amaro Cio-Ciara, maraschino, orange bitters, lemon zest 

Game Changer ($12) gin, lime, cucumber, sugar, onion brine, sea salt, celery bitters 
Velvet Touch ($15) Dickel rye, Amaro Nonino, Pedro Ximinez sherry, orange zest

~~~

And ate: Wagyu Beef Tartare ($18) celery root puree, horseradish, pickled quail egg
Red Snapper Crudo ($10) golden beet, pink peppercorn, shiso pesto 
Smoked Trout Rillettes ($10) trout roe, cucumber gel
Drake Farm's Goat Cheese ($8) bougainvillea dust, Temecula valley honeycomb, cactus confit

Bootlegger Tiki | Uptown Design District | 1011 N Palm Canyon Drive

Does it get any better than a night cap at the Hawaiian themed tiki-cocktail den that happens to be your next door neighbor? 

From the Pod Thai ($10) with white rum, lime, coconut crème, cardamom lemongrass syrup + soda to the For Luck Sake ($12) with tequila, mezcal, lime, honey, yellow chartreuse, serrano pepper tincture, basil + bitters - these expertly crafted cocktails prove even if you aren't staying right next door, this Palm Springs speakeasy is a must visit.

Ernest Coffee | Uptown Design District

Conveniently located next door to The Twist (our Airbnb) is Ernest Coffee - Palm Springs only independent roasters. This hip, light filled, booze serving coffee shop (it is actually the same building and owners as Bootlegger Tiki) was our first stop each morning for fresh brewed Stumptown Coffee alongside chocolate croissants and spinach quiches on the sunny patio. 

Lulu California Bistro | Downtown | 200 S Palm Canyon Drive

Lulu is affirmatively the it spot in town. The large colorful terrace sprawling along Palm Canyon Drive opens to a retro airy bar defined by two massive chandeliers covered in pastel green and purple lampshades. The dining room is awash in all white everything, bordered by tall scalloped booths and lined with Old Hollywood photos. Every seat in the house is packed with breezy lunch dates and mingling locals. Nothing we ate or drank was particularly must visit worthy -  Cobb Salad, Asian Lettuce Wraps, a Desert Haze Martini and a Raspberry Mojito, but they do have a vast menu and offer prompt and polished service. Lulu proved a fun, energetic stop for lunch as we continued on our bike ride exploring the city!

Purple Palm | Colony Palms Hotel | 572 N Indian Canyon Drive

The Purple Palm is one restaurant not to miss in Palm Springs. The menu features imaginative California fare and the Hollywood hideaway atmosphere is so incredibly alluring. Fantastic food + excellent wines are enhanced by dining under a cabana overlooking the relaxed pool setting, backed by a gorgeous open interior with towering halo light fixtures and striking purple wallpaper, ceilings, and tiled floors. We had the best time here. A top trip moment for sure!

Aperol on Fire - Aperol, gin, lemon, singed orange
Pinot Noir ($16) | Colene Clemens, Willamette Valley, Oregon

West Coast Oysters ($18) | Kumaia - Baja, California | watermelon mignonette 

Gai Lan ($8) | maitake mushrooms, goat cheese, black garlic, Chile de arbol
Seared Scallops + Smoked Pork Belly ($30) | chanterelles, parsnip, arugula, lemon verbena

Marinated + Grilled Swordfish ($29) | red pomelo, toasted pine nuts, baby spinach, pearl couscous, fresh herbs, saffron yogurt citronette

Our night out followed with drinks at Trio and Bootlegger!

 

Peabody's Cafe | Downtown | 134 S Palm Canyon Drive

Peabody's is a casual café + bar with an outdoor patio. We brunched here on a whim after learning our first choice (Cheeky's - Uptown) was a 45 minute wait. While we might have missed out on bacon flights back at Cheeky's, this runny egg - crispy potato - cheesy refried beans - homemade salsa + hot sauce covered plate of Huevos Rancheros was everything I needed to affirm the choice. 

More on where we stayed and all the good desert modern vibes up next!

Newport - Laguna - Huntington | California

Behold the laid back, surfer cool, palm tree lined, wide sandy beaches of Southern California.  It was my first time here!

We were staying in Santa Ana for a wedding and on the day of decided to spend the morning in Newport. We walked the pier and the beach, feeling invigorated by the suns warmth and salt water. Then we headed south to Laguna Beach. Downtown Laguna is bustling with fine art galleries and beachy shops; it is very picturesque and artsy. The landscape is essentially a canyon surrounded by rolling hills with wide arched beachfront coves. We had lunch at Nick's (440 South Coast Hwy) - a go to spot of the bride and groom. It was packed but we managed to snag seats at the bar next to the breezy open windows and street front patio. We loved the California comfort food menu: the Asparagus Fries ($11), Shrimp Taquitos ($13) and Spicy Thai Soba Noodle Salad ($18) were all terrific. The fun pink cocktail is a Spicy Paloma ($14) made with milagro reposado tequila, jalapeño, basil and grapefruit. 

After the wedding we road tripped east and spent time in the desert. On the return prior to our flight out of LGB we hung out in Huntington Beach. We had an early dinner at Duke's (317 Pacific Coast Hwy) located right at the pier - it was recommended by locals in the surf shop across the street and turned out to be a great meal. We started with Moana Margaritas ($11) and the Crispy Coconut Shrimp ($12) with lilikoi chili water + green papaya slaw. I had Sautéed Macadamia Nut + Herb Crusted Ono ($18) - a Hawaiian white fish dusted in parmesan panko with tomato lemon caper butter, house rice, bok choy + macadamia nut slaw. Bob went with the Chef's Cheeseburger ($16) - an angus chuck, brisket + hanger grind with smoked cheddar, black pepper bacon aioli, pickled Maui onions + arugula on a brioche bun with a side of grilled asparagus.  A pretty west coast sunset later and it was off to catch our red eye. 

While the beaches are nice, no doubt relaxed and sunny and beautiful, the desert was life changing and easily my favorite part of Southern California. Can't wait to share more!