Devil's Holiday Dinner Party

Before my roommate and best friend Maddie leaves Brooklyn for Rome she hosted her last dinner out of our tiny kitchen. She has kept me and countless friends very well fed for almost two years now, but that isn't the only reason I will miss her very much. I'm staying positive with the prospect of a springtime trip to Rome and even more amazing pasta recipes when she returns. For dinner she served Devils on Horseback, Devil's Chicken Thighs and Braised Leeks, and Guinness Devil's Food Cake. Naturally, they were all heavenly.

You can read all of Maddie's foodie adventures at Headline Foods.

Photos by Mark Iantosca

Side note: I learned the name Pig Newtons from White Lightning's Twitter and I'm never going back

Newtown Creek Nature Walk

My Aunty Niff always gives the best advice on the coolest most interesting places to visit in New York. Twenty-plus years of living here has given her an edge up on the competition. Now that she lives in Urbana-Champaign I don't get to visit them with her as frequently, but enjoying and sharing her favorite places in the city still feels very special to me.

It was in that spirit that I took Mark to find the Newtown Creek Nature Walk. The path is sandwiched between Newtown Creek, perhaps the most polluted waterway in all of the US, and a treatment plant. It wraps around a section of the creek, with planted native plants and plaques explaining the history of the land from Indian origins. Late fall probably wasn't the best time to visit as the greenery wasn't exactly green, but it was completely serene, leading me to believe we had found our very own secret garden (with city views). I'll definitely be back with a picnic in spring.

If you're interested, the entrance is at the far eastern end of Paidge Avenue in Greenpoint. Look for the giant cement fence.

Pics by Mark Iantosca!

Lunch at Roebling Tea Room by Lauren Moffatt

Lunch at Roebling Tea Room, a collection by Lauren Moffatt. Seriously? I'm not sure what all this denim has to do with the Williamsburg lunch/brunch/dinner spot, but it is sort of cute.

Do you think she knows Bill Murray's son works there?

Via Lauren Moffat