Time Out Sydney Week 2

Last week at my internship was much quieter than my first week, but that was expected, I did have an amazing first week. I did a lot of research and fact checking for articles that are already on their website or will be going on their website. If you would like to know what to do Monday – Sunday in Sydney that is not alcohol related, hit me up, there is a 99.9% chance I have all of the answers. I also spent some time working on cleaning up and adding to a PR list. Although this is not journalism, I think it is a good skill to have, so I was okay with doing that work.

It really was a slow week, so I don’t have much to report on when it comes to projects and what I’ve done. I created some more events for the website’s “Things to Do” section. On Wednesday, I went on an adventure to The Rocks to go to the Visitor Centre and pick up every magazine and pamphlet that seemed helpful in what to do around Sydney. That was honestly a fun little excursion.

I wish I had more to fill this post up with, but I don’t really think I do. Although it was slower, it was still a good week and I look forward to what the rest of my summer has in store.

Here are some things I’ve already had published on Time Out Sydney’s website:

Wood Roasted Coffee 

Ben Goldacre 

HotDocs Film Festival

Coogee to Bondi

The Bondi to Coogee walk is one I have heard plenty about and was told to not miss out on it while I am in Sydney. My friends and I decided instead to get up early and start at Coogee so we could end at Bondi around lunch time. Let me tell you something, this walk really was worth it.

When we got off the bus at Coogee, we were still a 10 minute walk from the beach, so we weren’t immediately impressed. As soon as the ocean came into view, we were all stunned. It was so beautiful. We started the walk right away, but about 5 minutes into it, we found ourselves at this rocky area of the path that we ended up spending at least 20 minutes at. It was just that beautiful. It was right by the water and the waves kept crashing near us while we climbed on the rocks.

We then continued on the walk. All in all, it took us about 2&1/2 hours to do the walk and I’m pretty sure we somehow added two miles to our walk. We took in some beautiful views and admired the runners along the walk. It was such a wonderful experience and I suggest it to everyone who is lucky enough to come to Sydney.

The weather during the winter months in Sydney is actually perfect for this walk. It would have been nice to not have goosebumps while on the beach at Bondi, but it was still enjoyable. The views outweigh the negative of the few chilly moments. Plus, we got so hot on the walk, that when we got into the shade it felt amazing.

The Bondi to Coogee walk is definitely a must-do.

A Cupcake A Day Keeps The Doctor Away?

Last week while in New York City, my friend and I grabbed lunch in the Village and then decided we wanted to grab some coffee and dessert. After doing some research on my phone, I discovered that we were right around the corner from an adorable cupcake shop, Molly’s Cupcakes.

As soon as my friend and I walked into the bakery, we were blown away over how cute it was. There is a little bar-like area that you can sit at and the seats are little wooden swings (so cool). Then, by the back of the store, there are shelves filled with children’s games and books. My favorite part about this bakery is the fact that the tables are desks like you would find in a middle school. It is just the cutest place I have ever stepped into.

I ordered a cappuccino and a cookies and cream cupcake. Both were out of this world. The people working behind the counter were seriously so sweet and helpful. The cappuccinos took a few minutes to be ready, as expected, and the woman making them was so apologetic for taking “so long.” I thought that was really respectable because she truly had no reason for apologizing, but she felt the need to anyway. If restaurant/bakery employees are kind, that truly makes my experience so much better.

The cappuccino was the perfect mix of milk, foam, and coffee and the cupcake was just perfect in every way. I would be honest with you all if I was disappointed with the food, but there were seriously no flaws. I highly enjoyed myself.

Another thing I loved about this place was that it was a gross day outside so my friend and I ended up spending at least an hour just sitting inside talking. It clearly did not take us an entire hour to eat our cupcakes and drink our cappuccinos, but that did not bother the employees. They had no issue with us spending so much time in their bakery and I thought that was so great. I know some places make it clear that you have overstayed your welcome, but we did not seem to bother them at all.

Overall I would give this place a 10/10. The experience as well as the food was so delicious and I will definitely be back there again.

Featured image courtesy of The Restaurant Fairy.

The City of Coffee Shops

New York City is one of those cities where there is a coffee shop on nearly every block. Many of these coffee shops are in fact Starbucks, but when you stumble across a special shop, you must stop in. Today while strolling around my sister’s new neighborhood, Williamsburg, we stumbled across the most magical coffee shop that I have ever walked into. 

From the outside, this coffee shop looks like a factory or something. It is called Devociõn. The greatest thing about Devociõn is that they roast their own coffee beans, so all of their coffee is as fresh as it comes. 

  
My entire experience at Devociõn was amazing. I was greeted by an extremely friendly barista who cracked jokes all throughout my ordering process. He informed my sister and I that we happened to stumble on a very popular coffee shop where people love to come and use the Wifi in order to get work done in a peaceful place. He also told us that they shut off their Wifi on the weekends in order to prevent people from taking up seats for hours on end while doing work during their busiest days. I found this to be extremely helpful information! 

I ordered a cappuccino and it was the best cappuccino I have had since returning from Europe this summer. It was rich, but not too rich. I did not even need to use any sugar. 

  
They have a large assortment of coffee options as well as hot tea infused with apples, mint, and strawberry and they also have some pastries. The options all sounded so delicious that I will definitely be making another stop there the next time I am in Williamsburg. 

Devociõn has a super relaxed vibe and I can totally see myself spending hours in there sipping on coffee and just enjoying the scenery while getting some reading out of the way. 

  
 Next time you are in Williamsburg, be sure to check it out. It is not the most obvious coffee shop, but you will see the tiny banner outside that says Devociõn and you will know yu have arrived.

Brunch: The Fad That Never Ends

Brunch is a fad that never seems to go out of style. If you are a big foodie (like I am), chances are, you are a brunch fan as well. From my experience, New York City is home to some of the best brunch spots around. The greatest part is that the restaurants in New York City serving brunch cater to all taste buds. If you are not interested in the normal brunch fair, you are bound to find something else on the menu that you like that the restaurant still considers as brunch. It truly is a win-win situation. Here are a few delicious brunch restaurants to get you started on the fad that is never ending.

Jack’s Wife Frieda
This brunch restaurant is out of the ordinary and that is what makes it so special. Throughout the day, they serve breakfast food, but lunch food is an option as well. This means something for everyone! Their breakfast food has traditional aspects but incorporates new things into each option as well. One amazing dish includes poached eggs over potato latkes. That is not something you can find everywhere. Their food all has amazing flavor and never disappoints.

Egg Shop
Open the door to this restaurant and enter into an adorable brunch oasis. The restaurant is small, but do not let that scare you away. The staff is extremely friendly and the food is, of course, amazing. Their tap water is lemon and mint infused, so before you even get your food, you know this restaurant is impressive (and totally with the times). An egg is an ingredient in everything that they serve at this restaurant (except the drinks). The options they have are meals you most likely would have never thought up on your own. It is a restaurant that you will regret missing out on.

Clinton Street Baking Company
If you were ever craving some home cooked food or the vibe of a laid-back diner within the busyness of New York City, look no further than Clinton Street Baking Company. Although the wait can be excruciatingly long, especially on weekends, it is absolutely worth it. Once seated, your waiter will bring you over water and a plate full of WARM biscuits. This restaurant is known for their pancakes, so if you are a pancake lover, come hungry and ready to eat. If pancakes are not your style, dig into some eggs or house granola. There is an abundance of options and all are going to shock your taste buds (in a good way). Do your best not to miss out on this one of a kind place.

What do you think are some of the best brunch spots in New York City?

A Meal With the Horses

Eating a meal with horses may not sound very appetizing, but let me explain. Windy Corner Market is a one-of-a-kind restaurant that is surrounded by horse farms on each side. Going there to eat almost feels like your own personal escape from the hectic life (for me, college life) you lead on a daily basis. I guess if you are not a huge horse fan, you may not find the surroundings to be so oasis-like, but you get the point.

Windy Corner Market is a restaurant I am thrilled to have stumbled upon during my search for brunch spots in/near Lexington. Although my friends and I did not make it there in time for brunch, the brunch menu sounds nothing less of amazing. I will definitely be back to try it out.

When my friends and I walked up to the front, the line to order food was out the doors; a good sign that the food was worth waiting for, but a bad sign for us hungry college girls. Reluctantly, we went to the back of the line. To our surprise, the line actually went quite quickly. Within ten minutes (tops), we all ordered our meals and sat down at a table. Since we were so hungry, it felt as though the food took hours to be prepared, but I would say the absolute longest we waited was twenty minutes.

The best feeling after waiting on line to order your meal and then waiting again for the meal to be brought to you, is when you take your first bite and it is better than you even expected. That is what biting into the cheeseburger I ordered was like. I kid you not, the cheeseburger I had at Windy Corner Market was one of the best burgers I have ever tried. My favorite part of the burger is that the meat on it was actually from Kentucky. It does not get more local than that.

My friends both got pulled pork dishes and I could tell by their faces that they were in heaven. Before we left Windy Corner Market, I got a blueberry muffin to go. That was one of the best decisions I had made all day. Not only are the meals at Windy Corner Market out of this world, their pastries are too.

When it is all said and done, Windy Corner Market is a restaurant that you cannot miss out on. They have something on the menu for everyone, especially if you are a breakfast lover who gets there before noon! The scenery does not suck either. You may not actually be eating your meal with the horses, but the horses are your view if you choose to go on the peaceful outdoor seating route. For those of you who do not feel like looking at horses while you eat, don’t you worry, there is plenty of seating inside as well. All of you food lovers out there, be sure to knock this restaurant off the list of places you MUST try while in Lexington, Kentucky.

The End to a Dream Month

I am currently sitting at my grandparent’s house in Long Island, New York. I have been back in the states for a week and am finally coming to terms with the fact that my month abroad is over. I have yet to post anything new about my trip because I have been having a hard time accepting that it is over. I wish I had been able to post more while I was away, but my Wifi was rarely strong enough to load WordPress.

Going to Europe was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have been to Europe several times before, but I never immersed myself into European life as much as I did last month. I spent every single day walking around new cities and just absorbing everything around me. And do not even get me started about staying in hostels. Some of them were pretty rough (what is with Europe and no AC?!), but it was an experience I will cherish forever.

While in Paris, I got these crazy flashbacks of being 5 and 6 years old and running around the same places in Paris that we went to this time around. It was an amazing sensation of déjà vu and I loved every minute of it. After Paris, we took the TGV train to Avignon and then drove to Malaucène. In Malaucène, we stayed in a house that we had stayed in back in 2000 and 2001 (when I was 5 and 6 years old). It was so wonderful to be back and it completely warmed my heart.

Experiencing European culture is such a gift. It is great to see how different (yet slightly similar) the culture is from country to country throughout Europe. I can seriously go on forever about how amazing and life changing my trip was, but I would rather break it up into several posts. I cannot wait to tell you all about the amazing restaurants that my parents took my sister and I to throughout France. I am also excited to give you all tips of things not to miss when you head to the same cities that I got to go to.

Keep an eye out. These posts are coming. I promise!

Dreaming of Hamburgers

This may surprise you (it surprised me), but Copenhagen is home to an immense amount of hamburger restaurants. One of my best friends was in Copenhagen a few months ago and told me that I needed to go to this restaurant, Halifax. She told me that she went there for dinner and had the best burger she has ever tried in her life. I am a huge fan of good burgers, so, of course, I had to try it out. Let us just say that the burgers were so good that Sara and I ate there twice in a span of 3 days.

There are several Halifax restaurants around the city, so no matter where you are staying, you are sure to find one close by. The restaurant itself is super cute, which gave off a really good vibe from the moment I walked in the door. The menu is pretty self-explanatory, but if you need any help, your waiter will be more than happy to assist you.

I stuck to the classic burger because how can you go wrong with that? It was delicious. Everything about the burger was perfect. I even enjoyed the french fries, which is saying a lot since we had been in Brussels eating the best fries in the world just a few days prior. You also get to order an extra sauce on the side, which really completes the meal.

I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed a burger as much as I enjoyed the one I had at Halifax. Halifax does not only do beef burgers, they also have chickpea burgers (vegetarian), turkey burgers, and green pea burgers (vegan). They really do a great job at catering to all people, which I really respect about them.

If you are heading to Copenhagen and skip out on Halifax, you are missing a real treat. If you are not a burger person, I understand, but yet, I do not understand because I mean who is not a burger person? If you do not eat burgers all of the time because they are not the healthiest option…just make this one exception. If you eat here, you absolutely will not regret it.

Go to Halifax!!

Half a Chicken, Please!

If you are traveling to Berlin, Henne is a restaurant that you cannot miss out on. The menu consists of half a chicken and a choice of either potato salad or coleslaw (which is really sauerkraut). The chicken is fried, but not breaded. This means that the chicken still has its skin on it, but they cook it in a fryer. It might sound unhealthy, but it really does not seem too oily when you start to eat it. Between the potato salad and the sauerkraut, I preferred the potato salad. It was quite creamy, but it was absolutely delicious.

This restaurant may come across as boring since the menu is so minimal, but it is a meal you need to have…if you like chicken. Going into the meal, I was not too excited seeing as how I have chicken nearly every night for dinner when I am at home, but it was not to be believed. That is how delicious it was!

Most of the restaurant seating is outdoors on an enclosed patio. Enclosed meaning it is closed off from the street; there is no roof. The tables would be comparable with long elegant picnic-like tables. If you are with a small group (~1-4 people), do not be surprised when you are seated right next to another group. Although you are close to other groups, it does not feel invasive since the entire restaurant’s seating is like that.

Henne is more than 100 years old, which makes it a historic restaurant. It is really cool to think that the original people who owned the restaurant lived an entire life before you or even your parents were alive. It is well known throughout Berlin and after eating the food, I understand why. They also have a great selection of beers and other alcoholic beverages.

My last piece of advice with this restaurant is to call ahead and make a reservation. You do not want to get there to be told they do not have any seats available for you. This restaurant is not one that you should risk missing out on. Their website is www.henne-berlin.de . Take a look at it and keep it in mind if you are heading to Berlin anytime in the future. It is definitely a must while you are in the amazing city of Berlin!

France!

Extremely creative post name, I know. The family and I got to Paris yesterday and are here into Saturday morning. We then take the TGV south to Avignon. We are staying in a small town 45 minutes from Avignon for a week. The house we rented is a house we went to back in 2000 and 2001 (when I was 5 and 6). I am very much looking forward to being back after 14 years.

I absolutely love Paris so I am very happy to be here. I am currently writing this from my phone because the Wifi does not want to work on my laptop. I am also currently drafting several posts on Word on my laptop. This means that as soon as I arrive in the South of France, I will begin posting things about my trip (as long as the Wifi is strong enough there). Writing long posts from my phone is just too difficult.

So far I have had nothing but delicious food here in Paris. I also got to watch the sunset over the Seine last night. Sunsets and food…two of my favorite things. You can say I am a happy camper.

I cannot wait until I can share more about my trip with you all. This dodgy Wifi situation really needs to stop happening. But until then, know that I am enjoying Paris and exploring as much as I can in order to have great things to share with you all!