iCi, Brooklyn

This is our charming apartment in Brooklyn
(it was awesome!)

Jackie and I walked the High Line between West 20th and
West 30th.  It just opened and we loved seeing all the kids
and visitors on it, it was about 10 am and it got busier later
on.  There was also a greenway on it where kids had their
shoes off enjoying the grass.

The original railroad is seen off and on throughout the trail

I loved seeing different varieties of flowers along the trail

After lunch with my youth minister from
Oklahoma City, we went to Soho and I googled
thrift stores and besides taking us to Melet Merchantile,
which is a vintage showroom by appointment only (so
you can imagine what it was like to walk through it noticing
price tags of $200 plus and then a beautiful woman working
there asked us if we had an appointment and we quickly left)
So my phone took us to Cure, a mile north from Melet.
When we got there I was pleasantly surprised that all proceeds
go to cure diabetes.  And I found a great jacket there....Joy
Shepherd has turned me on to thrift stores and Aimee McMillin
and I found a great thrift store just blocks from our Brooklyn
apartment.  She's also a big thrift store buyer, how fun!

This was taken on Friday night at a bar that Bechtel reserved
so we could all get together....here's Heather & Mitch Light,
Mark Bechtel & fiance Elana, Aimee & Zack McMillin,
Amy & Bill Trocchi and Jackie

Mitch took this classic photo...that's Bechtel bending over
to avoid taking another photo...Amy made this photo her
Facebook profile pic, cracks me up!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

WOW!  Amy Trocchi booked a fabulous apartment for the weekend on Lafayette in Brooklyn.  We shared the apartment with the Trocchi's and McMillin's for Bechtel's wedding.  It was great as was this Mediterranean restaurant around the corner.  We had reservations and met another Vanderbilt classmate there for dinner.  The restaurant touts itself as "fresh, seasonal, local" and if you read my blog, you know that is what I am all about.  Here's an excerpt from their website under the label, "inspiration":

At iCi, we are convinced that the best-tasting food is naturally grown and harvested in ways that are ecologically sound and socially responsible by people who are taking care of the land for future generations. 
We develop menus that change with the seasons, using exclusively fresh, naturally grown ingredients of the highest quality from the local farms and markets. These ingredients are put together in a way that does not mask the natural flavors or strip the food of its nutritional value.
iCi's seasonal menu of modern classics is complemented by a list of rare and unusual wines from small, natural, dedicated, and often fanatical growers who work their vines and make their wines with honesty, passion and humor. Our wines are made with the least intervention possible: no selected yeast, no enzymes or other additives, low yields, low to no sulfites. 
This philosophy of winemaking differentiates these wines from the standard, monolithic tastes of many wines, and offers us what wines should: mystery, romance, and adventure.
A truly natural restaurant that emphasizes quality over spectacle, iCi brings people back to the fundamentals of good casual organic dining.

We had an appetizer orderer in our group and that was Clay Hensley, who ordered the Artisanal Cheeses $8 and fresh made Ricotta Bruschetta that featured duck prosciutto $11 as well as (yes there were three appetizers) Chicken Liver Mousse $8 with shallots and grilled bread.  I had a taste of the duck and mousse and they were delicious even though our table was overwhelmed with dishes.  For dinner, Aimee and I both toyed with the house made Ricotta Cavatelli with greenmarket vegetables $24.  I ordered this and loved the homemade pasta and lightness of the dish.  I wouldn't dare order a side but I really wanted to try the Marinated Beets $8 with goat cheese, dill and horseradish and the Grilled Scallions $8 with dressing and breadcrumbs.  I believe it was Clay and Zack that ordered these and I got to try a beet and it was outstanding.  I had a delicious cup of coffee here (and I totally took a photo of because of the cup size, I am a total dork for doing so) for dessert.

I really loved iCi.  It was a great catching up with Zack and Aimee and meeting Clay Hensley and his fiance Joyce, who swam for Indiana University.  Great food, great conversation and a green restaurant all make for a wonderful evening.  You'll have to go to iCi when you're in Brooklyn.  We loved it!

iCi, 246 Dekalb, Brooklyn, NY 718-789-2778 http://www.icirestaurant.com/  Check out their awesome website!