FORTY CARROTS --NEW YORK CITY

PEOPLE! ANOTHER REASON TO GO TO BLOOMINGDALES

fortyCARROTSfrozenYOGURT

BLOOMINGDALES ON 59TH AND LEX

BURIED INSIDE THE BLOOMINGDALE'S 7TH FLOOR BEDDING DEPARTMENT, THIS TREASURE OF A RESTAURANT IS A BIT OF A PAIN IN THE ASS TO FIND, BUT ONCE YOU DO...THE MECCA OF ALL THINGS FROZEN YOGURT...YES, BETTER THAN PINK BERRY...

SO I ASKED MY NEW YORKER FRIEND IF HE KNEW ABOUT THIS PLACE..HE SAID..."I DON'T GO TO BLOOMINGDALES.." WHHAAAT?

THE GREATEST/WEIRDEST THING ABOUT FORTY CARROTS IS THAT WHEN I LOOK AROUND, EVERYONE SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN THEIR OWN...NO SHARING HERE.. CHUNKY PEOPLE, SKINNY PEOPLE, YOU NAME IT..AND SOMEONE SHARES THE SAME OBSERVATION!

dailyFLAVORS

SUNDAY: BLUEBERRY

MONDAY: MANGO

TUESDAY: BANANA

WEDNESDAY: STRAWBERRY

THURSDAY: PEANUT BUTTER

FRIDAY: RASPBERRY

SATURDAY: BUTTER PECAN

PERSONALLY, I LIKE THE PLAIN FLAVOR MYSELF

MISSION: TRY GETTING FOUR FLAVORS IN ONE CUP

PLAIN, TANGY FRO-YO TOPPED WITH HONEY, WHEAT GERM AND STRAWBERRIES

THE DESIGN OF THE PLACE IS NOT TOO SHABBY EITHER

JAPAWIENERS IN VANCOUVER

NOT SO LONG AGO, I WAS A STUDENT IN VANCOUVER..DORMING OF COURSE..AND I LONGED TO LIVE DOWNTOWN. I'M A CITY MOUSE. MY BROTHER HAD A LITTLE PLACE ON BURRARD STREET (one of the main streets in Downtown Vancouver) AND I WOULD GO STAY THERE AS OFTEN AS I COULD.

...I LOVELOVELOVE BURRARD STREET...

...THE UPTOWN OF DOWNTOWN...

PERFECT LOCATION....STARBUCKS...SCOTIABANK THEATRE...IGA...SUTTON PLACE WINE MERCHANT

AND

japaDOG

AWW, PLEASE READ THEIR SLOGAN?

ON BURRARD AND SMITHE

JAPADOG IS AN ASIAN TWIST TO AN AMERICAN CLASSIC...A MULTITUDE OF JAPANESE CONDIMENTS OF YOUR CHOICE ARE ADDED TO THE WIENIE...TURNING IT INTO AN INCREDIBLY WEIRD, YET UTTERLY TASTY STREET MEAL

THE MOST POPULAR HOTDOG THEY HAVE IS THE TERIMAYO...BUT MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE IS DEFINITELY THE OROSHI...BUT SEE FOR YOURSELF..

MENU

HERE WE HAVE THE OROSHI, THE TERIMAYO AND SOME CONCOCTION WITH WATERCRESS...BEATS ME...

AFTER YOU BUY YOURSELF A TERIMAYO AND A SOFTDRINK...WALK DOWN ONE BLOCK AND RIGHT ON ROBSON STREET

theVAGsteps

VERY MUCH THE LITTLE MET..YES, NEW YORK..WE HAVE ONE TOO

VANCOUVER ART GALLERY, ROBSON STREET

WE ALL KNOW THAT HOT DOG STANDS ARE STAPLES OF CITY LIVING...THERE IS NOTHING LIKE WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND GRABBING A HOTDOG ON THE GO...FOR SOME REASON, IT DOESN'T SEEM AS FATTENING WHEN YOU EAT IT ON THE STEPS OF THE VAG VIS-A-VIS VANCOUVER'S "ARTEEESTS," STUDENT'S, STREET VENDORS AND ROBSON STREET SHOPPERS...

...ENJOY YOUR WIENER...HA

GOODNIGHTFRIENDS!

BILL CUNNINGHAM--NEW YORK

...I LOVE BILL CUNNINGHAM. HE IS THE ORIGINAL NEW YORK MOUSE...

BILL CUNNINGHAM: ON THE STREET

VESTED

VIDEO BELOW: PLAY WHILE READING

"HELLO, THIS IS BILL CUNNINGHAM, ON THE STREET IN NEW YORK...AND IT'S A VERY EXCITING TIME OF YEAR WHEN AUTUMN REALLY HITS....AND IN THE FASHION WORLD, THE SWEEPING STATEMENT BY MANY WOMEN WAS THE SLEEVELESS VEST, OR SWEATER, OR FUR OR SOMETHING THAT IS TRANSITIONAL, OR TAKES THEM OUT OF THE WARMER WEATHER BUT ISN'T INTO WINTER COATS YET..AND IT LOOKED LIKE A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE IN THE MORNING WHEN YOU GO TO BUSINESS, IT'S QUITE COOL. BUT BY THE TIME THE SAME WOMEN GO OUT TO LUNCH, IT'S WARMED UP, YOU SEE...SO IT HAS THE SPIRIT OF NEW YORK AT THIS TIME, THE WEATHER, THE CHANGE, DOING DIFFERENT THINGS, DRESSING DIFFERENTLY...AND IT'S SOMETHING THE WOMEN HAVE SOLVED THEMSELVES."

THAT'S THE FASCINATION OF THIS...IT'S NOTHING REALLY THAT COMES FROM A FASHION HOUSE, AND TO ME THAT IS VERY...VERY MODERN..

...I THINK ITS SIMPLY MARVELOUS, YOU KNOW, TO SEE IT..

WELL, I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT, AND AS THE FASHION WORLD DESIGNERS 15 YEARS AGO SAID,

"DO YOUR OWN THING.."

TO VIEW A BETTER QUALITY VIDEO GOT TO THE NY TIMES ARCHIVE

MAMA SHELTER-PARIS

LE MARAIS, PARIS, 2009

" A DESIRE. A CITY. PARIS. THE WORLD CAPITAL OF TOURISM. PARIS. A PLACE OF REFUGE. EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

THE 20TH ARRONDISEMENT IS NOT ONE OF PARIS' BEST LOVED CORNERS AND YET IT IS THE HOME OF ONE OF IT'S HIPPEST SPOTS.

mamaSHELTER

paris

A FORMER CARPARK THAT HAS BEEN CONVERTED INTO A STYLISH AND INNOVATIVE NEW HOTEL, RESTAURANT AND BAR

DESIGNED BY NO OTHER THAN PHILIPPE STARCK

109 rue de bagnolet

PARIS, 75020

theNEIGHBORHOOD

SAINT BLAISE; 2Oth arrondisement

"...REBEL CHARACTER AND CITY LIFE AT A COUNTRY PACE...MAMA SHELTER:THE KEY TO A CITY. MAMA, YOUR MAMA, OUR MAMA, EVERYONE'S MAMA. THIS IS YOUR SHELTER, OUR

SHELTER. A SHELTER FOR EVERYONE.."

THE ENTIRE GROUND FLOOR IS GIVEN OVER TO THE WINING AND DINING SIDE OF THE OPERATION. THERE IS A LARGE ISLAND BAR SURROUNDED BY SOFAS

DJ DECKS ARE TUCKED IN THE CORNER (which come into play later in the night) AND THERE IS A MORE FORMAL DINING AREA WITH PREDICTABLE QUIRKY AND COLORFUL CHAIRS.

AND HOW MUCH DO WE LOVE THE CHALKBOARD FLOORS, WALLS, AND CEILINGS?

...VERY MUCH...

WHILE THE DESIGN IS VERY MUCH AT THE HEART OF THE SET UP, THE FOOD AND DRINK DON'T LAG FAR BEHIND. THE MENU IS SIMPLER THAN THE MORE CUTTING EDGE ELEMENTS ELSEWHERE WOULD SUGGEST. BUT THIS IS NO COMPLAINT AS EVERYTHING IS DONE SIMPLY BUT VERY WELL INDEED. THERE IS ALSO AN EXCITING WINELIST AND CHEESE PLATE IS PARTICULARLY EXCELLENT (well this is Paris after all). THE BARTENDERS ARE ALSO HIGHLY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND CAN MIX A KILLER COCKTAIL.

BONNUITMESAMIS!