A few favorite New York moments of late...

An afternoon escape in BBG

Everyone loves a good guitar player.

Berlin flashback.

One of those perfectly framed moments that makes you love your city just a tiny bit more: industrial badlands that I still find so damn sexy.

A rhythmic afternoon at Miss Favela with pitchers of caipirinha (dangerous and delicious), pao de queijo (greasy and PERFECT), and a few of my favorite smiling faces.

Back to the Basics

We're all guilty of it. We talk and talk about weekend jaunts out of the city, full of rugged trails, simple flavors, the sound of crickets and voracious reading with only the light of the moon and the fire to help you flip the pages. But it's surely true that us urban dwellers rarely find the time nor make the effort to reserve the zip car that would theoretically zip us out of the city.

Well, I'm quite proud to say that i've alas walked the walk, in no small part thanks to the planning of one lovely man who packed the backpacks and printed out the trail maps.

Alas, after a 7 hours plane ride, a 2 hour drive and a 6 mile hike, full of trail-mix nibbles along the way, we happily arrived at the tremendous destination: Wildcat Camp in Point Reyes, CA. Lo and behold! A magnificent and seemingly endless field of brilliant, yellow wild flowers, overlooking a flawless span of beach front that also extended for miles. I was completely swept away. And, only 15 minute later, as we took our first elated gallop into the icy cold water, I was literally swept away by the powerful swoop of an oncoming wave. Retreat I did, and what better than a hike over to the dazzling Alamere Falls to make me forget my bruised right side?!

We climbed, we plucked fresh watercress, and we admired the waterfall as it basked in the warm glow of sunset. And then, upon returning to the camp site, I learned to pitch a tent and cook meat tortellini on an (adorable) little fuel camping stove: 25 pumps on the lever to build sufficient pressure inside the fuel tank and then light the flame, being very careful not to scorch your fingertips. I was full and wonderfully fatigued by the time we zipped into our sleeping bags with a thermos of hot coco to further soothe us to sleep.

The next day's adventure was equally as incredible. After another demanding hike out of Wildcat camp, followed by a restorative, sunny ride along the gorgeous Highway 1 and Bodega Bay area, we landed at our 2nd camp site, eager for another moonlit dinner. And this time, we would use the fire pit to roast our aluminum-wrapped fresh tilapia, flavored only with butter, parlsey sprigs, lemon juice and s&p. Perhaps a rather simple dish, yes, but I tasted the sea and the smoke nonetheless. It was all that I had hoped for.

And then, once again sublimely exhausted from another beautiful day, we pitched our tent on the beach, under a universe of shiny pearls. I fell asleep silently proclaiming, from here on out I most definitely Will hike the hike more often.

What's Your Weakness?

It comes in all shapes and sizes and, though widely available, is revered as a precious commodity by many. I may go so far as to argue that one’s favorite “_ e _ _ e _ _” is both more revealing and more captivating than even the most spellbinding baby blues.

Correct you are, dear friends. Dessert is no laughing matter. And the New York culinary world would agree. With pastry artists of the like of Jacques Torres, restaurants tycoons know that the last lick is just as important as the first bite.

And the nominees are…

Bond Street…”Chocolate Meltdown”. I promise you, I’ve never seen a chocolate cake ooze with such ease and such audacity. It’s a site to be seen and a bite which will never be forgotten. Yes, it's a classic, but there's clearly a good reason for that.

Apizz…“Mela al Forno”. Translation. An apple-crumb pie in all its glory: baked apple-pecan crumble, caramelized apples, brown sugar crumbs and creamy vanilla gelato. Another oldie but I-can-hardly-contain-myself goodie.

Indochine…“Roasted Banana”. Agreed. They could be more creative when it comes to naming conventions, but the dessert itself is lip-smacking good. Take a roasted banana, roll it in coconut sticky rice, plate it in a shallow pool of coconut rice pudding, and drizzle on some toasted hazelnuts for good measure. I’m a blubbering fool when it comes to bold textures and sweet n’ salty duos…or anything coconut for that matter.

Chickaliscious…Truth be told, I’ve still not been. It’s shameful, I know, but I'd think it wholly more improper to let my absence deter me from spreading the good word. They don’t merely specialize in dessert. Instead, dessert and only dessert is served as a complete, three course meal. A vanilla-cinnamon baked fig as an amuse-bouche, a poached pear salad with lemon-verbena ice cream as an entrée, and a warm chocolate tart with red-wine sauce for, well, dessert.

And What would this world be without ice cream?

Il Laboratorio del Gelato…ice cream is a science at this Lower East Side gem. Flavors range from the traditional vanilla, chocolate and dulce de leche, to the more colorful wasabi, red bean, or Thai chili chocolate…and then some…

Grom…I was there opening week (a lifetime ago at this point)…along with the rest of the 200-person line…and on the Upper West Side no less. Apparently its reputation had preceded it, but it was well worth the wait.

All jokes aside, it’s desserts like these that make me feel so lucky to live in New York.