claire blair . graphic artist
Here are just a few recommendations in some of my favorite cities. Please feel free to email me with specific questions about these places.
NYC
THE SMILE NEWSTAND (In Shinola) - Tribeca
best chocolate chip cookie
FIKA - multiple locations
best place for coffee and a sweet treat
LE DISTRICT - Brookfield Place
best place to take a break from wandering and have a casual steak frites
LAUGHING MAN COFFEE - Tribeca
tiny altruistic coffee stand owned by Hugh Jackman.
DOS TOROS - multiple locations
best place for casual Mexican
ROBERTA'S - Bushwick, Food Truck
best. pizza. ever
LIL FRANKIE'S - East Village
Excellent Pizza, hot spot
MARTA - Chelsea
best florentine steak this side of the Atlantic. great negronis.
DOMA NA ROHU - West Village
best breakfast and european (German, Austrian) specialties
vancouver
VIA TEVERRE - Victoria Drive
low-key napoletan pizza place with authentic ingredients
33 ACRES - Mt. Pleasant
brewery with great food accompaniments. also great for brunch and serves up a mean cappuccino!
BURGOO - multiple locations
comfort food, stews, pies
EAST IS EAST - multiple locations
if you want to go out for ethnic flavors that are hard to recreate at home, head here. Delicious meat or veggie filled roti wraps, spicy drinks, lentil daal. great ambience too.
LE FAUX BOURGEOIS - Kingsway
french bistro
FINCH'S - Downtown
amazing baguette sandwiches, salads and cheese plates
DIRTY APRON - Beatty
cooking classes and a great deli
COCO et OLIVE - Main St
great spot for sandwiches and salads
GO FISH - granville island
fish tacos and burgers on the seawall, fresh off the boat
LIBERTY BAKERY - Main St.
favorite coffee shop to feel like a worldly designer. beautiful minimal japanese/nordic interior
REVOLVER COFFEE - Cambie St, Gastown
light filtering into this pre-war building onto the pour-over chemex pots make this easily the most instragrammable coffee shop in Vancouver
Q SHI Q - Mt. Pleasant
japanese BBQ, cool hip hop vibe
EL CAMINOS - Main St.
low-key Mexican
CAFE ELYSIAN - multiple locations
one of my favorite coffee spots in the city. great coffee and baking.
SHARKY'S - Lonsdale Quay.
serious platters of roasted meat and comfort sides.
BUFALA - Kerrisdale
italian with killer flavour combinations
EAST VAN ROASTERS
the best salted chocolate chip cookie in the city and ultra-silky chocolate truffles to pair with your coffee
LA QUERCIA - Kitsilano
upscale italian. try the chef's tasting menu for an unforgettable experience. killer wine list
EARNEST ICE CREAM - multiple locations
small batch and locally-produced. pints to go are in glass jars
NICLI ANTICA - gastown eastside
great vibes, great food and drinks and an awesome happy hour in this modern, certified neapoltian pizzeria in an old brick pre-war building
HARMONY DONUTS - upper lonsdale (north van)
classic, fresh cake donuts in a crazy old school shop going on 40 years.
TILT - Pearl District
burgers and southern foods. the desserts (pies) are amazing
COMMISSARY - Nob Hill (NW)
neighbourhood coffee shop with excellent cappucinos and fresh baked comfort foods. try the breakfast biscuit
LITTLE BIRD - downtown
great little french bistro
PINE STREET MARKET - downtown
gourmet food hall with an awesome assortment of vendors
BLUE STAR DONUTS - multiple locations
if you're willing to wait in line for a donut, this is the one to go to
GRASSA - multiple locations
low-key italian. fresh pasta, negronis and a big bowl of olives. what else do you need?
NUVREI - Pearl District
the best croissants in Portland
PASTAWORKS/CITY MARKET - multiple locations
marketplace of specialty italian foods and wine
ROMAN CANDLE BAKERY - Richmond (SE)
loved both the sweet and savoury treats in this industrial-chic bakery
SEE SEE MOTORCYCLES - Kearns (SE)
one of the most unique coffeeshops i've been to... retro motorcycle theme, but still serves a mean cappucino!
PRINCE COFFEE - Kenton (NE)
would you like a fresh stroop wafel with your coffee? why, yes, I would!
Portland
