Chicago | A Week in the Windy City

I spent last week on a business trip to Illinois, where the gallery I work for had a booth at ExpoChicago. I had never been to the famed midwestern town previously, and I have to say, I'm totally infatuated. After more than four years living in New York, I'm well adjusted to big city life (read: take-out, laundry service, culture on every corner), but Chicago has all of that, plus a few things NYC is missing...Like cleanliness, and space! It's filled with skyscrapers and taxis, but it feels so roomy. Apartments, grocery stores, and restaurants are spacious, which was a welcome change from the tightness of Manhattan...

Speaking of restaurants, there was a long list that I had always wanted to try in Chicago, and I was lucky enough to have meals at Pump Room, RPM, Topolobampo, Table Fifty-Two, Boka, Blackbird, and Green Zebra. For me, Table Fifty-Two by Art Smith was the biggest disappointment, and RPM and Green Zebra were the biggest surprises (yum). And Topolobampo...Oh, Topolobampo. This was hands down one of the best meals I've ever had. I had been dying to try Rick Bayless's food for years, and was so happy to eat there. For my main course, I had the Marisqueria en Mojo Blanco y Negro, which is Arctic char with roasted Maine lobster, mojo of black and white garlic, savory white camote flan, sesame-glazed cipollini onions, and smoky green beans. It was supreme! The complexity of flavors was outstanding, and the seafood was cooked perfectly. Also, everyone must try Bayless's twenty-nine ingredient mole sauce, his trademark. That night at Topolo was made even better by the fact that Bayless sat in the booth right next to me, talking strategy with his chef, throughout my meal. I can't wait to go back to Chicago soon, and take Mr. V there to try it (he's never been either, so we're hoping to go for a weekend late this year). What a great trip!

Image via Landscape, Lifescape.

Travel Tales | A Day at Rokeby

Today I was lucky enough to be a guest in the mystical Rokeby mansion, a 43-room former Astor estate in the Hudson River Valley. At just shy of 200-years-old, the home stoically stands as a monument to its own inhabitants, past and present, with its insides collapsing time and intertwining histories. The house seems to live and breathe, its soul radiating from the relics, portraits, and people that fill each room...

I hope these images give a taste of how special and sacred the house feels. Its carefully collected objects and decadent wallpapers create beautiful rooms that add to the grandeur and mystique of Rokeby, a wonderful place that I certainly hope to visit again. You can read more and see images of Rokeby in this New York Times profile from 2010.

All images taken by me with my iPhone. 

Summer Garden Party

Fresh off the happy news of our engagement, a few lovely lessons at Haven's Kitchen, and a class with the Little Flower School, I left last Wednesday for Berlin, where I spent a quick, great three days for a work trip. The weather there was magical - sunny and cloudless with temperatures in the mid-seventies each day. On Saturday, I flew to Florida for a party hosted by Mr. V's family in Palm Beach, where it was so nice to celebrate his brother's graduation, his parents' anniversary, and our engagement all in one weekend. I'm finally back in New York, but only for a short spell, as Mr. V and I leave Friday for a friend's wedding on Martha's Vineyard...

Neither Mr. V nor I have ever been to the island, and thinking about this weekend has me dreaming about an outdoor party under the sun...A rustic and casual affair filled with salty air and bountiful flower arrangements, a bit like these fantastic blooms that completely transform the landscape. How gorgeous! I can't wait to spend the weekend exploring the Vineyard and toasting to our friends' wedding.

Image one via Heartbeatoz; Image two via The Sweet Occasion; Image three via My Favorite and My Best. 

Adding New to the Old

Yesterday, I took a quick work trip to Boston to celebrate the opening of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's new wing, designed by Renzo Piano. While the Gardner is largely known for their significant historical art collection (and the infamous theft of several masterpieces in 1990), the museum also has a strong residency program that fosters the work of many contemporary artists. The new wing is beautiful, and holds a dramatic glass-walled gallery, as well as a large concert hall.

The original museum, just steps away, consists of a 15th century Venetian-style manor that surrounds a lush courtyard filled with tropical plants and 1st century marble sculptures. It's enclosed from the elements, and feels impossibly perfect and relaxing...A far cry from the frigid Boston weather howling outside.

Inside the palace, rooms hold paintings by masters such as Botticelli, Degas, Manet, Raphael, Rubens, Singer Sargent, Titian, Velázquez and Whistler, all of which are displayed alongside antique furniture and decorative objects. Exploring the museum is a bit like wandering an eccentric house, with each turn and hallway revealing more architectural and artistic treasures...

A few favorites from inside the hallowed walls:

Rembrant's Self-Portrait from 1629 | an exquisite silver ostrich tucked in a cabinet of treasures | a collection of white lace | massive stone fireplaces dotted throughout the rooms | a stained glass window from Soissons cathedral, 1205 | a small silver 19th century Indian box | the sweet sound of the gurgling fountain in the courtyard | Matisse's Terrace at Saint Tropez, 1904 | the light that passed through nooks and crannies in the dark wood walls, spilling over the floor and illuminating the relics inside |

I can't wait to go back.

Image one of the new wing via here. All other images taken by me with my iPhone.