Upcycled Buffet Table.

When we moved into our house a little over a year ago, we were given a set of dining room furniture. Yes, given. An entire set of furniture. We were crazy blessed, considering we had no furniture to our name at the time. While the furniture was extremely well-made and in mint condition, it was a little old-fashioned for my taste. Visions of DIY projects filled my dreams, and I had grand plans to flip this furniture and give it a shabby-chic makeover. Little did I factor in the 40+ other home improvement projects, a husband in and out of town with his job, and getting knocked up again into that plan. Those things shifted the priority list, and for over a year I stared at this furniture day in and day out, as it towered over me with its mahogany ferociousness.

It seems like it would have a frenchy accent, right?

I would like to say there's a happy ending to this story, but I'm still mid-story. I managed to finish re-doing the dining room buffet before this little guy arrived, and I am so thrilled with how it turned out. However, I still have a gigantic china cabinet and dining room table to finish... so I'm about 1/3 done with the set. But still! Progress!

Here is the "before":

Here is the piece with 1 coat of paint:

And here is the piece with 2 coats of paint:

And here is the "after":

The Process.
To achieve the antique look, I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White. I applied two coats of the paint, using Purdy 1.5 and 3-inch brushes, letting the coats dry for a few days in between. Using a course grade of sand paper, I sanded the areas I wanted to distress, especially the decorative flourishes in the wood. I wanted those to stand out, so I really went to town on those sections. (If I were doing this project again, I would use an electric sander because this part was very labor-intensive).

Then I used the Minwax Wood Finishing Penetrating Stain in Ebony and gently applied it to the entire piece. I used an extremely minimal amount, and even then, I worked in small sections, applying the stain with an old rag and then immediately wiping it off. I used gloves for this part. I found that using the Annie Sloan Clear Wax to wipe off the stain was the perfect way to minimize the intensity of the stain while still letting the pigment soak into the sanded areas. So I went back and forth with two rags, applying the stain, and then rubbing the stain off with the clear wax. This process was the most artistic part of the whole project, because I could decide how dark/light I wanted the stain to look and soak into the wood. The more stain you use, the more distressed and aged the piece looks. The less stain you use, the brighter the white paint looks. So it's definitely a choice. I spent a lot of time pouring over Pinterest DIY projects (check out my dining room board) to figure out how I wanted my piece to look.

I finished the buffet with another coat of clear wax over the entire piece, to seal everything. Then I spray painted the hardware with Rust-Oleum Metallic spray paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze. Overall, I am super pleased with the buffet and I feel like achieved that french provincial look I was going for.

I chose to keep the top of the buffet the original wood, because there was a decorative feature in the grain that I think is super artistic and beautiful. I think the dark wood on top anchors the piece and keeps it feeling "dressy". I decided to move the furniture out of my dining room because it was simply too crowded in there. Now it lives in the living room, and I use it as a bar when we have guests over.

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Project Cost:

Buffet - FREE
Hardware - FREE (kept the old)
Purdy 1 + 1/2-inch Paint Brush - $9.86
Purdy 3-inch Paint Brush - $15.33
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White - $34.95
Annie Sloan Clear Wax - $24.95
Minwax Wood Finishing Penetrating Stain in Ebony - $11.00
Rust-Oleum Metallic spray paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze - $7.77

Total Cost: $103.86

I can't give an exact estimate of how long a project like this should take, because I took a month-long trip to New York in between starting and finishing. Oops. Talking about procrastinating. So in theory, this should probably take 5-7 days total, including the drying time, but it took me all summer long to actually get this thing moved back into my home.

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Overall, I am really pleased with this furniture makeover. Now I just need to have a paint party to complete the rest of the dining room furniture! Who wants to come over?? I'll buy the pizza and brew ;)

P.S. - When I painted my son's toy cabinet emerald green, and if you're up for braving it, how to make your own chalk paint.

An Ode to Riverside Dining.

The scene was exhilarating, maddening, memorable. Dinnertime in the city. A wall of windows reflected the setting sun over Atlanta’s lazy Chattahoochee River. The silverware sparkled. The music was sweet. My whole family was finally together in one place, all of us, together again! We gathered to celebrate my beautiful little sister’s graduation from college. We were all so proud, beaming with sheer joy, laughing and pouring the wine and drinking in the moment’s wonder.

I, however, was sorely distracted.

My baby son was squirming in my arms, pulling on my fancy dress, and yelping incomprehensible phrases. It was past his bedtime, and he was tired and hungry. I did my best to contain him while we were seated at our white-clothed table, but to no avail. What’s a mom to do?

As the waiter approached the table, I was so distracted by Everett eating the crayons and throwing the appetizer that I didn’t take a moment to look at the menu. However, instead of rolling his eyes and (not so subtly) judging me for bringing a baby into this hoity-toity joint, our kind waiter just smiled and said, “Ma’am, please take your time.”

Whew. Take my time? Don’t mind if I do. I almost asked him if I could take my time in the form of a 20-minute break at the bar while he played patty cake with my baby. Don’t worry, I only thought it.

The meal came out and it was spectacular. The chef made Everett something special since there was no children’s menu, and he ate and ate and ate. Like the rest of us. This restaurant wasn’t an Atlanta landmark for no reason. Each morsel, taste, spoonful, and decadent bite was rich with  flavor. Even my little boy had calmed into a food stupor for a few moments, so I actually had a chance to enjoy my half-glass of wine and laugh with my sisters.

It was a moment of perfection. The wait staff was so discreet that I hardly noticed when they whisked away a plate, refilled a beverage, and let me keep our mess of baby food and teething toys and sippy cups in my quadrant of the table. We toasted to my sister’s future over and over again. The glowing eyes of my loved ones encircled my periphery, and I felt like the luckiest lady in the world.

When Everett got fussy, the host suggested that a walk through the garden might calm the baby down. He escorted me through the French doors that led to a riverbank path. The outdoor space was peaceful and green and he was enamored by the simple beauties. The tall tomato plants amused him, the fat bell peppers made him laugh and the cranes skimming the top of the water had a hypnotizing effect. As the sun took its final plunge into the river, I knew that this place was the right choice to celebrate such a special occasion, due to both the excellent cuisine and the fact that I didn’t feel like a complete nuisance to the wait staff. In fact, I felt so cared for, when I would normally be feeling frantic and out of control.

I am so grateful that a restaurant as esteemed as this would train its staff to treat all guests with such an incredible amount of attention and care. This place didn’t need my business, but they made me feel like a priority in an environment that was a challenge for my large family with multiple children along for the ride.

This encounter makes me think about how I treat others, especially those who have different situations than mine. Sometimes I don’t take enough time to consider how I can be of service. I tend to drive impatiently, tap my foot while I wait in line, eat in a hurry and talk on my phone while I’m doing ten things at once. But if I took just a bit of extra time to emulate our kind waiter by making those around me feel like they could take their time in my presence, well, how much better would people feel? A lot, probably. A whole lot better.

Thank you, Canoe. Your distinct excellence inspires me to approach others with the same sensitivity and respect that you showed me. And thank you for making me feel cared for by approaching family dining as just that – a special memory for the entire family.

Want to meet purveyors who are making a difference with their customers? Check out BonAppetit.com’s “Out of the Kitchen”, an ongoing exploration of the relationships that build and sustain the food industry. See how hyper-local food markets operate and how their focus on quality and service keep customers coming back for more.

Many thanks to Epicurious for sponsoring this post.

16/50 NYC Adventures: Progressive Dinner in Alphabet City

Alphabet City Tour

Okay, so we were officially hip for ONE NIGHT of living in this city. Most of the time we are seriously homebodies, cooking up a storm and watching Netflix. Most recently, this tradition has been supplemented by an evening walk in the park or a foot rub, per my husband's generous heart. Bless that man for being so kind while I whip up a baby. But on this one amazing night, our dear friends Anthony and Jessica "showed us the ropes" and took us on the most fabulous foodie tour of Alphabet City, which is a super cool, semi-gritty, chock-full-of-delicious-restaurants-neighborhood in East Village. Anthony and Jess are serious about their taste buds. They cook. Like, they really cook. And they attend all these fancy city dinners and chef award celebrations and they're up on the poshest places to eat your heart out. So we really couldn't have gotten luckier when they offered to tour us around these Alphabet City gems. People, I was sampling cuisine I never knew existed. Tasting recipes with ingredients I had never heard of. How delightful it is to experience and savor the many ways pork can be served. Yum.

Please forgive the grimy iPhone pics. Just know that all this food rocked my face off, so if you're ever visiting this area and want a rec... this post is your pot of gold!

The Blind Barber 339 E 10th St, New York, NY 10009 blindbarber.com

Cuisine: SPEAKEASY

Must Order Cocktails: Strawberry Fields, Batman, Blackjack

Impression: This place wins the chic/awesome/city-swanky award BY FAR. Guys, this is a speakeasy, hidden in the back of a real barber shop. Yes. There is a secret door that takes you to a back room, "the cocktail parlor", they call it, and in the parlor there are a series of rooms, including a library, where one can imbibe prohibition-style. Pretty stinkin' cool. Don't worry, I had a dressed-up lemonade, sans alcohol. But I still felt like one of the bad girls from the roaring twenties. And that was fun enough.

Momofuku Noodle Bar 171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003 momofuku.com/new-york/noodle-bar

Cuisine:  American-style Ramen & Noodle Bar

Must Order: Pork Buns! PORK BUNS!!!

Impression: Since this was a progressive meal, we only did a quick appetizer here, but of course we could have stayed longer and indulged. Instead, because the restaurant was so packed, Anthony ran inside, ordered pork buns to go, and we scarfed on them in the dark, wonderful New York moonlight. While all the urban hipsters pushed passed us, huffing on their American Spirits and scurrying off to their uber-hip dinner plans. The bunsssssss. Deliciously juicy and seasoned, the pork is housed by a light, yeasty dough that is just. Perfect? Yeah, perfect. We scarfed in decadent silence. And sadly walked away from the thumping restaurant.

Affiliate Restaurants: Ssam Bar, Booker and Dax, Ko, Ma Peche

Porchetta 110 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009 porchettanyc.com

Cuisine: Slow-cooked Italian Fast Food

Must Order: Italian Porchetta Sandwich, Chicken Saffron Sandwich

Impression: This joint is tiny, and more akin to a souped-up food truck, with about 4 barstools crowding the front entrance. And that's about all the seating you get. But you don't come to Porchetta for the seating, you come for the MEAT. Porchetta is a Roman-style herb-roasted pork that will make you cry, it's so good. Seasoned with fennel, sage, garlic, rosemary and pollen... it's just out of this world. And the Chicken Saffron Sandwich? It was a special when we were there, and I hope it remains especially on the menu :) Those Italians. They even do their STREET FOOD right.

// We are disgusting. I already know. //

Somtum Der 85 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009 somtumder.com

Cuisine: Isan Thai (from the northeastern region of Thailand)

Must Order Entree: Pad Ki Mao Pork & Basil (flat noodles with diced beef, scrumptious), Pad Thai with Crab (it sounds kind of weird, but it's kind of awesome), Papaya Salad (everyone loved it, I'm not a huge fan of this kind of salad in general), Sa Poak Kai Tod Der (deep-fried chicken thigh, yes, you read that right), Fried Pork Basil with Egg (self-explanatory and soooo good)

Impression: Inexpensive food (nothing is over $15), and surprisingly delicious, with an excellent mix of sweet-savory in each dish. I've had some strange Thai food since I've been in this city and that have made me a bit gun shy at new places, so I came into Somtum Der with a critical palate - and was pleasantly surprised at how good everything tasted. And from what I've heard, this place is seriously authentic.

More to Come!

We continued to hit up some yummy places in East & West Village, but I will have to split this post up into several because there is just SO. MUCH. TO SHARE. So stay tuned.

Anthony & Jess, how can I best profess my undying love for you?? Thank you for being the hippest, swankiest, most "in-the-know" New Yorkers we know and letting us accompany you on this tasty tour of the town :)

Columbus Circle Romance: Robert

// The Columbus Circle Loop. And our view from the top! //

Getting Back Out There.

I took a couple of months off from life. When I found out I was pregnant, I was shocked. Then thrilled. Then ill. For quite some time. I have finally unearthed from my icy apartment and started exploring this wonderful city once again. One of the first places Stevie took me (to celebrate our being normal restaurant-goers once again, oh, and the kid coming our way) was to a restaurant in Columbus Circle called Robert.

Ambiance.

Located on the 9th floor of the Museum of Arts & Design, this restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over Columbus Circle and the west side view of Central Park. Pretty legit. The restaurant itself is verrrrry hip, with darkened mood lighting, super modern furnishings and live tuneage played on the baby grand piano in the corner. Very "New York"-y. We had the best time being normal adults again. Like, laughing. And not wearing days-old pajamas (okay, to be fair, it was only me who did that). But just to marvel at this incredible city we live in - ah, it was just such FUN. I continually have these "aha" moments about living here in New York. I can't believe we are here. I can't believe I am actually auditioning and attempting to live my dream. It's probably a conversation for another time, but "living the dream" isn't always what you think it will be like. Ha. But this kind of restaurant ambiance is the perfect setting to have THOSE kinds of conversations. Aren't date nights the best when you can really talk and process with your best friend? Anyways, back to Rob.

Service.

The service was super outstanding - our waiter was so attentive and insisted that I shouldn't miss out on all the fun because I'm pregnant. He surprised me by bringing out (several) gorgeous, flowery virgin cocktails. So adorable and made me feel really special. It could have just been sparkling lemonade, but it made me feel like a lady again. And then they threw in free dessert! Such spectacular service.

// Sorry for the grainy photos - it was really dark in the restaurant! Check out the fancy lemonade they used in my pregnant-friendly cocktail - apparently it's available at Whole Foods, yumm. //

Food.

The food was decently good, though perhaps not totally outstanding if you're looking for really inventive cuisine. I would definitely recommend visiting for pre-dinner drinks or post-dinner dessert and coffee. The live music really makes it feel swanky, and looking out over the sparkly lights of Columbus Circle, well, that's doubly swanky. Make sure to reserve early on Opentable for a table by the window - those spots go weeks in advanced!

// A chilly walk home along the park. //

Walk in the Park.

All in all, if you're a New Yorker and haven't yet discovered Robert, it's a definite MUST. And if you're visiting, it's a decadent spot that captures all the charm of Upper West Side New York. Now go on, enjoy!

The Progressive Palate // Bourbon Chapter

Photo Credits: Andrew Stein

Eureka. A Dinner Was Born.

During the gigantic snow storm a few weeks ago a wondrous idea was hatched. Sitting around a bar table with a couple of dear friends, we pondered the idea of having a progressive dinner. Since life in Cambridge is relatively close-knit and entirely walkable, it seemed like a pretty "duh" idea to plan a meal and simply meader from house to house. I honestly don't know why we haven't done this before. The other part of this genius brainstorm included a longing to improve our bar tending skills. Combining the two ideas, one perfect creation was birthed: The Progressive Palate. A progressive dinner based on Bourbon-themed cuisine and beverages. I know, sounds like foodie Heaven, right? RIGHT.

The Map + Menu.

Cocktails and Appetizers

// Hale House - We served Ricotta and Pistachio stuffed Figs, Brie and Crackers served with Homemade Apple Butter, an assortment of winter fruits and... (drumroll please) Lemon-Mint Juleps. We were the only Southerners in this crew, so we had to represent. Juleps were just the ticket.

Dinner and Drinks

// Tomasik House - The lovely Tomasiks served Bourbon-Barbeque Pulled Pork, Coleslaw, Spring Corn Bean Salad and straight up Bourbon on the rocks. Mmm. Walk time from our house to theirs? 6 minutes. (Disclaimer: That does not include the gear up time, i.e. donning coat, boots, scarf, hat, gloves... Snow is still on our ground, people.)

Dessert and Delights

// Sachedina House - Petsi's Apple and Cherry Pie served with varied ice creams and assorted Bourbon, Baileys and Kahlua. Oh so yum. Walk time from their house to hers? 3.5 minutes. Not much of a need to "gear up" since the commute time is oh so short.

Moment.

We ate. We drank. We howled with laughter. Stories were told, exotic travels recalled and perhaps a few impressions were thrown around... While the entire evening was a smashing success, there was one really special moment for me personally.

Lounging around the main course dinner table, we were discussing the Pope and his abrupt abdication of the Catholic throne. As I looked around the table, it dawned on me that these dear friends, these beloved and talented brainiacs, all represent a specific and eclectic origin completely dissimilar to my own incubated life experience. Each of us vary in our religion, ethnicity and upbringing. Each are at a different stage professionally, each pursuing a wildly different profession. Each tabletop opinion shaped by a specific worldly experience, whether it was growing up halfway across the Earth, celebrating a holiday I had never heard of or worshiping a deity I had, truthfully, never given much thought to. These precious people are more than a hometown homage to their flag or a trophy tribute to their culture; they are flesh and mind and smiles and spirit. This reverent moment stunned me. It painted a portrait fitting of my time here in Cambridge; a patchwork quilt of diversity drawing together fabric from around the globe. Surprising me with its texture and warmth and affection. I promise, this isn't the Bourbon talking. I was truly struck by how rare it is to have Muslims, Jews and Christians all share a meal in perfect, perfect harmony. In that moment, my prayer and awe were simple, "Let this make ripples around the world."

Ahead.

We had an alarming amount of fun. Naturally, the next Progressive Palate is already in the works. We're thinking Italian...?

I encourage you to try out your own dinner event! It can be silly, it can be swanky, but just remember that even though the food is important... the guests are truly the delight of the feast.