a small thing but my own

london: cecconi's mayfair

2012-02-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

Normally, tuxedo'ed waiters are a very bad sign at a restaurant- either the place is absolutely blanketed in suffocating silence and formality or it's some sort of suburban Olive Garden in fancy dress. Cecconi's in Mayfair is the exception...

Cecconi's is a gorgeous restaurant- emerald green upholstery surrounding a thick carrera marble bar, twinkling candles, slick table lamps, heavy silver salt and pepper sets, Art Deco mirrors, and a black and white striped marble floor. It feels like what we'd like to imagine London was in the Twenties. The staff are kitted out in white tie, many of them are Italian. It's a glittering crowd that lunches here, as you'd expect considering the neighborhood. But despite the expensive looking clientele, Cecconi's feels welcoming and cozy. After shopping Jermyn St, pop in for lunch at the bar. The food is excellent. (I wrote about the Miami outpost earlier.)

palma, mallorca: forn de sant joan

2011-12-07T10:45:00.000-05:00

In the heart of Palma, Forn de Sant Joan is a slick two-story restaurant tucked into an ancient stone building. Start off with gazpacho, follow with shredded fois gras, finish with a molten chocolate cake. Everything in between will be delicious...

For

miami: cafe bustelo

2011-09-20T12:25:00.000-04:00

MMmmmmmmm. Cafe Bustelo in Miami. Beautifully designed and the coffee was stellar...

italy: crodino

2011-09-18T20:12:00.000-04:00

This is what I'm drinking right now...

It is bright orange, delicious- light, refreshing, just a little bit tart, and it's making me miss Italy terribly.

istanbul: four seasons restaurant

2011-09-16T05:15:00.001-04:00

We were so sad that the weather was horrible during our stay at the Four Seasons Bosphorus in Istanbul so we consoled ourselves with lunch at the hotel's restaurant...

The food was very good, especially my cold potato and scallop soup (above), so I was more than willing to forgive the vegetable price tag that was mixed into my pasta course. The staff and chef were mortified and comped our meal and our drinks the next time we went to the bar. Very sweet and not necessary. It's not like it was a band-aid.

los angeles: l'ermitage

2011-09-15T08:03:00.000-04:00

L'Ermitage in Beverly Hills has a killer roof-top pool and is located close to some of the best shopping in the country...
This perfectly-sized hotel has aura of quiet Art Deco-era luxury, a well-trained staff (especially at the pool!) and gorgeous bathrooms. It's the kind of place you could imaging living, à la a character in a Sophia Coppola movie.

amsterdam: ron blaauw

2011-09-14T12:21:00.003-04:00

For one of our last night's in Amsterdam, we decided to go big and that meant going to Ron Blaauw...

It was phenomenal; possibly one the best meals we've eaten in Amsterdam. The restaurant is a casual yet sparkly light-filled space. Service is attentive but not cloying. We were even greeted by Mr. Blaauw himself. The food was superb- interesting, even experimental but all of it delicious.

miami: cecconi's at soho beach house

2011-08-31T05:11:00.000-04:00

At Cecconi's Miami Beach, all of the waiters are Italian, they make a perfect Negroni and you dine al fresco under a canopy of sparkling lights and olive trees. When we were in Miami we ate there as often as we could (easy enough since we were staying here). The food was superb- not fancy or overly complicated- just delicious Italian fare...

miami: soho beach house

2011-08-30T16:01:00.000-04:00

Soho Beach House is my favorite of the Soho House properties...

The poolside and beach service are impeccable. The rooms are comfortable and beautiful. The food is excellent. The Cowshed bath and beauty products alone are worth the stay. My only qualm- the noise! If you're in a room overlooking the restaurant in the courtyard it is super loud until closing time.

barcelona: bodega sepulveda

2011-08-17T05:18:00.001-04:00

We walked to Bodega Sepulveda in a cold, gusting rainstorm. Umbrellas were breaking, we got lost in Barcelona's gray, twisting streets, but it was all worth it after the first bite of tomato bread. Open since 1936, this homey, ultra-traditional tapas joint serves the classics, perfected...

We ate bacon wrapped dates, jamon, anchovies, squid with white beans, potatoes smothered in cheese with a view into the kitchen where the ancient chef/owner prepared all sorts of tasty small plates.

amsterdam: winkel

2011-08-16T10:43:00.000-04:00

Winkel, on the northern border of the Jordaan neighborhood, claims to have the best appeltaart in Amsterdam. I can't say I disagree...

But it's no secret so if you visit on a weekend, be prepared to wait. Hours.

barcelona: happy pills

2011-07-27T14:30:00.000-04:00

I popped in for a refill at Happy Pills in Barcelona. Bright, poppy and fun, the shop doesn't sell anything stronger than candy, but it's a fun way to get a sugar high...

london: corinthia hotel

2011-07-26T08:40:00.000-04:00

The Corinthia Hotel is a gorgeous new property in London's Whitehall Place. When our favorite hotel was fully booked, we initially reserved at Brown's Hotel, a member of the Rocco Forte collection. That was a disaster. So, we quickly moved into the Corinthia. Housed in a massive white Victorian (1885) building, the hotel's public spaces are grand yet playful...

Tables in the lobbies are piled high with mounds of snowy white orchids. Restaurants are lively, sophisticated and bit sexy. The hotel bar, Bassoon is a dark den, lit by candlelight, serving up delicious, artisinal cocktails and fine spirits. Staff are impeccably trained and very helpful. Rooms are elegant, plush and have every comfort, including a telly over the bathtub.

Homemade lemon lavender soda with gin!

hong kong: zuma

2011-07-25T09:54:00.003-04:00

There are Zuma restaurants scattered around the world, usually in posh districts of international cities. Most recently we visited the Hong Kong outpost. It was lovely- a light airy space with an outdoor terrace (which can be hard to find in HK). Essentially, Zuma serves very expensive comfort food to the global jet-set...

But, while certainly not local to any of it's locations, the food is reliably delicious, even if it is a bit routine...

at sea

2011-07-22T10:06:00.002-04:00

Clearly, I've drifted away from the blog a bit over the last few months. We've been traveling like mad but, I'm ready to return to A Small Thing! Expect more posts soon.

amsterdam: de koffie salon

2011-05-05T05:55:00.003-04:00

The Dutch make some of the best coffee in the world, in my opinion. One of the most charming places to have a coffee in Amsterdam is De Koffie Salon on Utrechtsestraat...

Try a coffee verkeerd (coffee "the wrong way" i.e. with milk) and sticky sweet stroopwafel.

hong kong: bo innovation

2011-04-11T07:37:00.002-04:00

One of Hong Kong's most prominent purveyors of molecular gastronomy, Bo Innovation in Wan Chai is a bright, bustling New York-style restaurant. The staff are attentive, eager (over-eager?) and clearly very excited by the food. While my dining companion has since declared himself "over" molecular food, I enjoyed the meal, although I didn't find any dish to be particularly mind-blowing...

It's tasting menu only and it was a nice way to sample the Chinese-inspired nibbles that chef Alvin Leung Jr.dreamed up.

The most interesting was by far the "dumpling." Not a dumpling at all but something that felt like an egg yolk but exploded in the mouth with all of the flavors of the classic Chinese pork dumpling.

The tastiest was the chef's take on lettuce wraps- a healthy chunk of foie gras on piece of butter lettuce.

Bo Innovation started out with two Michelin stars in the first Hong Kong edition, it's since lost it, but I think the restaurant is making sure it gains it back in the next edition.

Not chicken! Frog legs.

This dessert was served with a sandalwood smoke.

warsaw: u kucharzy

2011-04-08T07:34:00.004-04:00

U Kucharzy, or the Kitchen, is just that, a restaurant set up inside the kitchen of the old Hotel Europjski in downtown Warsaw. One of the Gessler family venues, this bustling eatery is an homage to the frenetic energy and hard work that goes on behind the scenes in any restaurant kitchen. Here the cooks are the stars...

The kitchen is open, in fact, the "best" seat in the house is a small two-seater situated almost inside one of the ovens. Tables are arranged to provide guests with views of the chefs at work and one the best dishes, the steak tartare, is prepared tableside by a chef, a skilled swordsman, really, in a flurry of steel blades expertly mincing the top-quality beef as you watch, enthralled and a bit nervous (what if he loses his grip on one of those 12" knives he's flinging around?). While the tartare provides quite a show, my favorite part of the meal was the relaxed, friendly atmosphere created by the staff (almost like you were sitting in for a staff meal at a restaurant), in particular the maitre'd, who invited us into the kitchen to have taste of a dish before we were considering ordering. It was heaven and really nice to have a chance to try it before committing to the whole dish.

we started with borscht

our chef starting the steak tartare

it was a lot of work!

the finished product

tender, melt-in-your-mouth veal with a heavenly wild mushroom cream sauce

Oh! u Kucharzy is supposed to be opening an outpost in TriBeCa soon... Check it out, New Yorkers.

new york city: kava cafe

2011-04-06T08:48:00.000-04:00

New addition to the far West Village, Kava Cafe is located just across the street from the stairs leading up to the Highline. It's a very stylish Art Deco-rated coffee bar that serves up a mean cappuccino- perfectly balanced and not bitter at all, as well as a small menu of pastries and sandwiches. The true test, (although certainly not one for the purists) the de-caf latte, was also delicious, creamy and rich without any hint of that awful de-caf taste. Check it out...

barcelona: ohla hotel

2011-04-06T08:06:00.001-04:00

We were lucky enough to christen Barcelona's Ohla Hotel with a stay in its very first week open. Located in the heart of the city, it's a beautiful space with a sleek bar and restaurant on the ground floor and a rooftop pool. The staff were eager and helpful, particularly the bartenders who whipped up a killer pisco sour. Rooms were nice but...

decidedly Ikea-ish. Bathrooms, coated entirely in black stone were sexy and modern but completely open to the rest of the room which if you're alone is fine, but if you're traveling with someone forget mystery.

barcelona: the mandarin oriental

2011-04-01T06:17:00.001-04:00

Like walking into an elegantly design spaceship, the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona is smack in the middle of the Passeig de Gracia. The lobby is a beautiful version of what hotel lobbies will look like in the space age- warm, modern and sleek. The bar is a bit cramped but it's dark and sexy, and serves up the best mojito I've ever tasted...

update! barcelona: dos palillos

2011-03-31T07:23:00.002-04:00

We had our first extraordinary meal at Dos Palillos at the bar and ordered off the a la carte menu. For our return visit we sat in the rear dining room and ordered the chef's menu. Again, the food was surprising and delicious. Even more so this time as we were served chicken sashimi. Yes, raw chicken...

I would consider myself an adventurous eater, I eat plenty of raw fish and beef, but this scared me. I know it's a common dish in Japan, but Westerners are indoctrinated about the dangers of undercooked poultry.

Faced with the eager expression on our young chef's face and his assurances that it was perfectly safe, I bit in. The texture was very similar to fish sashimi, not quite as soft as fatty salmon or toro, but not too chewy either. It was served with a seasoned salt and pepper mix for dipping. I liked it. It's not something I'll order again (this is how I prefer my chicken), but it was definitely enjoyable and I'm happy to report that no one got salmonella.

We also had some shrimp in Japanese curry, dumplings...

and a really interesting uni (sea urchin) custard.

ravello, italy: hotel caruso

2011-03-31T06:55:00.001-04:00

The Hotel Caruso is precariously perched on the vertiginous cliffs of Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. At 5 stars, it's got great reviews and a stellar reputation. The location is stunning. The gardens are like a second Eden, chock full of fragrant blooms, fresh herbs, ripening olives and heavy, drooping, golden lemons. After a nauseating drive from the port of Naples we arrived...

And, frankly, we were a bit disappointed.

A former vineyard, the hotel was once a favorite destination for the Bloomsbury set, but now it's in need of a serious refurb by a skilled interior designer. Service was excellent, food was delicious, but guest rooms and public areas were just plain ugly, a stark contrast to the breath-taking views. It was really sad, actually, to be staying in this lovely setting with such a history (at quite a dear price) but housed in such tacky and dated interiors.

Ravello itself is charming, but as I mentioned here, it's better left to a day trip as it's packed with Americans.

The highlight of the garden, the infinity pool

barcelona: piscolabis

2011-03-30T17:14:00.001-04:00

Piscolabis is hands-down our favorite spot to grab a tapas lunch in central Barcelona. The menu isn't exactly inventive, but the chefs handle the tapas classics with reliable flair. A few of the tasty treats we chowed down on...

warsaw: bracia gessler

2011-03-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

Across the street from the Hotel Bristol, tucked in the old Hotel Europa building is Bracia Gessler, an elegant, airy bakery and one of the renowned Gessler establishments that populate Warsaw's culinary scene...

I watched bakers fill hundreds of these rolled waffle pastries with delicate sweet cream. They are a delicious companion to an excellent cappuccino enjoyed at a window side table.