I had the wonderful pleasure of joining some of my gal pals for an 'almost' girls only day of shopping, gabbing and eating. We started the day early, at the airport, where my DH and I picked up our dearest friend and her husband for a quick run into NYC. The wonderful DHs dropped us off in the village where we met 3 other compadres and had a quick cuppa coffee and a sweet before starting at L'Artisan. As we all sampled the exclusive Fleur d'Oranger, we tried to justify the exorbitant $250 price tag for something that, while lovely, lasts only 2 mins on the skin. As we sampled the Mood Swings set - all of us enamored of the D' Humeur-Massacrante (which I guess meant angry - I didn't ask) - we wondered why our favorite scents from this line are always in a set, for example, the lovely Saffran Troublant. You love one out of a few. Go figure.
I leave a couple of my friends to test some more frags while I dash with a couple others to Anne Fontaine. Anne Fontaine is one of the best kept secrets in NYC. Located in Soho with another location on Madison Avenue, the shop specializes in blouses . Black and white dominate the collection, but the Parisian designer, who has been in Soho for 10 years, has branched into color. This season's collection included lots of brown and pink. I am dragging my friends with me because I am enamored with a jacket-like tweed top. Much like the Chanel one featured in the fall collection but at the fraction of the cost.
Well - long story short - they didn't like the fit. Loved the color and fabric but the fit was off. Drat because my DH said the same thing last week but did I listen?? NO - but I sure do trust my gals. (I had to eat some crow by the way for that one - from him not my friends). I promise a longer review of the shop in a future post because it deserves one. In a time where one stop shopping is the rage - it is refreshing to see someone who specializes in creating signature pieces.
We continued to Aedes, only because one of my friends had never been to the shop and wanted to know what all the buzz was about. Again - a detailed review of shopping at Aedes is in the works, but let me say - this is my FAVORITE shopping stop in NYC. Not because the shop specializes in perfume, one of my addictions, but because of the customer service. There are no kinder men in NYC than Karl, Robert and the divine Miguel. We sampled the new Diptyque Son Do which was a lovely green tuberose and simply gorgeous, Unfortunately, for me, it is not available for sale, until October 1. Drat!!
OK - now we are really hungry. Where better to eat than in Danny Meyer's Shake Shake. Yep, for us it is cheeseburgers and shakes. Again - a full review is coming but let me say that THIS IS THE BEST BURGER IN NYC. Not a fan of the fries but the shakes and the shack burger rules. We all collapse at the outdoor eatery, wait for our burgers and gab away. I show one of my friends a bit of Madison Square Park which is a wonderful example of conservation in NYC. The park, located directly across from the Flatiron Building (one of my favorites), used to be filled with drug dealers but is now a haven for families, people with dogs (their dog park is lovely), a playground, a lovely landscaped fountain area and a gorgeous fenced lawn. The bonus?? You can eat a great burger, gab with your friends, and enjoy a bit of quiet in a busy city (unless of course you were seated next to us yesterday).
I have mentioned a few wonderful places that were part of our day. Our focus was friendship because many of us hadn't seen each other in a while. Some were here for shopping, some for the cuisine and some for the sites. The thing that tied us together was our mutual affection for each other and our continued fascination with NYC. Part 2 will focus on more shopping finds, drinks at the Algonquin, and a fabulous dinner at db Bistro Moderne. Thank you for reading this..I hope you get to enjoy a special day in your favorite city soon.