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LIZ HEATHER

January 5, 2022

December Dalliances 2021

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


December was a complete whirlwind but when is it not? I hope you had a very Merry Christmas! Other than getting my booster (!), here’s what else went down last month.

  • You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.

  • I recapped how my autumn list went.

  • I made a list of things I’d like to do this winter.

  • I compiled my very favourites from the year.

  • My favourite photos from 2021.

  • Here are two great things to do when a new year has begun.

  • I wrote about the Christian Dior exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum (which closes in February).

  • Did you know that Costco has candles? There’s a four candle box for $20 and they’re only two-wick each, but extremely good quality.

  • I don’t think I’ve ever had pecan pie before in my life (I don’t even know why, I think I thought it might be too nutty?) but I tried a slice at JG Melon and whoa. Who the hell knew?

  • I attempted to read Charles Grodin’s memoir and I just… I couldn’t. I don’t mean to show any disrespect, but what a bore. Some people shouldn’t write books, I simply had to softly put it down on Nathan’s desk and walk away.

  • Incase you need to know the Bob’s Burgers Christmas episodes in one handy chart.

  • I am obsessed with the snow drop scent from Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. I’ve got the all purpose cleaner as well as the dish detergent and I’m so angry I didn’t buy any more to use throughout the year because it’s currently sold out everywhere. And look, the pine one is very good too, but the snow drop one just takes your breath away. Oh god… is this my life now… excitement over cleaning supplies scents?? End me.

  • Speaking of things that bum me out, I also tried the basil scented Method dish soap and Nathan and I both agree: not for us. The bottle shape is weird and the smell of basil to clean your dishes is confusing.

  • The best of the holiday recipes that I made over the Christmas break: Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding, Upstate-Style Roast Beef Sandwiches, Southern Baked Macaroni & Cheese, and Chocolate Pumpkin Pie (I didn’t do the marshmallow part, I went with whipped cream instead although a rum whipped cream would have worked well, too).

  • The dill pickle chicken nuggets at Burger King in Canada? Shock of all shocks: not good.

  • But the tim biebs at Tim Hortons? Pretty good!

  • Food lesson I learned: gruyere does not taste good as a shredded cheese on top of garlic bread, it must be mixed into some sort of mixture to taste good since it’s way too overpowering on its own.

  • Tried the chicken sandwich at Jollibee and honestly? It’s a definite contender for the Popeye’s one. Really great.

  • New nails alert!

Nails For You in Square One, Mississauga, Ontario

  • I finally made Alison Roman’s Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies and they are fantastic. I had no idea how much I love demerara sugar, it’s that beautiful crunchy sugar that you can find atop the classiest of muffins and it’s too too good.

  • They have the dairy-free Boursin at Trader Joe’s! And it tastes exactly like the dairy version! Why does this excite me!

  • My niece Layla introduced me to the brand Native and I’m loving their holiday scented body washes (Sugar Cookie & Candy Cane).

  • I finally ate at Carbone with my dear friend Paul and it was good! Was it as special as the world seems to think it is? Of course not, but that reality is okay, too. The service was great, the place is beautifully decorated for the holidays and the food was very much adequate. The cons of the place are mainly due to its inaccessibility and food quality for its price. And maybe we should've gotten more meat entrees instead of only sticking with their pastas but I mean... it's an Italian restaurant... shouldn't all of their pastas wow you with a reputation like theirs? The best things we ate were the tortellini al ragu ($34) and the garlic bread (free). Both truly great. The spicy rigatoni vodka ($32) is their most celebrated pasta and honestly it was good but not at all worth the hype. The fettuccini con funghi ($32) was disappointing mainly because of the inclusion of bell peppers... why put bell peppers in such a dish? Such a gross flavour with the creaminess of a soft fettuccine. I really did want to love this place, but there are far superior Italian places in this city (L'Artusi, Lilia, Portale). Take your money elsewhere.

Tortellini al ragu ($34) at Carbone, NYC

Garlic bread (free) at Carbone, NYC

Carbone, NYC

  • I’ve never even heard of shapable soap, but I bought a can from Bath & Body Works (it’s on sale for $5 right now) and it’s so fun to use. Kids especially seem to love it. Apparently they only have them around the holidays but there are four scents to choose from.

  • I bought this faux leather vest from Zara that I love and have absolutely no idea how to style.

  • I won a lottery ticket to see Girl From The North Country and it was really good, I sat in the second row from the front and I might be ruined forever because seeing a play that close was unreal and so cool. Also, seeing the Belasco Theatre was a dream. Also, Austin Scott can GET IT.

Inside The Belasco Theatre, NYC

Outside The Belasco Theatre, NYC

  • Had a drink at the Ophelia Lounge and the view is wonderful, but the drinks and food aren’t terribly special.

  • The candy cane green tea at Trader Joe’s? Award-winning.

  • Finally ate at Via Carota with Irene on her birthday and it was really good. All the pastas were wonderful, skip the rice balls.

Beautiful Irene on her birthday at Via Carota, NYC

  • I made my way to Via Porta (the smaller, casual outpost of the L’Artusi crew) to get some of their jarred sauces and I was a little disappointed unfortunately. It just didn’t taste the same as in the restaurant. I only tried the bolognese one, so maybe the mushroom ragu will be better? I’ll definitely give it one more try, especially since they’re supposed to start selling their fresh pasta in the coming weeks. (Also, the baked goods they’re selling are extremely good.)

  • My friend Casey kindly invited me to the dress rehearsal of Dear Evan Hansen and I’m so happy to have seen it! But good lord, never again. The music is mostly wonderful and the actors were great, but every other aspect of the production? Yikes. Forever love seeing something on Broadway, though.

  • My And Just Like That… thoughts (spoilers ahead):

    • God, where do I begin…

    • In a time when death, sickness and darkness literally surrounds our every waking moment, why in the world would a team of writers want to start out a “beloved” series with the death of a major character? I mean… read the room??? Why start an entirely new season with grief? On what planet does this make sense? Especially when you have these characters living in this post pandemic existence that still isn’t a reality here and now? It’s nonsense.

    • Also the cringey nature of every single podcast scene? I have to almost ignore these parts entirely because of how bad they are. It’s as though someone wrote this script and then a team of woke writers came in to make it fit into today’s culture but completely missed the mark and just ended up making this vomit-inducing trash. It’s all just so embarrassing to watch.

    • I know this has been said to death, but them even doing this series without Samantha was the wrong decision. The balance is completely off, I don’t care about the new characters, none of this should ever have been made.

  • We bought this new pineapple print for the living room and I can’t wait until it’s hung up.

  • I tried the eggplant parm at Cutlets and it was pretty good but nothing to write home about.

  • In love with the new feathered evening coat I got for Christmas.

  • I tried the KFC potato chips from Walkers (brought over from the UK) and they were delicious.

Walkers KFC potato chips

  • I’m sure you saw my new hair, but incase you’re living under a rock. (Note: this is the first time in 36 years I’ve dyed my hair. Why did I want to do it? Mainly because I wanted to stop being afraid of doing it.)

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A post shared by Liz Heather (@lizheather)

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: seeing The Phantom of the Opera with Nathan (his first time!), I’m excited about the return of Restaurant Week, the Bath & Body Works semi-annual sale has already started incase you like cheap candles (the hot buttered rum one is NUTS), I’m excited about making new resolutions for the year because I’m clinically insane, and I might make the trek to Governor’s Island now that it’s opened for the winter.

If you have any interest in other monthly roundups of 2021, they can be found here: November 2021, October 2021, September 2021, August 2021, July 2021, June 2021, May 2021, April 2021, March 2021, February 2021 & January 2021.

God, this city is so pretty during the holidays

TAGS: December, December Dalliances 2021, Liz Heather, monthly post, monthly roundup, Baby Dog Macintosh, Baby Dog, best tweets, new year, Christian Dior, The Brooklyn Museum, Costco candles, JG Melon, pecan pie, Charles Grodin, memoir, Bob's Burgers Christmas episodes, Mrs. Meyers Clean Day, snowdrop scent, snow drop scent, all purpose cleaner holidays, basil Method dish soap, Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding recipe, best recipes, upstate-style roast beef sandwiches, southern baked macaroni and cheese, chocolate pumpkin pie, dill pickle chicken nuggets Burger King, Tim Hortons, Canada, gruyere cheese, Jollibee chicken sandwich, new nails, Nails For You Mississauga, Alison Roman, salted chocolate chunk shortbread cookies, demerara sugar, dairy free Boursin, Trader Joe's, Native, Native body wash seasonal, Paul Fishman, Carbone, Carbone NYC, Carbone garlic bread, Carbone pasta NYC, shapable soap, Bath and Body Works, candles, candle sale, soap sale, Zara, Broadway ticket lottery, Girl From The North Country, Bob Dylan play, Belasco Theatre NYC, Broadway NYC, Ophelia Lounge, candy cane green tea, Via Carota NYC, Irene Morales, Via Porta NYC, Dear Evan Hansen, And Just Like That, And Just Like That..., COVID, pineapple art, Cutlets NYC, feather evening coat emerald, best of Etsy, KFC potato chips, KFC potato crisps, new blonde hair, blonde hair, Radio City Music Hall NYC, Christmas NYC, things to do Christmas NYC


December 5, 2021

Navigating November 2021

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food, Links, Movies, Music, Personal, Products, Recipes, Reviews, Superstitions, Television


Central Park, November 2021

Central Park, November 2021

Should I comment on how fast this year has gone by or is that just a commonality of general life now and never needs to be said again?

Here’s what went down in November.

  • You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.

  • I wrote about the very best Thanksgiving recipes. I’m going to do this type of post again for Christmas recipes soon.

  • I detailed my visit to the Treasures exhibit at the New York Public Library.

  • My friend Irene & I tried the pizza at Di Fara’s in Brooklyn and while it was good, it was nowhere near worth the drive out there. Just way too far, we might as well have gone to New Jersey. Good pizza, though!

Di Fara Pizza, Brooklyn

  • Here’s some advice on how to have a cheaper Christmas this year because everything costs a million dollars now?

  • If you’ve never been to the Octagon House in Irvington, New York then you now have no excuse not to go for yourself.

  • New things I watched:

    • Only Murders in the Building - phenomenal! Everyone should watch! Can’t recommend it enough.

    • Squid Game - yes I’m the last person on earth who watched it and yes it was fantastic. That old man! Fuck!

    • The newest season of Curb Your Enthusiasm - yeah, I think I can’t watch anymore. I think I’m done with love/hate relationships because there’s no actual love here and why am I doing this to myself?

    • The newest season of Big Mouth - the shame episode is phenomenal. This is just such a good show, I’m so glad it exists.

    • The newest season of Nora From Queens - this season was really up and down for me, but it finished really strong. This is corny but the idea of not being lost if you have people you care for and who care for you? I love it. I’m in. The father is by far the best character and maybe the main reason I keep watching at this point.

    • That’s Entertainment! Have you heard of this old movie? It’s not even a movie really, it’s a collection of moments from old Hollywood productions. I’d never even heard of Esther Williams, but oh my god what a woman.

  • I made these salty vanilla espresso chocolate chip cookies that exceeded expectations. I think I might only like cookies that have chocolate in them. It’s nice to finally realize this. It’s also nice to admit to fully being a child with this preference.

  • I can’t remember the last time autumn in New York looked this beautiful.

The Bow Bridge in Central Park, November 2021

  • A list of ten things you should do before Christmas (with the exception of visiting the Waldorf since it reopens in 2023).

  • Slightly obnoxious reminder: GET GIFT RECEIPTS.

  • Have you tried a satsuma mandarin? A seedless beauty.

  • New seasonal candles at Trader Joe’s!

New winter candles at Trader Joe’s, November 2021

  • My brother Gary’s podcast has returned and his first episode back was about Alf and it couldn’t be greater.

  • Nathan and I saw Jeff Daniels in To Kill A Mockingbird on Broadway and it was so, so good. Everyone should see him in it. But it was also just such a great feeling to be out on the town and dressed up.

November 2021

  • We’re redecorating our apartment right now and I couldn’t be more in love with our new washroom shelving. I feel like that sentence might make you sad for me, but don’t be! I’m actually living a really fun, cool life.

  • I’ve been craving tomato soup lately and the one at Il Bambino in Astoria is too perfect. But stay far far away from the one at Astoria Bier & Cheese because their tomato soup is putrid (which is weird because their sandwiches are great).

  • I’ve made this 10-ingredient lentil bolognese a few times and I think it’ll be in my permanent recipe rotation. It’s really hearty, but not at all bland and you really don’t miss the meat.

Vegan Lentil Bolognese

  • I’ll forever love Boursin cheese, this will always be true. And their new fig & balsamic flavour? Out of this world good.

  • I went to the beautiful restaurant on the water Red Hat on the River with my dear friend Diana and it was good! Nothing spectacular, but good. The mussels are the main reason to go, in my opinion. Tasty as hell.

  • I’m really on the fence about reusable gift wrap, but it does look simplistic and pretty.

  • I visited the Lyndhurst mansion that has been newly decorated for the holidays and it was very quaint. I will admit that the Octagon House was a little bit more exciting, but I’ll never turn down a visit to a nice house in the country.

Lyndhurst Mansion, November 2021

Beautiful Diana inside the front door at Lyndhurst Mansion

One of the bedrooms inside Lyndhurst

Tiffany windows inside Lyndhurst Mansion

I’ve never wanted to live in a bathroom more

  • Loved this list of 90s Dad Thrillers, it’s just such a good genre.

  • Have you heard of the dollar-store-esque store Five Below? I hadn’t until this month and I’m mad I didn’t know about it sooner.

  • Can someone please buy me the winter spiced cranberry Sprite? Why does it look so damn good?

  • Loved, loved, loved this performance (below).

  • So I perused the new Chrissy Teigen cookbook and there’s really nothing exciting in it. And is it just me or does she use fish sauce as her “special ingredient” in almost every dish she has? And I like fish sauce, but this is getting ridiculous.

  • The fabric ornaments at West Elm are extremely cute this year. Did I need to buy a mouse wearing a sweater when I saw it and fell in love with it? I guess this is my life now?

  • Absolutely addicted to the new herbaceous cheesy bites from Trader Joe’s. A smaller, fancier mozzarella stick? I’m in, baby. (Also their seasonal rosemary nuts are fantastic.)

  • I had THE worst eyelash extension experience at Wow Threading Studio on 26th Street and no one should ever ever ever get eyelash “cluster” extensions. They couldn’t be worse. (Scathing review in the Yelp link.)

  • Incase you love seasonal episodes:

  • I bought a new winter mug with white snowflakes on Etsy and I’m in love.

  • Tried a donut from Mochi Mochi and you know what? I don’t like donuts that much these days, but this one I liked. Less dense than other donuts. (Tip: if you’re looking for Squid Game Dalgona candy, they sell them here at their location in Herald Square.)

Mochi Mochi Donut, NYC

  • The Union Square Holiday Market has begun and the duck fat poutine from Duck Season was INSANITY. So, so good. Better than some Canadian poutines. Go immediately.

Seasonal Poutine at Duck Season with duck fat fries, duck confit, fresh cheese curds, duck gravy $17

  • As soon as the colder weather starts, I always buy one new couch blanket (I guess adults call them throw blankets) and I’m in love with this Banana Republic Factory one (in the Burnt Umber colour). What is umber? Couldn’t tell you. But I can tell you that it’s chocolate coloured.

  • The Metropolitan Postcard Club sponsors a special two day show every November where approximately thirty-five to forty postcard dealers from around the nation and the world attend to introduce their cards to the public, so of course I went and here are some of the best ones I came across.

Found at the Metropolitan Postcard Fair, November 2021

Found at the Metropolitan Postcard Fair, November 2021

Found at the Metropolitan Postcard Fair, November 2021

Found at the Metropolitan Postcard Fair, November 2021

  • I went to see the Dior exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum and I reviewed it over here.

  • The Thanksgiving croissant returned in all its glory! It is now $9 (because 2021 won’t let you have affordable things anymore), but it’s still amazing tasting. I also tried Milk Bar’s apple cake which was good but way too sweet. And their cinnamon pretzel soft serve was delicious. This place exhausts me with their new menu items, I don’t know how they continuously keep it up.

Details of the Thanksgiving croissant, November 2021

The Thanksgiving croissant, 2021

  • I think I’ve found the greatest scent of all time at Bath & Body Works: Fall Citrus Harvest.

  • I’ve mentioned my love of Supermoon Bakehouse before and my sweet friends Katie & Greg (thankyouthankyou!) got me a giant box treats from them that was absolutely decadent and incredible. Everyone must visit this bakery.

A care package from Supermoon Bakehouse

Some things I’m looking forward to this month:

  • I made this home movie of the holidays a few years ago that I might make again this year since we haven’t been together as a full family since December 2019 and I beg you to maybe do one of your own as well because you will watch it over and over, I promise.

  • If you’re at all superstitious or just, like, a cool person - don’t forget to buy your bayberry candles!

  • Will I be watching all of the snowy movies on this list? I’m only human, I have to.

  • While I’m in Ontario, I really want to get my hands on this vegan cheese that’s supposed to be incredible.

  • I’m planning on making roast beef on Christmas Eve mainly so I can make these roast beef sandwiches for lunch on Christmas Day.

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

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