NYC Restaurant Diaries: Part 3

Wow it's been almost a while since I've made one of these! You know, I take photos of the food at every single restaurant I go to SOLELY for the purpose of this blog series. With that being said, I've built up quite a dense camera roll in the past half year and narrowed the food photo selections down to the very best for this post. 

1. Old Rose


You know I love a good Instagrammable restaurant. This one in the West Village did not fail me. Old Rose, located in the Jane Hotel, is not only gorgeous, but also has genuinely good contemporary italian food. The breakfast pizza (which is served all day) was So. Dang. Good. 

2. Sunday in Brooklyn


Sunday in Brooklyn is also very Instagrammable. If Urban Outfitters created a restaurant, this would be it. I was really impressed with the food too. Aside from the delicious malted pancakes, the brunch menu was rather healthy. Also pictured is the avocado toast and cheddar scramble. I plan on coming back to experience the dinner menu soon. 

3. Lil Frankie's 


I honestly debated putting this restaurant in because the photo I have just doesn't sell it. I decided I HAD to include it because this place is just so good. Lil Frankie's is a spot in the East Village that has no pretty atmosphere, just really incredible italian food. While this photo doesn't look like anything special, it features the Spaghetti Limone entrée, which is one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. 

4. Jacob's Pickles

 

I'm really honored to have this southern spot in my hood, the Upper West Side. Upon arrival, you can tell how popular and famous this restaurant is based on how packed it is and the long wait. However, every second of the wait will be worth it when you taste how incredible the food is. I've been to Jacob's Pickles twice now (would come back more often if calories weren't a thing) and ordered the Chicken and Pancakes and then the Chicken Bacon, Egg & Cheese. Both times I had the fried pickles as an app since this is something the restaurant is famous for. 

5. The Butcher's Daughter 


You may have heard of this one already because it's a super popular brunch spot among millennials. The Butcher's Daughter has two locations downtown and they are quaint/cute and serve delicious food. If you want a healthy brunch and/or avocados, this is Aussie spot is a great place to go. Shown here is the Smashed Avocado Toast Benedict.

6. Refinery Rooftop Bar


This is a great spot to go if you are looking to experience an NYC rooftop. If you ask to sit outside, you will have a great view of the Empire State Building! You can still sit "outside" in the cold months because they cover the outside with a transparent tent that preserves the great view. I went to Refinery Rooftop Bar for a work lunch and opted for a Kale salad with salmon added on. 


Oh, Christmas Tree

I'm pretty sure I go plaid overboard during the holidays. I want to wear it every day and want to buy every plaid thing I see. I rented this S/MEO plaid coat from Rent the Runway and am absolutely obsessed with it. I really wanted to purchase it to keep, but I ended up deciding against it because it wasn't heavy enough to be practical for NYC winters. If I lived back at home in Atlanta, though, I would buy this coat in a heartbeat. It's selling out quickly, so if you're interested, I'd purchase now. I linked it down below but Lord & Taylor is also selling it in case you can't find your size from the other link. 

Coat: C/MEO Collective | Sweater: Joie | Boots: Hunter | Earrings: Madewell


Rent The Runway Obsession

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably heard me talk a LOT about Rent The Runway's rental subscription services. While they are giving me a complimentary subscription in exchange for some Instagram promotion, I wanted to talk about it on here because I genuinely LOVE it and think it is a great idea. I love designer pieces but definitely cannot afford to add many to my wardrobe, which is why I love RTR's subscription program since you can pay an affordable price to rent new pieces monthly. They have an 'Unlimited' version, where you can rent an unlimited amount of pieces (4 at a time) per month and 'Update', which gives you 4 pieces for the whole month for a lower price. I think one of the best, yet least known benefits of RTR's subscription program is that you can buy the pieces you rent if you love them for a ridiculously amazing discount. Sometimes the discount is up to 70% off! For instance, I rented a $278 retail Joie sweater this month and could purchase it from RTR for only $83. 
In the photos below, I'm wearing one of my RTR pieces for the month - a gorgeous Rebecca Minkoff dress. I have been kind of scared of midi dresses in the past, but I used RTR to test them out since I don't have to keep it. I fell in love with this one! I'm on the fence about purchasing it from RTR for a 44% discount... I'll let y'all know if I decide to keep or not! 

I also have an amazing discount to offer you - get 40% off your first month of RTR's Unlimited subscription with the code KATECAMPUSINFL40

Sadly, I cannot find the dress anywhere outside of Rent the Runway, however here is a similar, adorable dress from Rebecca Minkoff that features the same print! Other outfit details are listed below. 

Jacket: BlankNYC | Booties: J.Crew


Perfect Fall Day (and outfit)

This was definitely my idea of the perfect fall day in NYC. I started out this fine Sunday meeting up with two of my fellow NYC bloggers @lifestylesbylauren and @carolinestfrancis at Brunch spot called The Butcher's Daughter (don't worry, I'll definitely be sharing photos of my meal in my next 'Restaurant Diaries'). After brunch we walked around the West Village and the weather was absolutely PERFECT. You know that super rare weather where it's cold enough to wear a sweater but warm enough to wear a skirt? Yeah, that weather. 
I can't get enough of this skirt I picked up from work from Brooks Brothers' younger line, Red Fleece. This line is more affordable and modern, but it has as similar quality and craftsmanship to traditional Brooks Brothers. What I love is that it is long/appropriate enough to wear to a corporate job, but you can also fold in the top by one or a couple of inches to make it a tad shorter for out of office activities (which is what I did in these photos). You may have noticed that I wore this sweater on my blog before but in a different color! That's because it is so amazing that, yes, I bought it in two colors. I think the puffy sleeves add such a unique touch, yet it is comfy and simple enough to wear in so many different ways. Below, I linked it in the maroon color but here is a link to the same sweater from a different retailer that has a bunch more colors and sizes available! Side note: I recommend sizing 1-2 sizes down in the sweater - it runs really big! I usually am a small-medium but purchased an extra-small. 

Top: J.Crew | Skirt: Red Fleece | Boots: Sole Society

The '70's Are Back

I think this adorable fall outfit speaks for itself, but I just wanted to rave about the awesome restaurant I went to post-shooting on this day! This spot in the West Village is called Old Rose and is located within the Jane Hotel. Definitely a gorgeous spot, but the food was equally amazing. You won't regret ordering the breakfast pizza (served all day).  

Sweater: J.Crew | Skirt: BlankNYC | Booties: J.Crew | Bag: Milly (similar from same brand)