JF Chen

People ask me all the time if I miss Los Angeles. I do miss a lot of things about it, especially JF Chen's trove of whimsy and all things, well....primordial on Highland Ave. Check out 1stdibs article.

Downtown goes Uptown

In Los Angeles, I frequently shopped Downtown showroom for my clients and myself. Every time I entered the shop there was always something new and completely original that caught my eye. Over time, I swear the vintage and antique furniture and accessories yelled out “take me home, take me home.” Well, I guess in all actuality it was my darn mind with these voices! I have a complete weakness for original interior décor…décor that you don’t see in stores like Crate N Barrel, Room and Board, or even William Sonoma Home. I love the oddly shaped, shiny, textured pieces, pieces that are made from crystals, Lucite, malachite, zebra woods, horn, 18^th century woods from Tibet, coral, porcelain, turquoise, and the highly lacquered. Anyway, some time back my favorite Los Angeles purveyors of décor, David Serrano and Robert Willson of Downtown joined forces with Los Angeles designer Joe Nye, collaborating on a gallery and collection that consists of all of those amazing items that I accuse of talking to me – 20^th century furniture and lighting. The Showroom, Joe Nye New York at 1059 Third Ave on the Upper East Side on Manhattan must be visited. But don’t complain to me when you hear those darn little voices in the showroom saying “buy me, take me home!”

http://www.joenyenewyork.com/

heaVen in a cup!

Look! It's Erin mixing it up in the kitchen





V for Vegan! Erin McKenna, founder of Baby Cakes on Broome street has been on to something good...yummy good. Her little heavens in a cup, is what I call them, are delicious and surprisingly good for you. You will not find any white sugar, wheat, dairy, casein product, soy or even an egg in her bakery house! Ms. McKenna uses all the finest natural ingredients; rice flour or garbanzo/fava bean mix, spelt flour, agave nectar, unrefined evaporated cane juice, and cold pressed virgin coconut oil amongst other health conscious ingredients.

Baby Cakes produces cupcakes, cakes, and other little V. treats. Even if your not vegan you'll enjoy biting into Erin's moist cakes with a creamy textured swirl of a topping, and you won't feel fat or bloated afterward! Erin is finally sharing her baking secrets with us all in her new Baby Cake book. Visit the Baby Cakes website for more details, and also for ordering your little cups of heaVen.

Oh! For all of my Los Angeles cupcake lovers, Erin is opening shop at 7501 Beverly Blvd. Be sure visit!

http://www.babycakesnyc.com/




You know who, eating you know what!!

Photos: Jesse, C.C. , Stephen