Greetings from Lake Tahoe, which is offering plenty to watch: from a crazy downpour and thunderstorms when I arrived yesterday to the always-charming chipmunk TV. Oh yes, and entertainment from my parents’ cats (Merna and Sophie), who also get to enjoy our summer cabin—although they are not digging on the hailstorms. I have been coming to this cabin since I was two, so it’s aways a special feeling to pull into the driveway, the one I remember riding my Big Wheel into, and then my Schwinn, and many happy years later in the Alfa Romeo (gawd, I miss her in the summer), and now, the feisty Fiat (meep meep). Looking forward to a weekend of kicking it with the fam here, one of my most cherished summer rituals.
Today I have a very overdue review of Hard Water (man, I am so behind in my writeups, it makes me kuh-razy), plus Heather Irwin styled us with some 707 news too. Oh, and we announced the winners of the West of the West Wine Festival ticket giveaway, so if you didn’t get an email from us (me lo siento!) maybe you should think about getting a ticket about now…
A few more items for you: on 7x7.com this week, I did a round-up of five recent cafés to open in the city—I had to go over and see the gleaming Iron & Steam Espresso Bar lever machine for myself (a 1954 beauty by Gaggia, and during its loving restoration, its owner Olyver even tricked it out with special lights that change color and blink, hello!).
And since you’d probably like a little dessert, I wrote up a deeeelicious coconut-tapioca number at Hakkasan in my weekly Tablehopping column for the Guardian, check it!
Have a beaut of a weekend—I’m planning on the same. Cheers. Marcia Gagliardi
The restored 1954 Gaggia lever machine at Iron & Steam Espresso Bar. Photo: © tablehopper.com.View tablehopper Newsletter from Friday, Jul 26 2013
