A while back we raved about one of our favorite croissants in the city, the pretzel croissant at City Bakery. Well, there’s a new number one these days. It’s hard for either of us to pass by Taralucci e Vino without picking up one of their chocolate croissants. It really is the best croissant I’ve had here to-date (particularly, it seems, at their bakery location on First Avenue). They make an Italian-style chocolate cornetti as well, but our vote goes to the items made with the French-style puff pastry (the almond and cinnamon-raisin croissants are likewise made with this dough and are a close-second to the chocolate).
I particularly like ordering these with Aron because it reminds me that the first French phrase he had me teach him when we were in Paris was “je voudrais un pain chocolat,” and he would walk into pâtisseries and say it with such flair! It is the most important phrase to know… bah oui.
It can be hard to shop for a guy (or so I’ve been told). Here are some very special gifts I would want–not cheap, but not extravagant. I hope this helps!
Starting from the top left:
This 50mm Canon lens is a bargain, and will give you a beautiful depth-of-field. It’s also great for low-light conditions. If price is less of an issue for you, you might get this 50mm lens
–a more professional version with a more professional price tag.
Its hard not to admire a simple, attractive (and classic) timepiece.
Anyone who listens to music, but especially those with an iPhone, will love the Bose earbuds with microphone . After getting used to these, I have a hard time actually holding my phone up to my head. I love Bose, though a friend recommended the Bang & Olufsen 3i
The two pairs of shoes pictured are by a Los Angeles-based company called Generic Surplus. These shoes can be found here and here.
For an alternative to run-of-the-mill pomade, this Tancho Tique
does the trick.
For anyone who likes to cook, a proper chef’s knife is essential; it’s the only knife you truly need in the kitchen. A good chef’s knife can last a lifetime, and Shun
makes an extremely sharp one, crafted using similar techniques as those used to make Samurai swords.
We took the long, long walk down to the corner to pick out our beautiful little Christmas tree. In New York City, come the day after Thanksgiving, there are small Christmas tree lots on nearly every block. We had debated getting a table-top sized one this year, because the stroller now resides in the spot where a tree usually goes; but somehow we made space.
Time has been flying by these past four months and I can’t believe the holidays are here. Has Thanksgiving really come and gone? I don’t think I would have believed it without the tree. I feel like it hit us both, all of the sudden, that we are getting to celebrate our very first Christmas with our little boy when we bundled him up to pick out the little tree.
We poured egg nog, played Christmas music, ate peppermint Joe’s Joes, and watched his eyes light up with the strings of lights. In a sense, Christmas has already come.
[Okay, enough cheese. Awesome gift guide for guys, by Aron, coming very soon.]
