Food

Birley Bakery

Josie Girl 1 Comment

My new all-time favorite bakery in the neighborhood is Birley Bakery. Everything about it is perfection. The downstairs is a little bakery — and the upstairs a tiny restaurant / cafe. Everything they sell is beyond delicious. For example, I don’t like almond croissants, but at least three times a week, I stop by and get an almond croissant. WHO KNEW? THEY ARE THAT GOOD.

 

Located on 69th between 5th and Madison — this bakery has the yummiest croissants, cookies, Madelines, cakes, bread, baguettes, everything.

Continue Reading →

Miso Dressing

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

OK, so I just learned of this new miso dressing and it is the best thing in the world and so hard to share. It is a miso dressing that you can put on a salad, roasted carrots, everything and anything. I made it yesterday, and it was so delicious that I am making it again today.

 

This was the dressing on the salad. UNBELIEVABLY delicious. And this salad, I will also tell you about.

Ingredients: 
* Juice of two lemons
* 1/8 c white wine or white balsamic vinegar
* 1 tablespoon Dijon
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1/3 c oil
* 1.5 tablespoons miso
* A 1 cm slice of shallot
*Salt to taste
Blend until blended and taste for seasoning. Voila

Also put it on roasted carrots. Also just as delicious.

 

For the salad, take notes: It was celery, dates, walnuts, kale, parmesan, endives. And that is it. THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER EATEN.

 

The celery chopped up in little cubes. Then you cut everything else in to little cubes like this.

 

Make this this weekend. Promise you’ll love it.

Currently Loving February 2026

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

We made it through January!!!! And now it is February and it is light out past 5 pm — makes the world of difference! Here is what I am currently loving this month.

 

1. Central Park in the Snow

 

Balmy day in the park — 21 degrees! The reservoir is frozen. The city isn’t pretty with the snow residue, but Central Park is.

 

2. Waterfall in Central Park

 

Waterfall in Manhattan! Yes! I love it — it is so beautiful and a secret little hideaway.

 

3. Cashmere Scarf

 

I got this scarf on Sunday and have worn it every day since then. I love it. Even with my sweatpants.

 

4.  Cuddling 

 

Truth is — nothing is better than cuddling and getting warm with your loved ones. Cuddling on the couch with my girls — and lots of layers and blankets. Truly, the best.

 

5. Funny signs

 

AHHHHH NYC, you make me laugh. So funny.

 

6. Cute signs

 

Yup, don’t micro dose on love.

 

7. Trader Joe’s Coconut Crunchy Clusters

 

These. Nothing better. I got them for the first time and they were all gone that afternoon. Need to go back to Trader Joe’s to stock up on them!

 

8. Espresso Martinis

 

I now I am very, very late to the game, but I just tried my first espresso martini, and now I can’t go back to NOT having them. They are THE BEST.

 

9. White Bean Chicken Soup 

 

The best white bean chicken soup — had it for every meal for a week straight, and still dreaming of making more.

 

10. Flower Arrangements  

 

My flower arrangements. I loved this one. Nothing makes me happier than going to the Flower District AND / OR Trader Joe’s and getting flowers to arrange. This one was particularly beautiful in my opinion. 🙂

 

___

There you have it! What I am loving in this very cold, very winter-y, very short month. What are you loving this month?

Two LA Sandwich Shops

Josie Girl 1 Comment

Before our trip, my brother and I decided that we wanted to try some of the best sandwich shops in town. So I did a lot of research — both on the types of sandwiches and the proximity to Culver City — and we made our picks. AND THEY DID NOT DISAPPOINT. So delicious — if you are going to LA, you must go to both of these shops!

 

The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills

 

An institution famous amongst tourists and locals. A restaurant and high end grocery store and cheese store.

Continue Reading →

To Do in January 2026

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

It is dreary in NYC right now — not terribly cold, but damp and gray. So here is what I am dreaming of doing this month in the city:

 

1. Afternoon Tea at The Baccarat Hotel

 

One of the most beautiful hotels in NYC is the Baccarat Hotel. I went there with my MIL one evening years ago and it was to-die-for-beautiful. I really want to go to the Baccarat Hotel for Afternoon Tea with some girlfriends and our daughters — doesn’t it sound decedent and extravagant and a way to spend a great weekend afternoon in the Winter?

Continue Reading →

Currently Loving January 2026

Josie Girl 1 Comment

It’s been a minute. But here I am. Happy New Year!!! Here is what I am loving in this new month and NEW Year! And back to regular programming this week — swear! On top of traveling, family, holidays, I had writer’s block too, and couldn’t think of anything that made sense to post. But don’t you worry, I have lots of unimportant things to share with you in the next couple of weeks! In the meantime, here is what I am loving now!

 

1. Golden Hof Pancakes

 

Golden Diner is a hot asian-fusion spot downtown that is impossible to get reservations and hours to wait in line. They recently opened up a sister restaurant in midtown, and you can get a reservation ANY TIME and they have all the same food. Different vibe, but so delicious. And these pancakes were 10 out of 10.

Continue Reading →

Nutella Pastry Dough

Josie Girl 1 Comment

Easy peasy, and so delicious! Three ingredients! Pastry dough, Nutella, and egg (to wash on top)

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the baking sheet with wax paper. Then roll out pastry dough. Add Nutella. Fold over the non Nutella side of the dough, make shapes, put on sheet pan, paint with egg wash, add some sugar, and voila, done!

Continue Reading →

Turkey Trot (Shirts)

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

Sorry for the week off — Thanksgiving came and went — and I had sooooo much fun but it was jam packed with fun activities. As usual, we went to California to spend the holiday with our best friends. The best time was had and I miss them dearly (and California, too). One of the highlights was our turkey trot shirts. YUP, the turkey trot shirts. Of course, all planned and coordinated by my sister-from-another-mister (she is the most creative person I know). Take a look, take note, and get for next year!

 

Turkey Trot. I laughed when I saw these turkeys on the day after Thanksgiving. They were literally trotting down the running path.

Continue Reading →

Pasta Party

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

The past three weeks I have been taking cooking classes with some friends — it has been a highlight of the week. Fun, tasty, and a great way to break up the week. On that certain day, we decided to do a late afternoon class and include our daughters and make it a pasta party. It was a great night.

 

Flowers to have for the party! If I don’t have time to go down to the flower market, I like to get my flowers at Trader Joe’s — cheap, good quality, and great selection.

Continue Reading →

Cinnamon Roll Crawl

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

(Sorry for the silence last week — I fainted last weekend, hurt my head, and was dealing with that for most of the week. I rested a lot, and tried to not be on screens — hence my absence. But I am back!) For whatever reason, I decided that this weekend, I needed to do a self-guided Cinnamon Roll Crawl. I spent a lot of time (once my headaches disappeared) researching the best cinnamon rolls in the city and my plan to do it.

 

For whatever reason, I decided that the best way to get there was to RUN! So I ran along the West Side Highway to get downtown (because of course, the best bakeries are downtown).

Continue Reading →

Banh by Lauren

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

Last week, the New York Times published “The 25 Essential Pastries to Eat in NYC,” which of course, I studied top to bottom and figured out when I was going to each one of them. So last Friday, after teaching, I decided to head down to ChinaTown for a long overdue massage (my favorite place in NYC is Renew Day Spa) and a stop at Banh by Lauren to get the Bahn Bo.

 

First of all, this bakery / cafe was incredibly gorgeous. Located far east of chinatown, it stood out immediately with its beautiful green hues and sophisticated look. Walking in felt very peaceful — almost like a museum.

Continue Reading →

Currently Loving October 2025

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

There is so much to love right now — and this is what I am loving!

 

1. Picnics in October

This past weekend felt like summer in the city. 80 degrees in October! I absolutely loved every minute. Toosh and I had a picnic and she did homework and I needlepointed. Loved it.

Continue Reading →

Magic Hour

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

Ojai, California is not only the home of Thacher (my son’s school), but also many, many cool stores, restaurants, and brands. Magic Hour is one of them that I happened to stumble upon last weekend. It is a tea shop — but not any tea shop — a beautiful, insanely gigantic, magical, incredible tea shop. It sells every type of tea that is made with love in Ojai. Their mission is to connect the world through tea ceremony and the simple act of sharing tea. And you can sense this goal the moment you walk in to the space. The space is beaaaaauuutiful, and the tea is even more special. I spent 30 minutes walking around the store, smelling every different type of blend, sampling, asking questions — it is a must visit if in Ojai.

 

I grew up with parents who drank tea every single night with their dessert before going to bed. It is something so ceremonial and special that I love to partake in. I bought a big bottle of mint and smaller of rooibos.

Continue Reading →

NYC Bakery Run 2025

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

This past Sunday, I ran the first ever NYC Bakery Run. A half-marathon with 8 bakeries. Yep, the route covered 8 different bakery stops. All were incredible — and it was such a fun and different day! Thank you, Tipster, for putting together such a fun, successful and unique day!

 

The run was put together by Tipster. Tipster is a website and journal that is in the know of everything cool, hip, and new. This was their first issue in NY (It is based in Copenhagen) and it covered all the best bakeries. So it made sense that their big NYC start was a half marathon with 8 of these bakeries listed. We went to all of the ones listed above minus Apollo Bagel and Win Son Bakery.

Continue Reading →

Trader Joe’s Fall Haul 2025

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

OK, call me a basic PSL lover (I actually don’t love pumpkin spice lattes, but I LOOOOOVE anything pumpkin), but when I went to Trader Joe’s recently, I was so excited by all the Fall goodies. So of course, need to share with you my haul (and yes, I am like my 13 year old daughter who loves to share hauls). And I am so happy (so happy that I have been back twice in one week to get more of some of these items).

 

So good so delicious. Can’t stop eating these.

Continue Reading →

Yaks on the 5

Josie Girl 2 Comments

Last week, we dropped of my son, Cruz, at his boarding school in Ojai, California. Per his request, he asked to drive down from Oregon. He had never been on a “road trip” before so we crammed 14 hours of driving in two days. One of the highlights of the drive was asking chatGPT to find the best spot for lunch in between Eugene and San Francisco. And sure enough, it found a winner (thank you, AI!) We had a truly enjoyable lunch, right off the 5 (Interstate 5) — Yaks on the 5.

 

The drive.

Thank you, Ken for driving! I made a basket. 🙂

We made it to California!

And finally to Yaks on the 5 — a burger place! The line was manageable and we were able to eat outside, so win win all around.

Cruzzie and his burger.

Ken had a pastrami sandwich.

All of it so delicious.

Toosh and the burger, too.

 

I had a salad with wings and ribs on it (picture didn’t turn out) and they were the best ribs I have. ever. ever. ever. eaten. So highly suggest Yaks on the 5 if you happen to be in that neck of the woods, and also suggest chatGPT for recommending such a great spot!

Currently Loving August 2025

Josie Girl 1 Comment

So basically, my August loves are the same as July’s loves. I mean, same same different. Same type of thing, but different at same time. But in the spirit of sharing (over sharing sometimes, too!), here are my loves for August.

 

1. Fresh Peaches

 

The problem is trying to figure out what to do with all the peaches. We had a bake off and had three different types of desserts with peaches — so delicious.

Continue Reading →

Holbox + California Science Center

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

Apparently all I do is eat, but when in Los Angeles last week, every activity was planned around where we would eat. My (extremely cute) 90 year old uncle is so adventureous and doesn’t just sit at home — quite the contrary, he is out and about all the time, in touch with the best restaurants and exhibitions, etc….So he suggested going to the ONLY MEXICAN RESTAURANT with a MICHELIN STAR (Holbox) which was right next to the California Science Center — and we jumped on both.  We LOVE science museums (interactive, fun, interesting) and we love Mexican food — so win win win!

First of all, this cliche view never gets old. But I loved it on this particular night because you could see a sliver of the moon — nothing makes me happier than pretty skies.

Continue Reading →

Gjusta + Getty Villa

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

Ok, so going with my theory of always doing something cultural and eating something delicious, we had a great day at Gjusta Bakery and visiting the Getty Villa (different than the Getty Center!) in Los Angeles. These are not next to each other, but it was a quick drive from the bakery to the villa. And we wanted to do both (and recommend both, too!)

 

GJUSTA BAKERY

 

Gjusta is the sister restaurant of Gjelina (which is forever my favorite restaurant in LA, and also has the best cookbook and best sticky toffee pudding you will ever eat). It is located in Venice and everything in it is just beautiful and delicious.

Continue Reading →

George’s

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

It has been a minute since I posted — not because I didn’t want to or because I didn’t try, but because I was having issues with the website and uploading images. All that to say, sorry! And I am back! And with so much content! In the past two weeks I have spent time in San Francisco area, Oregon, Los Angeles, and back to Oregon — and I have found some incredible things to share! So stay tuned and report back to the blog! In the meantime, I wanted to first share with you an incredibly tasty donut shop in San Francisco. So good that if you are anywhere in the area, you will want to go to George’s. They don’t just sell donuts, but also cocktails, champagne, and meals too. But we went for the donuts.

 

So cute — love George’s donuts and merriment.

Continue Reading →

Mango Sorbet

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

I might as well make this a baking blog now because that is all I have been wanting to post about recently! HA! I am the worst cook, but I love baking and experimenting in the kitchen. Recently, we made mango sorbet AND mango ice cream in a bake off — and hands down, the winner was the mango sorbet.  So if you feel like making something SUPER easy, delicious, and refreshing, make this!

 

First, you peel the mangos (make sure they are good ones — it makes all the difference). Then, you blend them with water, a little sugar, some lime juice, and THAT IS IT!

Continue Reading →

Chez Panisse Blueberry Cobbler

Josie Girl Leave a Comment

Love nothing more than picking fresh fruit in the summer! So this past week, went to one of the many blueberry farms in the area and picked 6.5 pounds of blueberries! Since we always keep 1/3 fresh to eat, 1/3 freeze for future use, and bake something with the remaining 1/3, I went down the rabbit hole of what the best recipe would be to use with these delicious blueberries. Thankfully, found NYTimes recipe on Chez Panisse Blueberry Cobbler and knew that it was a winner. Sure enough, this dessert is incredible and easy to make (double win)

 

Blueberry picking! Literally half go in my mouth, the other half in the bucket.

Continue Reading →