Yesterday was one of those perfect days in which nothing spectacular occurs and yet the pristine normality of it strikes a note of, well, perfection. It was a simple Saturday sans any frills or big events but it was so picturesque that I have to share.
Saturday morning, after sleeping in for the first time in weeks (midterms) I dressed and prepared myself for this month's Cupcake Meetup down in Tribeca. A somewhat smaller group than our last excursion to Baked in Brooklyn met at Tribeca Treats on Reade St. and Church St. for an afternoon nibble. It was a brilliant day. The wind was cool, the sun vibrant, everyone seemed to be out enjoying the weekend.
Tribeca Treats was a perfect accompaniment to the fantastic NY fall weather. The space was simple and elegant in a way in which modern minimalism met real home comfort. The group of us sat around a large wooden table sampling goodies, catching up and greeting new faces. I was seated next to a lovely woman Denise who was as sunny as the Saturday afternoon shining outside! One thing that I truly love about our meetups is that it provides an opportunity to met extraordinary New Yorkers you may never have the chance to get to know otherwise. When I left the meetup later that afternoon I felt like I had met someone wonderful, a friend, who was an inspiration and a pleasure to learn about.
But wait! The most important part...the treats. Indeed, Tribeca Treats proved itself as a downtown dessert debutant boasting a wonderful selection of cupcakes, cookies and dainty chocolate. I sampled a s'mores cupcake with dark chocolate cake, marshmallow frosting and crumbled graham crackers on top. The combination was delightful although my frosting was a little difficult to manage. Of course, as cupcake connoisseurs we can't just eat one...you buy in bulk, split and sample tiny pieces of each flavor. There was a pumpkin spice cake with cinnamon buttercream that was quite tasty (and completely appropriate for the season), a red velvet that was well crafted (although I have yet to find a favorite red velvet cupcake in NYC) and finally a plain vanilla cupcake that was a fine snack as well. Over all, Tribeca Treats was everything I had hoped it would be: tasty, tiny and enormously cute. If you're down in Tribeca stop in for a bite! There are delicious cookies (try the snickerdoodles), homemade ice cream sandwiches and beautifully crafted chocolates you can box up for someone special! (And if you don’t have someone special, no worries, I'm always willing and able to eat chocolate so you can just send some my way)
Instead of taking the subway from City Hall back up to Union Square, I decided to savor the day and walk home through Soho. My goodness! I think everyone and their grand-nannies shared that very same thought. Soho was a mad house. The sidewalks were crowded, shops were overflowing with customers, street vender's calls blended in with the roar of fluttering chitchat filling the air.
On my way uptown I ran into a few interesting sites. First, a Sergio Furnari exhibit caught my eye. It was right on the corner of W. Broadway and I believe it was Spring St. The giant sculpture featured an image reminiscent of that famous photograph of the construction workers eating their lunch on the beam of a soon-to-be skyscraper in NYC. It was attached to a pickup truck but it was really beautiful. When I looked up Sergio later, his website shows an array of sculptures that he's worked on. I'd never heard of him prior to this but his things are fantastic. Check it out.
Thankfully, Sergio's sculpture led me to Le Petite Cafe. Le Petite Cafe is a French bistro I've always meant to try but have never found time to visit. Unfortunately, having cupcakes for lunch left me a bit full and I only had room for a cappuccino to go, however it was delicious and I can't wait to go back and try something a bit more substantial. Has anyone ever eaten there before? I'm curious to see what you think.
Even closer to Union Square I stumbled upon the "Bella Muse" booth on the side of the street. "Bella Muse" has a collection of greeting cards, shirts and infant attire all delicately printed with amusing images and wordplay. There was an infant t-shirt that had a princess on it with the phrase "I drink like a man" daintily scripted below. If I knew the sex of any of the babies being born into my life in the next few months, I would have picked it up. Something tells me though that a little Irish baby boy wouldn't be too pleased if he had a drunken princess on his shirt. Actually...maybe he would. Who knows? Anyway, Bella Muse has a fabulous website with images for all different occasions. Try a "Saucy, saucy little tart" card for a good friend, a "Crusts off to you!" note for your mother, or even a "Shoe Whore" t-shirt for someone special. Bella Muse items are actually sold at Tribeca Treats and a bunch of different store locations around the city. Check out their website for specific locations or order online if you are so inclined!
I wrapped up my Saturday afternoon with a trip to Washington Square Park to fulfill my role as a typical NYU student. I finished up some reading at the fountain late in the afternoon, listened to the performers and finally wandered through the street fair back up to Union Square.
As I said, nothing out of the ordinary...but a truly perfect day nonetheless. One forgets sometimes how easy it is to find "simple pleasures" in the midst of such a hectic city. It's lazy weekends such as this that remind me why I love living here so very much. More soothing and beautiful days to come...Enjoy!
