Ransom Tavern | South Woodstock, VT

From the town green in the most picturesque locale in all of New England (Woodstock, Vermont of course) make a right onto Route 106 heading south, just before the majestic Woodstock Inn & Resort, and drive for 10 minutes towards what feels like the middle of nowhere. At least, that is how it seems if you are driving just after night has fallen in early December. It is pitch black and the road is not well lit. 

A beacon at a crossroads in South Woodstock is the Kedron Valley Inn. 

The brick colonial mansion is decidedly more grand and elegant on the exterior than I had pictured. The interior is studded with antiques, artwork that beckons a second glance, and creamy upholstered furniture like velvet royal blue chairs that frame a large print of Abe Lincoln. 

Thick embroidered drapes hang in grand colonial windows. Wide hewn wood floors and worn loom rugs give way to The Ransom Tavern. 

Under a procession of glass lamps and evergreen boughs dangling from them dried oranges and Christmas ornaments - is a bar full of intimate conversation over savory Neapolitan fare. 

The expansive restaurant space feels more modern Vermont: it is brightly lit, full of light wood tables, clipboard menus, cheerfull waitresses and showcases a large open kitchen space backed by a wood fired pizza oven. 

I expected the food would be good; I did not expect it to be soul soothing and executed with such precision, so WONDERFULLY GOOD. Cocktails abound from Nonna's Old Fashioned ($12) to the Wassail ($14) which comes steaming hot in a large round teacup and saucer. The wine list is award-winning, I opt for a glass of R. Stuart + Co. Big Fire Pinot Noir ($14). It tastes of fig, rich cherry and nutmeg. 

The Meatballs and Ricotta ($15) come with two nestled in a glistening red sauce. The Roasted Beets Salad ($15) hits just right with mixed greens, red and gold beets, goat cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds in a maple vinaigrette. 

The pizzas achieve that outstandingly chewy meets crisp Neapolitan excellence, with topping combinations to swoon over. With a trio of mushrooms: shitake, cremini and oyster, plus roasted garlic, mozzarella, arugula and shaved parmesan over a fresh roasted butternut squash puree, The Gardener ($24) should be at the top of your list to consider.

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage ($24) lends a distinct flavor and spice from the fennel sausage, roasted red peppers and an elegant chili oil. The Capricciosa ($28) with tomato sauce, artichokes, cotto ham, fresh mozzarella and basil rounds out the parade of pizzas nicely. 

We dinned here with my sister, brother in law, and their two girls - my sweet nieces Lilah and Sage. There were many groups including multiple families with new babies and young kids. A convivial and welcoming tavern it certainly is. Reservations are recommended. 

We got the kids ice cream sundaes ($8) for dessert and for ourselves a Tiramisu ($12) and a Mille Foglie ($12) which is puff pastry meets layers of vanilla custard, and enjoyed them with final sips of Carpineto Dogajolo Rosso ($11) as we wound down our precious time at the Kedron Valley Inn. 

On the drive towards our home in Killington we opted for the back road route - over the mountains from Church Hill Road to Peterkin Hill, excited when we realized these dirt roads spit us out at Lincoln Covered Bridge to cross the Ottaqueechee River onto route 4. Crossing a covered bridge by happenstance is so quintessentially Vermont, a moment that always deserves just that - a moment.

Ransom Tavern | Kedron Valley Inn

4778 South Road

South Woodstock, VT 05071

Metropolis Café | South End

Metropolis is a cozy bistro nestled in the heart of the South End. It has been a neighborhood mainstay for over 20 years. The vibe is casual and relaxed while the dimly lit space with comfy booths and window nooks sets the scene for a romantic occasion! 

Creative Mediterranean comfort food shines at Metropolis. We were really pleased with our meals. 

Rainbow Trout - stuffed with confit fennel, wilted spinach, preserved lemon + salsa verde

Beetroot + Pear Salad - roasted red beets, Bartlett pear, shaved fennel, Roquefort cheese, toasted hazelnuts, sherry vinaigrette

Veal Scallopini - free range cutlets sauteed with capers, brown butter + cauliflower leek gratin 

Lemon Mousse Tart - raspberries + shaved coconut

Coffee Crème Brulee - with flourless oatmeal chocolate chip cookie

On this evening we were celebrating Valentine's Day! And a super pregnant one at that. We are sooo excited to meet this baby!!

Metropolis Café

548 Tremont St

Boston, MA 02118

The West Village | Babymoon

Some of the best restaurants in the city. Tiny cafes and boozy brunches on tree lined blocks. Subtly trendy oyster bars and underground jazz clubs. Cozy apartments tucked inside historic brownstones. Sophisticated local boutiques.

We had the best time in NYC's West Village - find my Babymoon recap including a dinner at Barbuto and brunch at Jeffery's Grocery here. Above - coffee and a poptart at Jack's Stir Brew, scenes from the neighborhood streets just outside our Aibnb, a peak inside our Airbnb, drinks at Bar Sardine, and a remarkable dinner at the chefs counter at Hudson Clearwater. 

Hale'iwa Beach House

We are now on Oahu's North Shore continuing the Hawaii Honeymoon bliss!! Here's a look at a great dinner we had at Haleiwa Beach House. 

Kalua Pork Grilled Cheese ($15) | toasted pullman bread with warm goat cheese, white cheddar, pickled onion and kalua pork

Lobster Cob Salad ($24) | warm lobster + grilled croutons served atop a medley of waipoli greens, blue cheese crumbles, tomato, bacon and a 7 minute egg. tossed in an avocado ranch dressing.

Whole Roasted Catch of the Day (MP) | a ginger scallion beurre blanc, atop a bed of ponzu braised baby bok choy served with white rice

Hale'iwa Beach House

62-540 Kamehameha Hwy

Haleiwa, HI 96712

Toronto Bachelorette

We kicked off #FarewellFenton Toronto Bachelorette night two with a photo shoot on Graffiti Alley. I have an affection for street art and this spot was off the charts cool. I wish we had more time to explore the graffiti walls but high heels in snow really do not mix. Plus, our reservation awaited at Bar Chef.

How beautiful and fun are my friends? 

Saturday Night: Bar Chef is wild. It presents as your swanky, dimly lit, hip cocktail bar. But to the insider, you've discovered a world that challenges the conventional notions and boundaries of the cocktail experience. It is one of not only taste but touch and smell, sound and sight. 

I invite you to really read the description and take in the photos of my friend Eden's choice, Geometric Lavender. This was beyond. Since Manhattans are my favorite, I chose their signature cocktail the Vanilla and Hickory Smoked Manhattan. The presentation and the aromas were exhilarating and the drink itself, definitely the best Manhattan I've ever had.

This being a rare + fascinating opportunity, most of the gals went all out with something from the molecular cocktail menu. Our waiters were impeccable - their attention to detail and explanation of the cocktails left us all very impressed. The menu has pages dedicated to punch bowls for large format sharing and a sipping page based on classic spirit forward cocktails (i.e. my Manhattan.) 

Grey Gardens

Talk about going all out! I was surprised and in awe of our dinner at Grey Gardens. We had a phenomenal five course meal in their private, ultra luxe wine cellar, complete with table-side Negronis and poppin' bottles of champagne. 

A table full of Negronis is a beautiful thing! Negonis are the only cocktail Grey Gardens serves. They are a wine focused bar but having just the one table-side cocktail felt like such a sophisticated thing to do. They alerted my sister of this fact when she made the reservation to which she replied "well that's perfect because it's my sisters favorite cocktail!" (I realize I proclaimed the Manhattan my favorite above - it's inherently the classics that do it for me!)

We were here until midnight! This was such a memorable event. The girls shared their favorite Kristen stories and we played shoulders (best drinking game ever) for what felt like hours. Essentially, shenanigans ensued and Grey Gardens was more than fine with it!

Grey Gardens describes their food as "New North American." Pictured: Oysters served in the most charming Le Creuset baking dish with mignonette in tincture bottles. Swoon! One of three delicious salads: Green Asparagus w radicchio + stracciatella. One of three inventive pastas: Ravioli w sweet potato, black truffle, sour cream + apple. It was a true feast with much fanfare. 

I would fondly recommend both Grey Gardens and Bar Chef if you visit Toronto. They are conveniently located right across the street from one another in the Kensington Market area. The rest of the night was a good one. We went dancing across the street and kept the party going back at the Sheraton. 

Sunday Day: It was early to rise for a hot yoga class at Yyoga followed by breakfast at Sud Forno on Temperance. We meandered in on a whim and it worked out nicely. The first floor is counter style service - an espresso bar and then a separate space for fancy cafeteria style eats. (Second floor is seated brunch.) The space was architecturally stunning and the food was impressive, especially the Nutella filled bombolini. 

We freshened up and regrouped with the non yogis back at the Sheraton. The rest of the day played out somewhat spontaneously, with a planned start in the Distillery District. 

I adored this historic brick building neighborhood with peace and love art installations, cute shops and good restaurants. 

It was physically painful to be outside at times. This photo is hilarious and really captures the ridiculousness of the weather! 

We relaxed at Mill Street Brewery for a couple hours. Then we moseyed across the street into El Catrin. 

The sky high walls covered in gorgeous, traditional Mexican décor left us wide eyed in amazement. We took over the bar and got down with margarita pitchers, tableside guacamole, mezcal and....crickets. Reminiscing on our trip to Mexico City, specifically our street food tour; Teri, Christina and I got a kick out of making all the girls try the crickets. I had some deconstructed street corn which was fantastic, too! 

We owe the hostess at El Catrin a debt of gratitude for the next stop on our Sunday Funday adventure. When Teri requested a place with a jukebox, a place we could do a little dancing, she suggested Pacific Junction Hotel. I'm picturing a swanky hotel. In actuality, it's a chill neighborhood bar with a unique, hip, slightly retro interior and a fun spot for 10 girls to crash and have their own dance party all afternoon....and into the evening. (We pushed back our dinner reservation, twice.) 

I loved the lyric chalkboard framed by the Aspen ski. So much randomness in one place. I'm probably over sharing a bit....just having no fun at all.... 

Did I mention how kind and amazing people from Toronto are? I mean, in the last restaurant we had the manager moving tables as we climbed on the back booth to get a good photo with the wall, and now here we are on the bar....after everyone pitched in to move the soy sauce and chopsticks. (Yes, they serve Asian food and yes, I had dumplings and spring rolls, good stuff.)

These moments at Pacific Junction Hotel were a highlight of the trip.

Sunday Night: The practical side of us eventually gave in and decided that dinner was in fact in order. Piano Piano is a whimsical, warm, welcoming, Italian restaurant specializing in wood-fired pizza. In Toronto - they cut their pizza with scissors. None of us had ever seen this but apparently it's a thing. We had a wonderful late in the evening dinner, everything from the antipasti to the pasta to the red wine were excellent. 

Monday Morning: Breakfast at the no frills Canadian chain Sunset Grill - picked for it's location a few blocks from the hotel. 

Then, pictures with the Toronto sign! 

Last call: A Bloody Caesar back at the Sheraton Centre (the lobby bar and bistro - BnB) ..because you can't travel to Canada and not have a Bloody Caesar!

What.a.weekend. 

Also: Part one 

If you need further insight on Toronto, definitely let me know. 

The wedding in FIVE DAYS!