What's Coming Up.

// Hydrangeas from my mom's yard. Ahhh. //

It's July!

Happy Monday, dear friends. I hope you had a blast celebrating the 4th of July with friends and family and my personal lover, watermelon.

I thought I would give you an update on what's coming up on the blog in the next few weeks.

I'm about to have a baby, in case you haven't heard.

Or noticed my gradual growth.

You are so kind to pretend you haven't noticed. I love you for that. You liar.

I have about 4 weeks until my due date, which means that soon (and very soon!) this little guy will be making his way into our lives. We are excited, thrilled, a little freaked (just of the unknown factor), and busily preparing ourselves, our birth plan, our home, our car, and our brains. But I'll save all those juicy details for this week's Bumpdate.

The past 6 weeks have been chock-full of transition in our world. We just moved out of our 1-bedroom apartment in New York City... into the upstairs of my parents' suburban Georgia home. Talk about a transition! We are all still adjusting. They have been gracious. They have bitten their tongues on several occasions. We will gladly accept your prayers.

Even though we're in Georgia now, I still have SO MUCH about NYC that I want to share. We experienced life in 3-D during our time living in Manhattan, and I wish that part of me could go on living there forever. While also living here. Does that make any sense? Anyway, I want to go ahead and share a lot of NYC-themed posts over the course of this next week, and then we will close the chapter to the 50 NYC Adventures for a season. So far, I've only shared 20 with you. I have so much more that I would like to share about NYC, but in preparation for the baby invasion, I'm going to hit pause on that series and come back to it again after the baby arrives (and after another NYC trip, which we are hoping we can make happen in late-fall :)Yes, we like to dream.

So coming up on the blog over the next month? Finishing up some NYC Adventures, more baby prep/pregnancy-related stuff, some new (WONDERFUL) Georgian tales, and a not-so-surprising lack of recipes (I loathe cooking these days). Once our little man arrives, I'll take about a month off (give or take) from blogging and be updating everyone via Instagram.

Just wanted to give you a sense of where everything is headed, rather rapidly - to babyland! Thanks for being part of our journey :)

20/50 NYC Adventures: Black Seed Bagel

Black Seed Bagel.

Word on the street is that this is THE PLACE for bagels in NYC. Forget those monstrous, slathered-in-cream-cheese, bloated New York bagels... Black Seed Bagel boasts the latest and greatest recipe in the bageling world. It's the only place in Manhattan serving this style... and it hails from Canada. That's right. You read me correctly. CANADA. Much like the cronuts at Dominique Ansel's, people line up at the crack of dawn to score their beloved breakfast bread. And sometimes? Well, Black Seed runs out. So you better hurry.

The Hype.

Why all the fuss? Apparently Montreal-style breakfast bagels are the jam these days. How do I know this? Weeeeeeeeeeell, I went to this uber-posh dinner party for a dear friend, and let me tell you, the guests at this gig were SO CHIC. A real New York moment, honestly. I don't know how I got invited. One guy was a fashion designer, another guy was an artist (like, a REAL one), another dude and his wife started this super cool blog that was taking Manhattan's restaurant realm by storm. It was like everywhere I turned, there was another awesomely accomplished, interesting-souled person to talk to. And one of those delightful humans shed some light on the "best bagel in the world" that I "absolutely HAD to try" before moving out of NYC. So I mean, what do you do when a stranger so strongly recommends something? Usually nothing. But people, he was talking about BREAKFAST FOOD. So, an obvious exception.

Taste the Gluten. DO IT.

Thank God we listened to him. Black Seed Bagel blew my mind. And our mystery friend was right - it was the best bagel I had ever tasted. Stevie and & seriously considered getting back in line for seconds. Why are they so great? These bagels are significantly smaller than NYC bagels, with a honeyed hint of sweetness and an almost almond-esque finish. It could be the fact that they bake them in a brick-fire oven. Or the way they hand-roll the dough and then poach the bagel in its final moment before serving. Could it be the butter-glazed outside, the tenderly crisped inside? Stevie opted for the Everything Bagel with cold-smoked salmon, avocado, tomato & cream cheese, while I omitted the salmon and had everything else. It was truly, truly SO GRAND. Ah, I'm salivating just at the memory.

Just Sayin'.

You lucky Manhattan-ites - go and get it. NOW.

18/50 NYC Adventures: THE CRONUT

THE CRONUT.

I've been waiting a while to share about this dynamite treat. Never was there such a curious, outrageous, truly spectacular sugary specimen as the cronut. The CRONUT. Masterminded by the pastry architects at the Dominique Ansel Bakery in Soho, the cronut is one of the few great hybrids of our time, the delicate marriage of a fluffy, flaky croissant and a decadent, rich donut. Let that sink in for a moment. A CROISSANT DONUT. And the wonder doesn't stop. Not only is the texture soft like butter, coated in rich molasses granules, but the flavors... they are just over-the-top outrageous. This particular one? Passionfruit with Maple glaze. Dear Lord, I just became a believer all over again.

The cronut is so famous in Manhattan that people line up every morning, beginning at 6:30 AM, to attempt a purchase. You see, there is a 2 per person limit. You aren't allowed to purchase any more than that. I mean, you can purchase OTHER pastries. But the cronut? They only make 350 each day and they sell out within an hour. So when you finally score a cronut, you've definitely earned your day's quota of bragging rights. There is no shame in sauntering into work (perhaps even a few minutes late, just for the statement), all smug like, "Yeah... got cronuts this morning." Wait for the jaws to drop. Wait for the pain-stricken howls of envy and regret from your coworkers. You know what you won't experience? Attitude for the asinine choice you made to wait in a forever-long line, in strange (sometimes evil) wintery weather, and pay far too much, all for a pastry. Nope. No one will question your race for the cronut. They just won't.

// The sexiest pastry of our time. //

// Celebrating its 1-year birthday! //

The Truth.

Of course, I can't tell you any of this from experience. I never waited in that god-forsaken line. Because an angel of the Lord delivered my cronut TO MY DOOR (cue epic Celine Dion ballad NOW.)

I've mentioned our delightful foodie friends Anthony and Jessica before (here and here), and I'm sure to shout their names from the rooftops again, but on this particular day? Well, they made me want to live in Manhattan, on the same block as them, FOR-EV-ER. Anthony, out of the dear kindness of his heart (and after previously hearing that Stevie and I had never indulged in this cronut mischief), decided to surprise us with cronuts. He got up early. He went ALL THE WAY DOWNTOWN (ugh, such a chore), in rush hour, no less. He waited in that looooooooong line. He purchased two (overpriced) cronuts. And he brought them home after work, delivering them to us in that stylish, infamous cronut-y packaging that can make you a target to get hoodlum-jumped on the subway. He did all of that. For us. I'm seriously tearing up just writing about it.

Guys. It was SO DEEEEEEEEEEELICIOUSSSSSSS. It was the ambrosia of the gods. The sweet honeyed nectar from a mythical, mystical, magical, emotional alternative universe of taste-sensory glory.

And of course, after indulging in the most decadent treat of my life, we immediately made plans to GO TO THERE.

Here we are, there, eating other delightful Dominique Ansel treats. The DKA, the Frozen S'more (and Stevie snagged a cheesecake-y thing for later!) We were undone.

And then we were done.

// Yes, that precious soul is blow-torching our S'more. Amen. //

// Other fine delicacies. //

Getyusome.

Nothing can compare. Nothing can come close. This was the pastry to take the cake (literally) and we are forever changed. Thank you, dearest Anthony & Jessica, for being the kindest, most giving creatures in Manhattan-land, and for GIVING US THE GIFT OF CRONUT.

Moved.

Moved Out.

I can't believe we did it. I can't believe we moved TO New York, and I can't believe we are already moved OUT. In the blink of an eye, you can do some really wild stuff. And we are tired. So many of you were incredibly encouraging and supportive when we shared about why we chose to leave the big city for a quieter, suburban year - thanks for all the loving comments and support!

I thought it was time to give you an update on our moving status: IT IS FINISHED. Well, sort of. We have moved, but we are most certainly not settled. This past week has been a whirlwind. Emotionally and physically. Moving across the country at 8 months pregnant is no small feat, and my husband has been the BOMB. He took care of every detail, hiring people to pack us and move us and then unpack us, just so that I wouldn't have to deal with the leaning over/bending/lifting shenanigans. He's the best. However, we were still completely exhausted when our plane touched down at Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta, slightly dumbfounded at our willingness to leave the greatest city on Earth. How could we do this? Are we insane? We have LOVED our time in New York, and yet, here we are, toting all our belongings and moving back to where we started? LITERALLY?! We were both born in this town. We are such homebodies, its silly.

I could gloriously elaborate paragraph upon paragraph about the emotional processing that we've both experienced, but that would be insanely boring. I like you too much to do that. Just know that we are processing, adjusting, unpacking, tearing up every now and then, and joyous to be here, all at once. We are at peace with this decision. And yet baffled, too.

One good thing that Stevie pointed out: Everywhere we've lived, we've been sad to leave. And that's a good sign because it means we have a valued investment in that place. When we left northern California to move back to Atlanta for school/work, we were sad. And when we moved from Atlanta to Boston for Stevie to go to grad school, we were suuuuuper nervous/excited but sad to leave our loving world. Moving from Boston to New York? WE WERE SO SAD. Although it was a little easier because all our friends were moving on, too. And now? Leaving NYC to go back to Atlanta? While we are extremely happy about coming home and getting to spend time with our loved ones, we are just sad. NYC has been such a dreamy experience for us. And I mean, Atlanta is just not New York. It's just NOT. But I love my husband's positivity, because he's right: it's good to leave a place and be sad about it, because that means its been an enriching, positive experience. And I know this won't be our last move, either, so... we have to start getting good at processing these kinds of transitions. Oh life.

// I got to sip my coffee while my belongings were packed. THANK YOU JESUS. //

// A few snapshots of the last day in our beloved apartment. Isn't he cute? I think I'll marry him. And have his baby. Oh wait. //

// Moved out! Waiting on our UberX to take us to the airport. Trying not to get too teary. The struggle. //

Because Moving Wasn't Crazy Enough...

After arriving in Atlanta and getting our stuff moved in 24 hours later, we jumped in our bro/sis-in-law's car (thanks, guys!!) and road tripped down to Florida where all Stevie's family was vacationing. The trip? Marvelous. The drive? Ridiculous. No more road trips for me until this baby is done being inside of me. Although the quiet comfort of the beach was a really relaxing reward after all the transitioning/shifting/relocating. We took practically no photos at the beach, just detoxed from the move and slept our little hearts out. But I found a few of these gems on my phone:

I'm just gonna go ahead and say "you're welcome" for that delicious eye candy I just served you. If you're feeling at all insecure about your summer bathing suit bod, keep in mind that I will only keep expanding for the next two months. So if you think you're not looking hot, just keep in mind that my personal summer uniform consists of a stretched-out bathing suit and chunky tennis shoes. Because that is what is most refreshing and comfortable. Yeah.

That's the update for now! I still have lots of NYC funsies to share with you. Our last 6 weeks in the city were partylicious - we visited a ton of new restaurants and explored the town with gusto. So look forward to more additions to the 50 NYC Adventures. And think of us as we, ya know, wear our bathing suits and unpack and car shop. Summertime in the 'burbs!

17/50 NYC Adventures: East Village Tour

East Village Tour

This is a continuation of our Alphabet City Progressive Dinner tour. The East Village is one of the city's most eclectic hubs, ripe with ethnic restaurants, itty-bitty bars and funky shops. If you're a purveyor of rich food and off-the-beaten-path atmosphere, allow your feet to wander all over this hood. You could walk around this area of town for hours and never see the same restaurant twice.

If you take the subway to Astor Place, you will exit right by Starbucks. If you're interested in doing a bit of pre-game people watching, grab a beverage and sit in this massive window. This particular Starbucks location has the most perfect view of Astor Place, looking all the way down St. Marks Street. You can check out all the chic fashionistas walking by - and you don't feel like such a creeper, staring from your perch on a bench. Because instead, you're a creeper behind the glass. Just sayin', it's a bit of an upgrade.

Once you've had your fill of crowd-watching, dive into the mix and start walking down St. Marks. There are some of the CUTEST little shops in this area. Resist going into everything, because then you will never actually get to the eating. Which, in my opinion, is the best part.

Mighty Quinns

103 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003 mightyquinnsbbq.com

Cuisine: Merger of Texas & "the Carolinas"-style Barbeque

Must Order: Burnt Ends, Pulled Pork, Brisket BBQ, Edamame & Sweet Pea Salad, Baked Beans (and I don't even LIKE baked beans, but these were scrumptious), plus all the Pickled Add-Ons (cucumbers, celery, red onions, chilies)

Impression: So, about a month ago I wrote a post about the deliciousness of Harlem's Dinosaur Barbeque (and I will stand by that review!), but I have to admit - THIS IS BETTER. Also a completely different style of barbeque. Mighty Quinns is smokier, steeped in juicy sauce and tenderly, joyously falling off the bone. Into my mouth. Warming my heart. The Burnt Ends Pork was probably my favorite, but its a real toss-up, because all the meat was so freakin' delish. And the atmosphere is awesome, kinda country (I mean, as country as it gets in the middle of Manhattan) and staffed with folks who know their barbeque. This place had a 30-minute line out the door, and it was completely worth the wait. GO TO THERE.

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

125 East 7th Street, New York NY 10009 biggayicecream.com

Cuisine: Ice Cream

Must Order: Salty Pimp (vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt, chocolate dip), American Globs (vanilla ice cream, pretzels, sea salt, chocolate dip), Gobbler (vanilla ice cream, pumpkin butter & maple syrup OR apple butter & bourbon butterscotch, pie pieces, whipped cream)

Impression: It's pretty self-explanatory. It's a big, gay ice cream shop. There is a gigantic unicorn painted on the wall. And there is really, REALLY good ice cream to be eaten, if you don't mind the insanely long lines. There are benches outside where you can eat and enjoy the sunshine, although beware - the serving sizes are huge and your ice cream might do some melting in the spring sunshine :)

The Far East. Village, that is.

Once again, many many, MANY mad-crazy thanks to our bright-eyed guides to the East Village, dearest Anthony & Jessica. Geez, I'm so thankful to know you. And to glean from your foodie research and wisdom. You two are just the creamiest of the crop. Love you both :)