Over a rainy birthday week, my mum and I spent the London portion of our British holiday at The Ampersand hotel in the vibrant South Kensington neighborhood of London. The grand building is conveniently located near the South Kensington tube stop, but not so near that you hear it. Perfection. The hotel interior design was…
Month: December 2019
The George- Edinburgh
The George hotel is now owned by the Interncontinental group and I was curious for a return stay from a year or so ago when it remained an independent. The hotel is still absolutely gorgeous and the staff also very helpful. The location is superb, especially when attending a party downstairs. It was the rooms…
Baba- Edinburgh
2019 was a very odd year for birthdays, down to the lunch itself. I’d been wanting to try Baba at the Kimpton Charlotte Square for some time and used #37 as an excuse as it was right down the street from my hotel. After my colleague force fed me, very kindly, multiple bakes just before…
Chrissy Teigan’s Chex Mix Cookies
Sick of the usual holiday cookies? Have a bunch of leftover snacks to use up? Let me introduce you to the Chrissy Teigan Chex Mix cookie. Well, if she hasn’t already… First up, make yourself a vodka soda and taste test your snacks to ensure quality freshness or at least an OK bar snack. Then,…
Mint Oreo Blizzard Cake
Need a last minute dessert that starts from a box cake? If you keep it simple or are better at decorating than yours truly, it should be take between a quick time and four hours. It’s a mint Oreo blizzard cake, just like Dairy Queen, well…without the ice cream. Check out this monster. I’d recommend…
Best of Christmas Baking
Did you wait until less than 24 hours before the holiday to do about everything this year? Especially baking? You are not alone. Please remember, the easiest, tastiest, most Christmas-y recipe can be whipped up in just about thirty minutes. You’ll look like the domestic goddess that is sleeping with in you. Just don’t forget…
Maitre Choux- London
A little sugar to kick off your morning, compliments of the Maitre Choux bakery in South Kensington. How gorgeous are these!? My Paris-Brest eclair was definitely my favorite birthday dessert of the trip! While I missed test driving any of the savories, they were the real star of the show for me. How creative, yet…
Il Portico- London
My <gulp> 37th birthday was just a few days ago and I was delighted to celebrate it with my mum in the UK. We’d spend a few days in Edinburgh followed by a few more in London, culminating with a meal at River Cafe, a new favorite special occasion spot. Well, the final day came…
The Edinburgh Grand
After spending a few evenings at The Hawskmoor Edinburgh and having drinks at the property’s fourth floor, Register Club, it was time for a proper stay at The Edinburgh Grand. The Grand sits at the far end of St. Andrew’s square and is in nice proximity to the train station, shops, and restaurants. The Register…
The Hoxton Southwark
On a recent Saturday night stop in London, I decided to test drive The Hoxton Southwark after reading about it across multiple forums and hearing great things about other Hoxton locations. I would rate the experience as fine-ish, but would not return. The room was industrial chic and unfortunately wasn’t ready when I arrived at…
The Palomar- London
The Palomar, modern day Jersusalem cuisine as they call it, in the middle of bustling Soho. The intimate restaurant almost feels out of place among the theaters, Chinatown, and much larger restaurants for the theater crowd. This had been on my to-eat list for some time and despite not being able to snag a solo…
Hawksmoor Edinburgh
Gearing up to head back across the pond tomorrow, so I wanted to share an Edinburgh and London mainstay that is a staple in my travel diet, The Hawksmoor. I was staying above this favorite of mine last week and was so happy to not bundle up in a coat and head out into the…
Macarons and Mayhem 