{Vacation ReCap} New York, New York!

So this - and a lot of upcoming posts - are about a year overdue...between not having a working home computer and the baby (plus work which revved up just before my leave), I never got the chance to post about our New York trip from January 2015!   It was a really special and memorable vacation for us, because it is where we found out we were expecting Finley!   Besides that, we hit up some great places and I wanted to note them here so that we can find them easily in the future.   I also have friends who are going soon and figured this might help them as well.

I flew to NY for a client trip and decided to turn it into a fun weekend get-a-way with Tom.  The Tuesday prior to leaving, I took a pregnancy test which came back negative.  As anyone who has ever actively tried for a baby knows, the two-week wait can be killer and once I got the results, I resigned myself to the fact that we were gonna have to wait an additional month for good news.  I decided not to take any tests with me on the trip, because those things are spendy and I was obsessively going through them.  I'm putting that disclaimer here for a reason :)

Once Tom got there, we had an awesome night on the town.  Early the next morning, I saw he had packed the pregnancy tests so I took one - it was a sickness, if I saw a pregnancy test, I HAD to take it! - and what do you know?!  It was positive!  It was incredibly happy news and definitely changed some of our plans.

Prior to going, I reached out to Gluten Free Blondie who always seems to post the yummiest food on instagram. I reached out to her for recommendations and she did not disappoint!

Here's the rundown of our trip!

Where we stayed:  SoHo/Tribeca  While the hotel wasn't anything super special (definitely small as it's NYC) it was clean and in a great location. (and free as I used SPG points!). I tend to not worry so much about staying in super unique hotels when in a big city because I know that most of the time I'll be out and about.  For this trip,  I wanted to stay away from the super touristy areas because I have done a lot of the "touristy" NYC things on a previous trip and Tom said he really just wanted to explore the neighborhoods and hang out more than anything else.  Seeing Times Square is fun and a must do for anyone's first trip, but we knew that if we went there, we wouldn't be staying long - therefore it made more sense for us to keep our base somewhere else.  Being able to easily walk through SoHo - a neighborhood where I'd love to live! - and having Chinatown right there was exactly what we wanted.    For what it's worth, my cousin used to live in NYC and she has recommended that no one go past Midtown when visiting or risk being on tourist overload.  Just FYI for anyone else planning a trip.

What we did:  We pretty much just explored and ate and had no real itinerary.  The weather was not the best so our plans to go to the "Top of the Rock" fell through (we got to the line and were turned away). We did make time to run through Times Square because Tom had never seen it, but once we took a gander, we were ready to get out of there - definitely sensory overload but fun nonetheless.  We had less than 48 hours total so just played it by ear.   We knew we couldn't get to everything: shows, Central Park, Statue of Liberty etc, so just made this a relax, eat and explore trip. I  had planned to see the World Trade Center Memorial, but it's not the easiest to get to and it was also a bit somber for what we were looking for during our short time there.  I have heard great things though and will be sure to see it when we come back!   We were able to hit the Natural History Museum with my godson which was a bonus. I am pretty sure NY moms use the lower level as a place to let their kids have free reign to run around in a safe environment. Can't say I blame them!

Where we ate and drank:

Angel's Share: I wish I remember where I first heard of this Japenese Speakeasy, but it was such a blast and I highly recommend it.  Hidden in the back of a Japanese restaurant in the East Village, it is cozy and inviting bar with super creative cocktails.  I recommend being an early bird to avoid a wait - it got very packed shortly after we arrived.  The drinks were outstanding and everyone was super friendly. We made fast friends with the people around us.  I had quite a few whiskey cocktails and was feeling no pain at the end of the night!   I had never really tried Japanese Whiskeys and while I will always be a bourbon girl, I loved the experience.

Babbo:  My cousin once took me to this Greenwich Village Mario Batoli restaurant years ago and said it was her favorite at the time and it still is to this day.  As she lived in NYC for years, I take the recommendation seriously :)  I wanted to try somewhere new for our "fancy" dinner but couldn't get this place out of my mind.  Luckily Tom was game and loved it as much as I did!   If you go to NYC for a show and want a nice place to eat beforehand, I recommend this restaurant hands down. It's Italian food in the vein of Anti-Prima for any Chicago Locals (meaning if you are expecting never-ending bowls of pasta, look elsewhere).  I also appreciated that while it is a "nice" restaurant you can get away with wearing jeans and a good shirt.   I recommend reservations, although if you are early birds you might get lucky!

Balthazar: Another place my cousin took me years ago and I just had to go back.  It's a French restaurant with delish oysters and seafood and another great contender for a nicer dinner out.  We didn't get reservations in time to have dinner,  but made sure to pop in for some cocktails at the bar. At the very least do that so you can experience the unique atmosphere or try grabbing a quick breakfast from their cafe next store.

Keste Pizza:  omg Keste - can you please come to Chicago already?!  This was one of Gluten Free Blondie's recommendations for hands-down the best gluten free pizza in NY.  It's located in the West Village and rivaled the amazing GF pizzas I experienced in Italy.  The only negative is that I have not yet found a comparable GF pizza place in Chicago.  This pizza was so good, I seriously considered cashing in Southwest points during my pregnancy just to have dinner there again.  Tom raved about his non-GF pizza as well and we will be back!

Egg Shop: Another of Gluten Free Blondie's suggestions that I highly recommend.  She noted at the time that it was just getting trendy and we immediately saw what she meant when the line ended up out the door.   I was surprised that Tom was up for trying it as he is not an Egg fan but he loved it. Inexpensive, quaint, healthy-ish, and delish  - it was just what we wanted for breakfast before wandering around the city.  As it is small, I only recommend this if you can get there before 10:30 a.m. - otherwise expect a decent wait.

Chelsea Market  & The High Line:  A really nice way to spend an afternoon or morning is walking through the Meat Packing District to the converted train tracks turned park known as The High Line (only picture I took was at the High Line which is included in this post), followed by exploring Chelsea Market (if you can, plan to  grab brunch or lunch there  - I am told Friedman's is a great option).  If you are not pregnant, I recommend ending the excursion with drinks at the Tippler a subterranean bar located under the Chelsea Market.  Have one for me as I missed out while there!

If you have a sweet tooth, try Tu-Lu's Bakery!   Located in the East Village, they have a delish assortment of gluten free treats.  They are also open late which came in handy after the Japanese Whiskey we took down. I pretty much bought them out and loved everything I tried.  I even made a last minute run to stock up on the way to the airport.  This is another Gluten Free Blondie recommendation I took to heart.  Try the cinnamon sugar donut....yummm

Bareburger (multiple locations):  This is a great easy burger place with a ton of meat options (think bison and elk in addition to turkey and beef) in addition to being gluten free friendly.  It was a perfect place to go with my godson after hitting up a museum with my cousin during our last day in the City.

If you are into coffee, note that Oregon's Stumpton Roasters has taken over the city and the iced coffee (Nitro) is amazing.  I was also a huge fan of Blue Bottle coffee (I believe they are Seattle-based or maybe San Francisco based).

We hit up a few different great bars while there but unfortunately I don't have them bookmarked - we pretty much just wandered around and if it felt like cocktail time stopped somewhere that looked like fun.

Other Suggestions: We didn't make it to the following places, but I have heard good things about these cocktail/bars and restaurants.  I have even more saved under my yelp bookmarks so feel free to check them out and add to your list if you have one.  I recommend adding places you are interested in trying to your bookmarks so that when you are out exploring and hunger or thirst strikes, you can easily see if any of your bookmarked places are in the area.  It has worked like a charm on our trips.

Raines Law Room:  Hidden speakeasy type bar. Reviewers recommend eating somewhere in Chelsea if you don't have a reservation so you can put your name down before coming back.

Flatiron Lounge:  Seems like a fun place to get a drink - sexy, art deco decor.

Milk & Honey:  Speakeasy that is on my list to try.

Otto:  Another Mario Botali restaurant that is a bit cheaper and south of Union Sq.  They offer Gluten Free pasta for those that need it.

Meatball Shop (lots of locations):  Has a decent drink menu and is a fun inexpensive option for dinner.  Some of the meatballs are gluten free.

Lilli and Loo:  Asian restaurant with Gluten Free options including dumplings which I never see...

Pala: Gluten Free Blondie says it's her second favorite pizza place, but it wins over Keste for nicer atmosphere. They even offer gluten free calamari.

Friedman's: Mentioned in the Chelsea Market section above, it has locations all over the city and is supposedly excellent.

Hope this helps! If anyone has other great recommendation, please share!

xoxo,
Meg

{Vacation ReCap} Italy: Last day & half in Positano

For the last leg of our Amalfi Coast Adventure, we were excited to....not do much of anything :)

While we definitely planned the trip of our dreams, we knew going into this that we were going to be worn out before the end of it all.  That's actually why we placed Positano at the end of our journey - we wanted to end up in a place where we could sleep in and go slow and what better place to do that than on the beach?

We started the day with breakfast on our balcony (that never got old). I loved the fresh squeezed OJ & Carrot juice combo - I drank one every day.


Requisite balcony shot - what a beautiful day!


Then a bit later we slowly made our way down to the beach - stopping for lunch first at the hotel's beachside restaurant, La Pergola.  


I got the GF pasta with clams and fish, Tom got Pizza - everything was great!








We also ordered a bottle of Rose to enjoy






There was a bit of a mix up and they accidentally sent two rounds of limincello at the end of our meal - we went with it :)


Sufficiently full, we went to the beach to lay out and relax - and of course hop into the Mediterranean. Their beaches are a bit different from the ones I grew up on - it's covered in really smooth stones. Surprisingly, they didn't hurt!  I grabbed a handful to bring back as a keepsake.

We thoroughly enjoyed our beachtime, but got antsy after an hour or two (we can only sit still for so long I guess).  As Positano has so many great little shops to explore, we decided it was time to do some souvenir shopping.  I've said this before, but I'll say it again: I totally wished I saved more of my vacation funds for shopping here - there were just so many great handmade items.  I still think of those beautiful linen shirts, pants, and scarves...sigh.  Next time :)

Tom treated himself so butter soft leather loafers that were handmade by the shop.  Now that the weather is nicer in Chicago, he's finally been able to break them out and loves them.  I got two great pairs of sandals, both handmade there as well.

One pair was especially fun to buy because when I tried to pay for them, they put them back on the shelf and custom made the exact ones I wanted on the spot.  Amazing!



The final product (plus the only legit pic of the beautiful tile in our hotel room)


We also got pieces of pottery and little bottles of limincello to bring back for family and friends.  It was a lot of fun browsing and feeling like we were picking out items for those we loved that were unique to the area.  In fact, I had a hard time not buying everything I saw - I'm not usually one for souvenirs (truly, the only things I usually bring back are pictures!) but there was so much to love there!

After enjoying some afternoon gelato we decided that we would try our friend Erin's suggestion, DaVincenzo for dinner and were not disappointed.  We loved eating Al Fresco style and the fresh seafood was delish!   We agreed it was a perfect last meal in Paradise.  Sorry for the lack of Tom pics, he really doesn't like them, lol


Not wanting the evening to end, we grabbed a nice bottle of champagne to sip on our balcony along with a little limincello.  We definitely did not want the trip to end and spent a good portion of the evening talking about all of the things were were glad to have seen and done while there and hopeful plans to make it back someday.





Ha, we might have had too much fun...I'm not sure how my skirt ended up becoming my dress for the evening, but let's just chalk it up to the magic of Positano ;)
 

Our next morning in Postianto was very much the same...

Balcony breakfast:


And (after packing and checkout by noon), lunch on the beach - this time at Chez Black

Poor Tom.  I'm not sure what happened, but at this point he felt "off" and sorta dizzy.  Not sure if it was the boat trip catching up with him or what.  He stuck to a basic pasta dish to play it safe. I, on the other hand, ordered a HUGE plate of delish seafood...




We then headed up the hill to meet our driver, Tony who was waiting for us (we definitely got porters to carry our bags on the way up!).  Our final destination would be Naples, but we were excited to see Pompeii on the way!

Ciao!
Meg

{Vacation ReCap} Amalfi Coast: Boatrip in Capri & Magical Evening in Positano

As much as we were in love with Positano, we were really excited about our day trip to Capri. We decided early on in the planning stages that there could be no better way to experience the island than renting our own private boat to get around!  So after a quick breakfast, we headed down to make the ferry which would get us to the island.

Lucky for us, the ferry departs super close to our hotel, so it was only a five minute walk.  We were getting a bit nervous because there were clearly clouds rolling in, but were assured it was only a quick 20-30 minute ride to the island and figured they would pass by time we arrived.







Clouds rolling in...


Ferry port


We boarded the ferry and all was well...at first. We sat at the top to get air and avoid sea-sickness but mother nature had other plans...


Very shortly into our ride, the rain started and everyone at the top fled to the inside lower deck. There were way too many people crowded into that hot and stuffy space.  I could see Tom getting more and more green so told him that there was an open air deck in the back that was covered.  We might get a bit wet, but it was better than being crammed like sardines inside the cabin!

Everyone around us on that deck was getting anxious...lots of "now our day is ruined!" but being from Florida, we are used to constant storms that pass quickly and which are usually followed by sunshine to boot. We weren't really that concerned other than being worried that they would have to cancel our 10 am boat tour and there'd be no other openings for the day.

The storm slowed us down - the 20 minute ferry ended up taking about an hour! Oops.

At long last, we met up with Gianni of Gianni's Boats who was beyond welcoming and put our minds at ease.  He said they would just push our ride out to noon instead of 10 to give all of the clouds a chance to pass. In the meantime, he suggested taking the gondola to the top of the island and looking around.  We were more than happy to take him up on that!

After waiting in line for what seemed like forever, we made it to the top and the views were gorgeous!






Everything was so beautiful.  In a way - and this is a stretch I realize - it reminded me a bit of the magnificent mile in Chicago - nothing but Gucci, Prada, etc interspersed with restaurants and gelato shops (ok, so that last part is NOT like Chicago)!   Unlike Positano, where most of the shops featured handmade items (beautiful linen, leather shoes and goods, pottery, etc), this seemed to  made of up exclusively of high-end chains.   If expensive shopping is your heaven,then Capri is for you!   Our guide would later tell us that Capri has about a 25% upcharge so you are certainly paying for that luxury.

At one point in our planning stage, we had considered Capri, and having been to both now (admittedly I was only on the actual island for a small period of time), I can say that while I wholeheartedly recommend both, I prefer and recommend Positano.  I just enjoy being in a place where I am surrounded by things I don't get at home.  Living in a big city, I have access to high end stores, however, I come on vacation to get away and relax and Positano just struck me as being a bit more conducive to that. However, if someone offered me an all expenses paid trip to Capri, I'd certainly take them up on it!  And with all that said, I do hope to come back even if it's just a day trip.  It was stunning.

At noon we met up with Ferrera who worked the Summers with Gianni and the other months in Florence as a designer.   As cheesy as it sounds, I nearly died with surprise when she complimented me saying how much she liked my style! Swoon!

She introduced us to our captain for the day, Pauolo.  He was college age attending school in Naples and worked in Capri.  We were really impressed with his skill and despite the language barrier, managed to communicate very effectively back and forth.  He mentioned there might be "many roughs" at some point but we didn't quite get what he meant...we would soon find out!

Onboard, we found fruit and homemade limoncello (made by Gianni's family) waiting for us, but unfortunately for us, we did not eat any real food before starting the tour  Anyone who is prone to seasickness knows that an empty stomach is certain to set you up for "many roughs!". Rookie mistake!  

We did well overall and and absolutely loved the boat.  There was a quick two minute storm early on, but then the skies opened up and it was gorgeous for the remainder of the day.  He took us all over including a little inlet that was a perfect spot to enjoy a private swim and got us close to the famous caves Capri is known for (we could not go in, due to the recent storm - too many waves).  

Heart Cave:

We laid out on the boat, drank, ate and just enjoyed the ride...for the most part.  When we started to make it to the other side of the island, we quickly understood what Pauolo meant by "many roughs". It was extremely choppy!  I was overall fine - I could tell I just needed a little food, but Tom was definitely green around the gills. He decided it was the perfect time to take a nap under the sun and that saved him!  

At one point we got to an area where we could grab a bite to eat, and asked Pauolo to stop there so we could fill up a bit.  The restaurant was gorgeous and had amazing views:

\

Tom didn't have much of an appetite but I convinced him to at least eat some of the blander foods: bread with oil, a few of my fries (I enjoyed the grilled octopus) and he was able to stomach a few bites of their almond cake.  It definitely helped him, but I felt so bad about forgetting my prescription strength anti-nausea pills at the hotel.  He definitely could have used it!  I won't make that mistake again.

Around 4:30 we hit the ferry to Positano.  We were happy to get back, but the boat trip in Capri remains a highlight of the trip. Even though it didn't go perfectly, we would definitely do it again and still think it's the best way to get around.

After cleaning up, we enjoyed a bottle of our Tuscan wine on the balcony and then set out in search of the restaurant Tony recommended.

Mediterrano was everything you could want - warm, family run, with delicious food, fun servers, and live music.  They started us off with prosecco to welcome us, and had singers with guitars serenading everyone.  At one point, a patron with an amazing voice jumped up to sing "Fever" with them, but hands down the star of the night was Ulysses - a Fabio look alike.  He was flirting shamelessly with some single older ladies at a nearby table and they were eating it up.  He kept coming over and sitting with Tom and I making funny conversation.  I'm pretty sure Ulysses did not go home alone that night...

The food was some of the best we've had with extremely fresh seafood including some of the most delish clams I've ever eaten.  We also shared red wine and then had panna cotta and lemon ice for dessert. The limincello they offered at the end was a perfect finish.

We kept saying how it reminded us a bit of Greek Islands in Chicago, which always charms tourists and locals alike, but the live music and interaction here made this hands down one of our favorite dining experiences ever.  They ran their restaurant the way all restaurants should be run, by making us feel right at home.  It was cheesy in some regards but in the best possible way.  What a fun place!  We later thanked Tony for the recommendation and would go back in a heartbeat.

But, man let's talk about those Italian boys.  We loved our server (the owner's son I believe) who went out of his way to make us happy (when I had trouble deciding between chocolate or caramel on my dessert, he gave me both!) and  he definitely charmed a pair of college ladies a few tables away. After we paid, we saw him drive off with one of them on his vespa, ha!  Not sure what happened with the other one...she continued to sit by herself for quite a while.  That's an understanding friend!

Tom & Ulysses - BFF

We began our walk back down to our hotel sufficiently full and happy!

When we were almost there, I looked to my right and saw a beautiful  archway which had a stunning view of the cliffs and a gorgeous yard.  (This pic is a different day - I wanted to remember the location).


What made it remarkable is that you just don't see yards in Positano because everything is on a cliff.  This seemed like a secret garden and I couldn't resist checking it out.  I called Tom over and we popped our head in.  A gentleman came up to us and kindly invited us to walk around (this being Italy, I thought for a moment that he was about to charge us, ha).  We learned that he's an Australian businessman who was vacationing with his family.  He proceeded to show us the "goals" his kids use to play soccer using the trees on either end of the yard.  The wife came out and she was also super nice.  To their credit, they didn't seem fazed to have two random strangers looking around and were extremely welcoming.

He pointed out a fig tree and mentioned that it had been there 14 years earlier when he first visited this place and how he happy is to be able to share this with his family now -  the figs are still delicious!  It was such a nice story and I couldn't help but hope we too we will lucky enough to come back to Positano and share this amazing place with our family one day :)

After saying goodnight (they were on their way out! Wild animals), we headed back to our rooms where we crashed while listening to the waves.

I'll be back to wrap up our last day and a half in Positano!

Ciao!
Meg