Rating: This day was all over the map, so please keep scrolling.
Sobol Rating: 💋 💋 💋
We started off on a high. I was going to get lunch with Maura. Remember her? It had been a while since we got to hang, back in early September 2020, but she has kept me going through quarantine by sending me funny tweets, tik toks, and voice messages. They give me life. Now, I was getting to see her again! We had a lunch date! Weeee!
We went to Astoria Park and had such a happy time chatting on a bench. There were many cute dogs. I hadn't seen any pups in a bit and ooh my heart! They were so precious. We also grabbed bowls from Sobol, a smoothie place new to me. I got the Classic Açai & Maura made a shrewd move and ordered the Classic Açai with Nutella added. I wish the Sobol menu was a little bit larger, but what they did, they did quite well. The bowl tasted fresh and sweet and flavorful. I think granola is very important when it comes to a good smoothie bowl, and they had great-tasting granola with a little bit of cinnamon in the mix. They also have a lot of add-ons you can ball out on if you wish. For example, you can get a green or pitaya smoothie bowl base as well as açai, and then you can add a variety of toppings from cookie dough crumble to peanut butter to any of the bowls. The menu additions really do make it a choose your own adventure kind of meal.
Walking through Astoria, there were so many delicious scents and fun-looking restaurants. It is such a charming area that is packed with things to do, places to go and food to enjoy. I would love to check it out more. I left Maura with the determination that I will not have to go another seven months before getting to see her again.
But I had to be off! The N train whisked me back to Manhattan, where I had a 4:00 shoot with a photographer in the Lower East Side. He and I had connected back in December, but I was out of the city with no idea when I would get back, so we had to put off our collaboration for a while. He has such a cool style though, mixing street photography with fashion and a touch of portraiture. I was psyched to finally get to shoot with him. I love working with different people. It allows me to push my creativity and explore new styles and ways of expression. The photographer, David, and his assistant, Paul, were so much fun. Right away, conversation flowed and we were able to joke around between shots and brainstorm together, which makes the whole process so much easier. We ran around LES and even hopped over to DUMBO, which was cool because I had never gotten to go there before. It was influencer central there, but we snuck in a few shots and it was all very exciting. I had such a great time running around the city, climbing things, flaunting my personality, living my best life. Days like this remind me that I am very much a social person and being around people gives me so much energy. It is like I was coming back to full-power life.
Brooklyn Sandwich & Burger
Rating: 💋 💋
And then I went home. Poor Shannon. She was having a time of it. There had been a wholeeee snafu with dinner. We had planned to grab sandwiches from Court Street Grocers, but when she called a little before four, they were closed! They had changed their hours! So much sad face, so little time. We had really been looking forward to it.
We had to press on though, and we found another sandwich place. Shannon got an Italian hoagie and apparently the people at Brooklyn Sandwich & Burger are not Italian, and have likely never eaten a hoagie. She said the whole thing was pretty bland, and there was bacon in it. Since when do you put bacon in an Italian hoagie?? What is this madness? She also got fries to cheer herself up after Court Street left us on read, and the fries were meh. What a disappointment.
I was a bit luckier in that my Monterey Lemon Chicken Wrap was exactly as advertised and tasted pretty decent. Lemony chicken, fresh tomato and lettuce, Monterey cheese present, all good. It was not mind blowing or anything, and I did not finish it, but it did its job.
Still, considering Shannon really wanted Court Street and then the low-quality replacement added a fresh sting, I doubt we will ever go again. I do not really care either way. Brooklyn Sandwich & Burger is a completely blasé food stop.
Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain
Rating: 💋 💋 💋 💋 💋
You know who goes above and beyond, though? Farmacy. Oh! How I love Farmacy.
We had decided to get post-photo shoot sundaes on Sunday, and I had been looking forward to it all weekend long. I actually had a dream about milkshakes. When the time came, though, we decided to go big. Farmacy has a slew of decadent sundaes and we wanted in on the action. I would eat any sundae on the menu, I think, but the Peanut Butter Cup caught my eye and that was it. I was a goner. You would be too. I mean, look at this masterpiece!
The people who run Farmacy are so cool and nice and they were listening to a Stevie Wonder playlist for the entirety of our visit. Such good vibes. They had a cute little igloo outside for us to enjoy our ice cream in, complete with flower baskets and fairy lights. It really was the perfect way to end a really lovely weekend.
Shannon's Brownie Sundae encased chocolate chip ice cream in a hard chocolate shell you broke through to get to the sweetness. The ice cream doused thick brownie chunks, and the whole thing was covered with whipped cream and chocolate dust. Eyes rolling into the back of your head good. She could not finish it, sadly, but it was worth it. I also thought these sundaes were a fair size for the price. They were smaller than I thought they would be, which was actually a pleasant surprise. I had worried they would be so huge that dessert would become daunting. Fortunately, the sundaes came in a manageable size and I ate my whole confection. I could not even pick a favorite part. The Peanut Butter Cup sundae features coffee ice cream surrounded by a hard chocolate shell, with their homemade peanut butter swirled alongside and fluffy whipped cream and shaved chocolate topping it off. Oh my Lord. The whole thing screams Mary Kate. Eating this sundae was a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.
I need to go back for the rest of the sundaes. Actually, just everything they have on the menu. I will take it all.
Do you remember that movie I was working on a few months ago, the one that my mom was such a trooper for and helped me film? Well, guess what? It is going live, people! On Saturday June 12th at 8:00pm, the film 'Returning Home' will premiere as a part of The Human Art Collective's Create to Elevate Festival. This was my big quarantine project. It was such a great growing experience learning how to make a film from conception to finish in an entirely virtual workspace. At last, the project is complete and we are hosting an immersive, entirely online festival full of cool workshops and events as part of its debut. I am so looking forward to sharing it with all of you! If you’d like to learn more or get tickets for our Film and Festival, go to www.thehumanartscollective.com. Can’t wait to see you there!
Here is the teaser!
I hope you all had a great three-day weekend and are starting June off well! Summer at last! I believe we can make it a good one ☀️ 🏖 💛
XX,
MK
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