Australia Recap

For years people have told me that I’d love Australia. I was always told that it was like a mix of Hawaii and Europe (both places I love and have lived). I’ve appreciated and admired many Australian brands for quite some time as well (hi Anna Quan, DISSH, SIR, etc. etc.) Anyways, the stars finally aligned for me to visit and it did not disappoint.

I really did love everything about it but the ultimate highlights were 1. that I got to stay with a friend from culinary school in Melbourne and 2. I got to spend my birthday with my nephews, sister-in-law and brother! If you need some ideas for an upcoming trip or even just a nice little visual scroll, please enjoy my Australia recap!

Copenhagen

Beyond obsessed with this city. I’d move here in a heartbeat if given the chance and I’m already trying to plan a trip back! I didn’t have enough time to fully savor everything it had to offer. But here are some of my top recommendations for now.

1. Baest: an absolute must. I got their tasting menu and everything was absolutely divine

2. Apotek57: also a must for breakfast, try the miso caramel croissant, I swear my entire life on this pastry

3. Atelier September: also a must, you’ll see their famous whipped butter mound which is nothing short of stunning

4. La Bachina: a gorgeous restaurant with a wine bar, sauna…right on a dock! This is the most idyllic place and a must if you’re there in summer, which you should be

5. Buka Bakery: loved the cardamom bun

6. Lille Bakery: too many good bakeries to count

7. Andersen & Maillard: another bakery, just trust

8. Hart Bageri: yes, another

9. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art: this is like a 30 minute train ride outside of the city but a gorgeous area. An absolute highlight of my trip was spending a couple hours roaming around the grounds of this museum

10. The Round Tower: classic

11. Tivoli Gardens: kind of magical, I was so tired this day so I people watched and thoroughly enjoyed

12. Acne Archive: self explanatory, great shopping

13. Ganni Postmodern: it’s like a discounted Ganni store, a fun visit, especially if you’re looking to snag some things on sale

14. New Mags: bookstore, love — other good stores right in this area!

Paris, Extended Version

I can’t even believe I’m doing this but as a New Year’s gift to you all, I have compiled a more extended version of my Paris list (dedicated 3 months of my life to this work of art). When people reach out for recommendations, this is what I would send:

Museums:

• Picasso

• Rodin

• L’Orangerie

• Petite Palace: free!

• Lourve

• D’Orsay

• Centre Pompidou

Cafes/Boulangeries:

• Partisan: my favorite cafe

• Buddy Buddy: fun to visit, nut butter lattes

• Dreamin Man

• Sain Boulangerie: a go-to after class, amazing assortment of pastries daily

• Tapisserie: gorgeous!

• The Coffee

• Mamiche: possibly the best croissants I had in Paris

• Du Pain et Des Idees: another incredible croissant, get the almond

• Libertie

• French Bastards

• Recto Versa

• Two Doors

• Drink White

Food:

• Miznon: mediterranean casual, multiple locations, something fresh

• Benchy’s: japanese style sandwiches

• Bagels & Brownies: fun to grab and take to Jardin du Luxembourg

• Septime: difficult to get a reservation but if you can, go!

• Bouche: dinner, stunning, small plates

• Fabula: gorgeous courtyard in a musuem

• Early June: they get a new chef every 6 weeks!

• Clamato: seafood!

• Frenchie’s: they have a Michelin rated restaurant but also a walk-in version across the street and it is divine

• Berry: a favorite breakfast spot!

• Gramme: multiple locations, Gramme3 is one of my favorite breakfast spots

• Ismail

• Crying Tiger: thai

• Chez Miam Miam

Dessert:

• Bachir: lebanese ice cream! their signature is to cover the ice cream in pistachio crumbs and it’s delicious

• Grom: forever favorite gelato, I’ll swear by the cafe flavor for my entire life

• Scoop Me A Cookie: these cookies are divine but if you don’t have long in Paris you should be eating strictly croissants

• Cafe Isaka: I lived right next to this japanese ice cream shop and they have really fun flavors, black sesame, matcha and coffee were my favorite

Chocolate:

• Le Chocolate: chocolate shop owned by the chef who started my school! If you go to the location by Palace Royal, they have gelato that is divine and you must try the trois vanille and pain flavors.

• A La Mere de Familie: good chocolate, gelato and a gorgeous shop if you’re looking for some fun gifts

Vintage Shopping:

• Nuovo

• Bimbo

• Bobby

• Seven Boys & Girls

• Pretty Box

• Monogram

• Kanelle Vintage

• La Marche Aux Puces

• Marche aux Puces de Vanves

• Marche Vernaison Flea Market

Shopping:

• Archives

• Officine Buly Paris

• Ofr. Paris: favorite bookstore ever ever

• Samaritan: gorgeous department store

• Merci

• Le Bon Marche: very well curated department store

• Galeries Lafayette

• Printemps (immediately go to the 7th floor, trust me!)

Enjoy!

cake era

I have fully entered my cake era on accident and I don’t see it going away anytime soon. My favorite part about it is coming up with different flavor combinations but also practicing my piping skills when I go to decorate. I think the winning combination thus far is the dark chocolate olive oil cake with a hazelnut whipped cream center and a tart cherry, whipped ricotta frosting. I already want to make it again!

Something I have also learned very quickly is that I need to make more frosting than I anticipate because to have enough to decorate it the way you want, takes A LOT of frosting. I always get nervous towards the end that I won’t have enough so I started making larger batches.

Stay tuned as more cakes are sure to come!

Stockholm Musts

Stockholm was my first stop when I left for Europe. I had never been and when I tried to do research I couldn’t find a lot of spots so I just decided I’d figure it out when I got there. The first thing that stunned me about Stockholm was when I went to a public park that first day, I watched a mom walk away from her baby stroller — completely out of sight for at least 20 minutes with all of her belongings left behind. I remember being totally in awe that she felt comfortable doing that. Stockholm was gorgeous, clean, safe and I loved walking around the city with no plans. Below is my list of musts if you’re visiting!

Rosendal Gardens

Genuinely this place felt magical. I spent the entire day here just walking around. They have a fresh cafe inside the gardens and you can just explore for hours. Everything surrounding this area is absolutely stunning.

Matateljen

The flavors at this restaurant are truly out of this world. Creative, fresh and flavorful — what more could you ask for?

Carl Eldhs Atelijemuseum

This is a small sculpture museum, just a short walk from the city and I found it to be stunning. You won’t need a lot of time but I am so glad I made the stop.

Stora Bageriet

The design of this place is gorgeous and I genuinely am still thinking about this salmon toast on rye with pickled cabbage months later.

Book a Boat Tour To Voxholm

This is when I realized I want a summer home in Stockholm. The boat tour takes you through the archipelagos and it’s so fun to see everyone out on the water. Some of the islands are so small, it truly just fits one home which I love. Everyone has their boats docked in front of their house and I was stunned at how beautiful everything was. I stayed in Voxholm for a couple hours and just explored and people watched. A core memory and a must!

Cafe Pascal

An absolute must! This is where I decided I had to break my 5 1/2 year gluten free streak for this gorgeous egg & ham croissant sandwich. I still think about this. They also have a pistachio croissant which I still regret not getting to this day.

Paris, Top Five

So here’s the thing, Paris is perfect. And it’s your lucky day because I’m going to share some of my favorite spots with you. You really can’t go wrong because there is good food on every corner BUT if you have limited time in the city you’ve really got to be strategic. Let’s start off strong with my favorite cafe. Ironic because it’s Berlin style but the first time I went I watched the most stylish girl simply knit a red cardigan while taking her coffee and an older man reading a book with iconic glasses so I was immediately sold. 

Partisan Cafe. Get the sesame cookie, just do it AND/OR the carrot cake

A fav dinner spot you might ask? Bouche. Gorgeous in every way. Creative small plates, seasonal ingredients. You can’t miss. Just make sure to sneak a peek in their gorgeous backroom. 

But also, immediately as you arrive in the city you will need a pastry. Mamiche is superior! Almond croissant forever but everything from there is divine. 

Need a casual lunch spot and a break from carbs? Immediately head to Miznon. Multiple locations, fresh and delicious – not to mention the guys that work there are always hot? It’s really a two for one deal. 

And last but not least it is with the utmost importance that you get gelato from Grom. I’ve had a LOT of gelato in my lifetime and this is always my favorite. Cafe flavor is superior but don’t take my word for it.