Would you, could you...

... wear a one-piece? Recently, it seems that one-piece bathing suits are making a comeback. They're showing up in styles intended for all shapes and sizes, from pinup retro to low cut  sexy, expertly embodying Mama Rose's timeless quote, "make 'em beg for more, and then don't give it to them!"

Sometime not too long ago, one-pieces left the bodies of sexy icons like Marilyn Monroe and were christened "mommy suits" or relegated to use only by women "of a certain age" or size. In came string bikinis and barely there two pieces as symbols of youth, fitness and sex appeal. So naturally I was unsure about going for a one-piece, despite the plethora of cute options, because I didn't want to age myself or pick something unflattering. As I do with most of life's greatest questions, I sent a link along with the question "is this cute? I can't decide..." to my girlies. One friend actually pondered aloud, "are we one-piece age or do these not count because they're trendy?"

The suit in question. Anthropologie

The question had to be answered, so I went for it (figuring worst case scenario I'd just make a return) and I'm pleased to report that the era of the "one-piece age" is officially behind us!! That pretty pink lady is pl-enty youthful and chic... just ask Dr. H who despite my insistence, refused to believe that what I was wearing was actually a one-piece (the literal "one-piece" of clothing on my body was irrelevant, "well it's just not what I was imagining" was all he could muster in defense). So ladies, I say go forth! Purchase sexy bikinis and one-pieces alike, usher in a return to discretion on the beach and by the pool and remember, any item can look sexy if you wear it that way:) 

Suits pictured can be found HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

(Wonderful) Weekend in Review

Hiding from Monday!

There are few things more fantastic than a weekend's worth of plans turning out just as fabulously as you'd built them up in your head to be. So in an attempt to roll around in the awesomeness that was my weekend for just a little while longer (and because if it made me merry, I bet it will make you feel that way too!) here's a recap of my 2 days and 2 nights of weekend glory!

* Dos Caminos Soho

Dinner under the stars...

There are several Dos Caminos restaurants throughout NYC, but the W. Broadway & Houston location is my personal favorite. Nestled into an otherwise bustling corner with a large gated outdoor seating area, you get to enjoy delicious Mexican cuisine with an awesome outdoor ambiance. Far and away my favorite Mexican chain in the city (yup, I'd choose it over Rosa Mexicana) head to Dos Caminos Soho for your next evening of tequila, guacamole and al fresco goodness.

* Annie on Broadway

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!!

As a kid, Annie was on constant replay in my VCR, so when I heard that the show was returning to Broadway, I knew it would be a Meri must-see. Thankfully, little nieces are perfect companions for such adventures and in the end, I'm not sure which of us enjoyed the show more! The child actors were bursting with talent, Miss Hannigan was as hysterically cruel as ever and the sets and costumes were perfect. Sticking mostly to the original story line (a few changes at the end weren't bothersome) Annie on Broadway fulfilled all my redheaded orphan-loving desires. A must see for those who believe the sun will always come out tomorrow:)

* Keste

Can't go wrong with fresh out of the oven...

Tasty thin crust brick oven pizza, loaded with a variety of fresh toppings, in combinations beyond imagination. Salivating yet? Keste, located on Bleecker St in the W. Village is a fantastic lil pizza joint, with charming ambiance and a salad/appetizer menu that perfectly rounds out your meal. Now serving gluten free pizza so tasty that it's hard to tell the difference (seriously) Keste has something for everyone. (Note: Keste is prone to long wait times during peak dining hours. Consider early eats (we went at 5:30pm) and breeze right to your table).

* Pop Bar

Yum on a stick.

Only in NYC does "Handcrafted Gelato on a Stick" get it's own institution, but thank goodness it does. Pop Bar is a Merry Meri and Dr. H new discovery which continues to impress (the niece and nephew gave it 4 thumbs up). A ridiculous variety of gelato pop flavors are served plain or expertly dipped in fresh chocolate and other crunchy ingredients (pistachios, sprinkles, coconut, etc) to order. Located on Carmine St at 6th Ave (right around the corner from Keste!) I'm certain Pop Bar will be a frequent way to keep cool during the approaching hot summer nights.

* Alice's Tea Cup

For Birthdays and very merry unbirthdays alike!

Holy adorable overload, I am in love with a tea shop! The brilliant idea of a girl friend looking to mix up our usual "dinner and drinks" birthday celebrations, my party of 7 enjoyed unlimited tea, scones, cake, cookies and mini sandwiches in a sunny Alice in Wonderland themed "tea room". With three locations throughout Manhattan, Alice's is perfect for everything from brunch with the ladies (our unlimited menu was just $47 including tax and tip!) to a bridal shower or kid's birthday party (we were very jealous of the face paint jobs on the little ladies attending a party in the private back room!)

Daydreams...

Out the window...

My brain has been a bit afloat this week. I've caught myself more than once just staring out the window, for who knows how long, thinking about literally, nothing. For a busy brain like mine, prolonged periods of nothing are a rare occurrence. I'm all like "what's up you?!", but I can't seem to put a finger on it. Plus, the fact that any second now warm weather will finally arrive in earnest is making me way too excited. I've purchased 3 new pairs of summer shoes... I'm ready. 

Like really, really ready.

Happy Friday :)

Grown Up Bedtime Stories

My bedtime friends Grandfather Time, Talking Mickey Mouse and Teddy Ruxpin

Did you have a toy that read you stories as a kid? I had not one, but three "read to me" creatures over the course of my childhood, because nothing says nighty night like a cassette tape controlled animatronic mouse or a grandfatherly-voiced clock (I freakin LOVED these things). Likely in part because I wasn't permitted to have a television in my bedroom, but mostly because I'm a true geek at heart, I loved dozing off to the sound of a story being read to me... nothing to look at, just close your eyes and listen. Well good news story loving grownups, I have found the perfect adult bedtime story source - Podcasts!

No doubt late to the Podcast party, I recently started listening to "This American Life" and "Fresh Air" on NPR, "The Moth" and Learn out Loud's U.S. Presidents Podcast (I wasn't kidding about the geek thing!) Snuggled into bed, Dr. H and I listen to interesting factoids about Theodore Roosevelt or incredibly researched stories on everything from crazy coincidences to Israeli troops in the West Bank ("This American Life" is far and away our mutual favorite). And you know what's even more amazing!? All the Podcasts I subscribe to are FREE!! So even though my iPhone doesn't wear an adorable outfit or sing me a song before signing off each night (M-I-C...K-E-YYYY) Podcasts exist on every topic under the sun, making them the perfect place to find your very own adult bedtime story.

Hump Day Distractions

The Mystery Section.

Welcome to Hump Day, the one day of the week when just getting through it is considered a major victory. Is Friday in your sites yet!? I've got an awesome weekend in the queue so every spare second is being spent daydreaming about my niece and nephew, a mexican dinner, little orphan Annie (on Broadway!) and a big girls tea party (awesome right!?) Here to help bring our daydreams just a little closer to reality are some distraction from around the web. Happy Wednesday!!!

* Beautiful and terrifying at the same time... if you love the ocean, THESE are for you

* Soooo, when can I move in?
* Slim-Fast wants dieters to look good doing the reverse cowgirl. Honesty is awesome.

* Lookin sharp NYC.

* I want to visit THIS bridge real bad (<-- something I never thought I'd say!)

* Dishing some ((un) warranted) celebrity hater-aide.

* No sh*t (better get some more water cups!)

* Fabulously adorable birthday dinner decor

* I would eat that "Walk Off" and that "Stratsburger" too.

* This is what diversity in fashion looks like.

* Just when you thought you knew the lowest depths of a Bridezilla...

* Dancing babies in fashionable adult-wear aka, adorable.

* Beauties in bloom.

* Sometimes you've just gotta dance. Hardcore.

* "Caution. Slippery Bacon"

Cricket, Cricket (the sound of silence).

I'd love to...

I don't know what I feel like blogging about today. It's one of those rare moments when surely I have something to say, but actually, I don't really have anything to say at all. My brain is all mushed up with inconsequential things like...

- I have a banana, but what I really want is an everything bagel with a mountain of cream cheese and lox on it.

- I wonder if the trendy one-piece bathing suit I ordered is going to look cute or terrible 

- I should go home, put on sweatpants and watch a marathon of "House of Cards" followed by "Roman Holiday" (which just became available on Netflix!) staring my icon crush Ms. Audrey Hepburn

- Maybe I should go get an iced coffee?

- Thanks Mom for providing this EXCELLENT distraction/writing assignment (because clearly I'm that geek reader who actually typed up and emailed a full response to his inquiry)

Like I said, it's a real mush in there today... THIS pretty much sums it up. Also, does anyone want to come over and make these with me sometime soon?

Sumo Wrestler Bowling Pins

I'm off to find something to satisfy the beast in my belly. We'll try this whole creative blog post thing again tomorrow.

nomnomnom.

Healthy Habit of the Month IV.

Jawbone Up

This post is the fourth installment of SeektobeMerry's "Healthy Habit of the Month" series. Sourced from my bff's at Weight Watchers, online articles and my own efforts to keep fit and trim, throughout 2013, I will attempt to integrate one new healthy habit into my life each month. Join me!

Another month gone by, another idea for how to live a healthier lifestyle! When it comes to diet, I continue to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into each meal (I cooked kale! It was GOOD!) and even if I did eat an entire box of mac cheese in the wee hours of Sunday morning (Saturday night?), at least I have my accountability buddy to get me back on the straight and narrow. Since making THIS pledge, I haven't skipped a single week's workout, but I still don't think I'm moving enough... which brings me to this month's health habit:

Healthy Habit of the Month #4: Keep Track

Did you know that Scientists estimate that Americans ages 12 and up now spend most of their time—about 8 to 10 hours a day—sitting? Did you also know that along with serious health risks like a shorter lifespan and cardiovascular disease, a sedentary lifestyle will slow your metabolism leading to fewer calories burned and more stored as fat? Tis true. Thinking about all this, I've noticed that though I may workout hard a few days per week, other than those bursts of activity, my days, particularly work days, can be insanely sedentary. So, for this month's healthy habit, we're going to track our activity. Whether you're using a pedometer to make sure you hit the recommended 10,000 steps per day or a higher tech gadget like the Jawbone Up (which Dr. H and I just ordered, will let you know how it goes!) or the Nike Fuel Band, knowing how much (or little) you're moving each day is eye opening (recently I was horrified to check my pedometer at night and see I'd walked less than 3,000 steps that day!) By tracking how much we move, we'll easily know when our bodies need us to move more and moving more = healthier, happier people. I'm on it!

For previous Healthy Habit of the Month posts, click HERE, HERE and HERE!

Whoa.

Beautiful Boston.

So there's a real-life episode of 24 happening in Boston right now. A city in lock-down, a madman on the loose and gunfire in the streets. It is completely surreal. Because I cannot do anything more than send thoughts and prayers of safety to those affected by this bizarre and still unfolding tragedy, I thought I would try to keep it light on this otherwise sunny spring Friday. Because you have to smile when you see something as adorable as this:

or this:

And we can take a small amount of comfort in knowing that incredible sweatshirts like THESE are available for purchase (got my eye on that giant Goldfish one):

And in case you were wondering what the most races won by a sheep is...

165 of 179 entered. That's one speedy sheep.

Click HERE for other outrageous animal world records.

Here's wishing for a lighter, safer, lovely weekend.

Spring Eats

Fact.

Every year, the arrival of warmer, brighter evenings makes the effort of preparing a fresh dinner far more appealing. Even after a long day at the office, something about throwing open the kitchen window and whipping up a tasty meal for me and the hubs is extremely satisfying. Add a crisp glass of white wine and some lively tunes and I'm all smiles. Here to help you freshen up your repertoire and satisfy your tummy are a few new recipes for your cooking enjoyment!

Orrecchiette awesomeness

Even though Kale is all the rage lately, I've yet to cook it in my own home. Prepping a new veggie for the first time is kinda scary (too wilty, too crispy, no flavor, that smell!), but thanks to THIS simple recipe, kale is on the menu for tonight! Orecchiette with wilted spinach, kale and toasted pine nuts... I hope you're hungry Dr. H.

Because everything is better when you combine it with pasta, here's an awesome "summer" pasta dish featuring fresh tomatoes, feta and spinach (maybe add some greek olives as well if you're feeling adventurous!?) Keep it vegetarian or serve next to some grilled shrimp for a bit of extra protein and flavor!

So healthy... I might need to add a carb!

For me, eating healthfully throughout spring and summer is much easier than during fall and winter. I actually crave lighter fare and more fresh veggies once the weather gets warm. Hoping to get a little variety into my chicken repertoire, this 5-ingredient balsamic poached chicken recipe will be making a debut in my kitchen soon (perhaps with a side of sliced sweet potatoes or that orzo up above!?)

A summer chili! For reals!

No need to send your crock pot off to hibernate until the fall thanks to this tasty Mexican bean and chicken recipe. As usual, Pinch of Yum breaks the deliciousness down into a few easy steps and ingredients meaning you can get this started before you head to the office and come home ready to devour a tasty meal (perfect for a night when you want to hit the gym after work!!) For even more mexican crockpot goodness, click HERE.

Hump Day Distractions

HAHAHAHA!

A very merry Wednesday to all of you my friends! I'm feeling especially cheery today thanks to some exciting developments here in blog land. First, the infamous Ann Marie Slaughter of recent Why Women Still Can't Have it All fame "favorited" my tweet about THIS post the other night, which means she read it and even better, she liked it! Be still my aspiring writer heart:) And yesterday brought record breaking traffic to SeektobeMerry meaning more people than ever before stopped by the site!! I guess yous just needed to find a little joy. (Big thanks to my fabulous Sis-in-Law for the shout out!) And as if that wasn't enough, I have some very exciting new content news in the works for you... It's all just very merry stuff. Anyways... you're probably all "good for you Mer, get to the distractions," so, without further adieu - here's a whole bunch just for you! Happy Humping:)

* "Don't lick my arm, that's what weird kids do" and other brilliantly illustrated kid quotes from one hip Dad.

* What a brilliant way to test out a new NYC neighborhood before buying

* Bath time for baby sloths. Even more adorable than you're imagining.

* A cat/dog love story.

* Heaven is a salad that actually looks delicious.

* Maybe this time the odds will be ever in her favor!?! (Yaaaaaaaay!)

* And while we're watching trailers, the brilliant Christopher Guest has something for you.

* Another perspective on the women/work/home/balance debate. Why going back to the home kinda rocks...

* Why can't we see ourselves as beautifully as others do? (and THIS brilliant response to the ad)

* In case you are interested in how to create the most realistic T-Rex noises

* Cannot believe I left THIS awesome show off my "What we're watching" post! When a show is on your dvr and the soundtrack is on your iPod, the execs must be doing something right!

* Mmmm boozy summer bike rides (or ditch the food, bring just the vino) (via ExPress-o)

* If I had a dog, I would definitely dress him up.

* I'm very sorry that I pinched you in the nuts.

On finding joy.

Good will triumph over evil. It must.

Yesterday was another weird one. Another strange, sad, scary day. But as we frantically searched for loved ones, obsessively refreshed our browsers and tried to imagine who could be responsible for such a heinous act, I was buoyed by the emergence of this quote all over my Facebook news feed:

Mr. Rogers, always a source of comfort

And then there was this incredible statement from the usually comedic, but in this case quite prolific, Patton Oswalt:

"...I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths. But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out... This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness. But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago. So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

This is a blog about happiness. About little things in life, be it a tasty recipe, awesome song or a funny picture, that bring us joy, even when we aren't feeling particularly joyous. So in the face of yet another confirmation that no place or thing is ever truly safe, I find joy in the many stories and images of human compassion that have emerged out of yesterday's tragedy in Boston. I don't think we will ever stop all the crazies, the angry or the unwell, but I think we can find comfort in the fact that the good far outnumber them. 

Thinking Out loud

Baby love.

Recently I've been having conversations with fellow ambitious young women, all of whom are in the "years of the Baby Inquisition" and many of whom feel a desire to wait  a little longer before starting a family. The striking similarity in these conversations is a word that keeps coming up: selfish. "I want to be selfish for another year" or "I'm not done selfishly putting my own needs first". The word selfish is uttered with a pang of guilt or concern, like there's something wrong with feeling unprepared to jump on the baby train despite the ticking of biological clocks. (Even Destiny's Child isn't immune to feeling selfish!) So obviously this  got me thinking...

In a culture where women are finally being encouraged to chase their dreams, both personal and professional, in the same ways as men, it's no wonder that the uniquely female experience of pregnancy, followed by maternity leave and child-rearing is difficult for us lady folk to place. Is it really selfish to want to pursue your career goals without the additional responsibility of a child? Is it selfish to not want to share your husband's attention or affections, especially when many of today's women are getting married later in life than previous generations? These things feel pretty reasonable to me.

I often hear my generation's mothers and grandmothers speak wistfully about forgotten or never pursued careers and desires because of "the times". And while I have no life goal more important than my desire to raise healthy, happy children, as I read about "leaning in", "having it all" and "work/life balance", I find myself so confused and overwhelmed by problems and uncertainty that's it's hard not to yearn a bit for simpler times. This is not to say I want to go back to women in college getting their MRS. or women being shut out of certain career paths (hellllz no!) but our gender's social progress has created incredible competition between personal ambition and maternal instinct. With gender "norms" quickly becoming a thing of the past, I feel myself and other fabulous young ladies really struggling to avoid feeling guilty about whatever path we choose. 

I don't have answers to any of these questions, or even advice for people floating in this boat along with me, but I can help continue the conversation by talking about it. Because for me, thinking out loud is a way of leaning in to find balance and maybe someday, to have it all.

It's raining, it's pouring...

Who knew!?

After an almost summer-like few days, I'd forgotten about the whole "April Showers" thing... I suppose I'll let this one slide mother nature :) I'm hiding from the rain in my cube today, then it's off to Atlantic City for a sequin and animal print tribute to a favorite bride-to-be. Wish me luck at the penny slots (quarters if I'm really feeling daring).

Here's to hoping your weekend is "sprinkled" with fun! Happy Friday!!

Adoooorable.

What we're watching.

Avid tv watcher

Last night as I was surveying the options on my DVR, I realized that it's been a while since my television junkie side made an appearance on the blog. As you know, Dr. H and I manage to squeeze a pretty insane amount of television into our weekly schedule, almost all of which is original, scripted programming. In my opinion, we watch some solid, quality, tv! Here for your read-than-view pleasure, is a bit of what we've been watching and loving lately:

Wednesday nights on FX

Who'd have thunk that curly haired Felicity could also be a bad-ass Russian spy?!  Set during the Cold War of the 1980s, The Americans is the story of two KGB officers who are "hiding in plain site" by posing as a normal American family (kids and all!) while working to support the Soviet cause. Already renewed for a second 13-episode season, Kerri Russell, Matthew Rhys and really the entire cast, turn in brilliant performances every week and the show's plot is a twisty, exciting mess of drama. Probably our favorite new show of the year, it's time to find FX on your cable box and start watching The Americans!

Sunday nights on HBO

Even though we were 2 seasons late to the Game of Thrones party, it somehow feels like we arrived just in time. Currently in it's 3rd season, Dr. H and I managed to get caught up on GoT in just 2 weeks of dedicated DVR viewing (it's that addictive and at only 10-episodes per season, easy to get up to date). An adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of novels by George R. R. Martin,  I never would have expected to love this fantasy-but-somehow-feels-so-real series, but I do. Hard core. Webs of characters, beautiful cinematography and story lines that never cease to surprise will have you counting down until the next new episode. With several more books to cover (the last two of which haven't even been finished yet!) there's plenty of time to jump on the GoT bandwagon. I promise you'll be glad you did.

A long time comedy favorite and a new show I'm still trying to decide about... Parks and Recreation (Thursdays, NBC) is without question one of the funniest shows we watch. Local government enthusiast Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is surrounded by comic genius on all sides (the meat-loving, always deadpan Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) might be Dr. H's favorite character, ever) and the simple story line allows you to jump in and start laughing at any time (though if you have Netflix or OnDemand, catch up!) The Mindy Project (Tuesdays, FOX) is led by Mindy Kaling, who has proven her comic chops as a writer/actor (The Office, her book) but seems to still be searching for how to make this show a hit. I laugh during every episode about Mindy's single life and gynecology practice, but can get aggravated by the meandering plot and weirdly developed characters (though I love Morgan, a mid-season male nurse addition to the cast). I'm guessing that Mindy is only going to get better over time, so get on the boat now!

Hump Day Distractions

FINALLY!!! Isn't this just the spring-licious week we've all been desperate for!? NYC has been almost hot these past few days and the warm sunshine seems to be putting smiles on everyone's faces. It's glorious... Almost as glorious as knowing that we just need to survive another 2.5 days until the weekend. Hop on over the hump with these distractions and I'll see you on the other side :)

* A touching and amusing story about parental love from Dax Sheppard (including a heartwarming photo of his sexy baby mama Kristen Bell)
* Like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie... It's gonna be so GROSS.
* Hope in bloom (via NYC Taught Me)
* Spinach and Goat Cheese Hash Brown Nests. I pinned it and it's been re-pinned a buttload. I guess peeps just love their goat cheese and fried potatoes! (full recipe HERE)
* I'm torn between thinking THIS is absolutely hysterical and completely cruel. Good luck when he's a teenager Dad.
* So true.
* If you watch Mad Men, you must read this review (warning: complete spoiler of Sunday's episode)
* There's something incredibly beautiful about THIS.
* The only problem is deciding which one to order first... AMAZEBALLS. (via YAMF)
* The plan is to marry him, divorce him, take the house. Don't really see any other way to make THIS mine.
* Incredibly creepy in a completely hysterical way (who does this stuff!?)
* Photobomb legends.

A little makeup might do the dudes good...

Just a simple 18 step process gentlemen (note: NOT my actual makeup routine!)

Last night, as Dr. H plodded off to bed while I remained in the bathroom washing makeup off my face, I got to thinking about the fact that men don't wear makeup. Now I wasn't facewash-daydreaming about this concept in a gender norms, political/feministy way; I was literally just wondering "why don't men bother to use products that enhance their features and mask things that make them feel self-conscious!?" Because you have to admit, even though makeup can be a biotch to apply and remove, when properly utilized, the impact of makeup is pret-ty fantastic (goodbye blemish, hello gently flushed cheeks and long dark lashes!) 

As I moved on to patting dry and applying moisturizer (I told you I have a ridiculous bedtime routine) I actually started to feel a little bad for men, who, because of social norms, don't really get to enjoy the benefits of dark-circle concealers or face brightening lip glosses. Though I imagine most men don't want all (or any!) of these things complicating their  lives, as a lady, it's funny to imagine how much better dudes might look if they took some notes from those helpful folks over at Sephora. Seriously. Because as my mom once said, "make-up is such a pain in the ass, but man does it make ya look good!!"

The Mac Daddy

Time to get your (mac)cheese on.

When a macaroni and cheese aficionado such as myself tells you that she's just eaten a "top 3 mac cheese of her life", it's time to take note. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Beecher's New York, a Seattle import which rocked my (mac)cheese-loving socks off this past Friday night.

According to their website's extensive "Our Story" section, Mr. Kurt Beecher Dammeier was a cheese lover from childhood and his artisan cheese obsession eventually led to the 2003 opening of Beecher's Handmade Cheese in Pike Place market. In June 2011, an NYC outpost was opened at the corner of 21st and Broadway, a cheese shop and cafe upstairs with the warehouse-chic decor clad full bar and restaurant "The Cellar" downstairs. Cue Friday night...

Delightfully cheesey

The Celler at Beecher's is a great spot for group dining. With an extensive drink menu (I took down 2 of their spicy "Henry Ward Beechers" with delight) and meats and cheeses galore, it's easy to chat and graze for hours, but my suggestion is to go for the full meal experience. Sharing one of the cheese covered flatbreads (the "meat: charcuterie, smoked flagship" blew our minds) a veggie plate and the burrata amongst my group of 5 allowed for tasty flavors and a good sampling with enough room left to hit the pièce de résistance hard core... I present to you, the self-proclaimed "World's Best Mac & Cheese":

Be still my heart...

One of six different mac cheese variations on the menu, the World's Best is not messing around. Baked to crispy on top and at the edges, creamy, gooey and just shy of too decadent on the inside, Beecher's mac was a lifetime favorite. (Due to variety of ingredients and texture, I cannot easily rank Beechers against the breadcrumb-on-top Chat n Chew brilliance or a few other variations of the classic I've encountered, so please accept my "lifetime favorite" as a highest possible accolade). Simply put, this mac cheese rocked my world and the tastes I managed to snag of the pork belly version (ordered without fennel by 2 in my party) only served as evidence that I must come back again and again until I've had one of every mac on the menu.

A peak into The Cellar

And in case you were wondering, Beecher's has plenty of non-mac entrees (Dr. H thorough enjoyed his Littleneck Clams) but the mac cheese is definitely their finest. Lastly, it should be noted that Beecher's "cheese-osophy" is that the cheeses are all au naturale, meaning they contain no additives or preservatives and the milk-makers (cow, goat, etc) are all hormone free. Plus, according to their website, they now have a gluten free mac cheese available! Now isn't that just cheese-tastic?

Eat, Drink and be Merry!

Ice cream season is coming!!!

Well if this wasn't the longest 3-day week EVER! Between the cold and then the construction  debacle and getting absolutely beasted by a post-vacation deluge of work, I'm ready for the weekend big time. Maybe it will even be warm and sunny enough to warrant my first visit with Mr. Softee!? I could use some Mr. Softee... Here to ensure a fun few days ahead are some eats, a drink and a little something to make you smile. See you next week!!

Superfood Quinoa Salad. YUM.

I always struggle to find ways to kick quinoa up a notch (it's like pasta's healthier, bland cousin) but this shrimp quinoa salad looks like it just might do the trick.  Click HERE for the full recipe, including homemade lemon vinaigarette dressing (which is so easy, I can't wait to try it!) 

Tuxedo Greyhound

Could there be a cocktail more spring-y looking cocktail than these "Tuxedo Greyhounds"!? Comprised of grapefruit juice, simple syrup (granulated sugar and water), vodka and champagne (precise mixology instructions HERE) I might have to channel my inner Megan Draper and sip one of these lovelies while watching Sunday night's Mad Men season premiere (anyone else SO excited!? Full recap of last season to get you ready courtesy of Rolling Stone mag HERE). So very Zou Bisou Bisou.

Be merry!!