Insta New Orleans

Architecture
March 31, 2014

As most of you who follow me on Instagram know, I was in New Orleans Wednesday through Sunday. I apologize for not posting while I was away! I wanted to do a little recap of our NOLA trip through Instagram. For those of you who follow me, this photos will be familiar, but you will get a little more information on what we did … Started off the trip by checking into Soniat House, and immediately strolling around the French Quarter, finding ourselves at Hotel Monteleone’s famous Carousel Bar. We headed to dinner at Sylvain for a Champagne Cocktail, Southern Antipasti Plate, Seasonal Market Salad, and Gulf Shrimp Pirlou. The Southern Antipasto Plate had a black eyed pea hummus that was to die for. The next morning, we had breakfast at Stanley on Jackson Square, and while WWB did some work I took a tour of the Old Ursuline Convent. I felt as though I had stumbled into a piece of 18th century France in Louisiana … it is no surprise since the building was commissioned by Louis XV of France. The views of the French Quarter from the interior of the Ursuline Convent garden were magical.
Later, we headed out to the garden district. We had lunch at Lilette, which was by far the absolute best meal we had during the trip. We started out lunch with 1/2 dozen oysters and a salad of Shaved Hawaiian Hearts of Palm. It sounds simple, but I could eat that salad with parmesan and olive oil every day. We followed up with some Alaskan King Crab Claws with passion fruit butter … yes passion fruit butter … and some mussels in a curry sauce with eggplant bruschetta. This was all along with the most amazing cocktail made called the Lillete Rouge, which tasted like a sparkling sangria. Then it was straight to Leontine Linens, where we met the amazing Jane Scott Hodges … look for more on that tomorrow. Dinner was at La Petite Grocery, where I had Turtle Bolognese! How does one not order that? Dinner was followed by drinks at Bouligny Tavern, which was the chicest midcentury bar (note the light fixture in the window), where I had an Aperol Fizz. Yummm.Friday it poured with rain almost all day. We took refuge at the Beauregard Keyes House, made famous by the 18 months that Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard lived there. The palmetto frond wallpaper in the hallway was a favorite part of that visit. We followed that step back in time with a lunch at Galatoire’s, and dinner at Commander’s Palace. Even in the pouring rain we managed to hit some of the best places in old New Orleans. Saturday morning, after a coffee and a buttermilk drop at Petite Amelie, we did more strolling around the French Quarter, looking out for buildings for me to fall in love with, such as this one. Then it was on to the wedding at Immaculate Conception Church, a traditional Second Line parade around the French Quarter, and a reception at the Opera Guild Home. A big congratulations to Liz and Colin who tied the knot this weekend! It was a wonderful trip, and I’m so glad I can finally say I have been to New Orleans. Until next time NOLA …

Leaving It or Losing It at Lafayette

Architecture
March 13, 2014

There was an article in Monday’s NYTimes entitled, “Hotels Moving into Old Buildings,” about how many hotel chains are now opting to renovate an older or historic building to operate as a hotel, instead of building a model hotel from the ground up. Several newer hotels were mentioned, and included in that group was Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia; otherwise known as the Lafayette Building.Built in 1906, the Lafayette Building is located on Independence Mall, directly across from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, two of the most visited tourist sites in Philadelphia. Clearly, that makes the Lafayette Building a good location for a hotel. It is a beautiful building, with many extremely attractive architectural details, such as these gargoyles on the cornice. In many instances, Kimpton has made beautiful additions to the building, such as the rooftop bar overlooking Independence Mall. However, as a preservationist, it is not the additions that I latch on to, it’s the original pieces.When I took a tour of this building with a preservation class, we were told that this lobby would be preserved. I cannot find any pictures on the Hotel Monaco’s website that confirm this, and I had half a mind to call their reception desk and ask. If I have any Philadelphians reading the blog, or those who have stayed at this hotel, please let me know! Because if this beautiful early 20th century lobby were gone, now that would be a real loss.

Blowing Up My Kitchen

Architecture
March 10, 2014

stove/fan/stools/bowls

pendant lights/terra cotta pots faucet/sink/pendant/picture light
brass plant mister/enamel canisters

I would like to start this post by saying a big thank you to all my extremely loyal readers, and a big thank you to all of you who have been so complimentary about our house being in the March issue of Southern Living. I have gotten some comments that people really enjoyed seeing my kitchen, but that the photos in the magazine were a tad small and they would like to see them larger. Well here are larger photos of my kitchen for you all to enjoy, and I have included a few more sources than the magazine. I would love to hear your thoughts.

All photos by Francesco Lagnese