A Crazy Great Meal in NYC : Momofuku Ssam

Momofuky Ssam

Today, I am in a New York state of mind – Our son is leaving for NY on Thursday, my friend Leisa is joining her mom, sister and niece for a girls trip on the 4th, my friend Meg is leaving Friday and Craig and I are leaving on Dec 11th. New York is so fabulous this time of year that many special trips are planned for the Big Apple in December! While in New York City a trip to Momofuku Ssam will impress and delight you.


Oh Momofuku!

Even if you don’t know what it means, Momofuku is delicious in any language. The Momofuku restaurant group was created by David Chang in 2004 with its first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar. As a multiple James Beard award winner, Chef Chang and his team have gained world-wide recognition for their innovative take on cuisine, while supporting local, sustainable and responsible farmers and food purveyors.

Most foodies will tell you they have heard of Momofuku, although they may not “have had a chance to go”. But it will be on their list and Momofuku Ssam should be on yours too! Actually ALL of his restaurants should be on your list!

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My Top 13 Favorite Things to do in New Orleans

things to do in New Orleans
Eating a fabulous lunch at Butcher near the WWII Museum

 

For those of you who are familiar with New Orleans please understand that this is our first time and we have a lot to learn about this very unique city.  We tried our best to dabble here and there to get a flavor for what the city can offer. 

Go easy on me about the Big Easy! Like any big city you can have a different experience every time you go. I feel like we made a substantial first pass at New Orleans and absolutely need to go back, maybe in the spring time. 

 I really want to encourage all of you to go and see it for yourself! It is truly one of the most remarkable places in the U.S. that I have ever visited and shame on me for not going sooner!


Visit New Orleans to Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

things to do in New Orleans

A visit to New Orleans has been on our destination “to do” list for quite a while and we had actually planned a trip for this time last year, but had to change our plans.

We wanted to go on this vacation with our longtime college friends, Jon and Angela because not one of us had ever been!

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Where to go this Fall ~ 7 Great Destinations to Enjoy!

where to go this fall

Where to go this fall to enjoy the best of what this colorful season has to offer ~

Summer has ended and we are headed to Fall, my very favorite season! Funny thing is that I live in Southern California where the temps are hovering around 90 degrees! How can I think about cool, sweater weather, drinking hot cocoa, eating warm apple pie and enjoying walks through the autumn leaves?

I can find these desirable images in my imagination, or I can plan a fall getaway! Where can we go? Many of my friends who live on the East Coast will chuckle when I write about how I long for the cooler weather, because I don’t really experience any type of super cold weather in Pasadena. I think I wear a coat maybe once or twice all season at home.

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Happiness in the Empty Nest (The nest is full this weekend!)

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Happiness in the Empty Nest

Just for Labor Day weekend, our nest will be full! Oh happy day, our kids are coming home for the weekend and I am over the moon. How lucky are we that our busy, adult children want to come home to visit, hang out and attend an event with us.

Partly because there was a free airline ticket, partly because there will be free delicious food and free handcrafted cocktails and partly because they really do love us and want to come home!

Can I get a woo hoo? So often Craig and I attend a really fun event which usually involves very special food and drink and we say to each other, “I really wish Alex and Nick were here to experience this with us.”

The Taste

We said this a couple of times when we attended The Taste, a culinary extravaganza on the backlot (which is super cool) at Paramount Studios. Craig and I have attended this Los Angeles Times event twice in the past four years and missed last year.

We thoroughly loved the experience so much and the kids were able to arrange their schedules to come down to LA and join us this year. Yay!

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The Spectacular Presidential Suite ~Hyatt Regency Maui

Presidential Suite at the Hyatt Regency Maui
The colorful living room with lots of comfortable seating!

 

We seem to be on a roll for upgrades… Thank you to Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa for the extra special attention during our anniversary vacation in Maui. The enchanting island of Maui is our personal favorite of the Hawaiian Islands and staying at a luxury resort is part of the overall experience, however, staying in the Presidential Suite for the night is taking luxury to a new stratosphere!

Golden sunset
A golden sunset from our balcony.

 

Hyatt Regency Swimming Pools
Our view of the spectacular swimming pools.

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A Postcard Perfect Vacation in Kennebunkport Maine

Where do I begin when there are so many wonderful things to share from my enchanting vacation in Kennebunkport, Maine. The quintessential, early American coastal town with a beautiful chambray blue sky, dotted with cottony clouds, where fresh lobster was on every menu. The Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel Chamber of Commerce hosted my delightful trip to this charming …

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Adventure Update: A trip to Seattle and Kennebunkport, Maine!

We are off on another trip to Seattle for our daughter’s 27th birthday. I just wanted to check in to say hi! If you are reading this, you obviously care about our Empty Nester adventures! Thank you so much for reading and for caring about what is happening with us. The Empty Nest Downsize (“rightsize”) project …

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San Francisco: A wine dinner with Jordan Vineyard & Winery at Campton Place

A wine dinner in San Francisco? Yes please! Lately I have been having a blast interacting with great people on Instagram. I adore photography and truly enjoy seeing what Instagrammers (photographers) are capturing. I had a wonderfully engaging conversation via Instagram with the Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco all about our spectacular trip to the …

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