Bon Appetit!

You must check out this fabulous website that I found via Di at Designer's Block (Di always finds such interesting things...)

Petrelle, a restaurant in France, has re-created the sights and sounds of their restaurant via their virtual website. Listen to the chef talking, the phone ringing, wine pouring, the cutlery & dishes clinking & clanking, slicing & dicing. And it seems to go on for awhile as if they just kept the audio going. Very atmospheric and some striking images.

Well don't dilly dally here. Go and check out Petrelle's site here. So much fun! And thanks Di for the 'head's up!'

photos from Restaurant Petrelle

American Cupcake, please have a seat...

Am I dreaming?

Yesterday was one of those days that I wish I had my "real" camera and not my cell phone camera! I'm strolling down Union Street in San Francisco and staring at me through the window are rows and rows of whimsical cupcakes. Welcome to American Cupcake.

Are you kidding? Bubble gum, pixie stix and cotton candy cupcakes? I'm in!

Wait, is this a disco? No, it's a restaurant/dessert lounge. White patent leather banquettes and colored “gumball” lights create a Willy Wonka-meets-modern soda fountain effect.

This place is not just for kids. They serve candy cocktails and have an extensive beer and wine menu. How about a single cupcake and wine pairing?

And they have a full menu of "real food" like BBQ chicken sandwiches, tuna melts, cheese plates and more from chef Carina Lampkin.


These cotton candy cupcakes send me over the top! These pretty blue babies have little cotton candy "pops" on them!

Remember Pixie Stix when you were growing up? How about cupcakes dusted with Pixie Stix?

19 cupcake flavors.
8 peanut butter & jelly options.
13 candy cocktail selections.
16 item savory menu.
candy apples, whoopie pies, fried oreos.

Just how fun is this?

They even cater to our four-legged friends...

Although I haven't tasted a cupcake yet, you know I will be back there soon. I did bring my husband home some cotton candy. This is my new favorite place, if only just to look!

If you're in the area, be sure and visit American Cupcake. I promise the eye-candy alone will make you full!

American Cupcake
1919 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
415.896.4217

Goodbye Tavern on the Green.

Tavern on the Green will have its last seating tomorrow night. The legendary restaurant located at New York City's Central Park and West 67th Street, has been in operation since 1934 and is closing due to bankruptcy. So sad.

Many memories for so many of us. My first trip to New York in 1981 included a dinner there. I'll always remember the massive twinkling lights outside with topiary plants. Breathtaking Baccarat and Waterford chandeliers in all colors filled the ceiling of the Crystal Room. Very over-the-top!


My last visit was with Janet and Larry in 2002. We had tea and chatted. The room was kind of empty, but ethereal nonetheless. It was a great memory.

Guernsey's Auction House will be auctioning off the restaurant's interiors, which include decorative items from the 25,000-square-foot restaurant. Previews take place Wednesday, Jan. 6 through Tuesday, Jan. 12, noon to 8 p.m. each day. The public auction is Jan. 13-14 with 1 p.m. afternoon sessions and 6 p.m. evening sessions each day. The auction will take place in the Tavern's Crystal Room at 67th Street and Central Park West.

Some of the items being auctioned include:

• Antique Tiffany stained-glass lamp shades
• large, art nouveau mirrors, etched glass and Venetian glass
• Baccarat crystal chandeliers
• Japanese lanterns
• china place settings, silverware, glassware and linens
• canvas murals from the walls
• outdoor topiaries

So, Goodbye Tavern on the Green. We'll miss you!

Bastille Café & Bar

This clock (above) once adorned a Paris metro station

Gosh, I love Seattle! Charming neighborhoods brimming with eclectic shops & restaurants.

I was thrilled to hear from the folks at the Bastille Café & Bar. Proprietors, Deming Maclise and James Weimann, recently opened up this "gem" of a café in the historic Ballard District of Seattle. Inspired by their favorite places in Paris, they scoured flea markets & shops from France to the Pacific Northwest to find the marvelous fixtures that now adorn the Bastille Café & Bar.

These fabulous Art Deco sconces were salvaged from a Seattle mansion, circa 1930.

This c. 1903 bar was made by French craftsman who came to Washington in late 1800's. The large capsule pendants are from a church in the south of France, circa early 1900's.

The Back Bar is painted a rich dark chocolate. Above it all are two paintings recreated from the originals by French symbolist painter Pierre Puvis de Chavennes, figures representing both the terror and inspiration of the French Revolution.

A crystal chandelier hangs from an arch, salvaged from a French church

I love the fact that the owners used their combined restaurant experience and savvy to give these salvaged items a new life, while creating a vintage-modern feel. They maintained the integrity of the historic 1914 building in which the Bastille Café resides.

Between the gorgeous decor and the delicious-looking menu selections, I can't wait to make a trip up to Seattle to try this charming neighborhood café!

Bastille Café & Bar
5307 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98117

206.453.5014

All photos ©Bob Peterson