A Snowy Saturday in Brooklyn

On Friday night, I took the train down to New York to spend a quick weekend with the lovely G.  I hadn't been to New York in over a year and hadn't seen G in almost that long, so it was definitely time to do both.  I got in late on Friday night, so we collapsed onto her couch with wine and caught up until we were too sleepy to chat anymore.  Saturday dawned cold and snowy, so while we had planned to seek out the flashy Christmas sights of Manhattan, we instead agreed to stay in her cute Brooklyn neighborhood and have a leisurely day of filling each other in on the happenings in our lives, good food and drink, and Christmas wherever we could find it.  We began the day with brunch at Dizzy's, a cheerful diner that was bustling with people and playing a great selection of Christmas songs.

G ordered the Power Breakfast, a beautifully presented bowl of yogurt topped with granola, fresh fruit and honey.

 

I went for Teo's Italian Eggs:  three poached eggs over cubed foccaccia that was drizzled with olive oil, parmesan, basil, and red pepper flakes.

I might have to make the trip back to Brooklyn soon just for this dish.  The focaccia was delicious and smothered in just the right amount of olive oil and cheese, while the basil and red pepper gave the eggs brightness and spice.  The runny yolks of the eggs also tasted perfect as they were soaked up by the focaccia.  See how happy it made me?

The coffee was delicious too and after drinking a few mugs of it, G and I headed back to her apartment to watch a Christmasy movie.  We settled on Serendipity and (Spoiler Alert!) after John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale safely ended up together, we headed back out into the snow for some more hot drinks.  We wandered into one of G's favorite coffee spots, Kos Kaffe, and warmed up over a cappuccino and a chai while watching the snow fall and admiring the cozy Christmas decor of the cafe.

The rest of the afternoon involved the baking of reindeer cookies (we used a very complicated recipe) and the drinking of spiked hot cider.

Later that night, after dinner, we ventured to Union Hall for wine and champagne cocktails.  During this time of year, all I want to do is snuggle up in front of a fireplace and this place luckily had some empty comfy chairs in front of one.

When G had suggested this place, the mention of fireplaces was enough to sell me on its merits, but the old library vibe is also fun, the drinks are good, and the bartenders friendly.  If I lived in the area, I have the feeling that I'd spend many a cold evening there.  After we had had our fill of drinks and the fire, G and I traipsed back to her place for a late night viewing of It's a Wonderful Life.  When I'm having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit, I can usually count on George Bailey and Clarence to help me out, and this time was no exception.  It officially feels like Christmas now. 

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