March 20, 2023

Winter List 2022 Revisited

by Liz Heather in Personal

winter snow Canada Liz Heather — Snow on trees *might* be the answer to everything, March 2023

It really feels like I made this winter list about a year ago. Here’s how it went!

1. Take at least five bubble baths.

C’mon, I’m not an amateur. Of course I did this one.

2. Finally get my own ice skates and skate around this beautiful rink.

Bought skates! I couldn’t get to that gorgeous rink in Huntsville, but I did manage to skate on this wonderful figure-eight rink in Etobicoke.

3. Go skiing.

Sadly, no. But this is top priority this year.

4. Make lasagna soup.

Made! Ate! Loved!

lasagna soup Liz Heather — Lasagna Soup - looks horrifying, tastes heavenly

5. See at least two Broadway plays.

Death of a Salesman, Moulin Rouge and Shucked!

death of a salesman broadway january 2023 Liz Heather — January 2023

moulin rouge broadway january 2023 Liz Heather — January 2023

shucked new york city broadway Liz Heather — March 2023

4/5! Love when that happens! Spring list coming tomorrow!

February 7, 2023

January Jewels 2023

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television

costco parking lot Astoria new york long island city Liz Heather skyline — The best Costco parking lot view, hands down.

Oh my god, this month is the ten year anniversary of this blog.

How.

If you don’t know me very well, let’s just say that I don’t have a great reputation for following through with things, so this seems a little crazy.

Okay, I wrote that last sentence and now I’m thinking about it and lately I do try really hard to follow through with things. What the hell was I talking about? Years ago, I used to be terrible at it and my head still gets stuck in that mindset sometimes. I think it’s really easy to think you haven’t changed since we’re hardest on ourselves, but maybe it’s smart to take a moment to actually see how far you’ve come. Clearly I can follow through with things because it’s ten years later and I still love writing in this space. I’m rambling when I’m really just trying to say thank you for even wanting to read this. Any of this. I do it because I love it, so anyone who even kind of cares about it makes me so happy.

ANYWAY, here’s what went down last month.

I finally wrote about the Thierry Mugler exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum, as well as the new Museum of Broadway.
I wrote my annual best of the year list.
I recapped how my 2022 resolutions went.
I found my favourite photos of 2022.
I made my resolutions for this year.
Nathan’s special came out and it’s so, so good. (If it weren’t, I would’ve “forgot” to mention it here, so you can trust me.)
I compiled the best tweets of the month.
I stopped by FIT to see the student creations in the lobby.
Nathan and I saw Death of a Salesman on Broadway and yes it’s good, but it would’ve been smarter of me to look up the plot beforehand. Sometimes you need to prep yourself for a horribly depressing, but beautifully written piece of work.

death of a salesman broadway nyc new york city — Death of a Salesman, January 2023

Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather January 2023 — Before the most depressing play of all time

I also saw Moulin Rouge with my dear friend Diana and it was a beautiful spectacle. We had such a fun time, but maybe because we had an edible and we’d have fun anywhere together? The musical itself was like diabolical karaoke. The sets and performers were unbelievably good, though.

Liz Heather Moulin Rouge Broadway January 2023 — You should always dress for the musical/play you’re about to see

Sephora birthday gifts are back as well as the always-underwhelming Ulta birthday gifts as well.

Made and loved these sweet and spicy chicken meatballs.
I’d never made penne alla vodka at home before, so I made the Half Baked Harvest spicy one and it was terrible. Crushed red pepper flakes should be banned as an ingredient, it always tries to bring life to a dish that is seasoned poorly.
Okay, so I might need to do goat yoga.
Love this list of little changes you can make to your home.
There’s never a bad time to head to a pool, so Diana and I went to the one at the TWA Hotel that’s open all winter long.

TWA Hotel Liz Heather NYC January 2023 JFK — The pool at the TWA Hotel at JFK, NYC

My friend Paul introduced me to apple nachos and after I made fun of him for a few minutes I ate them and now I make them multiple times a week. (Sliced apples, almond or peanut butter, grainless or normal granola pieces and chocolate chips.)

apple nachos Paul Fishman Liz Heather — Apple nachos that are unfortunately amazing

Speaking of Paul, he has a TikTok account with his husband Richard and it’s perfect, you should take a look.

@thingsmyhusbandlikes Rhymes with “did I stutter?” #thingsmyhusbandlikes #butter #tastetesting #gayfoodie #testofthegays ♬ original sound - Paul + Richard

@thingsmyhusbandlikes Butter girl is her new nickname @thingsmyhusbandlikes #thingsmyhusbandlikes #buttertok #butter ♬ original sound - Paul + Richard

I made lasagna soup and it was exactly what’s needed on a cold night. Leftovers were a nightmare because Nathan was out of town so it was just me eating beef soup for four days straight, but nonetheless! Great recipe for a family.
God, I love Mercer Street in Soho. I didn’t even know they had a Zimmerman store. I bought one of their swimsuits years ago and it’s still my favourite to this day. Look at these beautiful pieces.

Zimmermann NYC Soho Liz Heather fashion — Zimmermann, Soho

And are you kidding me with these coats from ZCRAVE (also on Mercer)?? I want a closet full of these beauties. One for every mood.

Zcrave NYC Soho Liz Heather fashion — ZCRAVE, Soho

I went to a sale at Showplace Backstage where they sell used/vintage pieces from film & television.
Got drinks at the lounge inside the Mandarin Oriental and it was nice, obviously overpriced but still nice.
Had dinner at Carne Mare, which has such a beautiful space, it’s perfect for a special occasion. The caviar mozzarella sticks were slightly overrated but everything else was good and the service was stellar. Can't wait to go again.

Carne Mare NYC New York City restaurant Liz Heather — Mozzarella sticks with caviar at Carne Mare, NYC

The Body Shop came out with a new winter scent (Wild Pine) and I’m head over heels in love. I’ve always wanted to smell like a big, beautiful Christmas tree year-round and now I can. (This sounds sarcastic, but I’m deathly serious.)

Tried the pistachio cream cold brew at Starbucks and yep, I forgot again how sick that cream makes me. Can they please stop introducing new cream flavours?? I think it’s abundantly clear that I will not learn, so they just need to stop.
I know absolutely nothing about wine (other than South African reds taste like trash) but oh my god, the wine brand Josh? Truly putrid.
I think I’ve finally learned that hair serums do absolutely nothing for my hair. I’ve been going through all of my hair products that I never use and it’s really wild what we’re told we need for our hair. Getting rid of it all. I can’t wait to have a clearer dresser top.
I like to sit and peruse the new cookbooks at Barnes & Noble every so often and the Don Angie one seems kind of great (the spicy crab panzanella and the spiced lamb ragu with marsala and fennel, specifically). The new Via Carota one however was a real letdown. I hated that it was organized seasonally for some reason.
So I got a frother recently and wow was it not worth it. Returned it immediately. I think I was expecting espresso-machine-level frothing, so I kind of set myself up for disappointment.
I got a new Kipozi straightener after using my niece Layla’s over the holidays and oh my god it’s insanely good. I’m gonna do a short video about it because I still can’t believe how long the curls last.
The winter mushroom soup at Giorgio’s of Gramercy continues to be untouchable.
Went to Little Ruby’s Cafe in Soho and it was a perfect lunch spot. Also rediscovered Blue Ribbon after completely forgetting about its existence and it remains a great late night place.

little ruby's cafe soho coffee nyc New York City Liz Heather — Little Ruby’s Cafe, Soho

I know it’s pretty dated, but I always love Bistro Les Amis. I hope it never shuts down.

I finally went to Bistro Eloise for the first time in Queens and it’s wild that such a great restaurant is in a little plaza mall. Maybe not wild actually, but unexpected. Had the best onion soup in all of NYC (that broth was unreal). Escargots was fantastic, the specials were wonderful and the service was perfect, too. Go, go, go.
Had one of the worst banking experiences of life with TD Canada recently, so I’m gonna transfer everything completely to another bank. Don’t fuck with me, CORPORATIONS.
I made this short rib bolognese and it was heavenly. I will now always make short rib at home. It’s overpriced when you order it out and the fat is always kept on it when it’s served, so it’s absolutely not worth it. When I made the recipe, I did everything instructed but at the end when the meat is cooked, I separated all of the fatty bits to throw away and it elevated the sauce times a million.

short rib bolognese recipe Liz Heather — Short rib bolognese

Some things I watched:
- The Banshees of Inisherin - so incredibly good and unexpected. Cannot sing enough praises about it. To anyone who thought it was boring: grow up.
- The White Lotus (both seasons) - obviously season two is juicier, but both were good. Love Steve Zahn. Is the show as great as everyone laments? Maybe? It’s hard to say because yes it’s good, but aren’t we all so sad and broken right now that anything even mildly good is considered revolutionary? Personally I liked it mainly because I like to watch people on vacation.
- Jennifer’s Body - holy god did it suck. Why the hell was this on my must watch list for over a decade? SUCKFEST.

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’d love to go ice skating at least once more this season, I know it’s lofty but I’d also love to go skiing and I really want to make a tres leche cake after recently discovering that it’s my favourite cake in the world.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in December, come on over here.

Baby Dog Liz Heather January 2023 — Baby Dog thinks you should come to bed

December 10, 2022

Trip To Las Vegas

by Liz Heather in Food, Travel

Las Vegas Nevada Rio September 2022 — View from the Rio Hotel, Las Vegas

Back in September, I took my third trip to Las Vegas and I’m finally recapping it now, forgive the lateness. The first time I went was when I was 21 and it was beyond depressing, the second time I went I did way more things that I wanted to do (and wrote about that time over here) and this time was even better.

baby dog Las Vegas Liz Heather September 2022 — Baby Dog poolside at the Rio, Las Vegas

Also, Baby Dog went to the west coast! If that doesn’t seem insane to you, well, it should. She’s a tiny little dog who was abandoned and now she’s strutting through casinos - a success story for the ages. Nathan was doing shows at the Rio for the week, so we made a trip out of it. Tip: a week in Vegas feels like a month, the ideal time to stay is 3-4 days max. Highlights below!

Baby Dog The Rio Las Vegas — “I’ve made it.”

I went to The Sahara to have dinner at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés. I got the patatas bravas, the spanish meatballs and the cotton candy fois gras. Everything was delicious and perfect. I. love that man’s food. Later that night I headed to The Palms to get a drink at Ghost Bar on the 55th floor. And yeah, the view is nice but it wasn’t anything too special.

Ghost Bar Las Vegas view September 2022 Liz Heather — View from atop Ghost Bar, Las Vegas

The next day we went to see David Copperfield (who was wonderful) and then I went to see Nathan’s show at the Cellar, which was great. And then we played some KISS mini-golf inside the Rio, which you definitely should do if you’re anywhere near the Rio.

David Copperfield Las Vegas September 2022 — David Copperfield statue

Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather Las Vegas September 2022 — Nathan, pre-Copperfield

KISS mini golf Las Vegas Rio — KISS Mini Golf, Las Vegas

I also got to eat at Martha Stewart’s new restaurant The Bedford, which was good but definitely overhyped. Of course my expectations were high because 1) I love her and 2) she’s never opened a restaurant before. The servers are extremely well trained (which is wonderful, I love this detail) they have even been taught to say “cheers” in Polish. The attention to detail on the decor of the individual tables as well as the entire space is perfection, even the temperature was just right. However, there had to be cons. All burgers should have round buns, what reason is there to mess with that simple fact? The smashed potato (which is smashed table-side) is an incredibly stupid idea and almost seems like a joke on the white people who would actually enjoy it. Small side orders of sauces should absolutely never cost $9, that’s ludicrous. The fries were wildly overcooked in overused oil (how does one mess up french fries?) and the prices, sure, they were outrageous but that fact tracks since it’s in Las Vegas. The homemade mustard was really tasty (maybe because you never come across homemade?) and her béarnaise sauce was perfect. The oysters Rockefeller were good, if only a little bit chilly. All in all, it was an experience. One that I’ll happily never have to have again. (The Times has a great piece on it, if you care about all things Martha.)

The Bedford Martha Stewart Las Vegas — Oysters Rockefeller at The Bedford

Martha Stewart The Bedford Las Vegas burger — Burger at The Bedford

The real highlight of the trip was going to The Neon Museum, which features signs from old casinos and other famous Las Vegas businesses displayed outdoors. I took the nighttime tour and I promise you - this is the tour to take. Almost all of the signs were lit up in all their glory and it was incredible to see. I talked about it in way more length on this Instagram highlight reel.

Neon Museum Las Vegas — The Neon Museum, Las Vegas

Stardust Hotel sign The Neon Museum Las Vegas — The most beautiful sign at The Neon Museum

Some things I would maybe want to do on my next visit:

Eat at Capriotti’s and get The Bobbie again (it’s a Thanksgiving turkey sandwich that will melt your brain, it’s so good)
Find the art-o-mat (takes $5 bills) at The Cosmopolitan
Brunch at Eggslut
Eat at Giada’s at The Cromwell
Find Wayne Newton’s star on the walk of fame outside The Paris
Get the steak frites at Mon Ami Gabi (or white chocolate bread pudding)
Go to the Shelby Heritage Centre to see old cars (free)
Visit The Golden Nugget again and The Plaza (this is the inspiration behind Biff’s Tanner’s Pleasure Paradise in Back To The Future II)
Visit Red Rock Canyon (this is a MUST)
Visit a pawn shop

Also the view from the plane ride back home was breath-taking. I was glued to the window.

plane view leaving Las Vegas Liz Heather — The view from the plane as we left Las Vegas

And a tiny small sidenote? I love that there are still thriving TCBY stands in airports across America. Goddamn, it really is the best frozen yogurt out there.

Such a great trip!