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- Michelle Harper at Theyskens’ Theory
- Tweed Coat and Spectator Shoes, Outside Lanvin
- Winter Layers, Outside Donna Karan
- Mary Alice Stephenson
- Shala Monroque at Valentino
- Angelo Flaccavento in a Red Bow Tie, Outside Costume National
- Vanessa Friedman in a Red Cape, Outside Valentino
- Karmen Pedaru in a Fur, Exiting Louis Vuitton
- Kasia Struss in a Tweed Coat
- Brown Suit and Orange Tie, Madison Avenue
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bellastraniera
a.k.a. Marcy Swingle - obsessed with food and fashion.View my photography website.
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Tag Archives: Brooklyn
Street Chic: Sonic Youth Concert
There’s long been a crossover between the fashion world and Sonic Youth, the post-punk band that put on a surprise performance at a recent Marc Jacobs show. Though “rocker” is considered a category of dress now, this genre-bending band can’t be pigeonholed into a singular style, musical or otherwise. Along with dark rocker looks, they embrace the bright colors and plastic sunglasses of the early ’80s, and their fans followed suit at a concert in Prospect Park this past Saturday.
Proof that you can combine feminine and rocker looks, this outfit of a floral romper, combat boots and plenty of tattoos is classic concert wear for summer 2010. (more…)
Hot Bird
On a forlorn stretch of Atlantic Avenue in Clinton Hill, parking lots and gas stations give way to this unexpected gem of an outdoor bar, Hot Bird, so named for the yellow painted signs that linger on several buildings across Brooklyn. The old BBQ chicken chain is long gone, but this new bar keeps the grungy spirit we imagine Hot Bird BBQ once had. Almost a dozen varieties of bourbon line the shelves on the back of this garage space, done over with dark-grouted subway tile walls and vintage Americana. Local craft beers are on tap.
The real draw is the spacious, laid back patio that somehow feels miles away from it all, even though it’s just a few feet away from the traffic of Atlantic Avenue, beyond a wood slat fence. (more…)
Saraghina
It’s no secret that New Yorkers would kill for outdoor space in the summer. But cooped-up city dwellers have found another way to deal with a winter’s worth of claustrophobia: outdoor dining. Too bad the quest for an outdoor table can become as competitive as the hunt for an apartment with a backyard.
Fortunately there are still some lovely garden dining spots flying under the radar, one of the most impressive of which is Saraghina out in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. Massimiliano Nanni of Manhattan’s Piadina opened this pizza place last June when he couldn’t find enough decent restaurants in his own neighborhood. (He lives around the corner.) (more…)
The Bodega
We originally went out to Bushwick for Northeast Kingdom – but if we went back, it would be for new wine and beer bar The Bodega. This Spanish-inspired spot is owned by a local couple, Gina Leone and Ben Warren, who’ll help you navigate the rotating menu of hard-to-find beers, many of them Belgian. (You can find the full menu here.) Wine lovers are not left out of the equation though – this is one place where the owners are equally well versed in both.
D. went for the unusual Cuvee Renee Lambic beer from Belgium, which was a hit. Sour and apple-y, it had an almost cider taste. (more…)
Brooklyn Larder
Whenever a magazine publishes a guide like “The Best Unsung Food Shops,” as Time Out NY did recently, it begs the question of what other gems have been left out of the collective New York food consciousness. Brooklyn Larder, on the border of Park Slope and Prospect Heights, is one of the few specialty food shops in New York that succeeds with flying colors in several categories and across several cultures.
The cheese counter is tightly edited and wonderfully curated, with several interesting cheeses available every day as samples. We picked up a wedge of Irish Gubbeen cow’s milk cheese (first sampled at a Joy of Cheese tasting) and a rare American sheep’s milk “Magic Mountain” cheese from Woodcock Farm, VT. (more…)
Lunch: Bark Hot Dogs
Hot dogs may be one of the most basic New York foods: a tube of beef or pork, a squishy bun, and some mustard, ketchup and relish. Simple, right? Wrong. Hot dogs just got a whole lot more gourmet at Bark Hot Dogs in Park Slope.
There are 10 different kinds of hot dog on the menu at this airy, industrial space with communal tables and high school science lab stools. But Bark’s are a different kind of mystery meat from your traditional dirty water dog. Commissioned from Hartmann’s Old World Sausage in Rochester, the recipe is a private label affair, with the exact mix of ingredients kept secret. But the mix of pork and beef with garlic and spices served as an excellent canvas for the creations that followed. (more…)
Weather Up
If you’re in the neighborhood for The Vanderbilt, it would be a tragic mistake to leave without visiting Weather Up just down the block. Beyond a nondescript white-tiled exterior lies a den for classic cocktails made with small-label bitters, homemade syrups and specialty liquor. Nearly forgotten drinks like the Brandy Alexander find a home at this bar, which has been one of the driving forces behind the pre-Prohibition cocktail trend.
The Bourbon Highball ($9), mixed with lemon, simple syrup and soda, came garnished with candied ginger and had a distinct gingery flavor that tasted just like the sharp spiciness in a can of Vernor’s. (more…)
The Vanderbilt
In its Prospect Heights neighborhood, the Vanderbilt is known as “the expensive place.” Mobbed at first and then dismissed for its small portions at higher-than-usual price tags, the Vanderbilt is quieter now. You can actually see the reclaimed wood in the industrial but rustic front room when it’s not jam packed with people, and when you order one of the excellent cocktails at the marble-topped bar, you can hear yourself speak. You can even walk in and get a table. And if you’re from Manhattan, land of the $15 glass of wine, $15 for thick, peppery slabs of hamachi crudo by Brooklyn’s Michelin-starred chef Saul Bolton will seem like a bargain.
The problem seems to be one of clarification: the Vanderbilt was probably never meant to be cheap. It brings Saul’s artisanal, global cuisine from the more formal restaurant on Smith Street to a wider audience via a small plates menu that touches down everywhere from Japan to Germany. Could you go down the street and get bigger portions for less? Yes. If your idea of fancy food involves Hollandaise sauce, then by all means keep walking. But if you want a kitchen that can do artisanal food very well, you’re in the right place. (more…)
Posted in food
Tagged American food, Asian food, Austrian food, bars, Brooklyn, New York, restaurants
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Williamsburg on a Sunday Afternoon
It’s hard to look hip and stay warm, but if you want to get schooled in how to do it, take a trip out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Fashion is still on the forefront here, even in freezing temperatures.
A trapper hat and pattern-edged coat summon the great Northwest. Salmon colored pants really make it pop. (more…)
Red Hook Beef Jerky
Intensely smoky with a spicy finish, this Red Hook Beef Jerky was off the market for a while but is now for sale again at Sample in Boerum Hill. Made by a Red Hook couple who slice brisket, marinate it in soy sauce and spices and dry it in a regular oven until it reaches just the right chewy-soft texture, this jerky should be a stocking stuffer for all the meat eaters on your list – if you can resist eating it all yourself.
Sample
152 Smith Street between Bergen and Wyckoff Streets
Brooklyn, NY
718-643-6622
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