Beautiful Charleston

Dear Imaginary Friends,

I was lucky to have visited Charleston, South Carolina, this week, and was met with 70 degree weather, bright sunshine, and gentle breezes. The city was blessed with blooms. It was the perfect stage for the Historic Home and Garden Tour, which raises funds for preservation efforts across the city. 

Charleston is a gracious city enhanced by fresh spring weather and delicious architecture. It is not unlike its sister city New Orleans, in its embrace of southern food, hospitality, and preservation of its storied buildings. 

Fried green tomatoes at Blossom were outstanding!

Chelsea Eats

My favorite dish during this trip to NYC was at Cook Shop on Tenth Avenue-- get the shrimp, grapefruit and fennel salad.
Go to Chelsea for the art galleries, and stay for the great restaurants!
Walk the HighLine to work off the calories.
Until I saw it myself, I was mystified as to what exactly the HighLine consists of. Here goes: it is an elevated former train track. There are small trees, blooming bulbs and flowers planted along it. For resting your weary feet, there are benches, seats like bleachers, and actual loungers for the truly tired. There are quite a few European tourists who will be right there, people watching just like you.

Then head to Trestle on Tenth Avenue for the wild bass and the cocktail called the Fender Bender!

Next day, visit Red Cat, on Tenth Avenue also. Get the tempura green beans for a spicy treat and the bass in a lemon mini broth. The wines by the glass are wonderful!

Swing by The Setai and have lunch on the main floor while you watch Fifth Avenue stroll by. I loved the shrimp and avocado tartlet, pictured.

Many thanks to Barbara Rachko for her excellent suggestions! She is an artist with a studio in Chelsea and know her neighborhood well. And please get reservations.

Your fellow tourist,
Patsie

At The Setai

At Cook Shop

A Little Bit of Octopus Won't Kill You!

A Building Along the HighLine

View of the River from the HighLine

Holy City

Dear Imaginary Friends,

Charleston, South Carolina, refers to itself as Holy City, as its beautiful old church steeples push above the surrounding quaint architecture, and predominate its skyline when seen from the Atlantic Ocean.
I found wonderful food, beautiful Southern architecture, charming citizens, manners galore, low crime and a clean bustling city. It was a heavenly experience, so maybe it was holy.

Far from a sleepy town, little Charleston has managed to combine the newest food trends with its traditional Low Country fare. Try this on for size: Tilefish upon a bed of fried green tomatoes and caramelized onions. I had never even heard of tilefish. Now I am its biggest fan, having devoured it at Cru Cafe on Andrew Pinckney St. this week. Set in a charming old home, Cru Cafe is owned and operated by a Cordon Bleu chef who just so happened to graduate first in his class. Making my life even sweeter, it was a half block from my hotel, which I adored. I highly recommend Andrew Pinckney Hotel. It is wonderfully situated geographically (see above!) and is one block from the famous Market that runs daily.

My Fave Hotel in Charleston

This hotel is priced right, has lovely clean rooms, and a free breakfast that will make you foodies out there happy. The employees are just as nice as any humans I have ever met. That is saying a lot. If you book with them and not through a travel site, you will get the best treatment, if something goes awry with your plans.
And what does the Market have to offer? Well, try the Charleston Shoe Company for some of the cutest and most comfortable shoes that your tiny hoofie has ever tried. Check out intriguing salad combos at Caviar and Bananas Deli. Or buy a sweetgrass basket, scents, towels, spices or condiments. Reminiscent of New Orleans' famed French Market, Charleston's market has jewelry, pottery, children's clothes and just about anything you can think of.

Your Imaginary Friend,
Patsie

Almost Ten Thousand!

Dear Imaginary Friends,

I have been writing this blog, for what it's worth, for 1.5 years, and I have now had almost ten thousand hits. (9896, to be exact)

I have readers in about one hundred countries. (I know!!!)

Who knew it would be popular? Certainly not me. My readers are not just American, but also French, German, Canadian, and many different tiny countries everywhere, as well as not so tiny countries such as Russia. I guess we have something in common: a love of family, art, travel and food!

SO here is a big thank you to all my many readers, and may you live long and prosper! All ten thousand of you!

Kind regards,

Your Imaginary Friend,

Patsie, resident of the global village

United Nations

Today we had a tour of the United Nations in New York City. One great initiative we heard about is called freerice.com. For every click on this game website, grains of rice are donated to starving children. Last year, four million people were saved from starvation by this website! And you don't have to spend a penny.

By clicking on the site and playing the games, you help save the one - in - seven children dying from famine across the world.

Nothing for you to lose and everything for children to gain.

Your imaginary friend,

Patsie

Foodie Alert!

The Ferry Building: Awesome food within!

Where do the foodies congregate in San Francisco? I am so glad that you asked ! They congregate here in the Embarcadero, inside the Ferry Building. 

MMM, food emporiums, and restaurants such as the Slanted Door, which serves up some tasty Asian Fusion. I bought the best chocolate of my life: a Rococo Bee Bar, organic dark chocolate, flavored orange and geranium. I will never be the same! Imported from Belgravia, London. Sigh.

What's Good To Eat?

Patsie, Angie and Wendy Tackle Turtle Soup, Cosmopolitans and Tains de Crabes at Commander's Palace

Sazeracs at the Roosevelt Hotel

Shrimp Creole and Shrimp Remoulade at Galatoire's

Beignets at Cafe du Monde

Wendy Tries the Chocolate Freeze at Camellia Grill

Angie has her Shrimp Po Boy at the New Orleans PoBoy Company

Wendy Has a Great Redfish at Bayona

In New Orleans, Cher, everything is good to eat! Not enough days in the week to have it all, but we sure did try!

Your Imaginary Foodie,

Patsie

How I Learned to Blog at the Art League

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that The Art League, a fabulous non-profit art association in Alexandria, VA, was hosting a free lecture on how to write, post and publish a blog. I attended, in hopes of learning a new skill. Megan Coyle, a young artist, was the very savvy instructor. In two hours, I was back at home, creating my blog! How easy was that, thanks to The Art League. Wow. They have so many good lectures, all free to the public. Tonight, I will attend yet another: a critique of members' art work, courtesy of The Art League and Ted Reed, one of their excellent instructors. All you have to do is call the Art League to register, and bring 3 pieces of art. It is tonight, from 7-9 pm. The Art League has meant so much to me over the last twenty-plus years. I have studied painting with Diane Tesler, Kurt Schwarz, Danni Dawson, Lisa Semerad, and many others. They have taught me to refine both my skills and my eye. Love you, Art League! It is not just me who thinks that the arts are so very important to the fabric of our society. Newsweek put it very well in their recent article on creativity, and how classes in all the arts positively impact students' academic performances. Creativity and innovations are also economic drivers which reach throughout communities. On July 21, the Washington Post had a great article on the creative and cultural push of the Obamas. We artists need that assistance from the government, because school systems seem to think of the arts as the most expendable curricula. The arts need technology and technology needs the arts. We are symbiotic. I would not be writing this blog were it not for the Art League. You would be well-served to spend a little free time at The Art League, taking a class, attending a seminar, checking out the gallery, making an art purchase, buying art supplies. Whatever you do, and however you do it, please support the arts. Cheers, Your virtual friend Patsie

My Very First Blog

Dear Diary, aka, Imaginary Friends,
I think I should be smelling the scent of a new box of crayolas right about now: such is the raw newness and my lack of education in all things technical. Me, a blog? Hard to believe that I could master the technology. Thanks, Google, for making this so easy, relatively speaking.
I am writing a blog because two of my friends told me that I really need to!
I am going to post about the three things that most interest me, outside of family.
First, making art! Cannot live without it.
Second, good food. Hey, I am from New Orleans, where the conversations all revolve around one's last meal, and one's next meal.
Third, travel. I cannot travel to enough interesting places in the forty or so years left on this planet, because the budget would implode. But I travel as much as I can, so as to eat the FOOD and see the ART. And photograph the sights so that I can remember the trip and have something to paint. SO, you see, it really is all the same thing.
Stay tuned: Carlo and I are heading to Denver, Colorado for the very first time with new fascinating restuarants and museums to explore. I promise to report back, as well as to post some of my work.
Your imaginary friend,
Patsie