A few weeks ago we headed out to the North Fork of Long island with the mission of having a long and leisurely lunch at the beautiful The North Fork Table and Inn in Southold. The experience was exactly what we were hoping for; after nearly three hours of indulgence, we left with full bellies and big smiles. If you are ever in the Northfork or simply want to spend a day exploring the nearby vineyards, farm stands and beaches, stop by and enjoy an afternoon with these fine folks. They’ll take good care of you.

The Meal:

Dill Marinated Organic Scottish Salmon with a Corn Blini, Assorted Radish and Horseradish Mousse

Alderwood Smoked Cod & Local Yukon Gold Potato Cake with Truffled Tarter Sauce and Micro Herb Salad

Housemade Ricotta Cavatelli & Roasted Satur Farms Cauliflower with Flat Parsley, Pecorino Romano

Slow-Braised Boneless Shortrib of Naturally Raised Beef with Wilted Baby Spinach and Local Yukon Gold Potatoes

Warm Sugar Donuts with Vanilla Anglaise

Some of you may remember this video I posted from Google Japan, which they used to premier Chrome, their web browser.  Now, Google Japan has released a video in response to the uproar that happened nearly 9 months after they debuted its Google Maps with Street View service.  The people of Japan were upset that the height of the Street View camera allowed a clear view over the fence of residential homes and for the Japanese who are intensely private, this was a huge problem. Google Japan agreed to re-shoot all of Street View data it had captured and would lower the height of the Street View car’s camera pole .

In a typical Google Japan way, the cute stop motion video shows the steps they have taken to protect everyone’s privacy such as blurring the private data on car license plates, people’s faces and private information on mailboxes.

This month I was lucky enough to be one of the contributing art editors for Guernica Magazine.  I selected the photography of Scott Peterman whose work I came across and fell in love with back in 2002 when i first moved to NYC.  The series I selected for Guernica is of his ice fishing shacks, which he spent several years photographing in the lakes region of Maine and New Hampshire.   As Scott addresses in his statement, the “bobhouses” illustrate a narrative that is the essence of survival in the freezing temperatures of the region.  They are entirely utilitarian in their purpose using lightweight windproof materials providing warmth and shelter against the elements.  See more of the series here.

Seriously, Leica?   Does it get anymore gorgeous than this?   This classic M7 35mm gets the special treatment with a silver chrome finish and thanks to Hermes, a choice of either orange or tan calfskin leather.   Orange please!  This beauty can be delivered to your doorstep in a linen-covered, silk-lined box for a mere £8,550 (about $14,250).

*via engadget

We just got back from a much needed, much appreciated and what I’m now deeming the *perfect* trip to Italy.  From the history we encountered in Rome to the olive groves of Umbria to the grittiness in Naples to the charm in Positano, we covered our basis and had an amazing time.  Lots of posts to follow but in the mean time, I want to thank Angela Liguori and her 100% fantastic Rome design guide on Design*Sponge as well as Heidi Swanson for her 20 Things I Encountered in Rome, which led us to amazing cappuccinos and life changing biscotti that was so good we brought some home with us.