Greenwich Mean Time

Mr. Fonty's cousin is getting married in Newport, RI on Labor Day weekend. I decided to make a road trip of it and start the week off in NYC with my in-laws. While in New York, we are staying in Tribeca at The Greenwich Hotel. This hotel is all sorts of gorgeous. No two of it's 88 rooms are alike, which sort of seems like a designer's heaven (or hell). Some rooms are rustic, some serene, some glamorous, and yet they all seem to be exactly what I would want for my own home. How does that work!?

I should forewarn you that I will be an instagram fiend.

The Bedrooms

 

Those green walls! Those draperies!

This room feels like a spa

I'm obsessed with that orange sofa and pillow

The Bathrooms: 

A girl can dream.... 

Common Areas: 

The Restaurant, Locanda Verde:

The Courtyard:

Bear Down

Last weekend, Mr. Fonty and I went back to my college stomping grounds, Tucson, AZ, for a weekend getaway. He had a band playing in town, and I had not been back since I graduated, which is shocking. 

It could not have been a more perfect weekend. Driving into town, I had butterflies of anticipation. 

Living in Athens, another college town, even in the 5 years I have been here, so much has changed, but Tucson, aside from new student dorms and a bustling downtown, has remained almost exactly as I remembered it. I was expecting to be sad at coming back to a city I didn't recognize, but that was not the case at all. It was as if time stopped 10 years ago, which was a welcome surprise for my reminiscing heart. 

Mr. Fonty was coming in from Boulder. I picked him up at the airport, and we headed straight for one of my hang over favorites, East Coast Subs. I can't tell you how many meat and cheese laden sandwiches and baskets of fries my girlfriends and I consumed at this place over the years. It's disgusting, but in the best possible way. East Coast has changed locations, but the new one (especially the bathrooms) feel like it has always been there. 

From East Coast, we cruised campus, making a pit stop by my old sorority house, Alpha Phi. It is as perfect and classically Arizona as I remember it. #prettiesthouseontheblock

 Then I took George to campus...

Back side of Old Main

The Mall

Old Main

 After walking around campus, we earned some beers on University Ave. First stop Frog N Firkin, then Gentle Ben's for Blonde Ales in honor of Katie K.

 While at Ben's, we spotted a typical T-Loc. That would be a cat in his Baby Bjorn. Meeeeeeow!

 After getting good and buzzed on cold brews, we checked into our hotel, The Arizona Inn. This place is so magical. I remember coming for brunch, walking around or visiting when someone's parents were in town, but to stay here is like being transported. It was such a retreat from the city. Every afternoon at 5, there is an ice cream social by the pool. We timed our arrival perfectly.

 The grounds are impeccable. I could wander through this place all day long.

 When I was in school, downtown Tucson basically consisted of Hotel/Club Congress, The Rialto, and blacked out late night meals at The Grill. This is certainly not the case now. There are tons of new restaurants, breweries, and bars. We got drinks at Hotel Congress, and enjoyed the incredible evening weather.

Phoenix's  Pizzeria Bianco, which my brother said changed his life, opened a week earlier in Tucson, so we put our name down for the 2.5 hour wait, and wandered the city until it was time to eat. We popped into HUB which is a brewery and creamery - how dreamy! But we both agreed the place smelled like a cheap sushi restaurant, and didn't have a very good hangout vibe. We then went to Playground, which obviously becomes a super cheesy night club after 10, but in the early evening, the rooftop deck was perfect for taking in a sunset. And before we knew it, it was time to eat.

It was worth the wait. I had the Rosa - Parmesan, rosemary, pistachio and onions. 

 The main reason we were there was to see New Madrid. They are on an extensive west coast tour. They played at one of Tucson's art gallery turned music venue spaces. I had been to an exact replica of the space 10 years earlier. It was like entering a weird dreamlike memory. It took me about 30 minutes into the set to figure out when and why I had been there before.
It couldn't be a trip to Tucson without  hitting up the old standby, Dirtbags. It is after all, "a part of growing up". The sorority girls had just arrived in town, so George got a taste of U of A co-eds, and decided that if he has a daughter she will not be allowed to be a desert woman. Fair enough.

 With a hangover (for me), we hiked a bit of Sabino Canyon the next morning. It was such a gorgeous day.

 I earned my Brad's Beef from Beyond Bread. This might be the one food item I miss the most. Grilled sandwich with: roast beef, sharp cheddar, green chilies, onions, and russian dressing. Heaven between two slices.

Then after a day spent reading and rejuvenating by the Arizona Inn pool, we hit up The Shanty. The patio is still as quaint as ever.

 Why so shy?

 Then we headed back downtown for dinner and more drinks.

It was such a perfect trip. I am still riding a nostalgia high. It was so fun to be back in a place where I couldn't even picture where I would be a day after graduation, let alone 10 years later. Now I live in a city I probably had never heard of, and am married to someone I couldn't have imagined. Life is funny that way. Thanks, Tucson. I love ya! Until next time...

London Guide: Eat & Be Eaten

The most important part of any trip is the FOOD, and my belly was full for 5 days straight.

We stayed at Hotel Belgraves on the border of Chelsea and Belgravia, a posh neighborhood lined with embassies.
We chose to take a walk around the neighborhood and stumble upon something for our first meal. We ended up being stereotypes eating fish & chips in a pub. The Wilton Arms was straight out of a storybook, and the food hit the spot for our first meal. A must-see destination, not quite, but it was cute.

On our first night in England, we went to Winchester to see a band - Mr. Fonty was there for work after all, so we had to squeeze a little work into all the fun. We were both picturing Winchester to be a sleepy British town, but it was actually a really cute, bustling town. After a tepid pint at a pub, we got some Thai food at Bangkok Brasserie. I ordered a yellow curry with chicken and mango, supposedly created especially for Colin Firth. It was as delicious as Mr. Darcy himself. After dinner we headed to the venue, The Railway, a packed dive bar with a wide range of patrons. The beer was actually cold, so we guzzled many a pint while enjoying the bands.

Wednesday while walking around Covent Garden, we popped into Polpo, an adorable Italian restaurant. In addition to a fabulous house red wine, the menu features many small plates, so you can try a lot of different items. 

Mr. Fonty and I both got a meal I will be making at home - The Meatball Mash. It is a flatbread sandwich with meatballs, cheese, and tomato sauce. So incredibly delicious. 

We had a forgettable meal at Mother Mash in Soho. The menu was simple: Choose your mash, Choose your meat pie or sausage and Choose your gravy. The delivery left something lacking. We picked the spot, because we needed something quick before the soccer game. Thank goodness for the Curry Chips at Wembley. 

Curry is more English than fish & chips these days, so on Thursday when I was on my own shopping, I picked Dishoom in Covent Garden.

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The decor is more French bistro than hookah lounge, and the menu is a little watered down. But this suited my American tastes perfectly. I had their famous chai which was lovely. I started with the calamari, and gobbled up an appetizer portion to myself. It was fried perfectly and drizzled with a some sort of sweet sauce. For my entree I had the house specialty Black Daal, and while I am not normally a lentil person, this dish was fabulous. Be sure to get the naan and chutney sauces. Each one was better than the next.   

While I was at Dishoom, Mr. Fonty was in Nottinghill, and ate Thai at the many times recommended, Churchill Arms.  He said he would continue the chain of recommendation. 

Thursday night, we went to the little sister restaurant of Michelin star-rated Pollen Street Social, Little Social. The narrow restaurant is lined with red booth filled with attractive, young Brits. We arrived at 9:30, and the restaurant was packed. 

I ordered the Cod with cockles and cauliflower, and it is one of the best things I have ever eaten. I'm big on forcing people to try a bite of my meal, and I wouldn't share a single morsel of this plate of deliciousness. However, my dinner partners said their meat was a bit tough... but I could barely hear them through my food ecstasy. 

Friday we bummed around Nottinghill, and had lunch at the Portobello Rd. outpost of Pizza East. 

I am pinning images from this restaurant onto my "future dream kitchen" board. It is perfection, just like the food. We ordered a pizza and the mac n cheese. I know pizza is in the name, but this mac n cheese is not to be missed, and this is coming from someone who ate nothing but mac for a good 5 years of my life. 

Pizza East Mac n Cheese

Friday night, Mr. Fonty had an artist playing in Islington, sort of the Brooklyn of London. This area is great if you want a delicious, less expensive meal followed by some bar hopping. I did my Texas, BBQ eating husband right when I picked Smokehouse for dinner.

This restaurant is fairly new, but it was packed, including its vine covered outdoor patio. Smokehouse has an extensive beer list and I was even able to find a red wine to my liking. We started with the Brisket Roll which was basically a ball of brisket, breaded, and deep fried. And, yes, it was delicious. For our entrees, I got the Short Rib Bourguignon, Mr. Fonty got the Smoked Duck with Kimchi, and we split a side of the Korean Pulled Pork - because we didn't have enough meat in front of us. The Korean Pulled Pork was definitely the stand out with Mr. Fonty even declaring it the best thing he's ever eaten. He enjoyed his duck, and I think anyone else would have liked my short rib, but I am not a huge fan of smoke flavor, and this dish was very smokey. The real standout of our meal was our jovial waiter. He made me want to saddle up at the bar and throw back pints at Smokehouse all night long. 

While it feels like we did nothing but eat, there are still so many places that were recommended that we didn't get to. Many of my favorite spots from the trip were on a friend's recommendation. Here's the rest of his extensive list: 

Grain Store: Kings Cross, Modern European
Bistro Bruno Loubet: St. John's Square, French
Caravan: Exmouth Market or Kings Cross, great brunch
Shrimpy's: Kings Cross, Latin American
Pollen Street Social: Mayfair, Michelin star Modern British Luxe
Social Eating House: Soho, Sister restaurant to Pollen Street Social & Little Social, British/modern European
Ottolenghi: Several Locations, Mediterranean
One Leicester Street (British) / Talented Mr Fox (cocktails upstairs)
Mayfields: Hackney, British/Modern European
28-50: Marylebone, Modern European & Wine Bar
Roti Chai: Marylebone, Indian Street Food
Malabar: Nottinghill, Indian
La Bodega Negra: Bloomsbury, Mexican
Pizarro: Bermondsey, Spanish / Jose: Bermondsey, Tapas & Sherry
Salt Yard: Fitzrovia, Tapas
Barrica: Fitzrovia, Tapas
Barrafina: Soho, Tapas
Burger & Lobster: Several Locations, (duh!)
MEATliquor: Marylebone, Much buzzed about burgers
Hawksmoor: Covent Garden, Steakhouse

Guide to London: Sight to Be Seen

I could honestly write endlessly about London. It is, hands down, one of my most favorite trips ever. 

Before we left, I reached out to a lot of people for advice on what to do and where to eat & drink. I thought I would pass along where we went and all the tips I received. Since I have so much to share, I am breaking it up into 2 posts. Today focuses on all the historic sights in London. 

My friend, Hadley, passed along a great walk where you can see many of the sights via foot. Our weather was insanely beautiful - like low 60's and sunny every day, beautiful - so walking was exactly what we were looking for. 

Hadley's Tour De London: 

Begin at the London Eye (Hadley recommended taking a trip if the line wasn't too long. I personally am way too antsy and anti-social to be in a glass bubble with strangers for an hour, so I passed.)

Walk along the Westminster Bridge which crosses the River Thames. From the bridge you can get beautiful shots of Big Ben & Parliment. 

Walk past Parliment - while checking out all the super tinted Rolls Royces heading in and out - towards Westminster Abbey. 

Sadly, the line to Westminster Abbey was really long, so Mr. Fonty wouldn't let me go in. Next trip... 

After visiting Westminster Abbey, continue towards the Horse Guards Parade (Olympic beach volleyball site and where Henry VIII held all his sporting tournaments)

Walk through the Horse Guards Parade, and cross the street to St. James Park. St. James Park is beautiful. All the daffodils were blooming during our visit.

 The maps are easy to follow and the trails will lead you to Buckingham Palace. During the winter, the changing of the guard happens every other day, so be sure to check the days before your visit.

 

We actually did Hadley's tour in reverse (beginning at Buckingham Palace and making our way to the London Eye). From the Big Ben side of Westminster Bridge, we continued our journey towards Trafalger Square and Covent Gardens. 
Trafalger Square is home to The National Gallery. Covent Gardens was one of my favorite neighborhoods.The area feels quaint with its cute square and tiny one way streets, but don't let the quiet streets fool you. They are brimming with shops, both small, local boutiques and large, luxury brand stores. My favorite stop was Cambridge Satchel Company where I picked up a custom embossed little number.  

 The next day Mr. Fonty had some business in Nottinghill. Portobello Road is just as adorable as Hugh Grant would lead us to believe. Some parts of the market are run of the mill street fair selling cheap clothes and incense, but the blocks with the fresh produce and breads are worth a visit. The shops gear more towards antiques and cheesy tourist memorabilia. 

From Nottinghill, we wandered our way through town, and found an entrance to Kensington Gardens which borders Hyde Park. There are maps throughout the city which make navigating pretty easy - even for someone as directionally challenged as me. From Kensington Gardens, I abandoned Mr. Fonty and toured Kensington Palace. I thought Kensington Palace was great. I had a waiting husband outside and was given only 25 minutes to tour, so I had quite the abridged version. I noticed some people who seemed to have tour guides. If I could do it again, I'd either get a guide or a tour book. There isn't much British history explanation in the exhibits. 

 The rooms are so beautiful. I think the King's State Apartments was my favorite area. 

In addition to hundreds of years old palaces, London has tons of shopping. I had a lot of fun exploring Liberty and all the shops on Carnaby St. 

Regent St. and Sloane St. are mainly filled with deisgner shops. The windows are beautiful, but the price tags are a little out of my reach. These streets are also big and busy. If you enjoy shopping on 5th Ave or the Magnificent Mile, you'll like these areas. I've always preferred smaller shops, so for me, this ended up being pretty skippable - with the exception of H&M's big sister & Other Stories on Regent St.  
Mr. Fonty's one requirement was to see a soccer game. He is a huge fan, and spends most lunch hours watching dvr'd games at home. We lucked out with an England vs. Denmark friendly at Wembley Stadium. We've seen games in Croatia, Turkey, and now England. 

The game was a ton of fun if you get a chance to see one. They also have the most delcious stadium snack - "Curry Chips" French Fries with a drizzle of curry sauce. What I wouldn't give for an order right about now. 

 

Since our trip was so short, there was a lot we didn't get to see. Here are some of the recommendations we missed:
The Tate Modern (optional activity: cross Millennium Bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral where you can climb to the top of the dome)
The Tower Bridge and the Crown Jewels
Churchill Museum
Kew Botanical Garderns

Columbia Road Flower Market & Shops
Camden Stables Market
Brick Lane Market
Old Spitalfields Market
Borough Market

Is there anything you would add?