Here in NYC the “it” shoe of the fall seems to be the Dieppa Restrepo patent leather lace-up “moccasin.” We’ve seen it at Jumelle (where Jan took this shot), Maryam Nassir Zadeh, and beyond. I guess I should say that it is not just the “it” shoe here, but all over the country as I recently tried a pair on at Stand Up Comedy in Portland. Alas, my foot didn’t get along with these loverly shoes. Here’s our question at eat.shop: why are they moccasins? We’re thinking they are more of an oxford… Whatever they’re called, we like.
ramblings : the eatshop authors talk about what‘s striking their fancy, scratching their itch, ringing their bell. you get the idea.
luxe plants
This amazing terrarium has so little to do with my actual life which might be exactly why I am so attracted to it. I mean, I can barely keep a tomato plant alive. Still these awesome minimalist terrariums make me long for an environment in which to display and admire such artistic creations. Until that day, I will continue love my dusty fig tree. Designed by Lindsey Taylor in collaboration with Atlas Industries www.atlaseast.com
Colorful Brooklyn from Jan Dane on Vimeo.
weeee’re heeeeeree
Look out! We’re right behind you. Wait, now we’re over here. We’re everywhere. The eat.shoppers have arrived in NYC to do our thing for the 2nd edition of eat.shop nyc. All residing together in our Real Worldesque Bed-Stuy townhouse. Eat. Shop. Shoot. Repeat.
i heart year round valentines
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but I am unconvinced we need the holiday to send sweet things in the mail to those we love.
Here’s one of my recent concoctions. For those who prefer shopping to crafting, a few of my favorite online resources for sublime, hand-crafted or artist-designed cards are Art School Girl, Binth and OrangeBeautiful and they are all based in my city, Chicago!
kevin bacon’s empty and desolate world
Here’s how it works in the eat.shop universe. We make Kevin Bacon’s world look desolate and empty.
Tyler Doran owns Heir Antiques, the single greatest thing to happen to Providence since, oh let’s go bold, and say, the Talking Heads. Tyler worked at the brilliant gallery/store Obsolete in Los Angeles where he met a woman launching a fledgling guidebook series on local eating and shopping. We’ll call her Kaie, and her series, eat.shop.
Kaie and the eat.shop guides hail from Portland, Oregon. So does Carson Ellis, who lives there with her husband, Colin Meloy, the lead singer of The Decemberists. She illustrates their album covers and sometimes does commercial work. Like when she did the identity for Tyler’s shop, here in Providence.
And Providence is about 40 minutes from Newport where the 50th anniversary of the legendary Folk Festival took place (remember when Bob Dylan went electric?). And guess who was at the Folk Festival: The Decemberists. Oh, and me.
I knew it would get around to me eventually.
nong’s khao man gai
Even though I dislike this song, it is hard to not hum “It’s a Small World After All” while walking around downtown Portland during lunchtime. For a town often described as Honkeyville USA, the cart scene is undeniably diverse and multicultural. Add to the mix the economic downturn, where it is less risky to open a food cart than an actual restaurant, it makes for a burgeoning cart world offering some of the best eats going. One of the finest is the fairly new Nong’s Khao Man Ghai at SW 10th and Alder.
Nong serves one dish only, Khao Man Gai, not because she is lazy, rather because it kicks some serious butt. This Thai street food specialty is simple: a perfectly steamed chicken breast, tender and juicy, on a bed of scented rice served with a small cup of delicate broth and winter squash soup. Wrapped in white butcher paper with a side of soy, ginger and garlic sauce, your lunch arrives literally looking like a birthday present. And what a gift! The flavors are subtle yet punchy—the combination is perfectly balanced. If this is the food they eat in Thailand everyday, thank goodness it is a small world.
we heart oh joy
Jan and I were comparing notes the other day about favorite blogs and Oh Joy! is high up on both our lists. And knowing how much Anna lusts after any type of paper goods, I suspect she’s a big fan also. Here’s some of Joy’s new designs for Chronicle Oh Joy!: oh joy for chronicle….
cool things jon has seen
El coma, departmento guias? Nope. These are a series of fictional books sold in Mexico with a strong sense of style. Remind you of anything?
abaya style
A recent trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi was a lesson in style, as per this lovely Arabian woman whose bag complements her abaya so perfectly, it made me want to go out and purchase the whole ensemble. I didn’t… but it does make one realize that a good sense of fashion can come in all variety of dress and style
moroccan tomato soup
I’m not a natural chef, but I am a spaz, and to undiscerning eyes, the two can look awfully similar. For instance, I simply cannot be bothered to measure. I pull things out of the fridge—random things—and I cut them to my whim and I throw them in, or mix them together, or hurl some cheese on top and it looks an awful lot like confidence. Maybe it is at some level, I’ve eaten in scores of great restaurants (thanks, eat.shop) and maybe I’ve picked up a thing or two. But basically, it comes down to this. If your ingredient list includes some of the following: copious butter, garlic, cheese, and salt, the tasty will follow.
Yet recently, I was moved by a recipe to try it. It was a rainy Sunday, perfect for cooking, so I tackled a New York Times mag recipe, Moroccan Tomato Soup (http://tiny.cc/NZC7d). I was equipped with fresh garlic and tomatoes from my local farmer’s market and was ready to go.
It was good, very good. Needed more butter.