Category: out and about

San Francisco: My West Coast Home

How could you not go?

Old news is good news if you haven’t talked about it on the internet yet.  In December, I piggybacked on my husband’s business trip to San Francisco.  It’s been years since I made my first trip to the West Coast, so going back was like going to a West Coast home that I wish was home. 

Surprisingly it would be the first mini-vacation as a married couple as well.
(Note: this post is long but has lots of food and pictures)

What has always impressed me about San Francisco was the weather; nothing like New York and simply fantastic no matter what season. While it was during winter, it was nothing like the biting cold of New York, and for the entire week I mostly stuck to jackets and cardigans, and a scarf for expectionally chilly nights.  Since I was to keep myself occupied while the other half was working, I was determined to not limit my experiences. However I was a bit worried about exploring by myself. So it was extremely fortunate that we stayed at the Marquis Marriott as it was in Union Square and central to everything.  Also I had a smartphone.  And if worst came to worse I would hangout at the Westfield Centre Mall which thankfully didn’t happen. However we did up hanging around there several times.

Fish Tacos meet Giant Salad.

We arrived early and were able to catch some lunch before I met a local Bay Area Lolita for dinner. He chose a giant salad and I had fish tacos, both ironically at the mall food court but then it had been a long and early flight, so perfectably acceptable.  And since an old college friend of mine worked nearby, she joined us on her lunch break.

It was the best day ever because we were in San Francisco.

We also got dessert at a crème brulee cart.

The Fortune Cookie Factory and familiar facades.
The Great Wall of Cake.
Our hotel was next to Beard Papa and Angelic Pretty.

Full from food we walked to Chinatown and passed by the Angelic Pretty store, which turned out to be dangerously close to our hotel.

Comfort food done right.

After working off our food, I was set for another meal at Mel’s Drive-In, a local chain known for their shakes ands and giant salads (is it a West Coast thing?).  I ordered a black and white shake and a burger, both of which were delicious.  The best were the sweet potato fries.

Legion of Honor Museum

The next day I went to the Legion of Honor to check out a Versailles exhibit. It was actually my first time taking public transportation in San Francisco, and typical me I went in the wrong direction first.  However thanks to a smartphone and Google Maps I was to get on my way.  The only thing about the Legion of Honor, if  you are taking public transportation, was at Golden Gate Park, but what neither my phone or the internet mentioned was there was a golf course at the entrance.  So I got quite confused for a few minutes (literally walking in circles) but then eventually went back on instincts and followed the path up until the museum was in sight.

Part of a Byzantine Chapel.

Unlike New York, San Francisco is very much a driving city but encourages taking public transportation for a more eco-friendly atmosphere. You even get a small discount at local attractions – just show them your pass or ticket stub before you pay admission. Unfortunately they did not allow pictures in the exhibit (not even the sign!) but it was really amazing.  From golden snuffboxes to silver dinnerware to tapestries depicting Louis and Marie Antoinette as Venus and Apollo. In the end it was small but made up in quality, and I imagine that one could only take so much on loan from Versailles. I was also able to check out some of the other galleries where they had a ceiling from a Byzantine-era chapel and were also planning to restore a future exhibit. Rushed back to Union Square to meet up with said college friend for lunch who took me to a local gyro place known for its fries. Then quickly left to change to take a Caltrain, local commuter rail, to meet up with some girls in San Jose.

Christmas in the Park

Christmas in the Park is apparently an annual event where local vendors and schools buy a tree and decorate it all for the sake of charity.

Taking pictures of food is strange thing out here.

We were even able to take a picture with Santa, which I hadn’t done in a long time but it was free so why not? Then it was to Peggy Sue’s for dinner.  In true Californian fashion I added avocado to my BLT, even though the healthiness surely cancelled itself out with the bacon.  Then not realizing the time we all parted ways to catch a train, which we ended up missing. Someone lived nearby so we camped out and played with their cats for a few minutes until the next train. After which I attempted to use the Uber app to catch a taxi back to the hotel.

Honey Honey Cafe & Creperie: Salmon Scramble with Home fries and wheat toast.

Wednesday I decided to get an actual breakfast, since most of the time I just got a hot tea, and picked Honey Honey Cafe & Crepery because it was near my tourist destination of choice. It’s really cute and has lots to choose from. It was a hard decision but I had a salmon scramble – salmon with scrambled eggs and home fries; it was hard to relax and enjoy my food, since I wanted to eat it all right away.

From there it was a mountainous walk to the San Francisco Cable Car Museum.  I assumed it would be more of a tribute, but turned out to be the epicenter of all the lines. Be warned it may be a bit loud.  If you ever get a chance you should make a stop here — and it’s free.  They do asked for a small donation.

Iconically Berkeley.

I took a cable car back to Union Square and headed to Berkeley to meet up with a New York expat.  She took me to a pizzeria which serves only one type of vegetarian pizza every day. As we sat down there was a local band playing, apparently typical of Berkeley.  Then onto various thrift shopping where I purchased some Celeste Stein tights (which are apparently everywhere out there), two blouses and a recent prize posession, a Gunne Sax skirt. After all that retail therapy it was time for some food therapy with gelato.

Mixed Green Salad; Root Vegetable Gratin; Sweet Dumpling Squash Ravioli; Vanilla Lavender Creme Brulee

And then I went back to join my husband for a dinner at Annabelle’s Bar & Bistro, a restaurant across from our hotel. The food was very rich and the vanilla lavender crème brulee was simply amazing; you could taste the lavendar all throughtout. Between the ravioli and the gratin, the ravioli won out because I felt the other dish was still a bit too bland for my tastes.

Sea Lions at Pier 39; Golden Gate Bridge

Thursday I hung out at Fisherman’s Wharf for a bit while waiting for my husband’s last business meeting and the start of our mini-vacation. Unsurprisingly the sea lions were still there, not a lot but still a good amount.

Japantown; New People; MaruQ

From there we walked to Japantown for another meeting, where I ended up spending a lot of time trying things on at Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. I made a few purchases at the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, and a lot of purchase at Daiso, a Japanese dollar store.

Kushi Tsuru: Vegetarian Rolls; Edamame and Potato Croquette; Soba Bento

We then had lunch at Kushi Tsuru, one of several sushi restaurant along the bridge portion of the mall. What I presumed was a small bento was still overwhelming; it would also be the last time I would order soba since I am realizing I’m not that big a fan. Then it was a long walk back to the hotel.

Stay tuned for the last half of my trip.

The Chocolate Bar at Cafe Fleuri

Things have been busy as I am in a wedding of a good friend of mine. And as she was counting down the days, I was traveling back and forth from New York to Boston to help out with the festivities.  Last weekend, I traveled for a bachelorette celebration.

Since there was going to be a lot of late night activity, I booked a hotel for all of us to avoid time constraints and the hassle of missing the trains (Boston’s MBTA shuts down around midnight, unlike NYC’s 24/7 subway system).  The Boston Common Hotel & Conference Center fit the bill, as I was looking for something central and easy to get to.  Behind the Hynes Convention Center and a short walk from Copley Square, this hotel is very unassuming.

At $100 a night for 3 people in the center of Boston it was a steal. When I went I was a skeptic at first since it was the weekend and a quiet corner.  However the room was very spacious compared to some closet-sized hotel rooms I’ve been to.  Since we were literally using it just as a place to sleep it was good for all we wanted.

We all met up at the Langham Hotel to partake in Cafe Fleuri’s Chocolate Bar – a buffet of the chocolate variety.  I ended up taking the Orange Line from the hotel to Downtown Crossing and walked along Franklin Street until I saw the hotel.  While The Chocolate Bar is a seasonal thing (Saturdays September to June), it was fortunate the bride’s bachelorette party was around that time.

For some reason I did not expect a literal chocolate buffet, but indeed there was and like our waiter told us, we “tried everything.”  From crepes to ice cream to tiny little cakes to cupcakes and, of course, a fondue fountain.

First Course.
Second Course
Third Course.

There was even a DJ in the corner for upbeat entertainment as you try to take as many tiny dishes as possible.  As much as I wanted to photograph everything, I also wanted to eat everything so a lot of the food did not get recorded.  The two plates below managed to survive unscathed.  Then again it was a lot of chocolate.

Madeleine and Passionfruit Tart
Some type of mousse with white chocolate chips.

However for an all-you-can-eat buffet it was well worth $40 (tax and tip not included).  This also included unlimited tea and coffee, which I gladly took advantage of to balance out all the chocolate.  Hopefully I will be able to go again sometime before this year’s season’s over. Though for any size groups I recommend making a reservation for prime seating.

The Chocolate Bar at Cafe Fleuri
250 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110

Loli-Date with ParfaitDoll

Last Friday Victoria from ParfaitDoll was interested in coming into the city for an afternoon, so we decided to meet up for some lunch and shopping. She had a determined interest in visiting Ladureé‘s New York location, so I suggested Mon Petit Cafe.
 
Mon Petit Cafe was a restaurant I discovered with my husband as we were on our way to Central Park.  It’s a cute French cuisine bistro that I now take people whenever I have the chance to go uptown.  It’s also a good alternative for those who are unable to get into Alice’s Tea Cup Chapter II location as this place is just a few blocks down Lexington Avenue.

It was the first time I was there on a weekday at lunch hour and it was bustling with locals.  We were seated quickly, I chose an Omelette du Jour, which was red and green peppers with fries while Victoria went with a Croque-Monsieur.  Overall the meal was good, but I prefer their quiche than the omelette.  For a tea and meal it came out to under $20, pretty good for New York pricing.  Which that extra cash can be used for Ladureé.

Macarons in the window are not for eating, but the boxes are certainly for purchasing.

Ladureé, the inventor of the macaron, landed in New York two years ago and now you can often find the line out the door.  Thankfully we did not have to wait long and were able to browse with attentive shopgirls nipping at our feet.

Accidentally ate the rose macaron before I thought of taking a picture.

Macarons are $2.80 each and you can order it in a decorative box or a bag. The art on the boxes range from their classic Ladureé logo to limited edition box art featuring Hello Kitty, Tsumori Chisato, Disney, etc. So when in doubt, always go for a box.  They also sell truffles, chocolate, and gelato with a macaron, as well as a gift section with notebooks, scarves, candles and the like.

My growing Laduree box collection.

 Again also a few blocks away from Alice’s Tea Cup, and Laduree is my side trip place when I early for a brunch at Alice’s. On another note, I had the guts to ask about any news on their SoHo location, but for right now they could only say it could possibly open in the fall. Cross your fingers!

Then we strolled through Central Park and warmed up in UniQlo, eyeing the new Sanrio collaboration.  It’s nice to hangout with a fellow Lolita one on one, as well as get to show them some of my favorite places in New York City.

Street Snaps – Anime Boston 2012

La Vida Frills is headlining street snaps post again

This was my first AnimeBoston as press and as a general attendee.  Living in New York and getting to know alot of Lolitas within my own city, I was unsure what the scene would be like in Boston. Surprisingly I met some wonderful people and did lots of picture taking.

If I’ve taken a photo of you and would like me to take it down. Please feel free to send me an email.

Creepy Cute in Fantasic Dolly.

This Sweet Lolita was such a trooper with her soft cast.

A Sweet Lolita bride.

Lolita BFFs

Gothic Lolita rocking black and plaid.

Maid and Sweet.

Punk Lolita.

Ponies and Carousels was her theme. Tiny carousel included.

Wa-Lolita at PAX.

Vampires at the Iron Gates.

This Classic Lolita was so adorable with her simple coordinate.

Cult-party and Sweet Lolita killing time.

Hime works very well with this print.

Lolita waiting in line for the Lolita panel/fashion show.

A Strawberry Lolita cute enough to eat.

I sat next to this girl during the panel. She was so worried about the lace on her dress, but she looks very good for a new Lolita don’t you think?

Another Lolita in line.

Rocking in Red.

Models posing for more pictures post-panel.

Cute Lolita in Classic.

This girl recognized me from the Tokyo Rebel signing.

More Classic.

Group shot before staff kicked everyone out of the panel room.

The Lolitas who ran the fashion panel and fashion show.

Expect a post on the entire event soon! See anyone you recognize?

Raiding the Bank at Trinity Place, Bachelorette Style

No Secret Passwords Needed.

I’m not one to talk about work, but today my co-workers were kind enough to take me out to lunch for a bachelorette luncheon at Trinity Place Bar and Restaurant. 

What’s fun and very unique about this place is that it’s was originally a bank vault in the Trinity Building.  An ideal and archetype place for two stock brokers and the like to talk business.

Trinity does not have a dress code, but ideally it should be kept business casual or very toned down Lolita (natural hair only, please).

One person brought sparkling wine to enjoy the celebration, which the waiter was kind enough to pour for everyone, sommelier-style. The menu is very reminiscent of a speakeasy/high end bar menu with Guinness Pie, Kobe Burger, Duck Confit as entrees. 

The occassional called for Prosecco.

Since this was a party in my honor, I decide to splurge and ordered the Duck Confit with English Peas and Bacon.  The duck was crisp and the risotto just as cheesy.  I only wished there was more.  It was incredibly filling and I only had an Apple Cinnamon crepe for dinner.

Everything tastes better with bacon.

Also a big note is that since Trinity Place is located in the Financial District lunch was pricey at $20 per person.  It is well worth it. Though make sure to act like big money and you’ll get treated as such, since service was a bit slow with the credit cards. 

Princess for the Day.

During the whole event they gave well wishes, as well as a felt crown with little pockets of Post-It notes with advice on how to have a long and happy marriage.

This was my favorite out of all of them.

Community Pep Rally at the Paley Center for Media

Last Saturday I helped cover an event for New York Comic Con at the Paley Center. The Paley Center for Media hosted an event for the television series Community. There was a pep rally with food, posters, and even a homemade blanket fort.

The event was part of a live streaming event, premiering a new episode before it airs March 15th and a chat with the cast.  New York Comic Con was given the hard but easy task of hyping up the crowd before the main event.  

See below for a few of my favorite moments of the night.

A blanket fort fit for a king.

NYCC staff putting “star burns” on an attendee.

There was also a poster contest which attendees were more than excited to participate. The winners received free weekend passes to NYCC in October.  Their handiwork is below.

Missed Connections.

Note to self: Foreign Language contest entries are winners.

Pterodactyl. ‘Nuff Said.

The message board in front of Paley at the end of the night.

A full house.

Costume Contest Entries. Winners were Level 6 Laser Lotus Wizard, Dean Pelton (in front), and a group entry composed of Star-Burns, Annie, and Jeff.

For more pictures check out flickr. If you missed this event, they are holding another this Friday for Castle.  The name of the game is a scavenger hunt. Check it out!

The Little Museum That Could – South Street Seaport Museum

Signs in the window in case you forgot where you were.

If you’re not familiar with the Seaport Museum, you should be familiar with the drama about it’s tragic story and eventual rescue by the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY). To sum it up, the Seaport Museum is one of the many museums in NYC, but the only one that explores its nautical trade history.
Friday I decided to check it out and I was blown away. First of all, I had heard about the museum being shut down due to money issues and lack of funds. Not to mention the rumors about it being sold for prime realty. And I was ecstatic as the rest of New York when the Museum of the City of New York took over.

Metal baits hanging like artwork.

For model boat lovers they have plenty of ships in bottles and larger replicas on display.

It wouldn’t be a Seaport Museum without ships in bottles.
Close-up of one of them

What impressed me the most was how MCNY treated the museum. As far as my knowledge and pre-MCNY, the museum could not afford renovations much less upkeep.  Post-MCNY they decided to take its Miss Havisham’s appearance and make it part of the museum itself. You go and notice the walls, the doors, the windows, and the glass paneling (to preserve the old construction), in addition to the exhibits on display.

Graffiti protected behind glass.
One of many doors that no longer serve function.
Local designers work

This is selection is out of 2500 in the Seaport’s collection.

Photography by local artists.

They even include designers’ work on display.

Reminds me alot like h. Naoto Gramm
Original building work intact with a ghostly mannequin.

The museum itself is made of 3 floors where each one feels like a maze, zigzagging in rooms like a kid exploring the attic with a flashlight.  The exhibits were a mix of the Seaport’s relics and collections, there artifacts from the Fulton Fish Market, a room with a “small” selection of tools used by workers when the port was bustling with ships.

Some of the many tools used in shipbuilding.

Old-fashioned dryer.

Antiques of the tea trade.
Relics from the Fulton Fish Market.

There is also a photo gallery on the 5th floor of a selection of photos taken during Occupy Wall Street when it was at Zucotti Park.

I could just be fangirl over the organic curation of the museum or it was really just that cool to know it was originally a hotel built in 1850. The best part? Admission is only $5 and can be used at the Museum of the City of New York (within 7 days of course).

The Seaport Museum
12 Fulton Street
New York, NY 10038

Extremely Late for an Important Date: Tokyo Rebel Tea Party 8/22 in Pictures!

This is long, long, long over due, since this was in August and now it’s November with the leaves already on the ground (and we’ve already experienced our first snowfall!). So apologies to anyone and everyone who reads this.

In late August, Tokyo Rebel held its first tea party. First part of the event was a buffet at Cha-An, a Japanese teahouse in the East Village. The second half took place at their store for a live Skype conversation with Misako Aoki!

Decorations.
Place settings before people arrived.
So much delicious food.  Menu consisted of Teriyaki style meatballs, tofu quiche, chicken fried rice, smoked salmon, and green beans with sesame peanut sauce.
A little bit of everything. Everything was delicious. If you have the chance to go to Cha-An at another point in time, definitely go.
Everyone gave small introductions. It’s always interesting to learn about other people who got into Lolita. This girl is a teacher!
Green Tea Truffles
Making conversation before dessert course.
Strawberry Shortcake medley!
First groupshot before heading to Tokyo Rebe
 I really wonder what people though as twenty some girls in frills walked down the street
Another groupshot in front of the store.
Shopgirl Meg and Giftbags!
Misako thinking. Definition of Kawaii
The Grand Prize Winner of the Best Coordinate/Outfit Contest goes to this lovely lady. What did she win: $300 gift certificate to spend in their store.
Tea Party Goodies: three postcards, a box of candied almonds, Baby, the Stars Shine bright wristcuffs (made especiallyfor the tea party), and a Thank you card(not pictured).
I couldn’t get enough sweets so me and a few friends dug into these cakes from the Cake Boss cafe in Discovery Times Center.

Tokyo Rebel posted the full transcript here and photos for curious readers.

All Aboard, Courtesy of Nucky Thompson

Like Boardwalk Empire? Like vintage trains? Just like anything vintage?

To get ready for the premiere of the second season of Boardwalk Empire, HBO gives MTA riders a chance to travel on an authentic Prohibition-era train every weekend of September from 12PM to 6PM.
Just wait along the uptown 2/3 line until you spot an old-timey train with the windows open (they didn’t have A/C back in the day). The train runs between 42nd and 96th street, running along the express line. 
Feel free to dress up or down, but just remember to bring your camera. Last Sunday I had the opportunity to take a ride into the 1960s myself and took a few pictures.

According to the Wall Street Journal, people will be handing out free Metro Cards courtesy of Nucky Thompson later this month. So keep watch and for once, this free Metrocard is not a scam. 

Out and About: Meet and Greet with Lolita Designers at Tokyo Rebel

Mistuba (left) and Masumi Kano (right)

With Otakon having taken up so much of my time, I barely had moments to enjoy myself (much less have time to eat). Which is why I was truly ecstatic when Tokyo Rebel announced they would be hosting a meet-and-greet session with designers Masumi Kano and Mitsuba on Monday, August 1st, 2011.

It was also a great opportunity for those who weren’t able to make it to Otakon, and for people like me, who prefered a more intimate one-on-one sitting — not to mention avoid hour long lines just for an autograph.

Tokyo Rebel asked those girls interested to RVSP ahead of time, with everyone going in groups of ten at a time so each person could have a few moments to speak with the designers. It was also beneficial to attendees to not feel claustrophobic with Tokyo Rebel being such a small store.

Girls were asked to arrive around 5-10 minutes ahead of time so as not to block the sidewalk from passerbys and the occassional dogwalker. There were girls who were local to the city, as well as a few as far as Connecticut just to see Kano-san and Mistuba. The wait time was about 10 minutes longer than expected, but it gave a chance for me to take a few snapshots of girls waiting.

Once my group was called, everyone formed a line for an autograph and then another for a photo-op. As soon as I was up, both designers smiled and giggled a bit since I had helped them out in Baltimore the day before. You were allowed to get one item and one postcard (of your choice), signed. Unfortunately the only pens were regular ink pens, and the autograph evidently rubbed off. The postcard was thankfully inside so no smudge there!

There was one last group photo with everyone, and after you were free to browse the store or leave. It seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves, and Tokyo Rebel accommodated latecomers by asking them to go in the last group

I do hope Tokyo Rebel continues events like these because it makes Lolita fashion more real seeing the people in person who wear Lolita and work in this particular fashion niche. In a way it also enforces one’s love of Lolita to continue wearing it.

More Links:
Tokyo Rebel takes Designers out on the town.