This weekend included some fun Long Island stops as well as a trip to Bushwick for dinner and my favorite street art in the city.

Some highlights…

Brunch at Orwasher’s. We shared an Edith’s tahini frozen iced coffee.

And lox toast with goat cheese and capers.

Instant coffee I carried home from Denver.

Summer fruit.

Gong Cha‘s cream brulee series has my heart. With strawberry milk and pudding.

S’mores! My sister-in-law got us a mini fire pit kit so we took Webster on a mini picnic.

I used peanut butter sandwich crackers, milk chocolate, and vegan marshmallows.

Whole Foods’ pineapple pie cookie with sprinkles!

Reminder to myself that the Whole Foods hot bar has great options when you go at lunch time. Spicy cucumber sesame salad, hard-boiled egg, sauteed veggies.

Salmon salad rolls. Canned sockeye salmon with mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, celery seed, smoked paprika, and scallions on brioche hot dog rolls. Plus sauteed asparagus with lemon, pepper, and garlic.

Nowon – best dinner of the summer so far. We tried and loved their wood-fired margherita pizza with gojuchang marinara, mozzarella, basil, and chili oil.

Horchata with hibiscus, pineapple citrus, almond, and cinnamon / Smoke & Mirrors – spicy mezcal, amaretto, and pineapple / seasonal cocktail with cherry, sour plum, yuzu, and soju.

The best drink of the night was the Dew Drop with added Tito’s; lavender, yuzu, and juniper.

We shared the seven-course “Mix Tape” pre-fixe and every dish was a showstopper. Whipped ricotta toast with homemade focaccia, citrus jam, and chili oil. I was expecting not to care for this but it ended up being my second favorite dish of the night!

Broccolini a la Caesar with black sesame, parmesan, and candied anchovies.

Spicy gojuchang fried chicken.

Chopped cheese rice cakes.

Honey garlic butter tater tots. <– my favorite dish. These guys are so perfectly crunchy!

Legendary cheeseburger = double smashed patties, kimchi special sauce, roasted kimchi, pickles, onion, and American cheese. After Elder Greene, I think this is the 3rd best cheeseburger in NYC.

Plus dessert I didn’t capture – honeydew panna cotta with mint and lime.