PLACES TO EAT.

Good Mexican food is hard to find in NYC, that’s why eating at Tres Hermanos is an event worth celebrating. I am originally from Los Angeles, and growing up Mexican food was not only comfort food but a daily part of life. Sure there are a lot of positives to living in the incredible New York City, but one major void in my life is great Mexican food.

Almost two years ago when I first was looking for apartments, I found myself straddling the border between Williamsburg and Queens with no luck except for stumbling upon a tortilla factory called Tres Hermanos. Now at this point in time, Tres Hermanos was still in fact an active tortilla factory that had a small door on the left hand side, to a couple of white folding tables in the middle of the floor. Next to them were two Mexican women, a makeshift stove and some stacks of paper plates. From the outside, we knew that whatever they were serving must be good. So without hesitation we sat ourselves down, ordered 2 chicken tacos in broken Spanish and barely stopped to breathe before we were done. For the duration of those tacos I felt like I was back in Los Angeles eating off a taco truck in East LA. Click Read More for additional information and photos. Written by Brittany Kleinman

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PLACES: In the late 80s frozen yogurt was on a run. Stores like TCBY spawned a crazed flight away from typical ice cream chains. Then it died down a bit, but not for long. Over the last few years it’s made a strong resurgence with stores like Pink Berry and Red Mango. And across the pond we came across another great shop – London’s SNOG.

With clean presentation and good hearted humor, SNOG offers frozen yogurt to the masses. Not only does it taste good, you can tell they’ve put a lot of effort in the branding and concept. Earlier this year they opened their impressive shop in SOHO London designed by Dominic Harris from Cinimod Studios. As the firm describes, “Cinimod’s design builds upon the brand identity created by ico Design and evolves the strong architectural vision created in the first store SNOG South Kensington, while introducing a different ‘quirk’ in the design: the bubbling ceiling. This lighting feature is comprised of 700 glass globes containing LED lights and presents a new level of visual excitement and public engagement.” Click Read More for additional photos and information.

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Last year we wrote about Hotel Everland – a work of art and a room with a view. The prefab hotel sat high upon the roof of the Palais de Tokyo in France, where it provided awe-inspiring views of the city. This time around, the concept has shifted into another service area. Now the prefab capsule is a high-end restaurant.

Nomiya, a project by Laurent Grasso & Everland’s Electrolux, is a pop-up restaurant. Seating just 12 people, it provides a unique and intimate eating experience with all of Paris’ beauty within sight. The restaurant will be open until July 1, 2010. There’s a one month back log for reservations, so get yours today. Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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While in Portland, we stumbled across a great restaurant called Ping. The food was fast, well prepared and extremely tasty. Not to mention, the atmosphere was perfect for an afternoon meeting. Why can’t there be more places like this – good service, fast healthy food, all presented with unassuming style. We highly recommend stopping by next time you’re in Portland. The Chicken Skewers were our favorite. They’re seasoned perfectly with sake, sesame oil and plum sauce.

Ping also has an interesting back story. John Jay, one of the leading strategists at the advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy collaborated with Pok Pok owner, Andy Ricker to create Ping. It’s part of a larger goal to rejuvenate and modernize Portland’s Chinatown. Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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Written by Joseph Ng: There’s no question that Hong Kong people like to eat. We’re also serious about our breakfast! Just like most places in the world, a restaurant that serves all-day breakfast will always be a hit, and Hong Kong’s answer is the Australia Dairy Company (ADC).

ADC brings to life the concept of perfectly scrambled eggs. They’re amazing. If there’s only one reason to visit, it’s their eggs – hands down. But, even though this place serves all-day breakfast, it’s definitely not the place to go if you want a slow and relaxing start to the day. Its undying popularity keeps it consistently packed with customers. So take a nice relaxing walk ahead of time, and then prepare for the show. Click Read More for additional information.

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Written by Joseph Ng: After a hectic day of wandering in the heart of Hong Kong’s shopping mecca Causeway Bay, a quaint little place to decompress is hidden up on the second floor of a building. It’s the Afterschool café. The interior decor takes hints from old Hong Kong primary school days with original old chairs and classroom desks. Other old Hong Kong details can be found hiding in the café. Half design studio, half café, it is the brain child of Pokit Consulting Ltd. The motif is carried further with the opening time of the café, from 4pm onwards to 1am! A great spot to drop by when you visit Hong Kong. Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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It all starts at the coffee shop. There’s nothing like a good conversation, free wifi and strong caffeine to get an idea going. We’ve started many projects at our local coffee shop – too numerous to count. That’s why we were psyched when our friends at four23 decided to open their own coffeehouse.

For those who may not be familiar with four23 – they’re a multidisciplinary creative studio based in Manchester UK with a satellite office in London. They were formed four years ago by two creative directors, Warren Bramley – a law school grad who used to work for Factory Records with the late Anthony Wilson (New Order, Happy Mondays, Joy Division). And Darryl Hardman, an ex-art director of style magazine Sleaze Nation.

Best known for working with folks like Peter Saville, adidas Originals, and Samsung – the innovative firm took over the vacant space below their Manchester studio, and created an intimate retreat selling coffee cocktails, herrings for breakfast, soup for lunch, figs in the evening, wine by the glass and Bloody Marys by the jug. There are books, newspapers, journals, magazines to browse, blankets to keep you warm when outside, notepads and pens available to sketch with, and free wifi. We highly recommend stopping by next time you’re in Manchester. Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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