The Perfect Sunday: Marlow and Daughters

I have a crush.  The sort of crush you just can’t stop talking and thinking about.  Yes, I have a crush on the whole Marlow and Sons, Diner, Marlow and Daughters, Romans empire.

We’ve been spending a lot of time out in Williamsburg enjoying the excitement that comes with exploring new neighborhoods.  Along the way, we’ve made it a point to acquaint ourselves with other local shops and restaurants.  And while all the discoveries have left us gitty with excitement and very full bellies, our trip to Marlow and Daughters was made extra special thanks to two amazing friends that gave us a gift certificate for our birthdays.

We were torn about whether to be practical or extravagant (ground beef or steaks).  The butcher’s consensus was “buy things for yourself that you would normally buy,” so we went for two beautiful filet mignons, fresh ricotta, house made pate, smoked goat cheese, fancy fig crackers and a few other odds and ends to round out what was the perfect Sunday night dinner.

Moment: The Joy of Building a Terrarium

Nearly a year ago, I wrote about my love for terrariums, these magical little contained environments.  This year for my birthday Dan gave me a certificate to go and build my very own terrarium at Sprout Home in Williamsburg.

There seem to be two main types of terrariums, one that is fern and moss based and one that is cacti based.  I went for the latter since they are supposedly a bit easier to care for and because I liked the variety of plants that Sprout had to choose from. Sprout carries a number of different vessels to house the terrariums.  I picked this one by a company called Roost which takes recycled glass and hand blows it without a mold. After layering some lava rocks for drainage, charcoal to prevent mold and a top layer of soil,  I picked out about six different types of cactus for mine.  I also brought some coral and a sea urchin shell that I collected from our various trips to add to the mix.  I am absolutely in love with it and think this might just be my favorite birthday present ever.  Big thanks to Leah, the terrarium expert at Sprout, for all the guidance in building this beauty!

Oh MY: Mast Brothers Chocolate

Some of you may remember this post I did a while back with the amazing photos that The Selby took as part of the advertising campaign for Cole, Rodd and Haan. Well folks, he has gone and done it again.  This time, The Selby takes us on a beautiful tour of one of my all time favorite chocolate houses, Mast Brothers Chocolate.  Rick and Michael Mast are the handsome duo behind these delicious chocolates that are handmade in Brooklyn .   These boys are true artisans and are one of the few “bean-to-bar” chocolatiers, which means they own the entire process of making their chocolate from sourcing the cocoa beans from Venezuela, Ecuador and Madagascar to roasting, grinding, molding and eventually packaging it all up.  The Selby does a wonderful job of illustrating the whole process from start to finish, so please check out the whole series here.

Not only is this some seriously delicious chocolate (my favorite is the Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Sea Salt), but every bar comes beautifully packaged in Italian wrapping paper; it’s like unwrapping a gift each time.

You can find their chocolate at any of these amazing little shops:

A Little of What You Fancy 19 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937
Bedford Cheese Shop 229 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Bierkraft 191 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Branford Green Grocer 1036 Main Street, Branford, CT 06405
Brooklyn Larder 228 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Dean & Deluca 560 Broadway, Manhattan, NY 10012
France 44 4351 France Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55410
Grab 438 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Marlow & Sons 81 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Miette Confiserie 449 Octavia Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94102
Murray’s Cheese 254 Bleecker Street, Manhattan, NY 10014
Park Slope Food Coop 782 Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Provisions 150 Beekman Street, Manhattan, NY 10038
Rubiner’s Cheesemongers    264 Main Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
Spuyten Duyvil Grocery 218 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Stinky Bklyn 261 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Stone Barns 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills, NY 10591
Urban Rustic 236 North 12th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Discovered: Butterfly and Spider Glass Set

This set of glasses consisting of a butterfly, spider and spider web are simply beautiful individually or as a prey vs. predator scenario. They were created by design group Propoganda, which was established in 1994 by of group of advertising executives who set out to instill the innate sense of Thai playfulness into every day products.

*via Mr. Matt Spangler via devincastro

Ice Melts. Whisky Rocks.

We’re big fans of whiskey.  I like Oban and D prefers a Lagavulin.  So when I came across these Whiskey Stones design by Teroforma, I was pretty darn excited.   Made out of natural soapstone from Vermont, they take advantage of the fact that soapstone has a unsual ability to conduct and retain coldness, making it a perfect solution for chilling our whiskey without watering it down.  Can’t wait to give them a try.

moment: Evan’s birthday brunch

On a perfect Tuesday morning we enjoyed:

Homemade Watermelon Agua Fresca
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Siphoned Courier Coffee
Moo’s famous banana bread
Local blueberry scones
Chocolate chip scones with an espresso glaze
Olive oil granola
Local blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
Creamy papas con chiles
Homemade tortillas!
Scrambled eggs with queso fresca
Carlton Farms Bacon
Pico de gallo
Guacamole

Discovered: Wrist Worms

These lovelies, made of 100% wool, are crocheted by the amazingly talented hands of Sandra Juto in Gothenburg, Sweden.  I think I might have to get myself two pairs…

You can buy them here.

Discovered: Paula Hayes Terrariums

I love the small coincidences in life.  I came across these intricate and gorgeous terrariums at Paula Hayes’s studio on East 13th street in NYC.  When I went online to see more of her work, I discovered that in addition to her terrariums, bird feeders and silicone planters, she also happens to be a fellow Skidmore alum.

Paula has designed landscapes and gardens for a few lucky ones including renowned designer Jill Stuart and gallerists David & Monica Zwirner (who coincidentally represent Marcel Dzama.)

Enjoy the playfulness of Paula’s website here.