Sweet Dreams

Can I tell you...about my addiction to macarrons. Ever since I ate my first macarron on my first trip to Paris, I've been hooked. It was over coffee at Laduree' on Rue Royale with Sophie Albou. We had been shopping all day and just needed some coffee (cafe' noisette to be precise) and Sophie suggested I try this 'typically French' dessert. The rest as they say is history.
Speaking of history, here's a little tidbit:
The classic French almond Macarron is a unique delicacy among gourmet treats. Not exactly a candy, not exactly a cookie, a real Macarron is a baked confection with a golden-brown crinkled top, a soft chewy texture inside, and a delicate lingering taste of fresh almonds.
According to legend, the macarron was invented in an Italian monastery in 1792. Later, two Carmelite nuns, hiding in the town of Nancy during the French Revolution, baked and sold macarrons to cover their expenses. They became known as the "Macarron Sisters." The cookie recipe was supposedly passed on to the Jewish community in France, who subsequently made it a staple of Passover baking.

Now, every time I go Paris I indulge my craving for these heavenly sinful confections of sweet little pleasures. I've found several places that make really good ones.
Cafe' Angelina on Rue de Rivoli is the most convenient since it's a hop and a skip from my hotel. They're also famous for their Mont Blanc(white hot chocolate!). Worth every bit of calory! Laduree' is always jammed with people so you'll have to take your macarrons to go. In the Marais, there's Mariage Freres, the legendary tea salon that makes 'green tea macarrons', SO GOOD, it kills me!
Then in the 7th arrondisement, there's Pierre Herme, who is giving Laduree a run for their money. There's always a line outside his store. That's how I discovered him actually. I was curious about the line down the street, so I lined up and voila! A roomful of macarrons, financiers, fruit tartes, and other delectable temptations. I just died and went to heaven. Trust me, it was worth the wait.

So next time you're in Paris, and if you have a sweet tooth like me, head over to any of the places I've mentioned. You'll be happy you did...I promise! Sweet dreams truly are made of these.

Hungry in Hungary

Can I tell you...about my gastronomoic experience in Budapest. Every new destination I go to, I make it a point to eat local cuisine and go to recommended restaurants by either the concierge or from travel articles that I've saved over time. I have numerous folders of these magazine tears as you can imagine. I believe that tasting local delicacies is crucial if you want to get the full experience. I try to hit sidewalk cafes as much as possible.
First stop was a prefixe dinner at Gundel, the swankiest and fanciest restaurant in the city. A culinary institution since 1894, the building that houses the restaurant was the former mansion of the Gundel family. There are several more intimate rooms, a grand ballroom and a wine cellar for more casual dining. The main dining room is adorned with 19th Century paintings and a large floral centerpiece. Unfortunately, we felt like we were in a really cheezy cruise ship. It was little hot and stuffy in there and the indoor smoking didn't help, even if we were in the 'non-smoking' section. These restaurants seem to believe that smoke will just magically stop right at the edge of the non-smoking section. This was a tourist only restaurant, at least it seemed that way that night.
The waiters were charming enough but violinist going from table to table serenading diners with Bach and Beethoven gave me a grunt when he didn't receive the tip he was expecting. That was uncomfortable. I don't calculate and convert currency on the spot! A restaurant of this level and reputation shouldn't have musicians expecting tips to begin with. Nonetheless, the dinner was mediocre to say the least and for the price, it was disappointing. Goose liver foie gras and paprika on almost everything.
The next day we had lunch at another recommended tourist trap. Gerbeaud cafe'. Unfortunately, the service was a little gruff to put in bluntly. Our waitress couldn't be bothered to give us recommendations other than that 'will you hurry up and decide' kind of look. We ended up having club sandwiches and the biggest and sweetest frapuccino I've ever had. Yummmm....NOT!
Fortunately I reserved dinner at Callas, right beside the Opera House ( Maria Callas=Opera, get it?) on Andrassy boulevard.
A former booking office brilliantly redesigned by British designer David Collins. The ambience is turn of the century with an art deco twist and the location was perfect for people watching. That restaurant made up for the rest of the other food fiascos we had so far encountered. Our waitress was friendly and chatty. Offering her recommendations on what was good and not.
We came back for lunch the next day. It was the perfect place to rest our weary feet and unwind. I'm sure there are really good restaurants that locals go to but what do you do when you only have a few days? Nonetheless, the trip was memorable and I would definitely go back at some point in the future. Then again, I've been itching to see Prague.

Buda-bath

Can I tell you...about my weekend in Budapest. I was in Milan on the 2nd week of September for the work and was scheduled to go to Paris next but in between I decided to go to Hungary for the weekend. I've always wanted to go to Budapest and see the famous baths. Budapest is the only city in the world where there are more than 80 thermal springs and wells. There are about 50 baths fed by natural medicinal springs. I only made it to 2 of them. My friend Brendan, who lives in London, joined me for the adventure. The most famous and grandest one is Gellert Baths situated on the foot of Gellert Hill. Built in Art Nouveau style in 1910, it boasts of 13 indoor and outdoor pools, a wave pool, steam rooms, thermal baths and saunas.
The waters are pumped with thermal springs coming from inside Gellert Hill and is believed to have healing powers for rheumatism. It's adjoined by the Gellert hotel but I'd read reviews that the hotel has a long way to go as far as luxury accomodations go.
The place was packed since it was a weekend. Entry into the complex and finding the lockers were a bit confusing but when we eventually made it in, we were psyched. It's a bit of a maze inside between the hallways, staircases and rooms. I accidentally stumbled into the women's changing room much to the attendant's shagrin.
We stayed a couple of hours going from pool to pool, room to room until we realized that we had done all of them several times over. It was a great experience all in all. We felt so refreshed and relaxed.

We needed several shots of espresso at the cafe to wake us up. The day was young, and so were we, so we headed out to Castle hill to take photos of the Danube, along with every other tourist in for the weekend.

I'm so Lucky

Can I tell you...Lucky Magazine, Chevy Malibu and Rafe. A few months ago, Jackie, my PR diva, had called Lucky to inquire about participating in Lucky shops, the magazine's yearly shopping extravaganza. Coincidentally they were just about to call her to ask if I would be interested in collaborating with Chevrolet in their re-launch of Chevy Malibu. I immediately said, "Yes!".
Lucky has been a great supporter of my brand from the beginning and is the ultimate shopping guide for fashionistas. Chevy is an iconic American brand with an amazing history behind it. The Rafe brand, if I may speak in 3rd person, is a fave among "girls-in-the-know". It was a win-win-win situation as far as I was concerend and what an amazinge co-branding opportunity. How Lucky am I?
I designed a limited edition ( 100 per style) selection of accessories; a clutch, a wallet and a key / coin case inspired by the new Chevy Malibu. I used gunmetal snakeskin and lined everything in red satin. I have to tell you...these pieces are...WICKED!
If you want any of them, you'll have to run over to the event. For more information, go to Luckyshops.com or call 866-4LUCKYU. It starts on Oct.26-27.
Not only will the accessories I designed for Chevy be on sale but a whole range of other Rafe bags, shoes and small leather goods will be available, up to 70% off the retail value on select styles. I know it's a little early but it's a great time to shop for the holidays or for yourself. See you there!