Search
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
Close
Menu
Search
Close
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
Menu

LIZ HEATHER

March 5, 2025

The Best of January & February 2025

by Liz Heather in Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Personal, Television


The beginning of this year has been rough to say the least. There’s no way to know when things might get easier, but in the meantime - here’s what went down these past two months.

  • The best tweets of January can be found here and the best tweets of February can be found here.

  • Very in love with this Patcha Soap Co. salt scrub I got from Healthy Planet. A salt scrub is forever a good gift, especially the Sabon ones.

  • I ate at the gluten-free place Gud Daae on Lakeshore and it was so good.

Potato Pucks at Gud Daae

Brown Chicken Sandwich at Gud Daae

Sundae at Gud Daae

  • I’ve come to the newish conclusion that Sephora has nothing for me. Every single time I enter that store, I feel an alarming amount of rage. Stop telling women what they need.

  • Andrew Dismukes has been so good on SNL lately. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice this sooner.

  • I took my niece Maya to see Come From Away and it was even better than the New York production (maybe because the accents were better?).

Come From Away in Toronto, ON

  • I bought (and had tailored) these Gap jeans and I also bought a pair of tan loafers. Really testing out a new aesthetic here.

  • I finally tried out the Mel Brooks idea of slicing a bagel into three parts instead of two and I feel enlightened.

Mel Brooks is a genius mainly because of this idea

  • I took the kids to a maple syrup farm (Elliot Tree Farm) because it should be law that every Canadian child must see how sap is made at some point. Of course their gift shop had some gems (below).

The most Canadian candle

Incredible

  • I cancelled my Costco membership because I’m trying to support less American companies, so I found Bulk Mart (which is Canadian) and it’s great so far.

  • Some things I watched:

    • The Substance - such a great movie. The sounds/audio was brutal to hear at times, but all in all one of the best movies of last year for sure.

    • Babygirl - loved it.

    • Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action (documentary) - pretty despicable, hard to watch.

    • Child Star (documentary) - it was good, but there was too much of a focus on Demi Lovato (which makes sense because she made it) but I was expecting less of her.

    • Enlightened - I hated Laura Dern’s character so much that it made it hard to watch.

    • The Apprentice (movie) - meh. But Jeremy Strong was fantastic.

    • The Resort - the first half of the series was good, but then it took a turn.

    • Mommy Meanest - I love watching a bad Lifetime TV movie maybe once a year.

    • Little Women (the 90s one) - how have I never seen this before? Absolutely loved it.

    • Big Little Lies - I was expecting more since the cast is so wild, but it kind of sucked. I really don’t think Laura Dern is a good actress and the writing was so bad.

    • Succession (rewatch) - Logan is so much funnier upon second viewing, I didn’t notice that before.

    • Lost (rewatch) - still great. Still can’t really explain the ending.

    • The Last Showgirl - I do like Pamela Anderson but wow is she a bad actress. Also Jamie Lee Curtis overacts in every single thing she does these days and Bautista was so hollow. The script was awful, but since it had a nepo director it’s not surprising that it wasn’t good. I did like that I could tell it was shot at the Rio in Vegas but otherwise, hard pass.

    • Heart Eyes - love Devon Sawa, but this was nothing special. I do love a themed horror movie always, though.

    • The White Lotus - god, this season sucks so far. It’s just so slow, I can’t stand it.

It would be insane if I didn’t mention it here, but Baby Dog passed away in January and everything collapsed around me. It happened quickly, but I was with her until the end and it’s hard to speak about it at all even now. Every time it snows it makes me think of her so of course there was record snowfall this year. It still doesn’t feel real, so I’m just trying to take it day by day.

Baby Dog

Baby Dog, January 2025

TAGS: Baby Dog, Baby Dog Macintosh, Liz Heather, The Best of January 2025, The Best of February 2025, chihuahua, The White Lotus, Heart Eyes, Devon Sawa, The Last Showgirl, Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rio Las Vegas, Lost, Succession, Big Little Lies, Little Women, Mommy Meanest, The Resort, The Apprentice, Jeremy Strong, Enlightened, Laura Dern, Child Star, Demi Lovato, Jerry Springer documentary, Babygirl, The Substance, Bulk Mart, Costco, Sap Sucker, maple syrup candle, Elliot Tree Farm, maple syrup farm, bagel idea, Mel Brooks, Gap jeans, tan loafers, Come From Away, Andrew Dismukes, SNL, Sephora, Gud Daae, GF Toronto, Patcha Soap Co., salt scrub


May 1, 2023

April Activities 2023

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


Central Park, April 2023

Spring is in full force and I couldn’t be happier about it. It usually feels like the shortest season since summer arrives obnoxiously early, but this year it’s been magical. Chilly nights, sweaters instead of winter coats, tons of rain, birds chirping their asses off, there’s nothing better. Here’s what happened in April!

Baby Dog in Central Park

Baby Dog in Central Park, again

  • The best tweets of April can be found over here.

  • I visited a tulip farm in New Jersey and had the greatest meatballs from the Your Sister’s Balls food truck.

Holland Ridge Farms with Diana in New Jersey

  • I toured the gorgeous Kings Theatre in Brooklyn.

The lobby of Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York

Mirrors + me = BFF

  • I went to the Museum of Failure with my friend Casey in Industry City.

  • I helped review some Last Crumb cookies on my friend Paul’s TikTok.

  • I made one of my favourite steak recipes for the first time (steak Diane) and it was really, really good. I didn’t really ignite it properly since that’s the part that scares me the most, but there were partial flames so I’m counting this as a success.

Steak Diane ingredients

  • Notice: you’re using your potato peeler wrong.

  • The Alison Roman chocolate chip shortbread cookies are fast becoming a staple in our home.

Chocolate chip shortbread cookies

  • I physically cannot stop making this asparagus soup (the cream is optional), it’s so good. Best to double up the recipe if you’re making it for more than two people.

  • When will I learn that fancy coffee shops simply don’t do it for me? I went to Ten Thousand Coffee and it was fine, but definitely overrated. One day we’ll all revolt against coffee costing over $5 and I vow to lead the revolution.

  • Speaking of coffee, have I already mentioned the incredible hazelnut beans we order from San Francisco Bay Coffee? Best beans I’ve ever used for iced coffee at home, by far. All you need is a french press, a small spice grinder and beans. The fact that we’re not all making iced coffee at home each day is mind boggling.

  • Some things I watched:

    • Surviving R. Kelly (the newest season): Nathan and I watched two episodes and then abandoned it. It’s so hard to watch and really makes you wonder, “Why the hell am I watching this if it makes me feel this way?”

    • Dave (newest season): Words can’t express how much I love this show. Every episode is better than the last.

    • Succession: Okay, yes I already complained about this show. But the thing is - I haven’t hate-watched a new show in a really long time, so I think that’s why I keep going with it. The dialogue is objectively bad and I think the real appeal of the show is the fact that you can’t binge it all at once, we’re all so desperate for the days of cable and once-a-week viewing. And small side note: Adrian Brody is not a good actor, so of course he had to appear in an episode.

    • The Intern: What is wrong with me? Why was this on my list of movies to watch? It was so bad, but IT LOOKED BAD. Hated Anne Hathaway’s character. There was ZERO chemistry between her and De Niro. And it’s a mind-numbingly boring script. Christ.

    • Who Done It: The Clue Documentary: Okay, if you even kind of liked the movie Clue (1985), then you really have to watch this. It’s fan-made, but it’s so good. I didn’t know that so many playwrights attempted to write it, I had no idea that Carrie Fisher was supposed to be Miss Scarlett but couldn’t because of her drug problem?? Absolutely adored Jonathan Lynn. And loved all of Michael McKean’s anecdotes.

Who Done It: The Clue Documentary

  • How many beach blankets does one person need? And why is this Target one so damn perfect?

  • I’ve made so much green garlic butter, I’m considering starting a butter stand outside my building.

Green garlic from the Union Square Greenmarket, NYC

  • This month in good-but-nothing-special restaurants I’ve tried: Hawksmoor (flashy and beautiful inside, but no real substance) and Pete’s Tavern (space is great, food is fine and service was attentive but odd).

  • That being said, I also ate at some wonderful places! Saint George Bistro in Hastings had great escargot even if the service wasn’t great, Figlia in Astoria was as good as everyone says it is so I’ll definitely return, Sunken Harbor Club was beautiful and had great drinks and it felt like you weren’t in NYC but in a good way, Amelie Wine Bar was perfect and had $13 wine flights with stellar service, and finally Satis Bistro in Jersey City which was so lovely (the duck croquettes, my god, I’ll dream about those until I return).

Outside Saint George Bistro in Hastings, New York with Diana & Crystal

Amelie Wine Bar with Jessie, West Village

  • I got a facial at Glow Bar and I really don’t see the big deal with facials. This sounds psychotic, but maybe my face doesn’t… need… facials…?

  • My brother Gary sent me this Happy & Polly stamp of Baby Dog’s face and I can’t get over it. It’s horrifyingly perfect.

  • I went to a sample sale for Rent The Runway put on by 260 and it was depressing as hell, it was all so disorganized and chaotic. Think that might be the last sample sale for me.

  • I visited the exterior of Alder Manor since I was in the area and it’s so beautiful from the outside, I can’t imagine how gorgeous the interior must be.

Alder Manor in Yonkers, New York

  • Dying over the entire Adidas x Farm Rio collaboration (thanks Marla for telling me about it!).

  • Speaking of my friend Marla, she mentioned how she gives her young sons a small amount of money for birthday gifts for people in their lives and then each kid comes up with an idea based on what that person enjoys and buys the gift. And honestly, what a perfect idea. Gift giving is a skill and absolutely should be taught to young kids (especially boys) since it’s such an important part of living. Love this so, so much. Every parent should be doing this.

  • I am so in love with the rhubarb and strawberry soda from Trader Joe’s that I think I might finally be ready to try rhubarb for real.

Rhubarb and strawberry soda from Trader Joe’s

  • I’d never heard about the children’s book In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak but it was mentioned in that performance about Philip Glass I saw last month, so I bought the book and it’s incredible.

  • And finally, behold my new favourite photo of Baby Dog.

Hahahahah this expression! She’s so sick of my shit I love it.

Things I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going to do a post about my recent visit to the abandoned City Hall subway station, I’m definitely going to go see the new fashion exhibit that opens at The Met, I know that H&M is shit now but I’m gonna have to take a look at this Mugler collab in person, I kinda need to eat these duck fries in Toronto and I absolutely need to track down these Lichtenstein stamps ASAP.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in March over here.

She brought her boyfriend (Walrus) beside her to get some sun

TAGS: Liz Heather, April, April Activities, April Activities 2023, Central Park, spring, Baby Dog, cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms Central Park, tulip farm New Jersey, tulip farm, Kings Theatre, Kings Theatre Brooklyn, Museum of Failure, Last Crumb, last crumb cookies, Paul Fishman, potato peeler, Alison Roman, chocolate chip shortbread cookies, recipes, best recipes, best recipes April 2023, asparagus soup, best asparagus soup, best asparagus soup recipe, Ten Thousand Coffee, coffee, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay Coffee, hazelnut coffee, Surviving R. Kelly, R. Kelly, Dave, Dave on FX, Succession, The Intern, Who Done It, Who Done It The Clue Documentary, Clue doc, Clue documentary, Michael McKean, Carrie Fisher Clue, Jonathan Lynn, best of Amazon, Target beach blanket, green garlic butter, spring produce, Union Square greenmarket, Hawksmoor, Hawksmoor NYC, Pete's Tavern, Saint George Bistro, Hastings New York, Figlia, Figlia Astoria, best Italian Astoria, best Italian restaurant Astoria, Sunken Harbor Club, Amelie Wine Bar, Satis Bistro, best restaurant Jersey City, duck croquettes, Jessie Hooker-Bailey, Glow Bar, Glow Bar facial, Happy & Polly, happy and polly dog stamps, sample sale 260, Rent The Runway, Alder Manor, Alder Manor Yonkers, Adidas, Adidas Farm Rio, gift giving, gift giving skill, kids gift giving, rhubarb strawberry soda, Trader Joe's, best of Trader Joe's, best of Trader Joe's April 2023, In The Night Kitchen, In The Night Kitchen book, Maurice Sendak book, Maurice Sendak, in the night kitchen Maurice Sendak, Philip Glass, monthly post, monthly roundup


April 4, 2023

March Magic 2023

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


Nothing better than this view.

I do a million things the month of my birthday and I never regret it. Some people roll their eyes at the phrase “birthday week” or “birthday month” but those people tend to be supremely unhappy and I express my sympathy towards them. Here’s what happened in the birthday month!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Liz Heather (@lizheather)

  • The best tweets of the month can be found over here.

  • I recapped how I did with my winter list of things to do.

  • I made my new seasonal spring list of things I’d like to do.

  • Loving the new tomato leaf candle from Trader Joe’s as well as the great new sweet carrot cake from Bath & Body Works.

Tomato leaf candle from Trader Joe’s, March 2023

Sweet carrot cake candle from Bath & Body Works, March 2023

  • Ice skating in March with friends? Always a good idea.

75% of us bought skates for this hahahah, it’s called FRIENDSHIP

  • You know the food blog Grandbaby Cakes? She just put out a new cookbook and the two main things I want to make from it? The salted butterscotch apple whiskey snacking cake as well as the chocolate pecan pie shortbread bars.

  • If you have a NYC/Queens/Brooklyn library card, are you aware that you can get free tickets to museums all over the city?

  • I have made this chicken marsala at least three times this month, it might be my favourite way to eat chicken.

Chicken marsala should legally be eaten once a week

  • I bought this Banana Republic Factory funnel-neck sweater in black as well as white because it legit makes me feel like I have a 401k.

  • I know zero about coffee, but I’ve done this heating-the-press up method a few times now when I make iced coffee and I think it might taste better when you do it?? Nathan claims there’s no difference, so I might just be argumentative?

  • In love with the tomato potato chips from Eataly.

Available at Eataly, NYC

  • Will I ever use this pasta mold from Zara Home - or will I watch it sit on a kitchen shelf each day for twenty years while I yearn to be the type of person who uses a pasta mold?

  • Love this short article: Want to Lead a Better Life? The Secret Is in the Cemetery.

  • I had brunch at Quality Eats and the short rib hash was great, but really just inspired me to make it at home.

Short rib hash, Quality Eats

  • In birthday discount news…

    • Are you aware that Target gives you a measly 5% off one item on your birthday?! It’s so insulting, I wish they’d just do away with it altogether, it’s pathetic. Why are brands becoming such ingrates when it comes to customer loyalty?

    • I went to Ulta for my free March birthday gift and they were “out of stock” at TWO locations. And nothing was offered in its place. SWEET.

    • Milk Bar is supposed to offer some kind of birthday something, but since their loyalty “program” is so new, none of the employees have been taught what the benefits of the program even are. WHAT IS HAPPENING?? (Sidenote: am I the only one who think their cookies suck?)

    • You know the bra store I love, Journelle? They got rid of their birthday month discount, too! So I guess all these companies have decided that our collective slow march towards death with include ZERO BIRTHDAY PERKS. Cool cool cool.

  • I tried the crab rangoon March special at Mimi Cheng’s and they were only all right, why is everything disappointing me lately? They weren’t terrible, just too cream-cheesy. While we’re on the topic, on what planet does crab need cheese to accompany it? Seems dumb.

March Special (crab rangoon dumplings), Mimi Cheng’s

  • I also tried this newish Croatian restaurant in Astoria, Selo, and it was absolutely nothing special. I may have to stop giving such credence to the critics at Eater.

  • My niece Layla got me an incredible birthday gift - a ticket to Tao of Glass, which the New York Times called “a fantastical and often moving tribute to the composer Philip Glass and the power of art to flow through our lives.” IT WAS SO GOOD. Philip Glass was even there on opening night, which was too exciting and I was floored by the whole evening. God, I love it when someone knows you so well and can arrange the most perfect gift.

March 2023

  • I bought new jeans after maybe a decade and I can’t be more in love with these ribcage straight ankle Levi’s I got.

  • Some things I’ve watched:

    • Tusk: I absolutely hate when American directors talk about Canada in their films, it’s always embarrassing. And jesus, the dialogue in the scene with the girlfriend: has Kevin Smith ever spoke to a girlfriend before? Needless to say, I severely hated the entire movie. I hate torture stuff. Weird that even needs to be said because doesn’t everyone? Johnny Depp was terrible. One of the most originally awful movies I’ve ever seen.

    • Scream VI: THE WORST SCREAM OF THE ENTIRE SERIES. I vowed not to even see this because I remain #teamneve but Nathan insisted so I begrudgingly went. What a shit show. It was terrible. I’ll never go to another one again, which is a little sad but also fuck everyone involved who thought it was an acceptable idea to move forward without Neve Campbell.

    • Frantic: I didn’t even know it was a Polanski movie until the end since Harrison Ford was the main draw here. It’s actually a great idea for a movie, but it just trails off midway through so I can understand why no one talks about this movie.

    • Succession: So I’ve only seen the first few episodes and here’s the thing… it’s legitimately a bad show. The dialogue is so terribly written, I’m actually confused why people praise it so much. NOBODY CALLS THEIR SIBLING SIS. Words can’t express how much I hate the camera work. Shiv’s American accent is wildly bad. I know we’re all desperate for a good show to watch, but the lies need to stop. This is unwatchable.

  • I’m not sure that I can even speak about it, but I went to a private rehearsal of a play with Michael McKean and good god, I love that man. I met him afterward and he was so kind and lovely, it was unreal. I mean, it’s Mr. Green for god’s sake.

  • So in love with these new USPS railroad station stamps. I may or may not have made a list of where each station is incase I ever find myself in that city so I can see it in real life.

Can I meet and hug the person who came up with this stamp idea?

  • I’ve been looking for a real fur coat for a few years now and I finally found her at Exile Vintage in Toronto. It was such a steal because the inner lining was shred, but my mom sewed it all up and it’s absolutely perfect now. So excited to throw out my faux-fur teddy bear coat from Marshalls that every. single. woman. owns.

  • There was an insane sale at Steve Madden in Soho and I got these new wedge heels for $16. To be clear, that’s $8 PER SHOE.

But can they replace my Terminators? Time will tell.

  • I saw the new Broadway play Shucked and… yikes. Yes, it was corniness taken to a whole new level, but parts of it were okay. If you love Rodney Dangerfield jokes, then this production was made for you.

March 2023

  • I also saw Pictures From Home with Nathan Lane and it was slow at first, but really picked up and got good. Love that man.

March 2023

  • I made a tres leches cake and words cannot describe how heavenly it was. Even if you suffer from dairy issues, I’d recommend that you pound a few Lactaids and eat this immediately.

Tres leche cake

  • I finally had lunch at Wayan (Jean-Georges’ son’s place) and I can’t wait to return. Best dishes: the corn fritters, the spring rolls (maybe my favourite at any restaurant ever), the lamb kebabs and the chocolate chip cookie with cheddar ice cream. The crab fried rice (which I was most excited for) actually wasn’t anything that special, though.

  • I had my birthday dinner at The Grill in the Seagram Building (the office building from Scrooged) and it was so great, if not insanely priced. The pasta appetizer was the most incredible thing we ate - they used this crank-type machine table-side to make the broth for the pasta sauce out of MEAT BONES and I can’t stop thinking about it. The other highlight was the gluten-free zucchini cornbread, which was magical. The only downside? Do not get the crab cake - $50+ for the most underwhelming appetizer of your life.

Pasta appetizer, The Grill (a must order)

Vowing to wear more tulle on a daily basis

  • The Mets promotional giveaways were announced if you care!

  • Some spring recipes I’d love to make:

    • Lemony Green Pea Fritters with Cottage Cheese

    • Banana, Pecan, Coconut and Chocolate Chip Blondies

    • Cadbury Egg Blondies (I’ve never even made a blondie before, but the urge is strong this season)

    • Lemon Almond Pudding Cake (love a texturally weird cake)

    • Carrot Cake Ice Cream (no ice cream maker needed)

    • Spring Couscous Bowls with Lemon Feta Vinaigrette (I made this last year and it’s spring in a bowl)

Things I’m looking forward to: I visited the insanely gorgeous Kings Theatre in Brooklyn so I’ll do a post about it this week, finally trying the bone marrow gravy at Hawksmoor, I have to get my hands on the Easter Dove Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Eggs, I’m trying to get a last minute lottery to see the Phantom of the Opera in its final days, I will find all of the NYC cherry blossoms, seeing the rooftop exhibit when it opens at The Met on the 18th, and finally going on a tour of the old City Hall subway station (this has been a dream of mine for years).

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in February over here.

Baby Dog witnesses snow, March 2023

TAGS: March, March Magic, March Magic 2023, Liz Heather, monthly post, monthly roundup, birthday month, tomato leaf, tomato leaf candle, tomato leaf candle Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's, carrot cake candle, sweet carrot cake candle, Bath and Body Works, spring candles, ice skating, friends, Grandbaby Cakes, new cookbook, library card NYC, free museum NYC, chicken marsala, Banana Republic Factory, funnel neck sweater, French press, coffee, coffee method, tomato potato chips, Eataly, Eataly NYC, Shucked, Pictures From Home, Nathan Lane, Michael McKean, Philip Glass, Tao of Glass, NYU, best of NYC, Zara Home, pasta mold, ravioli mold, want to lead a better life, cemetery, Quality Eats, short rib hash, Target, birthday discount, Ulta, Milk Bar, Journelle, Mimi Cheng's, dumplings NYC, NYC dumplings, crab rangoon, Selo Astoria, Eater, Levi's, jeans, ribcage straight ankle jeans, Tusk, Kevin Smith, Canada, Johnny Depp, Scream 6, Neve Campbell new Scream, Neve Campbell, Frantic, Roman Polanski, Harrison Ford, Succession, Mr. Green, Clue, USPS railroad station stamps, Exile Vintage, Toronto vintage, fur coat, fur coat vintage, fur coat Toronto, Steve Madden, Soho, heels Soho, tres leche, tres leche cake, best tres leche recipe, dessert, Lactaid, Wayan, The Grill, Seagram Building, The Mets, The Mets promos