NYE 2023 Nails

Dashing Diva: Galaxy Unknown

Ralph's Coffee

While I know this tends to be a top tourist destination in NYC, Ralph's Coffee was a must-try for me this holiday season and it did not disappoint! Ralph Lauren's first-ever coffee shop opened in 2014 in New York City, overlooking Fifth Avenue in a historical building on the corner of 55th Street. Today they have locations all over the world including cafes, coffee trucks, kiosks and trikes. 

We treated ourselves to some pre-holiday shopping in Flatiron and ended our afternoon with a nice hot cup of Ralph's Roast which was bold yet perfectly balanced with flavours of deep chocolate tones and moderate acidity. This roast was created entirely from organic coffees from South and Central American coffee farms that emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water. 

I loved the charming and vintage feel inside the Flatiron location but it was pretty small and we barely managed to get a seat outside. Despite the long line outside, this was totally worth it for me! I hope to visit another iconic location in the future and might treat myself to a little souvenir from their shop next time too! 

Carrot-Ginger-Almond Bisque

I have found my new favourite (not to mention easy and healthy) soup for this season thanks to Stephanie Pedersen's book American Cozy.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp of butter
• 3 cups of chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped celery
• 2 tsp of minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 4 cups of chicken or veggie broth
• 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 rsp of salt
• 1/4 cup of almond butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce
• Optional: black pepper, squeeze of lemon juice
• For Garnish: chopped almonds, thyme, parsley, cinnamon

Recipe:

1. Warm the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, celery, fresh ginger, and garlic. Saute until the vegetables are just softened and the onions begin to get translucent.
2. Add the broth and simmer, about 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender. 
3. Cool to room temperature.
4. In a blender, puree the soup with the pumpkin pie spice, salt, almond butter, soy sauce, black pepper, and lemon juice, if using. Continue blending until the soup is silky smooth.
5. Garnish the finished soup with chopped almonds and/or chopped parsley/thyme etc and a dusting of cinnamon if desired.

Hope you have a hygge filled winter! 

Gumption Coffee

I stumbled upon Gumption Coffee in midtown while doing some Christmas errands this weekend and had an incredible chocolate hazelnut latte! Gumption was started by two women who started importing specialty coffee beans to Australia. They started in their kitchen and ultimately expanded to their own roastery - Coffee Alchemy.  

Gumption first opened a cafe in Australia, expanded to Singapore, then opened a roastery in Brooklyn in 2018, and has now grown with 3 locations in New York (Flatiron, Midtown and Brooklyn). 

Check out their website here to order coffee blends, accessories or to sign up for their coffee subscription! 

Fun Fall Nails

The Inspiration Photo (found on Pinterest):

The Chai Spot

I had my first pink Kashmiri chai (Butter chai) from The Chai Spot on Mott Street and it was absolutely incredible. This tea house has the most beautiful story, founded by a Pakistani / Italian-American couple in 2013 with a goal to focus on peace-building between the East and the West. The Chai Spot is a social enterprise that not only serves authentic chai and local snacks but also works with women in a dozen different villages in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan to bring beautiful goods to us in Sedona and NYC. Read more about the amazing impact here.

As soon as I entered The Chai Spot, I felt transported to Pakistan with the beautiful colours, textures and the aromas of cardamom and cinnamon. The menu has a few coffee options but is primary chai based with all chais made from scratch with fresh spices and traditional recipes. They serve both hot and iced chais along with traditional Pakistani snacks that took me back to my childhood! I grabbed my Kashmiri chai, topped with pistachios, kicked off my shoes, and enjoyed the communal vibes in the lounge area that was covered in beautiful rugs.

I really love the story here and hope to come back soon! 

Neutral Nails: Essie's Marshmallow

Summer Flower Manicure

Cafe Usagi

Nestled in Dumbo, Usagi is a modern Japanese cafe, bookstore, art gallery and project space! "Usagi" is the Japanese word for rabbit, a friendly animal that in many cultures is associated with renewal and spring. 

I finally had a chance to drop in and absolutely fell in love with the aesthetic here! It's beautiful and functional with tons of seating. The space has pops of understated colours everywhere making it so welcoming and inspiring.

I sipped my chai latte at a large comfy table in a sunny spot, and caught up on some personal projects. If I had stayed longer, I would've definitely ordered something off the lunch menu which included udon, soba, sushi, beef bowls, poke and more! 

The architecture is so unique here, with 15 removable track-mounted panels that allows for reconfiguration into an event space. You can also contact them on their website to rent this out for your next event! I absolutely plan to come back here and try their lunch next time I'm working from home! 

Turks and Caicos

I had the most amazing time in the Turks and Caicos celebrating my friend's bachelorette! We stayed in a beautiful rental home just a 5 min drive away from Grace Beach! Some highlights included exploring the Fish Fry market, snorkeling, visiting Iguana Island, taking a private yoga class at The Palms Spa, dinner at Grace's Cottage and also Infinity Bar and of course, lounging on the beach and the house pool with my friends! I hope to come back here again soon!