Bon Me Cambridge

To me, it's always a bit strange when a food truck turns into a restaurant.  I think it's great for the food truck that they have that much of a following, but it's one of those things where you get used to making due with the long lines, the weather, and the lack of places to sit.  Bon Me is one of those trucks that now has a few locations.  And, though there's one near my office I've never been to, I took advantage of a work field trip to visit the Cambridge location.

The food was the same, the coffee was also the same {stale and not worth trying but for some reason I always forget this when I see the word coffee}, but the interior was super cheerful with brightly colored lighting and had the cutest wooden stools.

Cute doesn't always mean comfortable so I sat on the bench while my dining companion grabbed a stool.  Don't feel bad, I think she wanted to sit on it because it was cute.

Pavement Coffee :: Part Two

I love when my work takes me close to my favorite coffee shops because coffee makes me happy.  The other week I had to go to a building right next to a coffee shop I used to go to regularly and I've also posted about.

It's been a while though.  The coffee wasn't as good as I remembered it, and they no longer honor the coffee buying card, but I did like the interior still with the wood and tiny tile floor.  So that was worth the trip. 

The next time I'm in that area I can try a new place and maybe I'll even find a new favorite shop!

Hu Kitchen

Warning: This may get long and rambly so feel free to skip to the pictures if you don't feel like reading today.

I don't really talk about it too much here but I'm on an annoyingly restricted diet for the most part and it's rare that I can eat out {this explains my habit of pinning millions of food recipes, many of which I can't or shouldn't eat}. I actually envy those who are gluten or lactose free since the ingredients they can't eat are labeled. One of the things about travel is that it's hard to find a place that I can find food to eat that won't make me feel cruddy the next day.

On my last trip to Manhattan, I took a couple of boring food bars with me {the Pure Organic ones that are really just meh tasting but I will eat in a pinch} but since I was sick I really wanted something healthy. Leaving at 4 am meant that I hadn't planned a bit for food other than the two food bars {I kind of figured I could just drink more coffee if I was hungry, please tell me I'm not the only one who does this}.

I was walking from Haven's Kitchen, where the girl at the counter was so hung over she never gave me the coffee I asked for, when I stumbled upon this hippie restaurant called Hu Kitchen, and figured I'd stop in.  I was ready for lunch, or at least that lost coffee.  I didn't actually get food, but I found what might be the cutest bottle of freshly-squeezed orange juice, coffee, and a nice looking interior mixes birch logs and rustic stumps with stainless steel, marble and modern lighting.  It's part fancy and part hippie. 
 

These side tables were pretty much everywhere, as was the marble.  I like how the bright stainless is paired with the slab of wood.

I also got to try 3 kinds of milk since they were all almost empty and I was too lazy to ask for more.  Luckily I'm not weirded out by non-homogenized things.

Style

Lately, I've been watching a drama called Style.  While it's not the greatest I've seen, and it's definitely not reminiscent of the Devil Wears Prada as the description promised, I want to know what happens.  I also like this restaurant in the show.  It looks like it's in a conservatory but has neutral, modern furnishings that allow the plants to be the star of the space.

blurry screen shot via Drama Fever

I haven't done a furniture board on this blog in a while and, though this only has a few items, {the others have been much more comprehensive} I thought it would be fun. Plus, I do love my Photoshop!

Clockwise from top left:
Classic White Tablecloth - Crate and Barrel
Aurora Pendant in Effervescent - Niche Modern
F2 Square Outdoor Table - CB2
Victoria Ghost Chair - Kartell via DWR

Restaurant Aria Toronto

I've been known to make a day trip to Montreal now and again {it's a long day but it can be done}.  Unfortunately, my one and only planned trip to Toronto happened to coincide with a blizzard and I never actually made it, so I'm always interested to see what I'm missing up there.

via Sifu Renka on Flickr {CC BY-NC-ND 2.0}

I love the wall of wine and the giant sparkly lighting at the Restaurant Aria in Toronto. The Moooi Raimond pendants are beautiful but will cost you a pretty penny.  If you are on a limited budget, there is always the ubiquitous IKEA MASKROS pendant.  Despite it being everywhere, I still haven't yet grown tired of it.

Supperclub

I generally prefer small, local hole-in-the wall bars where you can find a seat and stay a while.  As long as they will serve me some sort of drink worthy of an umbrella, I'm generally in.  I sometimes go to the current "it" bars but I hate having to stand around awkwardly when a place is too crowded, it's not worth it to me more than once to try a place out.

I love the look of Supperclub in Singapore.  This location is closed now, but if I had been in Singapore when it was open, I would definitely have checked this place out.  I'd be the person waiting to get in when they opened so I could get a seat, or a bed in this case.

The club was designed by Concrete Architectural Associates and is modern and glossy.   The rooms are all a different color; white, red, purple, and black.

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

The black colored private dining room is my favorite. 

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

Concrete Architectural Associates {photography: Frank Pinckers}

Radius

Since I've been working in a place I generally don't visit, I've been spending my lunch hour exploring {I'm never really sure what to do with a whole hour for lunch other than go for a walk for half of it}. I spotted this empty frame wall in Radius, a fancy French restaurant, and I like how the red really stands out from the warm gray wall.  I also think they should give me these frames when they renovate since it would solve my frame hunting issues.

During my lunch hour yesterday, I went to get milk tea in a place I have been going for probably 6 years. Usually you need a sharp pair of elbows and a well-practiced stink eye before entering since people who frequent this place don't really know what a line is or how to stand in one.  With that said, I definitely don't go for the ambiance.  I go to see the cakes {and because a milk tea is under $2.00}.

Since my photography skills are obviously severely lacking these days I found some images online that won't make you dizzy. They may or may not be from the same place. For now, I'll keep the places' name a secret and if you are brave enough to keep reading you will see why.  If you are easily grossed out, close the browser now.

via Dessertation

via Dessertation

Here is where things get gross...I was waiting for the woman to make my tea and I saw a roach crawling around on the back counter right in plain sight. Now, I know they are ALL over the city.  Even though I know they are around hiding somewhere, I haven't ever seen one crawling around a restaurant with my own eyes. Perhaps I'm over reacting but, cute cakes and cheap tea or not, I don't think I can ever go back.

It's a good thing I generally pack my own lunch...maybe I'll stay in the office today.

Snog

So, last week I posted about my dislike of Yuckberry.  For those who were worried, there weren't rats running around the store or a fingernail in my food.  I just can't stand yogurt.  I will only eat it if it's frozen and has a LOT of sugar in it and I rarely ever do that. 

For those who haven't been, it's basically Danon yogurt thrown in the freezer but you'll pay $6.00 and get tons of attitude along with a couple of stale toppings.  I guess I didn't read all the information about the fact that it was tart yogurt and was sucked in by the cute exterior and the Le Klint pendant lights in the window so I visited with my sister-in-law a couple of years ago.  We wound up cheering each other on as we both choked down our yogurt since neither of us could stand to throw away something so expensive {relatively at least - I've had lunches in Manhattan that were cheaper}.  I'm pretty sure neither of us will be back.  Ever.  I know they won't miss us though since, in general, people seem to love this place.

Snog, designed by Cinimod Studio, seems like a different story.  They have a cute little shop that would make me want to visit but they also put sugar in their yogurt to hide the sour taste {agave but really it's sugar}.  It's bright and colorful and has color changing LED ball lights on the ceiling.  Some of the interior concepts are similar though - long benches with tiny stools and tables are found in both.

via Dezeen

via Dezeen

via Dezeen

This is cute, it's too bad those black lights aren't white but you can pretend they aren't there....

via Dezeen

via Dezeen

This one is located in Soho and when I originally saw this in a design magazine I thought they meant NY but it's in the UK so no trip for me is in the near future.  It would be neat to see though.  Has anyone been?  It seems like it would be hard to be in a bad mood after even just walking by.

Wynwood Kitchen & Bar, Miami

Since it feels like spring, I've been obsessed with cleaning and organizing. Currently I'm focusing on digital cleanups - I've deleted over 200 GB of duplicate files on my external hard drive and worked on organizing it, finally got my google reader subscriptions down to a manageable number, made backups of old digital photos and am now going through my half-completed blog posts and getting them posted!  This post on the Wynwood Kitchen & Bar has been sitting around since the summer so I figure it's time to hit the publish button already.

I think what I love most about this restaurant is that although the furniture used is all very well thought out but the focus is really all about the artwork.

via Interior Design

I love this mural, especially the colors.

via Interior Design

via Interior Design

I guess it's pretty obvious that Shepard Fairey was here.  His work makes regular appearances around the Boston area although last time I was in Fort Point I noticed one of his newer murals was gone.

via Interior Design

My favorite spaces are in the two images below.  I love the furniture and really like both the scrolling floral and the tiled flowers of the mural in the top image.

via Interior Design

via Interior Design

via High Snobiety

To see more artwork of the Wynwood Walls, there are a few 360° tours here {if you get rid of the ad on the bottom of the screen, you can navigate to different tours}.

Taiwan Noodle House

Golucci Interior Architects via Contemporist {Photography: Sun Xiangyu}

I recently pinned the above image of the restaurant, Taiwan Noodle House, by Golucci Interior Architects, and was intrigued so I set about finding more about this place.

Golucci Interior Architects via Contemporist {Photography: Sun Xiangyu}

It's a fairly simple restaurant that makes use of repetition of a few objects to make the design.  Blue and white bowls and plates {as seen above}, chopsticks over the communal table...

Golucci Interior Architects via Contemporist {Photography: Sun Xiangyu}

Golucci Interior Architects via Contemporist {Photography: Sun Xiangyu}

...and Tom Dixon lighting grouped over the more private seating areas.

Golucci Interior Architects via Contemporist {Photography: Sun Xiangyu}

The restaurant has a sort of simple Japanese meets Scandinavian feeling to it with the clean look, natural wood millwork, and furniture.

I couldn't find an actual address for this other than Beijing so if anyone knows, please drop a note and I'll update it.

Friends of Mine Cafe, Melbourne

Recently I decided that I would start saving up for a 6 month trip around the world and have been adding to a google map I've started where I put all the places I'd like to visit when I go.  Friends of Mine has certainly made the list, if only for coffee since I'm pretty sure my budget will be of a shoestring variety. It looks like a great little coffee shop & restaurant in Richmond, Melbourne with an interior I love.

Snap-Story via Flickr

They have a walk-up coffee window which I think is fantastic. 

Snap-Story via Flickr

These little yellow stools remind me of something you'd see on a science fiction movie with their little claw feet.

Snap-Story via Flickr

The indoors is yellow, black, and white with a lot of natural materials and it has a rustic cafe feel with glamorous touches.  Brick and chandeliers.

Snap-Story via Flickr

Snap-Story via Flickr

Snap-Story via Flickr

Snap-Story via Flickr

I know these plants don't have much to do with the design of the place but am I the only one who is always tempted to pop the little bubble leaves?

Snap-Story via Flickr

La Pâtisserie des Rêves, Paris.

I found this adorable Parisian pastry shop, La Pâtisserie des Rêves, on Pinterest the other day and fell in love so I immediately went looking for more pictures. 

I especially love this seating area, it's very residential feeling.  What a great place to spend some time.

{all photos: Clément Guillaume, click individual picture to be taken directly to source}