six senses douro valley

My husband and I took a magical vacation this past fall to Portugal and Morocco. One of our first stops was the Douro Valley, the beautiful wine country in Portugal. I'd heard great things about Six Senses Douro Valley, and I bet you'll fall in love just by looking at their website. Unfortunately, we were booking a bit last minute, and the resort was fully booked during the time of our visit, so we ended up staying elsewhere. Lucky for me, though, I could still make reservations at The Vale de Abraão Restaurant, so my husband and I made plans for a beautiful fine-dining lunch out on the terrace. The restaurant serves classic regional dishes, but does so in a way that feels fresh and global by using seasonal, market-inspired fare. We were truly blown away by our meal, as each course was perfectly balanced with beautiful flavors. Not to mention completely picturesque! Naturally, being in Portugal, we sampled several aged port wines on our trip, and these were top of the line. Scroll through the slideshow to read details of our memorable meal- I can practically taste each dish again now! After lunch, we were able to spend the afternoon by the pool, enjoying the sun along with more local port. I highly recommend a visit to Six Senses Douro Valley, and now I'd love nothing more than to visit another one of their locations! Where to next???

coolhaus

I love funky sweets, so I was super pumped to try Coolhaus Ice Cream from the moment I discovered them on social media. They started as an ice cream truck, but have gotten so popular that they now have scoop shops in LA and Dallas, as well as several mobile trucks in LA, NYC, and Dallas ! The idea is simple, but delicious: build your own ice cream sandwich from a scrumptious list of freshly baked cookies and housemade ice creams. Mix and match if you want, and there are even vegan and gluten free options available as well! Ice creams come in tasty and unique flavors like campfire s'mores, balsamic fig & mascarpone, and fried chicken & waffles, while the cookie options range from classic double chocolate to peanut butter Captain Crunch to confetti whoopie pie! The sandwiches are named after architects and architectural movements that inspired the design-minded owners (hence the "cool houses" created from ice cream & cookies). Plus, they're served in an edible wrapper, so don't be afraid to get messy as you dig in! I guess you could say I'm a big fan, as I've visited the truck in both NYC and Texas- I guess now I just need to find them in LA :) But good news for me and everyone else: Coolhaus is now sold in many retail stores, as well as available for purchase online! Trust me on this one, get you some Coolhaus ice cream, stat!

lighthouse

I'm all about a seasonal menu with tons of healthy, fresh food- even better if it's got a slightly Mediterranean vibe! Lighthouse is all those things and more, with a focus on sustainability and local produce! I was excited to stop in for brunch with some girlfriends recently, and I love the laid back feeling of home you get from the moment you walk in. The whole place gets tons of light from the huge windows, and there's plenty of outdoor seating as well, which I'm sure makes the perfect spot for brunch or happy hour come summer. We started with their signature freshly baked challah bread with housemade tahini and pickles. There's not much better than fresh baked bread, except when it's slathered in rich and creamy tahini. We chose an assortment of entrees, and I loved all the bright colors involved! From vegetable salads to grilled chicken bowls to chilaquiles to ceviche, there's certainly something for everyone! I really want to try the charred eggplant bowl with green coconut rice and tahini as it sounds totally up my alley, and I think my husband would be all about the duck pita with calabrian chili! Guess we will just have to head back soon :) Make sure to click through the photos for more details on our delish meal!

abcV

The latest restaurant in the abc line up from Jean Georges is abcV, a plant-based eatery with a focus on sustainable and organic ingredients. Everything on the menu is vegetarian, and most of it is vegan, or can easily be made so. I got the chance to dine at abcV with my vegan bestie, and we ordered a bunch of dishes to share so as to try as much as possible! Highlights for me included the pine nut and lemon dip with harissa and dried apricots- such a unique and flavorful take on hummus! The stone ground nut and seed butter layered underneath roasted carrots created the perfect sweet and savory dish, and its richness was cut nicely by chilies and lime. As I'm obsessed with all things tahini, it was no surprise I loved the roasted cauliflower drizzled in turmeric tahini and topped with crunchy pistachios! Yum!

Plenty of other dishes tempted our tastebuds as well, however, we were getting full! If you can believe it, we didn't even have room for dessert, so reluctantly skipped this part of the meal. I know- who even am I? Next time for sure though, as I recall absolutely loving the salted caramel ice cream sundae with candied peanuts and popcorn from abc kitchen!  I'm also looking forward to returning for brunch soon, as the creative brunch bowls and dosas sound super delish. Be sure to click through the photos to see descriptions of each dish, and definitely make a reservation at abcV stat!

samesa

For a casual, Middle Eastern lunch in Williamsburg, Samesa is where it's at. This tiny spot, inspired by a hole-in-the-wall falafel joint, offers a some seriously colorful, vibrant, and flavorful food. Both meat and veggie options abound, and I always tend to start with some of their freshly baked pumpernickel pita and housemade dips. The carrot romesco with urfa biber and roasted beet with sumac dips are both faves of mine, but you really can't go wrong with any of them. The mezze plate above makes for a legit lunch in itself, and involves beet-pickled eggs along with the chef's choice of various dips, salads, and other pickled goodies- so delish! Fresh dishes like the raw squash and zucchini salad with smoky eggplant purée make for a light and healthy option, while the braised lamb and chickpea sandwich is the perfect choice for the meat-eaters. Samesa also makes some pretty tasty and unique smoothies- the tahini date with coconut & cinnamon tastes like a creamy milkshake, but is actually vegan! As you can see, there's truly something for everyone, and I highly recommend you check it out, stat!

nur

 
 

I love when I get the opportunity to dine at a new hotspot before it gets reviewed by the New York Times restaurant critic. When Pete Wells' review of a particular place is overwhelmingly positive, as was the case for Nur, reservations can become extremely hard to come by going forward. Luckily, I got to experience a deliciously unique meal at Nur with my husband and in-laws a few weeks before the two star review was published. I'd heard such great things about this new Middle Eastern restaurant, not to mention drooled over all the Instagram-worthy food pics, that I immediately booked a table when I found out we were going to be entertaining family.

The cuisine at Nur is influenced by the vibrant flavors of the Middle East, but with a modern twist, giving it that bold edge that's perfect for New York City. I love that the chef plays around with the classics, and can draw from both street food and fine dining dishes to create a truly memorable meal. Some highlights for me included the buzzed about Jerusalem sesame bagel and smoked eggplant carpaccio, which are delicious paired together as well, by the way. The date doughnuts, despite sounding like a delectable dessert, were perfectly savory and just bursting with caramelized flavor. Lamb is typically my preferred meat of choice (I find it even tastier with Middle Eastern flavors and spices), and in my opinion, there's not much better than freshly baked bread. Enter the Horias, lamb kebabs that are actually grilled inside a pita, with eggplant and pine nuts. I could really go on an on, as all the seafood entrées were delicious as well. Not one to skimp on dessert, especially when I knew they would be as delicious as they were creative, I decided to order two! Cardamom chocolate and halva rocks, crispy Jerusalem artichokes, smoked yogurt ice cream, amarena cherries, and candied pistachios were all involved, just to give you an idea... Click through the slideshow to read more about all the creative dishes! Nur is one to add to your must-try list immediately- just try to plan ahead and book a table beforehand if possible!