Monthly Archives: July 2024

Childhood

Posted on July 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

Belvedere, CA: circa 1998. My mom used to let me dress myself. Iconic.

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Posted in Memories

France

Posted on July 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

One of my favorite restaurant in NY and Paris, Buvette. The Waffle Sandwich is the best thing anyone will ever eat.

This was at Europa-Park in Deutschland, in the Greece themed area. Hilarious. Sage and I went with Alexia and sweet little Leopold over summer.

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Posted in Europe, Memories

Barcelona, Spain

Posted on July 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

One summer, when mom was in South of France, Sage and I flew out to join her. We went on a bunch of day trips, including Toulouse, Carcassonne, and Barcelona. Toulouse turned out to have some of the best Chinese food I’ve ever had, and hands down the best waffles I’ve ever had. Carcassonne was very cool, it’s a big medieval citadel. In Barcelona we visited the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, and we ate authentic Spanish food, paella, pan con tomate, jamón ibérico, etc. I got a little tile mosaic bull as a souvenir but it broke in transit.

We ate lunch at this little cafe by a fountain with a statue of a crocodile in it that I found deeply unsettling. Clearly my amygdala had been wired to react strongly to that stimuli. It was so amusing.

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Posted in Europe, Photography

SoCal

Posted on July 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

Yamashiro in the Hollywood Hills. Incredible views. First time I went with Sage, Jason, and Carter, there was a David Bowie cover band that was surprisingly good.

Barton G. is one of my favorite restaurants in LA. My family is very insistent that the presentation is more impressive than the quality of the food, but personally I love the food there. The lobster pop-tarts and lobster macaroni and cheese are phenomenal. The bucket of bones is delicious. I have found it to always be very consistent, and now that The Bazaar at the SLS in Beverly Hills by Jose Andreas is closed, it’s one of the most unique high end culinary experiences available. Here I am trying to get the liquid nitrogen from the “Holy Smokes Popcorn,” to come out of my nostrils. Also featured, the Deviled Eggs, and one of the many cotton candy cocktails I enjoyed. Barton G. is one of two restaurants where I will usually have more than one cocktail, the other being Nobu. At Nobu I order a Lychee Sake-tini with Stoli Elite vodka, Nobu house sake, lychee juice and garnish. After a few of these, and lots of giggling, I take what my family calls my “Nobu Nap.”

This is a photo from one of the handful of cooking classes that I took at The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica. This particular class was called “Southern Brunch” and these are all the herbs and spices that went into the fresh sausage patties we made for biscuits and gravy. The biscuits were labor intense but so delicious. The sausage was actually not that hard to make, and so worthwhile. Jason and I also took a Babka, Brioche, and Challah Bread class, and a Steak and Whiskey dinner. We made this creme anglaise that was to die for.

This was taken by Quinci when we were in Palm Springs for Stagecoach Music Festival. Sage and Jake had just broken up, but the tickets and hotel were pre-paid so Quinci and I got to go VIP and stay at Sparrow Lodge for free. We had the best time, despite our relative indifference towards country music.

Alternatively, when I attended Coachella VIP with Louise, my UC Berkley friend that Abe introduced me, Louise and I stayed at an airbnb with some of her friends, and I was very excited about the music. Major Lazer was incredible, but Disclosure was a big disappointment.

The famous Marinated ‘Ferran Adrià’ Olives dish at The Bazaar restaurant at the SLS in Beverly Hills, the night we saw the all gold Bugatti Veyron. Other favorites: Cotton Candy Foie Gras, Philly Cheesesteak, Bagels & Lox Cone, “Beefsteak” Tomato Tartare, Not Your Everyday Caprese, Brussel Sprout Petals, Smoke & Ice Oysters. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. Not to mention the rabbit paella they had for mother’s day brunch one year that was the best paella I’ve ever had.

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Posted in Memories

New York

Posted on July 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

Balthazar is a long standing family favorite that we always manage to squeeze in every trip to NYC. The steak tartare, steak frites, and moules frites are my favorite, but dad lives for the steak au poivre… if only I liked pepper.

A tender moment with Madi Bean during High Tea at The Plaza Hotel.

Same trip, different sister. These outfits got us in to Le Bain without having to wait in line or pay the cover.

All three sisters on our way to The Met.

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USC

Posted on July 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

My graduation cake from my favorite bakery in LA, Big Sugar Bakeshop.

Kara and I at a Laker’s Game. Her parents hooked us up.

Above my desk at my first apartment. Can you tell what neurotransmitter it is?

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Cate School

Posted on July 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

Lucky Llama chai tea late, no foam. Voodoo Donuts, Portland Oregon. Matt Moore surf shop. Aviator Nation sweats, Lulu Lemon top, and a Nike fuel band. Not wearing my glasses… probably walking around barefoot outside Botheen Dorm. This, or micro-shorts and a backwards trucker hat, were my uniform for 4 years of high school.

I used to “manage” the boys lacrosse teams. That is to say, I would take pictures, blog, and bake treats instead of actually doing a sport myself, junior and senior year. I was very proud of my work, especially after the parents of one of the international students reached out to thank me for blogging about the games because they never got to see their son play lacrosse otherwise.

I always loved this photo. I took it on the school bus into town one day. The window and the bridge made it look like a film roll to me.

Almost everyday, for at least two year at boarding school I would run the three miles from campus into Carpinteria, and three miles back. The road was beautiful. A steep downhill to start, then on long flat through the avocado fields, past the little produce cart.

I will always love the smell of eucalyptus.

So apparently all the cool kids used to go here to poke smot and hook up… I just liked going on walks.

I took this on Senior Prank Night after sneaking in with Shutaro Kobayashi and Matthew Firestone for a late night swim… my Wildfox bikini mysteriously disappeared that night.

Not featured: red velvet cupcakes from Crush Cakes. A carrier tray of thai iced teas from Siam Elephant. A filet mignon from Sly’s. A Jack’s bagel eaten at the back of the dinning hall on a Sunday morning. Studying in the library with Ya’kuana… or forcing her to accompany me to the pool on weekends so I could tan in a Brazilian cut bikini bottom. Me failing the swim test and having to take lessons with Joshua Yaro. Bonning. Mrs. Arango. Mr. Pouye. The view from school house. The hoedown. 25 House. Transition House. etc. etc. etc.

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Posted in Memories, Santa Barbara

Las Vegas

Posted on July 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

For my 21st birthday Sage and I went to Las Vegas. Sage and I thought this photo was hilarious because our white shorts made it look like we were wearing diapers.

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Posted in Memories