Restaurant Week
This time next week we will be in New York at the Gift Fair. I can't wait! The show will be fun of course but the other thing I am looking forward to is eating some great food in some of my favourite restaurants. Plus, it's Restaurant Week in NYC while we are there. Doug takes care of our restaurant reservations when we go away - he loves good food and enjoys researching restaurants before we leave so that we always have a gastronomic adventure. In the '90's we designed and built a cafe - The Dominion Cafe in Nelson because we craved good coffee and a great cafe experience(which was yet to come to Nelson at that time.) Having the Cafe was a really wonderful experience and it became a thriving little business and a favourite meeting place for locals. Eventually we sold it to someone who loved it as much as we did and we went back to our lives as designers/illustrators. But that experience gave us the restaurant bug and we love to discover new places to eat whenever we are away.
Top 2 pictures are of The Dominion Cafe - our old place in Nelson BC.
One of our favourite places to eat lunch in Manhattan is Le Pain Quotidien (below). The Soho location is the best. We love the food and the communal table seating. The baking is great and the atmosphere is so genuine. We always order platters of fresh cheese, bread, olives etc. They have a fabulous bakery and also sell their cheeses and oils etc.
Below we have Babbo - Mario Batali's restaurant. We have reservations here next week. I haven't eaten at any of Batali's restaurants before but Doug is into making homemade pasta at the moment and is determined to compare his homemade ravioli to Mario Batali's! I know you'll all look forward to hearing the results of that competition - yikes!
Artisanal Bistro is a new restaurant for us too. I am looking forward to eating here. I love the idea of producing your own cheeses and produce for your restaurant so Artisanal is a place I have wanted to visit for a while - plus the logo was designed by Louise Fili so it must be a good restaurant!
One of my New York favourites is Pastis - below. I first went to Pastis about 10 years ago and I was floored by the decor....it is amazing. The tin ceilings, the tiled walls the ratty mirrors - I don't care if it is original or reproduction - it is so clever. The combination of the loud atmosphere, the scruffy surfaces and the authentic French bistro food is so warm and comfortable and I love it. And I have to say I have had some of the best meals I have ever eaten here. Not to mention a great wine list. The design of the interior and the signage is brilliant. You must go!
This image of the interior of Pastis is from the House Martin blog(which is such a pretty blog). I love this shot - it really sums up the Pastis style. Do you have a favourite restaurant that we need to visit? I'd love to know!