Citrus & Salt

We celebrated my first Mother's Day with brunch at Citrus & Salt. The vibe is coastal Mexican. My vibe is tired but still up for having fun in the city! We ate in the back room with cozy couches and ottomans - it felt sort of speakeasy-ish. It also felt perfect for dining out with a baby. I had a delicious Brunch Chimichanga ($13) containing scrambled eggs, refried beans, poblano queso, salsa and home fries. 

After brunching we emerged into the bright floral and skulls space for a cocktail at the polished marble bar. We had a little more time to spend before our ticketed time at Happy Place just down the street. A fun interactive exhibit, we strapped Cam in the Ergobaby and did all the pose-for-cute-photos and laugh at ourselves things. 

The margaritas here are really good, however, I sipped on a Rosa Spritz ($14) served in a dainty etched coupe glass. Codigo Rosa Tequila, Aperol, hibiscus, lemon and rose cava was a very good cocktail indeed. I'm a lucky Mom!

Citrus & Salt

142 Berkeley St

Boston, MA

North Shore Kauai Eats

Here's some insight into our dining experiences on North Shore of Kauai. For starters, a Mai Thai at The Nui is a must!

We had a great dinner at BarAcuda in Hanalei Town offering small plates sourced from Island Fisherman + local organic farmers. 

We ate Papas Ajo - fried marble potatoes tossed in fresh garlic with paprika aioli. These were basically the local version of my favorite tapas - Patatas Bravas! There were tender Banderillas - grilled flank steak skewers rubbed with ancho chili coffee spice and a chipotle honey sauce, and a beautiful piece of Hawaiian Ono with roasted corn puree, grilled summer squash, green coriander + True Leaf Farms sunflower sprouts. 

And a Lilikoi Cheesecake with graham macadamia nut crust and lilikoi curd for dessert!

It was so nice to have the gorgeous St.Regis luxury resort a ten minute walk from our Airbnb condo complex Hale Mole. We fell in love with their Macadamian Old Fashioned. It was one of the best cocktails on this trip! 

On our first night we were met with a super lively bar crowd. The whole place was dancing to a husband wife duo who played local instruments and fun cover songs. We grabbed a front row table and ordered dinner. The bar menu features Japanese plates; really good ceviche, maki rolls, miso soup, edamame and more. We were delighted with our first experience here and knew we'd be back. 

A couple days later we dined at the glamorous Makana Terrace. The views over Hanalei Bay are incredible, but that was about all. The menu was lacking - they were out of a lot of items we wanted to order and we were not overly impressed with the food or service. We got the sense our waitress didn't like us - never a good feeling on your honeymoon or at an exceptionally luxe venue. 

The bad experience at Makana didn't outweigh our love for the good vibes at the bar. We came back on our last night for a final round of Macadamian Old Fashioneds at sunset. 

Tahiti Nui or the Nui is the local Hanalei dive. Live music plays late into the evening and the Mai Thais are flowing. The food was decent. We had coconut shrimp (can't go wrong), beef poke (not my favorite) and a local fish and rice dish (average).

Piazza was a real treat and somewhat of a surprise! Serving local Italian cuisine in the Princeville Plaza (next to Foodland) this polished establishment served us well on our last night in Kauai. We sat at the bar where the staff was fun and attentive. The masterful Ahi Tuna Carpaccio with a deconstructed tapenade, lemon confit and black lava salt was one of my favorite plates in all of Hawaii. The wine list and cocktails were on point - my Vespa with Aperol, lychee puree and prosecco was the perfect blend of Italia meets Hawaii! The Kauai Shrimp Scampi with handmade squid ink linguine, garlic butter, tomato, lemon preserves and chili flakes was a terrific entrée. As was the gorgeous Tagliatelle Bolognese!

Overall, we had some pretty great food on Kauai's North Shore, but not without a couple misses in the mix. If you've visited this part of Hawaii, where are your must eats?!

Palm Springs | Eat + Drink

Truss + Twine | Uptown Design District | 800 North Palm Canyon Drive

We arrived to Palm Springs from Joshua Tree on a Monday evening and quickly learned Monday + Tuesday are the industry off days. I googled 3-4 places on my hit list which were either closed or done serving dinner by 8 pm. We hit the jackpot with Truss + Twine located just a few blocks away and serving food until late. We entered into a super dark industrial, minimalist space, where the staff turned out to be incredibly welcoming; shaking up some strong cocktails and eager to serve us from the small plates menu of elevated desert cuisine.

We drank: Brooklyn ($15) rye, dry vermouth, Amaro Cio-Ciara, maraschino, orange bitters, lemon zest 

Game Changer ($12) gin, lime, cucumber, sugar, onion brine, sea salt, celery bitters 
Velvet Touch ($15) Dickel rye, Amaro Nonino, Pedro Ximinez sherry, orange zest

~~~

And ate: Wagyu Beef Tartare ($18) celery root puree, horseradish, pickled quail egg
Red Snapper Crudo ($10) golden beet, pink peppercorn, shiso pesto 
Smoked Trout Rillettes ($10) trout roe, cucumber gel
Drake Farm's Goat Cheese ($8) bougainvillea dust, Temecula valley honeycomb, cactus confit

Bootlegger Tiki | Uptown Design District | 1011 N Palm Canyon Drive

Does it get any better than a night cap at the Hawaiian themed tiki-cocktail den that happens to be your next door neighbor? 

From the Pod Thai ($10) with white rum, lime, coconut crème, cardamom lemongrass syrup + soda to the For Luck Sake ($12) with tequila, mezcal, lime, honey, yellow chartreuse, serrano pepper tincture, basil + bitters - these expertly crafted cocktails prove even if you aren't staying right next door, this Palm Springs speakeasy is a must visit.

Ernest Coffee | Uptown Design District

Conveniently located next door to The Twist (our Airbnb) is Ernest Coffee - Palm Springs only independent roasters. This hip, light filled, booze serving coffee shop (it is actually the same building and owners as Bootlegger Tiki) was our first stop each morning for fresh brewed Stumptown Coffee alongside chocolate croissants and spinach quiches on the sunny patio. 

Lulu California Bistro | Downtown | 200 S Palm Canyon Drive

Lulu is affirmatively the it spot in town. The large colorful terrace sprawling along Palm Canyon Drive opens to a retro airy bar defined by two massive chandeliers covered in pastel green and purple lampshades. The dining room is awash in all white everything, bordered by tall scalloped booths and lined with Old Hollywood photos. Every seat in the house is packed with breezy lunch dates and mingling locals. Nothing we ate or drank was particularly must visit worthy -  Cobb Salad, Asian Lettuce Wraps, a Desert Haze Martini and a Raspberry Mojito, but they do have a vast menu and offer prompt and polished service. Lulu proved a fun, energetic stop for lunch as we continued on our bike ride exploring the city!

Purple Palm | Colony Palms Hotel | 572 N Indian Canyon Drive

The Purple Palm is one restaurant not to miss in Palm Springs. The menu features imaginative California fare and the Hollywood hideaway atmosphere is so incredibly alluring. Fantastic food + excellent wines are enhanced by dining under a cabana overlooking the relaxed pool setting, backed by a gorgeous open interior with towering halo light fixtures and striking purple wallpaper, ceilings, and tiled floors. We had the best time here. A top trip moment for sure!

Aperol on Fire - Aperol, gin, lemon, singed orange
Pinot Noir ($16) | Colene Clemens, Willamette Valley, Oregon

West Coast Oysters ($18) | Kumaia - Baja, California | watermelon mignonette 

Gai Lan ($8) | maitake mushrooms, goat cheese, black garlic, Chile de arbol
Seared Scallops + Smoked Pork Belly ($30) | chanterelles, parsnip, arugula, lemon verbena

Marinated + Grilled Swordfish ($29) | red pomelo, toasted pine nuts, baby spinach, pearl couscous, fresh herbs, saffron yogurt citronette

Our night out followed with drinks at Trio and Bootlegger!

 

Peabody's Cafe | Downtown | 134 S Palm Canyon Drive

Peabody's is a casual café + bar with an outdoor patio. We brunched here on a whim after learning our first choice (Cheeky's - Uptown) was a 45 minute wait. While we might have missed out on bacon flights back at Cheeky's, this runny egg - crispy potato - cheesy refried beans - homemade salsa + hot sauce covered plate of Huevos Rancheros was everything I needed to affirm the choice. 

More on where we stayed and all the good desert modern vibes up next!

The Red Inn | Provincetown

This summer has been a whirlwind in the best way possible! We just got back from a week on Martha's Vineyard and the Cape, and it's hard to get back into the swing of things simultaneously with work and the blog. I have had pictures of this meal ready to go for awhile now and just needed to get it together with a nice little blurb on The Red Inn! We didn't stay here (although I looked, it's $$$) however, we had booked a very last minute room down the street at the more affordable and available Provincetown Inn. (This was back in June after the lighthouse kicked us out!!) Anyways, on our way through town we passed by this historic inn and the eye catching bright red with white trim exterior made an impression. Turns out they do a fantastic dinner in their cozy and comfortable, dimly lit, nautical inspired waterfront dining room. If you're looking for a romantic meal on the outer cape, with plenty of beautifully cooked fish and the finest local seafood, this ones a charmer!

Entrees Pictured:

Fresh Local Scallops | orzo, citrus beurre blanc, haricots verts

Blackened Rainbow Trout | crawfish creole sauce, mascarpone grits

Pan Roasted Local Cod | lemon garlic confit, applewood bacon, rosemary potatoes

The Red Inn
15 Commercial Street 
Provincetown, MA 02657