FROCKS & FORKS

Back to work buys

January 5, 2015sarahloulake 1 Comment

Back to work in January can be rather dreary. Here’s a few things to brighten up Monday 5th January.

Beautiful Felt Desk Organiser from Skagen Denmark

£8.99 here or $9.99 here

New Coffee Mug from Anthropologie

Monogram mugs from Anthropologie. £8 here.

Notebook from Aspinal of London

I have this in a turquoise colour- makes note taking so much better!

Available for £65 here or $125 on the US site. Personalisation is also available.

iPhone sleeve from Sandlot Goods

I discovered these guys when they liked a picture of my Frye boots on my Instagram. Kansas based, they have beautiful leather goods- I particularly like the iPhone sleeve on their site here for $68

Loyalty Schemes That I Love

January 4, 2015sarahloulake

I am a sucker for a loyalty scheme.

I’ve already posted about my adoration for the My Starbucks Rewards scheme here. However, there are a few more that I participate in that I really like.

Avios

Avios are travel rewards points that turn your everyday spending into flights and other travel rewards. The great thing is, you can collect Avios across lots of different schemes. I collect Avios using my Tesco Clubcard and my credit cards. With Tesco Clubcard, you can choose to turn your money vouchers that you usually get every quarter into Avios. My credit cards via my bank come in a pair: one a Mastercard where you earn 1.25 Avios for every £5 spent, and one an American Express where you earn 1.25 Avios for every £1 spent. There are lots of others ways to earn Avios, like via the Shell Drivers Club, or through their shopping gateway and you can spend them on lots of things: wine, photo shoots, hotels, car hire, experiences etc. There is also a handy app on your phone to track your Avios rewards. However, I choose to “combine” my Avios and move them from the Avios website into my British Airways Executive Club.

Snapshots from the Avios App where you can track your points

British Airways Executive Club

I have mentioned before that, for the most part, I am a huge British Airways fan (we had a little hiccup when I tried to change my name!). I think they do a fantastic job of rewarding loyalty. A great example was when our flight to Marrakech was cancelled: I didn’t expect us to be prioritised because of my Exec Club status, but we were. It was a great surprise and made me feel like a valued BA customer. Another example is a recent email I received: they were offering a birthday gift (it’s my 30th in February) of 30,000 Avios if I book a long haul flight to travel in February. To put it into context, that’s enough air miles (nearly) to get a return, economy flight to the US (excl. taxes). So it’s a great gift!

Anyway, there are two types of points that you can earn on the BA scheme: tier points and Avios. Tier points are earned just through flying and the number you get depends on your ticket type. You earn more when you fly further in more premium cabins. You can’t buy or spend tier points, like Avios, they are all about measuring your frequency of flying and loyalty to BA. I find it kind of annoying that they get reset to zero every year (I’ve spent the last few months trying to reclaim my silver status!), but you still get to keep them as “Lifetime Tier Points”, so you get some other rewards. These tier points are what define you as Bronze, Silver or Gold. Getting status offers you things like lounge entry, priority boarding, seat selection and bonus Avios. (They also send you handy luggage tags with your name, membership number and status- just saves having your address written on all your luggage!)

Avios are the air miles you earn from flying and these can be redeemed for flights, hotels, car hire. You earn these from flying with British Airways or any of the One World Alliance. So, for example, if you’re flying American Airlines, you can still collect your points and use your airline status.

In my opinion, the best way of spending these miles is on the hotels: British Airways does some fantastic sales and if you get flights at the right time, you can get some great bargains. Even if you use your Avios, you still have to use cash to pay for taxes, fees and carrier charges. So, for example, a flight to Chicago might be 40k Avios + £354 in taxes. However, in their current sale, a flight is £515 all in. The better way of spending your Avios is on hotels. For example, you can get 4 nights in the Hilton on Michigan Avenue for 40k Avios +£60, or the Hyatt Regency for 40k Avios + £120. You just seem to get more for your money!

Finally, the British Airways app is so useful. It stores all your flights, you can check in on it and it can be a digital boarding pass. Also, because I am a sucker for stuff like this, I just love that it changes the imagery on the app to reflect where you are and where you’re going. For example, when I am flying to Chicago, it has the Chicago skyline, and when I am returning to London, the London one. Or, on the screenshots below, you can see a blues guitarist, representing Chicago, under the “recently searched” flights. I know some people think this stuff is cheesy, but I love details like this!

The British Airways Android App- I have used both Apple and Android, and they’re both good

Sephora VIB

VIB is the next step up from Beauty Insider- but Beauty Insider is pretty good too! These are the loyalty schemes at beauty retailer, Sephora. At the entry level you get a birthday gift, free beauty classes, product rewards and seasonal promotions. When you have spent $350 in a year (gulp…yes…I did that…oops) you get upgraded to VIB. VIB gets you first dibs on new products, seasonal VIB only gifts, advance access to sales and private VIB shopping events. Now, whilst I have a Boots Advantage card, and I have heard that the value of the points with them is really good, it does little to make me feel rewarded for any loyalty. When I was in the Body Shop the other day, I signed up to a loyalty card (with a £5 charge!), and they seem to be following a Sephora model (10% off purchases for a year, free gifts when you collect th stamps, a free birthday gift, exclusive events, offers and discounts and sneak previews of new products), but it just doesn’t have the glamour of Sephora. To put it into context, as a Beauty Insider (tier 1), I would be asked which free gift I wanted at the checkout, and one time it was a Marc Jacobs eye liner! That is a great free gift!

When I moved from Beauty Insider to VIB I was given the pack below, including some nice gifts (a 10% off voucher, a makeover and free shipping code) and a new card to present when I pay. I know it’s all largely symbolic: but it has the desired effect. I feel far more valued by Sephora through their program than I do by Boots! Now…if only there were Sephora stores in the UK. I am sure they must have discussed it at Sephora HQ. Perhaps they think they can’t compete with Boots. Sephora: yes you can. You are so much better. Just make sure your loyalty card is an international thing, yeah? I want to be a VIB everywhere!

Philz Coffee: Mint Mojito Coffee

January 3, 2015sarahloulake

I cannot claim to have discovered this. I was introduced: brought along for the ride. But it needs to be shared because, despite how much you hear me talk about my love for Starbucks, THIS is the single best cup of coffee I have ever had. Anywhere. In the world.

Philz Coffee is a group of 18 coffee shops on the West Coast, owned by a guy called Phil Jaber. Each cup of coffee here is brewed for the individual: they call it a “cup of love” and under their logo it claims “one cup at a time”. I had heard about Philz Coffee from colleagues and just how great it was.

It was January 2014. Chicago was in the midst of the Polar Vortex. We had compounded this by visiting Minneapolis first, and then we landed in San Francisco. Down coats were discarded in the trunk of the car. We were on the hunt for coffee following our 4am start (and a flight change in Denver) and Philz did not disappoint.

We all ordered Iced Mint Mojito Coffee (hey- it was nearing 20 degrees Celsius. We were embracing it). It takes a while to get your coffee: it really is brewed, one cup at a time. It’s worth the wait though. This is quite simply, the best cup of coffee I have ever had. It’s sweet, creamy, minty, decadent and indulgent. Between every sip I kept saying “this is so good”. I became attached to the chocolate brown cup: I kept tipping it up, hoping for one more drop of coffee.

Iced Mint Mojito Coffee

The place just feels very…Californian. This was my very first stop anywhere in California, ever. The bar is made from un-sanded wood, the boards handwritten in chalk, the people are friendly and happy to help. It just makes you feel GOOD.

Philz Coffee, Westborough Blvd.

Working hard whilst waiting for coffee

The internet is littered with people trying to recreate their Iced Mint Mojito Coffee. I would say “don’t”. Just don’t. Go to Philz. Wait for your coffee. Feel happy. Recreating it at home just won’t give you the full experience.

So, all trips to San Francisco require a Philz Coffee stop. And when I’m not there, I receive pics of these lovely cups of coffee (oh yeah…and the friends holding them!), to which my response is “Hate you”. Just kidding.

Philz 2

2015: Fitness Fashion

January 1, 2015sarahloulake

I’ll admit it: I’m not a consistent fitness freak. It goes in fits and starts. I am a fair weather fitness fan. However, one thing that does get me motivated to workout is fitness fashion. As it’s January 1st, and we’re probably all making some resolutions, I thought I would run through my fitness fashion wants for 2015 from my favourite brands

Lululemon

There are 2 things that I repeat buy from Lululemon

1. Ta Ta Tamer sports bra

This is the best sports bra I have ever owned. This one is designed for larger cup sizes and gives great support. The fabric (as all the fabrics at Lululemon) is breathable, soft and easy to wear. I discovered Lululemon when living in the US and their stores are beautiful. The selection available here is a bit less, and it costs a bit more, but I would definitely recommend taking a look. The Ta Ta Tamer is £52 in the UK here and $58 in the US here.

2. Bang Buster

The headbands at Lululemon are great- because they stay put! In August I had a fringe/bangs cut in, and these headbands are excellent, whether you’re working out or whether you’re putting your make up on. The selection in the US is better- I have some great reversible versions of it- but in the UK you can buy the black version here for £18, in the US there are a few available here for $18.

For tops, I like the No-Limits Tank because it is long enough to pull over your bum, and it keeps you cool during spinning or yoga. It costs £58 and can be found here.

Nike

I have fallen back in love with Nike this year.

I just love their trainer/sneaker selection. My current trainers are the Lunarglide 5 in a sort of neon orange/pink, purchased last year from the Nike store in Chicago. They have since launched the Lunarglide 6 (which I also love…lots of “love” going on in this section) and my favourite colour is the Deep Burgundy/Hyper Punch/Action Red ones. I have pinned them on my Pinterest board here. They are £95 in the UK here and $110 in the US here

I also like Nike leggings. The JDI (Just Do It) Leg-A-See (get it?!) leggings are long enough if you’re tall (I’m 5’10”) and comfy for working out, or wearing around the house (yeah…that’s what I’ve been wearing them for recently). They are available for £30 in the UK here or $45 in the US here. I have pinned the latest on my Pinterest- the hot pink JDI flash is great. I want them!

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In their new releases I really like this Nike Burnout Long-Sleeve in burgundy which is £30 in the UK. I can’t find it on the US Nike site, but I like this $50 one in the Burnout range here, also in maroon/burgundy.

Gap

My final “like” is Gap. In the US, Gap also have a brand called Athleta, which aren’t available in the UK, but they will ship internationally.

I really like their Capri bottoms, because they also have a tall option (and a petite, plus and maternity option). I have some like this in the electric blue and a pair in orange. The fabric is excellent and looks great wash after wash.

In the UK, I like the GapFit range and in particular their hoodies and jackets. I like this Gap Fit Studio Space-Dye Hoodie on sale for £32.99 or $59.95 in the US here

Well…I suppose that’s enough procrastinating…better go fish some of these items out and do something!

My Starbucks Rewards

December 31, 2014sarahloulake 1 Comment

One thing I loved about living in the US is the coffee. It is so much better than coffee in the UK, and there is a real culture for indulging in it. One of my favourite things to do on a Saturday and Sunday morning, after an early spin class, was to head to Starbucks (my favourite in Chicago is on Rush: it has a balcony that looks over the street, diagonally facing Barney’s. The people watching is fantastic), and grab a coffee and some breakfast whilst catching up on the news, social media, a bit of work- whatever.

As I was 3500 miles away, my sister sent me a digital birthday gift of a Starbucks card. I registered it and consequently found out all about the My Starbucks Reward program, which has been so useful! And the thing is, when you’re queuing, people ask you about the app. I have also converted at least 3 Starbucks “fanatics”- daily users- to the app so they can earn rewards whilst they get their caffeine kick. So, not everyone knows about it!

There are few reasons why I love this loyalty reward program

– Rewards: every 15 stars, you get a free drink! Once you hit 50 stars you get “Gold” status. Gold status means free extra shots, free syrup, free whipped cream and free upgrade to Origin espresso

– Cashless: I am not a person who carries cash. Of course, you can just pay via card, but it’s so handy to be able to just hold your phone up (the app on both Android and iPhone generates a little barcode for you to scan at the check out). You can also link the app to your card for auto top-up or just press “top up” and enter your password- super quick and easy.

– Convenience: wherever you are in the world (providing it’s not a franchise Starbucks) you can use the app. Ok, there is the whole exchange rate thing, but sometimes, when you’ve got off a 9 hour flight, it’s so nice to just be able to whip out your phone and grab that much-needed coffee…

– Extra rewards: a nicely timed NYE postcard this morning with an extra free drink to say “Thanks for making us part of your year”.

No-thank you, Starbucks. Your app makes coffee buying just easier. I love it when technology benefits both parties: you’ve got my loyalty, and I’ve got convenience and rewards. Hurrah!

Mise En Place: a menu to enjoy your dinner party

December 31, 2014sarahloulake

I like to cook and have friends and family round for dinner, but when people are over, I want to be part of the conversation, rather than being stuck cooking in the kitchen (I do really like to talk!). My current kitchen set up has all the work surface around the edges which means, if you’re a slave to the stove, your back is to your guests. In my dream kitchen, I would have an island that people could perch around, sipping drinks whilst I cooked. However, in my current kitchen, I have found the best way to cook for others is to select menus that allow you to do the maximum Mise En Place.

Anybody who has worked in the hospitality industry, as I did for 7 years through school and university, will know all about this. The term is French for “putting in place”. It’s basically a fancy term for doing all your prep. I like to have everything prepped so that you can just throw it in the oven, stick the timer on, and start to enjoy your wine!

I went pan-European with last night’s food selection with recipes from 3 books

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Main course/Entree

Cosciotto d’agnello ripieno di olive, pane, pinole e erbe aromatiche. An Italian dish that translates as “leg of lamb stuffed with olives, bread, pinenuts and herbs”. This is a Jamie Oliver recipe from his book, “Jamie’s Italy” which is available on Amazon UK for £5 (!) and Amazon US for $23.51. The recipe recommends that you ask the butcher for a leg of lamb “with the H-bone and thigh bone tunnel boned and removed”. I have made this recipe with a leg of lamb from the supermarket and have tried to cut it out myself (with great difficulty). Really, I value my fingers a lot more than that. Leave this stuff to the professionals. I visited the butcher yesterday, and he did it for me. It was great to watch (although, I kept wincing as I thought he was going to lose a finger…), and it made it so much easier to stuff the lamb! Thumbs up (and thankfully, both the butcher and I still have ours!) to local butchers who can do the job!

Italian lamb- looked a smelled so good when I was preparing it

Side dishes

Gratin Dauphinois. So yes, I mixed up French and Italian. But I just couldn’t face roast potatoes so soon after Christmas. Plus, on the theme of Mise En Place, this can be prepared pre-dinner and then you just put it in the oven. I used the book “The Little Paris Kitchen” by Rachel Khoo which is available on Amazon UK for £13.60 and on Amazon US for $20.30. I loved the BBC series that accompanied this book- it is great to have a young, female as part of the cookery show repertoire in the UK. She also has a great website here. The recipe was simple and tasty: smooshing up garlic and rubbing the whole dish with it, followed by a knob of butter was decadent but smelled so good!

The dishes all prepped and ready to go!

I also cooked up asparagus and spinach and pulled out a kitchen gadget that is very useful for times like this: my Tefal steamer. Mine is about 10 years old, but there is one here on Amazon UK for £47.30 (this is MUCH nicer than mine) and one on Amazon US from Tefal/T-Fal for $50.91. It’s just useful as you can do multiple vegetables on the different layers without new pans for everything. For other dishes, I have used this steamer to make Chinese dumplings (in cupcake cases!) as I don’t have one of those pretty bamboo steamers, and it works just fine!

Dessert

Then, the dessert. I have had this book “Pies and Puds” by Paul Hollywood (Amazon UK for £5 (!) and Amazon US for $22.66) for a while and never cooked anything from it. I cooked Cherry Croissant Pudding. Simple, delicious and indulgent.

Cherry Croissant Pudding

Wine

For wine we had Canti, Sangiovese Merlot and then Mondelli Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. I don’t know a lot about wine: it’s one of my 2015 learning ambitions- but this went down well!

It was all super-easy- everything was all prepped and ready to go, leaving plenty of time of wine and talking!

Bed Makeover

December 31, 2014sarahloulake

I love the feel of new, clean sheets. I love pillows and cushions. (Cushions are a sensitive topic in my household. But I love them).

I’m not a great sleeper, but we all spend a fair amount of time in our beds, and sometimes beds just need a makeover. New pillows, new duvet, new sheets, new look (New Year!). Cue a trip to IKEA.

I am a huge IKEA fan: I love the Swedish style, but I also love the shopping experience. We quickly whipped through the showroom for a bit of inspiration and then onto the bedding department. The navigation in this department is first class. We were practically handheld through the whole experience.

Here’s the shopping list of what constitutes a bed makeover for me:

Mattress Protector

We selected Ängsvide for £6.25 in the UK and $14.99 in the US for a King size

Duvet/Comforter

They have a great navigation in place in IKEA. They talk “TOG” but they translate that in to normal language: cooler, warmer, extra warm. We selected Rödtoppa in 7.5 TOG as I keep the duvet on all year. It was £40 in the UK and $79.99 in the US. I know it’s silly, but I love the grey and white striped border. Yes- I know nobody can see this bit, but I like it!

Pillows

Firm or soft? It was so easy to navigate in IKEA: we selected Ärenpris firm. There is also an Ärenpris soft, but it’s easy to navigate from the packaging: the sold striped lines are for firm pillows, the wavy for softer. These are £12 a pillow in the UK and $14.99 in the US.

Pillow Protectors

I have never had these before, but I think we all know how difficult it is to wash pillows, so it seemed to make sense to purchase them. AND, they were £1.25! I was so impressed when we opened them, as they are actually zipped pillow protectors. The ones we selected were Ängsvide for £1.25 in the UK and $4.99 in the US

Bed Sheet

I love fitted sheets. I was raised making my bed with flat sheets, but fitted sheets are so easy! They are slightly messier to store, but they stay on the bed better. We have an IKEA mattress, so always buy our fitted sheets here as they fit better. The one we use is Gäspa for £18 in the UK and $19.99 in the US.

Duvet Set

I chose the duvet set when walking through the showroom, and when I found that it was called Stockholm (one of my favourite cities I have visited) I knew it was the one I had to have! It’s £40 in the UK and $59.99 in the US.

Bedspread

We chose Karit for this which is £35 in the UK and $39.99 in the US. I did have my eye on Strandvete but it was £100/$149, so decided to compromise. It also comes with 2 pillowcases for decoration.

Big Cushions (for sitting up in bed)

I selected Ursula which is a large 65cm x 65cm cushion cover for £12 in the UK and $13 in the US. You also need to purchase the cushion inner which is £4 in the UK and $6.99 in the US. Yeah…these are a point of contention. But I like them, so they’re happening!

Blanket

As a finishing touch, we also got the Vinter 2014 throw– it says £25 here, but it was on sale for £15 and is $29.99 in the US

And here’s the finished look-

The bed is Fjell and is £349 in the UK here or $589 in the US here– this was purchased in 2013 and is a great bed (prices exclude mattresses, but IKEA has a great choice of mattresses too!) There is storage underneath as well.

Verdict: it’s like sleeping in a hotel every night! Given that we spend (in theory) 122 days a year in our beds (8 hours a night…yeah right!), I would definitely recommend investing a bit in a bed makeover!

My Favourite Cocktails

December 29, 2014sarahloulake 1 Comment

There is no scientific, mixologist opinion in this selection of delectable drinks. Just my view on where I have had a good time, good drink with good company.

Sumi Robata, Chicago

Well, really it’s the Charcoal Bar, which is beneath Sumi Robata. It has 12 seats and that is it. I had one of my leaving dos here and it was fantastic. I had visited prior and a friend ordered an Old Fashioned: it took a while. I sat at the bar, fixated on the barman who chiselled a square block of ice into a sphere to pour the Old Fashioned over. The cocktails I have had here have all been from their specials menu, but the place is worth a visit. If there are enough of you (well…12) it can feel like having your own private bar! Picture below courtesy of Pinterest…

Tiger Lily, Edinburgh

I will always affectionately remember this place as my first ever Mojito. Great company (my extended family with cousins and uncles). They do three versions of their Mojito: the classic (Bacardi Superior), Spiced (with Bacardi Oakheart rum) or Golden (with Brugal Anejo Rum). It’s located on George Street in Edinburgh, meaning you can have pre-dinner drinks and then have dinner. The Dome is a stunning building for dinner, but also a great location for brunch (to cure the morning after the night before!) Image of the bar (courtesy of their website- click through to learn more) below.

Japonais by Morimoto, Chicago

This Japanese restaurant was a relatively frequent post-work haunt whilst I lived in Chicago and I always had the same thing: a Serenity. This is house-made lychee-cello, nigori sake, ruby red grapefruit juice, lemon juice and rose water. It is delicious and tastes of summer holidays- even when you’re drinking it during the freezing winter months. It is served with a lychee (pictured below from their website), and on more than one occasion I have mistaken this for being enough sustenance and have discovered (as walking down to the bathroom at Japonais) that, it isn’t. It’s ok though- their Pop-Corn Shrimp, served with spicy kochujan sauce and wasabi aioli, is enough to bring you back.

Kensington Roof Gardens, London

I have selected this one because I am a bit of a history geek: this place has a great story. Until 2012 it was the biggest roof garden in Europe and it was created between 1936 and 1938. There are 3 main gardens on the roof: a Spanish garden that is based upon the Alhambra, a Tudor style garden with archways, secret corners and hanging wisteria and an English woodland garden with ponds and flamingos. Find somewhere to sit- the gardens are heated so it doesn’t feel like you are in a cold, rainy Britain- and grab a cocktail. If you can filter out some of your fellow guests (it appeared to draw a certain crowd when I was there) and indulge in the fact you are in a garden, on a roof, in London, then any drink will taste great!

Bavette’s, Chicago

Dark and moody, downstairs in The Parlour is the perfect place for cocktails and chatting with good company. My personal choice here is a Champagne Smash with Small’s gin, lillet rose, mint and lemon but I have also spent a great night at their bar sipping on Kir Royales and munching on goats cheese. This place also serves a fairly epic steak. In fact, it’s so epic, it requires a separate post! An image of The Parlour can be found below from www.worldsbestbars.com

The Trader’s Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Specifically the Sky Bar which has a pool in the centre of it, and the most stunning views of the Petronas Towers. I had a Raspberry Mojito. It was delicious, but this place isn’t so much about the quality of the drinks, but more about the experience! In fact, my younger sister went there and it proved to be the beginning of a heavy night- she blogged about it here

My Top 5 Hotels So Far

December 28, 2014sarahloulake

The London, West Hollywood

This hotel is chic, stylish and oozes the kind of Hollywood glamour I always imagined as a girl growing up in the West Country. The decor is beautiful inside and the roof terrace has views across LA. The restaurants are Gordon Ramsey restaurants and we had dinner there one night, and breakfast both days we were in LA. The image below is of the Lemon Griddle Cakes with Honeycomb Butter. It sounds crazy, but my absolute favourite thing about this hotel was actually the bathroom: so much so I had to film it! The video is below, but each bathroom has a bath and two showers: a rain shower and a power shower!

The PuLi, Shanghai

My lasting memory of this hotel will always be waiting outside for people and a steady stream of Ferraris and other supercars arriving, that and the beautiful bathrooms (there is an unintentional theme here). The PuLi was my very first experience of loos with “choices” (shall we say?!)…and music. Toto-esque, but not. The staff here are incredible: so helpful, and so polite. I cannot find my photographs of the hotel, unfortunately (if I do, I’ll post) but below is the shot from the PuLi website showing the beautiful garden terrace where we sat in the Shanghai humidity cooling off with exquisite cocktails and tasty bar snacks.

21C, Bentonville

An unusual location- Arkansas- for an unusual hotel. Part hotel, part art museum, this hotel is all about the experience. Thought provoking and surprising, this hotel believes that it is possible for art to drive economy. The decor is understated and demure, peppered with bold art and an ever-moving selection of green penguins. Check out their Pinterest page to get a sense of what this place is all about! The restaurant, The Hive, has a great dinner menu but I really enjoyed breakfast every time I stayed here. I don’t eat eggs, but their yogurt and granola is a great start to the day! Keeping with the theme- beautiful bathrooms, complete with rubber ducks!

The Datai, Langkawi

On the island of Langkawi (about a 45 minute flight from KL) this hotel is nestled in the rainforest, high above a private beach. This place is a relaxing sanctuary and the location of our best ever vacation. The bar surrounds a pond with lily pads and lotus flowers and overlooks the rainforest. They serve deliciously sour Mojitos and it is the perfect place to start an evening prior to deciding where to eat: The Gulai is set in the forest and the hotel staff actually have to drive you to the restaurant. When you’re there you can hear the crickets and frogs whilst you eat. The service here is exceptional. The Pavilion serves gourmet Thai food and the main dining room hosts the best breakfast I have ever had anywhere in the world. With energy smoothie shots that change daily, a Mimosa counter, traditional Asian breakfast, continental, English breakfast, muffins, fresh bread…just everything you could ever want!

Calcot Manor, Tetbury

This one is pretty close to home: about 10 minutes to be exact! I have been lucky enough to stay here (once) and have visited many times for dinner, lunch, coffee and breakfast. It’s simply beautiful, both in location and decor. There are two restaurants to choose from: the Gumstool (more relaxed and pub like) and the Conservatory, which is more formal. I don’t profess to know very much about wine at all, but all the wine I have had here has been exceptional. As it’s so close to home, I rarely take any photographs- but one from Pinterest is posted below of the Conservatory.

(Less than) 24 Hours in Seattle

December 28, 2014sarahloulake

My whistle stop trip to Seattle lived up to the name of the movie: I most certainly was “Sleepless in Seattle”. We took off from Chicago in the evening and the time difference consequently bought us a few more hours upon arrival. We checked in at our hotel, Hotel Andra, which is located downtown and went searching for food- always a top priority in my books. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a lot open in the city at this time, but we found a bar/restaurant called Rocco’s that served until 2am. I can’t quite recall the pizza we had, but I am fairly certain that it was a “Stacey & Tina’s Night Out”: mozzarella, meatballs, peppers, basil with marinara sauce and a garlic infused olive oil base. (I have copied this off their menu on their website, but am pretty sure this is what we had…my friend who ate it with me will know why I’m pretty sure we selected this one ;-)) It was just what we needed: pizza, beer and a bit of hipster watching. We watched a rather unattractive man attempt to charm two women simultaneously, admired their impressive spirits selection and devoured what was, all in all, a pretty good pizza. I didn’t take any photos that night, but I have borrowed a couple from their website below. Dark and moody in decor, but entertaining in employees and food, it finished off our evening of travelling well!

So, we headed back to the hotel on foot to get a few hours of sleep before the busy next day (all work related). However, I really was “Sleepless in Seattle”. With a group text doing the rounds about “what time are we meeting for breakfast?”, by 6.30am I was showered, sans make up and with wet hair, out on the streets of Seattle to explore. Now, this is always kind of risky. I was determined to find Pike Place. I tapped it into my phone, and started walking. I knew that Pike Place was by water, so was baffled by the fact that I was walking up hill…yes, I had entered the wrong address on my iPhone and was heading for Pike Street. So, after a 2-3 mile walking detour, I ended up at my intended destination: the original Starbucks. I have to say, it was rather a let down, but I suppose they have preserved the rustic, original style of the place (including scaffolding on the outside…). I am a big Starbucks fan though, so picked up a couple of Pike Place Market mugs (one for me- which I use now I am back in the UK, and one for another Starbucks loving friend).

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At this stage, a friend joined me. Coiffed (as always), we grabbed coffee at one of the more “authentic” coffee places down near Pike Place Market: Seattle Coffee Works where we had two beautiful cups of coffee, accompanied by some Greek yogurt (for me) and belly laughs (my friend) as apparently I pronounced the letter “h” the American way (I am still not sure whether this is “aitch” or “haitch”…). We then popped into Target. Where a man barked at my friend. Like a dog. Seattle is a rather strange place…

We took a quick walk around the market. There was no fish throwing at this time of day apparently, but a man did play a cruel joke on me with a fish and a piece of string that resulted in a high pitch squeal from me in the middle of the market. And, echoing the point above (“Seattle is a rather strange place…”) we discovered the wall of chewing gum art. Yum.

By now, it’s nearing breakfast time and our other friend joins us to go to Lowell’s for breakfast where I had French Toast (I don’t eat eggs…on their own) and I recall somebody eating Dungeness Crab for breakfast. The photo on the left below is from their website: our view (unfortunately) was more rainy and foggy than the image below! All of this, and it’s still only 8.30am. We head back to our hotel and crack on with some work, but first we stop to try a Red Pepper Sesame Seed Ball…I wasn’t a fan!

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Prior to our meeting, a 4th friend landed in Seattle and met us for lunch at a sushi restaurant, which I cannot remember the name of, but there was a sushi happy hour and miso soup. We quickly ate and headed off to an afternoon of meetings. Post the meetings, we had a while to wait for our flight back (took off at 10.30pm, landed at 4.30am…) so we toured the city in our rental car before settling Ma’ono (translation: flavour) for our dinner. The window boasts noodles, chicken and whiskey- this is a Hawaiian restaurant, and the fried chicken is served with rice, kimchee and chilli sauce. At this stage, exhaustion was setting in: I had to go back out to the car to remove the contact lenses and replace with glasses! This was my first experience of Hawaiian food, and (had I not been so exhausted…and grumpy) I think I would have enjoyed it!

So, by 10pm we are boarding a flight back to Chicago. A mere 22 hours after we landed. We packed it in (and I haven’t even mentioned the gruelling afternoon of meetings in a very hot, and dark room), and it will always remain one of my favourite 22 hours during my year in the US. In conclusion, Seattle is a bit weird. People bark. And make art out of gum. However, with the right company, very little sleep and a willingness to embark upon a gastronomical adventure, it was a great day. Good food. Good mood. See ya, Seattle!

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