#american cherry wood flooring

[iseestarsnation]

Beach Style Dining Room in New York Kitchen/dining room combo - small coastal medium tone wood floor kitchen/dining room combo idea

[happy-orphanage]

Dining Room Kitchen Dining Kitchen/dining room combo - small coastal medium tone wood floor kitchen/dining room combo idea

[loveyubrides]

Bedroom Master Medium-sized master bedroom with medium-tone wood floors in a beach-style design

[bradshawssugarbaby]

All-American Girl - Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

summary: Bradley's every part the doting dad to your daughter Tatum, but after talking to some of the other wives on base in your mom's group, you're worried he may be hiding his true feelings about fatherhood.

A/N: not me procrastinating and adding to my country music series instead of literally anything else on my list. here's sickeningly sweet bradley as a girl dad fluff based off All-American Girl by Carrie Underwood.

pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x wife!reader

content/warnings: sickeningly sweet fluff, Bradley as a girl dad, mentions of sexism.

word count: 1.4k

Now he's wrapped around her finger, she's the center of his whole world And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect all-American girl

Bradley groaned as he jogged up the front steps, his boots heavy against the brick as he walked up the veranda to the front door. An American flag flapped in the breeze, the pole nestled in the stand attached to the pillar on the front of the house, the mid-afternoon sun striking the front yard, basking over the dozens of plants and greenery that were planted there. Bradley kicked his boots off the moment he crossed the entryway, stacking them neatly by the door. He started unzipping his flight suit, his tanned skin slicked with sweat from the training exercises he’d completed earlier that day. He thought about the list of things he wanted to do before he settled in for the night with you - a shower was the first priority at this point. 

Peeling the olive green suit off his skin, he discarded it in the laundry hamper in the bathroom. His white t-shirt and boxers followed suit, along with the thick, military issued socks. He’d plan on washing those tonight after dinner. He padded along the hallway to the bathroom, his balls of his feet sticking to the cherry wood flooring. The cool water flowing from the shower head was a refreshing comfort compared to how warm he was earlier, he contemplated asking for a transfer to somewhere colder after today - the hot Pacific coast sun was brutal, and despite having lived in California for a few years now, Bradley hadn’t adjusted. Not that Virginia Beach had been much cooler - at least, not in the summer, but it wasn’t as consistently warm as it was on the west coast. 

As Bradley stepped out of the shower, he wrapped a plush, lavender coloured towel around his waist. Shaking his caramel coloured curls dry, he approached the vanity, reaching for the pomade - the same brand he’d been using to tame his hair since he was 14. His mom had taught him that trick - using a styling pomade to keep his curls intact, but less wild than they would be left to their own devices. Part of him wondered if he just never changed brands because it was the one she’d suggested for him, one of the last happy memories of his mother that he had clung to for the last 26 years. 

“Bradley? I’m home!” you called out from the bottom of the stairs, having seen Bradley’s vintage Ford Bronco parked in the driveway. 

“Upstairs, honey!” He yelled back, his deep voice echoing throughout the empty house. 

He quickly pulled on a pair of denim shorts and a fresh, white t-shirt, grabbing his favourite floral print button-down on his way down the stairs. He beamed at you, leaning in to give you a loving peck on the cheek. He knelt down in front of the car seat you’d placed on the floor, smiling softly at his infant daughter as she stretched and yawned, waking up from the nap she’d taken on the car ride home. 

“Good mornin’ sunshine! How’s my girl?”

Bradley held his index finger out to baby Tatum, smiling as she gripped it tightly in her hand. He began unbuckling her harness with his free hand as he spoke to her.

“Did you have a fun day with Mama? What did you do, princess? You and your mama go shopping for some new clothes, baby girl?” 

Tatum let out a happy sigh as Bradley scooped her up in his arms, holding her close to his chest. He leaned his head down to kiss her forehead, his hand moving up and down her back in soft, slow, gentle strokes as he cuddled his baby. He took a seat on the couch, leaning back slightly so Tatum could recline on his chest. He smiled up at you, waiting patiently for you to start showing off the different outfits you’d purchased for Tatum. He’d always sworn that he’d never be the type of father who’d dismiss things he wasn’t interested in - whether it was baby clothes, or ballet, baby and me classes or going for walks around the neighborhood with her - he’d always try his best to be into it. It’s how his mom described his father - always interested in anything to do with Bradley when he was little. 

You delicately sifted through the array of dresses and outfits, each garment infused with your hopes and dreams for little Tatum. With tender affection, you recounted where and when you had acquired each piece, your voice tinged with a blend of excitement and maternal pride. Tatum slumbered peacefully, her soft breaths creating a gentle rhythm against Bradley's shoulder, while you poured your heart into sharing your plans for her future attire.

As the last dress found its place, you sank onto the couch beside Bradley, seeking solace in his comforting presence. Nestling into his side, you felt the warmth of his embrace envelop you, his arm offering both physical and emotional support.

“Are you happy?” you murmured softly, a trace of uncertainty lacing your words as you chewed anxiously at your bottom lip. 

A flicker of confusion danced across Bradley's features before he met your gaze with unwavering reassurance.

“Of course I’m happy, why would you ask that?”

“It’s silly,” you sighed, a moment of vulnerability surfacing before you continued, meeting Bradley’s brown-eyed gaze as you spoke, “It’s just that…you know how I took Tatum to that mommy and me group?”

"Mhmm, every Wednesday," Bradley affirmed, his attention fully focused on you.

“Right! That one. Well…one of the moms was saying how she was so thankful her baby was a boy, because her husband wanted a boy really badly and she didn’t want him to be upset if he didn’t get what he wanted…”

Bradley's brow furrowed with concern as he gently kissed Tatum's forehead, a protective gesture that spoke volumes.

“Babe, he sounds like a dick,” Bradley interjected, shaking his head as he gently kissed Tatum’s forehead again. 

“I’m not finished yet!” You said as you held your hand up. “So anyways, she said that, and a lot of the other moms started talking and saying how their husbands were disappointed when they had girls or relieved when they had sons, and then they said how lucky I was that you were happy with a girl. The one of them said her husband pretended to be, but then he was totally different and genuinely happy when they had a boy next.” 

“And you think I’m doing that?” Bradley queried as he tilted his head to the side, looking at you. 

“Well, no, but…would you tell me if you’d wanted a son instead?”

The corner of Bradley's mouth lifted in a soft smile, his gaze softening as he met your eyes. "No," he replied emphatically, shaking his head. “Because I’ve never wanted a son instead of Tatum. Not once.”

“You haven’t?” You said as relief washed over you, Bradley's words washing away any lingering doubts.

“Not for a second. I’ve wanted Tatum from the minute you told me you were pregnant - I never really gave a shit whether she was a boy or a girl. She’s mine and that’s all I care about. It just happened to turn out that she’s the second Bradshaw girl around here to steal my heart, after her mama.”

“Really?”

“Mhmm, you know that song, the one where she says about how her daddy was praying for a boy, but got a girl instead and she was wrapped around his finger? Then she grows up and  asks her husband one day what he wants, and he says he just wants a sweet, beautiful All-American girl like his wife?”

“Yeah, I know it,” You laugh softly as Bradley begins to hum the tune of the song, singing it softly as he looks down at Tatum.

“That’s exactly how I felt when you told me you were having a girl. I just wanted a beautiful little baby who looked just like you, and that’s exactly what I got. Now I have two beautiful girls who love me more than anything, and I would move mountains for the pair of you. We could have twelve girls for all I care - I’d love every single one of them just as much as I love you.”

[soracities]

what are your suggestions for starter poetry for people who dont have strong reading/analysis backgrounds

I've answered this a few times so I'm going to compile and expand them all into one post here.

I think if you haven't read much poetry before or aren't sure of your own tastes yet, then poetry anthologies are a great place to start: many of them will have a unifying theme so you can hone in based on a subject that interests you, or pick your way through something more general. I haven't read all of the ones below, but I have read most of them; the rest I came across in my own readings and added to my list either because I like the concept or am familiar with the editor(s) / their work:

Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times (ed. Nick Astley) & Being Alive: The Sequel to Staying Alive (there's two more books in this series, but I'm recommending these two just because it's where I started)

The Rattlebag (ed. Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes)

The Ecco Anthology of International Poetry (ed. Ilya Kaminsky & Susan Harris)

The Essential Haiku, Versions of Basho, Buson and Issa (ed. Robert Hass)

A Book of Luminous Things (ed. Czesław Miłosz )

Now and Then: The Poet's Choice Columns by Robert Hass (this may be a good place to start if you're also looking for commentary on the poems themselves)

Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World(ed. Pádraig Ó'Tuama)

African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song (ed. Kevin Young)

The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing (ed. Kevin Young)

Lifelines: Letters from Famous People about their Favourite Poems

The following lists are authors I love in one regard or another and is a small mix of different styles / time periods which I think are still fairly accessible regardless of what your reading background is! It's be no means exhaustice but hopefully it gives you even just a small glimpse of the range that's available so you can branch off and explore for yourself if any particular work speaks to you.

But in any case, for individual collections, I would try:

anything by Sara Teasdale

Devotions / Wild Geese / Felicity by Mary Oliver

Selected Poems and Prose by Christina Rossetti

Collected Poems by Langston Hughes

Where the Sidewalk Endsby Shel Silverstein

Morning Haiku by Sonia Sanchez

Revolutionary Letters, Diane di Prima

Concerning the Book That Is the Body of the Beloved by Gregory Orr

Rose: Poems by Li-Young Lee

A Red Cherry on a White-Tiled Floor / Barefoot Souls by Maram al-Masri

Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky

Tell Me: Poems / What is This Thing Called Love? by Kim Addonizio

The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins (Billy Collins is THE go-to for accessible / beginner poetry in my view so I think any of his collections would probably do)

Crush by Richard Siken

Rapture / The World's Wife by Carol Ann Duffy

The War Works Hard by Dunya Mikhail

Selected Poems by Walt Whitman

View with a Grain of Sand by Wislawa Szymborska

Collected Poems by Vasko Popa

Under Milkwood by Dylan Thomas (this is a play, but Thomas is a poet and the language & structure is definitely poetic to me)

Bright Dead Things: Poems by Ada Limón

Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth by Warsan Shire,

Nostalgia, My Enemy: Selected Poems by Saadi Youssef

As for individual poems:

“Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver

[Dear The Vatican] erasure poem by Pádraig Ó'Tuama // "The Pedagogy of Conflict"

"Good Bones" by Maggie Smith

"The Author Writes the First Draft of His Weddings Vows (An erasure of Virginia Woolf's suicide letter to her husband, Leonard)" by Hanif Abdurraqib

"I Can Tell You a Story" by Chuck Carlise

"The Sciences Sing a Lullabye" by Albert Goldbarth

"One Last Poem for Richard" by Sandra Cisneros

"We Lived Happily During the War" by Ilya Kaminsky

“I’m Explaining a Few Things”by Pablo Neruda

"Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" //"Nothing Gold Can Stay"//"Out, Out--" by Robert Frost

"Tablets: I // II // III"by Dunya Mikhail

"What Were They Like?" by Denise Levertov

"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden,

"The Patience of Ordinary Things" by Pat Schneider

“I, too” // "The Negro Speaks of Rivers” // "Harlem” // “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

“The Mower” // "The Trees" // "High Windows" by Philip Larkin

“The Leash” // “Love Poem with Apologies for My Appearance” // "Downhearted" by Ada Limón

“The Flea” by John Donne

"The Last Rose of Summer" by Thomas Moore

"Beauty" // "Please don't" // "How it Adds Up" by Tony Hoagland

“My Friend Yeshi” by Alice Walker

"De Humanis Corporis Fabrica"byJohn Burnside

“What Do Women Want?” // “For Desire” // "Stolen Moments" // "The Numbers" by Kim Addonizio

“Hummingbird” // "For Tess" by Raymond Carver

"The Two-Headed Calf" by Laura Gilpin

“Bleecker Street, Summer” by Derek Walcott

“Dirge Without Music” // "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed" by Edna St. Vincent Millay

“Digging” // “Mid-Term Break” // “The Rain Stick” // "Blackberry Picking" // "Twice Shy" by Seamus Heaney

“Dulce Et Decorum Est”by Wilfred Owen

“Notes from a Nonexistent Himalayan Expedition”by Wislawa Szymborska

"Hour" //"Medusa" byCarol Ann Duffy

“The More Loving One” // “Musée des Beaux Arts” by W.H. Auden

“Small Kindnesses” // "Feeding the Worms" by Danusha Laméris

"Down by the Salley Gardens” // “The Stolen Child” by W.B. Yeats

"The Thing Is" by Ellen Bass

"The Last Love Letter from an Entymologist" by Jared Singer

"[i like my body when it is with your]" by e.e. cummings

"Try to Praise the Mutilated World" by Adam Zagajewski

"The Cinnamon Peeler" by Michael Ondaatje

"Last Night I Dreamed I Made Myself" by Paige Lewis

"A Dream Within a Dream" // "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe (highly recommend reading the last one out loud or listening to it recited)

"Ars Poetica?" // "Encounter" // "A Song on the End of the World"by Czeslaw Milosz

"Wandering Around an Albequerque Airport Terminal” // "Two Countries” // "Kindness” by Naoimi Shihab Nye

"Slow Dance” by Matthew Dickman

"The Archipelago of Kisses" // "The Quiet World" by Jeffrey McDaniel

"Mimesis" by Fady Joudah

"The Great Fires" // "The Forgotten Dialect of the Heart" // "Failing and Flying" by Jack Gilbert

"The Mermaid" // "Virtuosi" by Lisel Mueller

"Macrophobia (Fear of Waiting)" by Jamaal May

"Someday I'll Love Ocean Vuong" by Ocean Vuong

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou

I would also recommend spending some times with essays, interviews, or other non-fiction, creative or otherwise (especially by other poets) if you want to broaden and improve how you read poetry; they can help give you a wider idea of the landscape behind and beyond the actual poems themselves, or even just let you acquaint yourself with how particular writers see and describe things in the world around them. The following are some of my favourites:

Upstream: Essays by Mary Oliver

"Theory and Play of the Duende" by Federico García Lorca

"The White Bird" and "Some Notes on Song" by John Berger

In That Great River: A Notebook by Anna Kamienska

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib

The Book of Delights by Ross Gay

"Of Strangeness That Wakes Us" and "Still Dancing: An Interview with Ilya Kaminsky" by Ilya Kaminsky

"The Sentence is a Lonely Place" by Garielle Lutz

Still Life with Oysters and Lemon by Mark Doty

Paris, When It's Naked by Etel Adnan

[sikoi]

— oc deep dive questionnaire (tag)

a set of 20 questions to get to know your oc!

juda sintra

what uncommon/common fear do they have? loud noise

do they have any pet peeves? chewing gum, bright lighting

what are 3 items you can find in their bedroom? dim lamps, rose vases, cherry wood vanity

what do they notice first in a person? their scent

from a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance? 8.5

do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure? flight

do they come from a big family/are they a family person? juda has a broad family but family isn't all for her, she was raised mainly from her grandmother

what animal represents them best? crows

what is a smell that they dislike? orange

have they broken any bones? if so, how? juda has broken a few of her fingers from climbing trees and clawing at wood doors/floors

how would a stranger likely describe them? once expressive and a listener now quiet and avoidant

are they a night owl or a morning bird? juda naturally is a night owl, but she does like to watch the sunrise

what is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love? juda is not fond of sweet sweets, she prefers tart flavors like cranberry, dark chocolate and dark coffee

do they have any hobbies? juda does taxidermy from roadkill, wanting every animal to be remembered

boom, surprise birthday party! how do they react to surprises? shy but appreciative

do they like to wear jewelry? if so, what is their favorite piece? juda loves accessories, her favorites are heartlock necklaces and bracelets, you'll probably hear her coming before you even see her bcus the rattling of her bracelets lol

do they have neat or messy handwriting? neat, juda loves writing in journals

what are two emotions they feel the most? sadness, love

do they have a favorite fabric? lace and silk

what kind of accent do they have? mid-atlantic american

tagging @rollingsim @gleamer @tricoufamily @raiiny-bay @madfeary @yuauaua @rolangf @wldestluv-rs @missatan @lucidicer @machinegrl @blackskorpi0n @kazuaru @elderwisp @pralinesims @o0corruptedghoul0o @itsmariejanel @stinkrascal @phasebun @cinamun @ophernelia @dejasenti99 @salemssimblr if yoou want! :)

[brenayla]

I really enjoyed your Midnight piece! Can I request more of Julie’s perspective, especially as mulder and Scully’s relationship evolves into romantic, a baby, etc.? Idk how far you’d be willing to follow them, but I really enjoyed it and would definitely tune in to see this perspective all the way thru post-revival even

hi! thanks for tuning in. sorry this took a bit.

---

Little Amber Lynn’s mama will only speak to Mulder.

In the second floor bedroom, Julie watches him take her statement from a distance, hyper-aware that Scully is lurking somewhere beneath their feet.

To say that he inspires trust would not be completely accurate. He wraps a silk hand around your neck, looks at you with his black hole eyes, and compels information from the back of your throat.

They inspire admiration, even from those that try to cover it up with silly nicknames.

They inspire a dread like anaphylaxis settling in.

Even Skinner seems to feel it today, having apparently done something to piss off Scully. As everyone mills around outside the house, preparing to head out, she snaps with staticky irritability.

Now, Julie is no gossip but she finds herself eavesdropping on them, pretending to review her notes as she waits for her carpool. She has always held a curiosity for Skinner.

“Did you get the keys?” Scully asks.

“Yes.” Skinner offers her two sets, each dangling with the evergreen motel tag that’s looped onto Julie's own room keys.

In Julie’s peripheral vision, Scully stares down their boss and swipes one set of keys from his hand. She turns and crisply walks to her car in a swarm of black ice shards, dripping liquid mercury.

That is one mystery solved; a drop in the ocean.

Quietly, Skinner slips the leftover set into his pocket.

Mulder turns up in the Oregonian woods, smack dab in the middle of a crater that didn’t used to be there. At least that’s what Skinner tells Julie when he calls.

It all sounds like something that is not her problem but she’s smarter than to word it like that. “I’m sorry, Sir,” she tries instead, “but has a crime been committed?”

“It’s violent, Agent,” he snaps. “Get your ass on a plane.”

Julie does.

With white gloved fingers, she collects the burnt tatters of Mulder’s old clothes into evidence bags. When she goes to see him in the hospital, he is bright and freezer cold. There is not a scratch on his incandescent skin.

She is here, too. Suited up, thousand-watt Scully. She runs her crystalline talons through Mulder’s hair under the guise of checking for injuries and Julie has to turn away for air.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Julie asks him, Scully looming in the doorway and picking at Julie’s training to scan for an alternative exit.

“You mean before I woke up in the woods in my birthday suit?” Mulder asks.

“Yes,” Julie says, her hindbrain blaring at her to turn around, there’s something behind you. “Before that.”

“Aside from the ship and damn near getting abducted, not much. Skinner can confirm that, he was there.”

Julie relents and glances to the doorway, but it’s just Scully. Arms crossed, masked up.

“Scully,” Mulder says, and she reluctantly steps out into the hallway, halving the clamor of Julie’s fight-or-flight.

It has been years since she interacted with one of them without the other; she’d almost forgotten that they are more palatable alone.

“Sorry about that.” Mulder gives a playful smile, showing off iridescent teeth. For a flash, his fangs drip with ripe cherry blood. Julie blinks. “She’s a little on edge,” he explains.

She wants to lean in; she wants to run away.

“Agent Mulder. How did that crater get there?”

Mulder lies to her. “I don’t know.”

It’s been an exhausting fall and Julie has already attended far too many of these obligatory charity events. American flag pins abound; teary late night talk show hosts. There is a curdling thirst for vengeance in Congress and a frenetic unease in the public.

She and Kramer camp out near the snack table, gorging themselves on free candy to make up for skipping lunch.

“Am I going to Hell if I say I’m getting tired of these?” Kramer asks, setting his carefully folded KitKat wrapper down. It springs back into its old form.

“If you do, I’ll be down there with you.” She watches him reach for a Snickers.

He continues quietly, tearing off a neat slice of flag-colored foil. “I just– There’s only so many times I can listen to these speakers. I get that it’s…”

Over his shoulder, she spots Skinner and – yes, it is him; they are easier to tell apart once they start speaking – Mulder in a black dress shirt, a baby strapped to his chest.

“…but it’s fucking depressing, and–”

“Hey,” Julie whispers. “Your favorite former coworker is here.”

Mouth sticky with caramel and nougat, Kramer asks, “Huh?”

She tilts her head towards Mulder; she cannot look at him for too long, having gone soft from lack of exposure to them. He’s giving her blue and purple echoes, like she’s been staring at the sun.

“Oh yeah, I saw Scully earlier with the…,” Kramer says, gesturing to his torso where a BabyBjorn would sit.

Ah but are you sure it was Scully?

Quickly moving on, Kramer says, “I didn’t think he was so progressive.”

“What did you think then? Scully, barefoot and pregnant?”

He nods thoughtfully, conceding. “I guess you got a point there.”

Julie digs into the sweets bowl until she finds a rare leftover KitKat. “Did you see their kid?”

“Yeah,” Kramer says, popping the rest of his Snickers into his mouth. “Little boy.”

She holds back her real question. They still dance around this, like verbalizing it would make it Real.

But did you see his face?

[plasticfangtastic]

American Royalty. Ch. 4

A Homelander X F! Reader and Dadlander fanfic.

A/N: if ya like to be taglisted plz leave a comment to be notified on the next release. got the writers block and too many wips so here is an early chapter. hope y'all like it. plz check my pin post for prev. chapters.

Tags: mild gore, angst, lots of angst, slow burn, fluff, oc characther, child neglect, dadlander, romance.

Chapter Four

Seeing Stars

You had him agree to you working three days as his personal chef, and he couldn’t have you Sundays no matter how much he asked.

Within the week you had gotten a letter from your bank telling you that the pending investigation on your account had been closed and now you could access it, it had even accrue significant interest after being untouched for seven years it was better than an early christmas miracle as you sobbed in your bedroom with the letter in hand, you cried in the kitchen after calling a realtor to see an apartment, by the time you seen a couple of apartments you had come home to find an enveloped taped to your door. Inside paperwork and some keys– seeing red for a moment, but as Helena tugged at your shirt, your anger tucked itself away, you held her crying into her shoulder as you finished reading the letter.

Before the month ended, you had moved into a large, renovated and well located 2 bedroom, 1 office, 2 bathrooms apartment in the ground floor of a duplex, it had to be at least eighteen to twenty thousand dollars in rent but he had simply purchase it– writing in his letter that he wouldn’t allow you to continue raising his daughter in the projects or some refurbished new york closet, he had even collected information on local schools in your new neighborhood for you consider, informing you that he would take care of tuition cost.

As you settled in a space so big you had nothing to fill it with, as you watched your daughter actually behave like a seven year old for once, you laid on the floor by the open concept kitchen, feeling the rich wood underneath your skin, staring at the black granite benches and hardwood cabinetry– the floor was even heated! You heard a landing in one of the two thin yards, you knew your daughter was exploring the bathroom, so it felt safe to do this now.

“I’ll have my interior designer come by this week to help you select furniture and stuff.” He said upon entering, distubed by how barren it was, all your belonings in a a dozen boxes total, tucked in a corner of the living room.

“You are a bastard making me indebted to you.” You grumbled.

“I can’t have her live in a broom closet infested with rats. Kids need yards and space.” He looked at the cherry wood panels lining the outdoors, the vines and trees growing in a decent sized yard, extra big by New York standards– you could get her a puppy, a kitten or…?”

“She likes fish.”

“I could have a pond installed.” he said with a smirk crainign his back as he tried to look less imposing as you refused to lift your head from the heated hardwoods– you should be okay with utility bills, I left them on credit for your convenience. Have you had a chance to look at schools?”

“What are you actually planning, John.” You sat back up, switching names had taken him off-guard wondering what angle you were going at him from– haven’t even started work with you and now you are showering me with presents? This is beyond just wanting to see your kid is not like you actually seen her.”

“You said to take things slow.” He didn’t try hiding that devious grin– Ryan… needs a story.”

“Jesus Christ you are sick.” you now had to stand up for real– you want me to play mom to your kid? I don’t even look like him.”

“Genetics are weird. Helena looks like you and Ryan looks like me, like those dogs from ‘Beauty and the Tramp’."He touched your cheek with a bare hand– Can’t wait to see you next Thursday, mom.”

“Oh god…” You chuckle, losing your mind as his hand hurts without a scratch– How are you going to tell this to Helena?”

“Is in early development but the team will take care of it. I need Ryan to attend the same school as Helena so please hurry up.”

He left not before telling you to take Helena to MOMA this saturday at 2 pm, it wasn’t a suggestion or invitation, it was an order

You did as you were told that evening, one of the best schools in the city was under a half hour walk from this cell, knowing Helena had to be enrolled soon didn’t help, and your commute to Lucci had increased but now you could pay for gas and not cry. Sending him a texts about schools to the number he had given you in his many many notes seemed anticlimactic but that was it.

Helana had grown suspicious, but she played dumb and you knew it too, so you both played stupid when you headed to MOMA that weekend.

You just casually came the same day and the same time as Homelander and Ryan were about to have the whole museum closed off as they received a private tour,  but he asked you to join them not giving any real explanation for why but nobody questioned, neither kid spoke to each other much if any, Helena simply enjoying the silence, she looked at you as she asked about the pieces but it was Homelander who had the most to say about the works, leaving you left out but happy, you knew that face of his so well, to see it on your daughter’s face made your day.

He had taken the opportunity to discuss your employment not your relationship, giving you list of things Ryan should eat, would not eat, wanted to try and things he wanted to try himself, then your hours and some odd request about handling Ryan’s school lunches being instagram worthy, handing you socials to research for such task.

You started work that following week, the Vought kitchens were top of the line, your job was to meet all of his requirements, some of the chefs that recognized you looked at you with relief and curiosity, wanting to know what had happened to you but you were unwilling to share. That first breakfast was returned with clean plates, even the waiter was shocked when he saw empty plates come out of his penthouse.

It had been so long since you could play with such new equipment, this was it, this was the place you belong in, him or not involved this was your happy place now.

Two weeks had passed.

 As you headed for the staff elevator you met Homelander, who had honestly just been waiting for you.

“I got the paperwork sorted… you just have to sign and fill stuff. Nice school! Great stem program not that Helena will find it hard.” he said politely, his posture extra stiff.

“Did you do a background check on her?” you looked around for witnesses.

“Hard not to. Our kid is the captain of the math club… her school team has won most of the math competitions in the last four years. Not to mention the piano recitals, and science competitions”  He looked so proud– her grades are perfect. She might be the smartest little girl in the city.”

“She’s the smartest little girl in the world.”

“And her new school would let the whole world know just that.” He said matching your smug.

You watched him carefully waiting for him to spit out what he wanted to say, either about her schooling or something else.

Helena was allowed to continue attending her old school until you were ready for transfer, he had only briefly talked to you for school discussions, and with great disinterest on what made each school good or not, if anything you found yourself doing this for his son as well, thinking of what this school would do for his well being, and if it was the best choice for a homeschooled kid, and how would this new school commute affect Helena’s after school routine. 

On the days you didn’t work in Vought’s towers she was still babysat or stayed at Lucci’s, she was too young to be left at home, even if you knew she was perfectly safe, but no matter what she was still little. 

During the days you worked in the tower she was kept in the company daycare in the 20th floor, most of the kids there were normal but there was at least one other super-abled child her age, it made you happy to see her interact with a similar kid even if said kid abilities involved phasing thru objects all willy-nilly and make objects phase thru other objects, making you worry of what would happen if he lost focus and Helena got caught inside a wall.

“By the way our kid escaped the daycare.” He held the elevator open for you as he entered, before you could panic he shot you a charming smile– is okay she’s at the gym…”

Your eyes had welled up regardless, you jumped into the metal box pressing the bottom frantically.

“She’s perfectly safe… A-Train is there and so it's that… Noir… her and the only little Supe kid decided to do some mischief, but I kept my ears on her all day.”

Forcing yourself to take deep breaths as the elevator smoothly traveled to the lower floors.

“Is it not her that I am worried for.” you said firmly.

You followed him as he guided you through an unfamiliar floor, inside the large colosseum gym that had been fitted to test somebody’s athletic skills you found your daughter floating in her wavy bubble, but all you saw was your kid swaying in the air.

“Helena get down here immediately!!!” You ran after her reaching for the kid as her bored expression was replaced with embarrassment as she descended into your arms– you cannot run away from daycare!”

“I don’t want to be surrounded by babies.”

“Helena you are a baby!” you squeezed her against yourself, just glad she was still in one piece, you noticed the other small kid in the room– jesus…”

Carrying your kid you reached for the other one, taking his hand.

“Hey sweetie… let me take you back to daycare before your mommy or daddy gets worried.

“Am I in trouble?” he asked meekly.

“No, but Helena is so grounded.”

“Mom!”

“Don’t mom me! You have any idea how dangerous that was!”

“Oh don’t get mad at the kid, she was just acting like a kid. Don’t be such a buzzkill” he mocked you.

“I don’t want or need your opinion– now you got two seconds to explain yourself!”

You began to gently drag yourself and your kid’s victim out of the gym, A-Train absolutely shocked to see anybody talk to Homelander like that.

“Look I had A-Train and Noir come check them out, they were safe!” He chased after you.

“Oh that was your doing.” Helena said–  "I really wanted to meet A-Train” she waved innocently at the Supe, who returned the gesture as a true professional– and... Mom… I wanted to see the building, that’s all… sorry I used Elmo to escape… but his powers were just too useful”

“You cannot use people like that.” you said in shock.

“People like being used.” Her words were just cold as she wriggled herself out of your arms, falling without touching the ground, she took Elmo’s hand taking the small kid towards the exit– some people are born serfs.” She mumbled to herself.

Homelander's heart beat violently– oh his daughter was a brat and had a questionable attitude, he hadn’t even interacted much with her, but he was proud. His whole body went light and his smile couldn’t be contained as he saw the small girl with true love in his eyes, this was the moment he saw her as truly his own.

Ryan was still reluctant to accept his father’s philosophy, but this little one understood that she was born better from the start on her own.

She turned around to face you again, little Elmo sucked on his thumb as her eyes glowed pale blue.

“Is it alright if I come to the training gym if I ask permission first?” 

“I…”

“Of course all Supe’s should know to keep their powers top notch. You are more than welcome to use the facilities.” Homelander had cut you off, petting the little girl’s head as he approached the duo– Just ask your mother so she doesn’t have a heart attack. Then again this is one of the safest places in all of New York and little Helena over here is perfectly safe, after all I am here.” He said while staring at you.

His voice was sweet, you were defeated as Helena tried to contain that cheshire grin of hers while staring at you– he was your boss , and the Homelander so could you really go against him so publicly?

“You had a terrorist attack in this building… but I guess…” She ignored him again then looked straight at you– I learned something new today.” 

A-Train and Noir exchanged concerned looks taking a few step backs, Homelander seemed intrigued to watch your reaction, you gave way, unable to speak, just frustrated as your ex looked just as smug as his kid.

Little Elmo scoot behind her– in the round gymnasium a cement boulder hanged in chains, her eyes glowed the brightest you’ve ever seen, lifting her hand with one quick swipe the boulder broke in half, the dust showing the invisible blade bending light, it gain a blue color as it was touched before fading, she looked so proud of herself, you stared at Homelander and now you understood why nobody had informed you that your daughter was missing. It didn’t sit well with you.

“you’re still grounded for a whole week.”

“But Mom!!”

You had walked into a trap, one you did so willingly, jailed in a nice house, any hope of Homelander being driven away or losing interest in her was gone as he looked at her with pure adoration in his eyes.

You got used to it… this prison was lovely, it was nice to come back to a spacious cell. Homelander had indeed brought his decorator to your house but you didn’t want designer furniture and high end stuff, you kept it simple and cheap, most of your stuff second hand and from Ikea, only relenting to agree with the poor designer over the kitchen, his budget was absurd for the task, only taking advantage to purchase all the appliances of your dreams, you indeed needed a air fryer that matched your splashback.

Helena was happy to have a room that felt like a bedroom, large bookcases that could be filled with her own books, a small courtyard facing her doors, where she now could sit down and read with the breeze in her hair. She seemed happy, euphoric when she began her new school, making you forget what was happening in the background at times.

Homelander would come from time to time to speak to you about mundane stuff and work, his patience saintly as he allowed you to get used to his company once more, just so you could be okay with him entering her life, but then again he was your jailer.

He himself had begun forcing himself into her life when you weren’t around, it was all a matter of timing and perception.

Homelander watched the daycare center, from afar, a much needed service, it occupied a whole floor, the tower employed thousands of people in its 99th floor so there had to be help for those mothers and fathers who needed to work but had children with no babysitters, it was one of the many appealing things about being employed by Vought, and the center offered a variety of activities for all age groups.

Helena saw it as a jungle, all these children just a bunch of savages, keeping Elmo around not because she liked his company but because he was the only other Supe child in her age group, he was a sweet kid, afraid of bugs and that liked to talk about cartoons, frankly it was a challenge to figure out what to do with him. Homelander watched as she taught the kid to play chess, taking hours to explain the basics as the seven year old had very little clue what was happening, but in its own way it was nice to talk to another kid like himself.

Homelander even bothered to do a background check on the child– both of his dad’s both worked at Vought one in hero management and the other in marketing, both very busy bees it seems… he had done the same with all of Ryan’s new classmates, he knew their entire families before his kid even stepped foot and said hello to any of them, all done before he started school the same week as Helena– there was the big issue of her being on the 10th grade while her older brother just began the 6th grade, so he couldn’t enjoy seeing the both of them interacting, it was hard to witness for he wanted both kids to become closer so desperately.

Hence why he was standing on the foyer of the daycare center, a young lady that looked too cheerful for her own good, welcomed Homelander.

“Hi! How can I help you today, Homelander? Are you looking to enroll little Ryan?” She swayed side to side trying to see if the kid was behind him by any chance.

“Actually… am here to speak to one of the kids… hmm… Helena L/N.” He said with a firm tone– I believe her mother left a message.”

Homelander texted you an hour before cominf down, not even asking you that he was going to take her for training, you were stuck in the kitchen helping with some work function taking place tonite, a thousand canapes had to be made and you were stuck with the pistachio and lemon layer cakes.

You had no time to argue, taking your precious break time to make phone calls and try not to use your knife on the nearest asshole who pissed you off afterwards.

She hopped on the desk seeking for any notes, and he was indeed correct.

Now he had her all for himself, you prayed he wasn’t going to drop the news on her, but you couldn’t leave and abandoned your team, she was safe, you had to believe she was safe, she was smart, she was so smart and she could escape him, you just had to trust her.

“Can I bring Elmo?” Helena looked up at Homelander, a slight ache building on her neck as she looked up at the man– he might get lonely.”

“He’s not a dog.” He didn’t even try putting on a soft babied voice with her– and I wanted to talk to you.”

“But he’s always ‘The Dog’ when we play house.” She faked the most innocent voice she could muster, turning around to look at the glass doors  dividing the friends– … He will probably sneak out to the gym if he gets lonely, they got his favorite snacks today… he told me liked five times and I think they’re playing Bluey on the tv.”

“Oh! and you play mommy?” He grimaces so hard his eyebrows touch.

“No, the robber.”

He led the way and she was more than happy to explore the building as they headed downstairs.

“What do you think of them?”

“Elaborate.”

“Those without powers.” she wished she could see his expression– and be honest. None of this ‘Wednesday Addams’ crap.”

He looked around at the sea of smart casual fits and stress on the floors above, the world moving so fast paced, nothing but monkeys hurling shiny rocks while playing dress-up.

“They can be useful, if they are not… then they don’t matter to me.”

He smiled, his heart fluttering and his stomach filled with butterflies as he heard her speak– why did Ryan struggle so much to understand this? He thought.

“When you are born with such gifts–

“I might be a kid but I am very familiar with your Compound V, I already had this talk with my mother. Fascinating stuff… I am still trying to understand the whole dosage thing… How does your company decide which kid to give more versus others? Did they just look at who could provide the best backstory before deciding between 10 mils versus the whole vial.” 

She stared at the glass walls where the kids were housed, the tone of her voice still flat.

“Why you say that?”

“I’m a poor kid from the projects, with a single mom, formerly homeless and now with enough powers to make Athena envious. Not to mention how 92% of supes are white but the percentage below middle class to poor is almost the same as with the 6% blacks, while the percentage of upper class white supes is closer to the same percentage of 2% asians and latino supes… if anything a good chunk of latino and asian supes are upper class… something-something model minority yadah-yadah.” she pressed the elevator door– I’d make a good story. Shame that I can’t be a Supe.”

Homelander stared at her, placing his hand on the back of her head.

“You can be anything you want, Helena. You have been blessed beyond belief with powers… if you want to be Supe then you are ready for major leagues.”

She rolls her eyes.

“Only the 1% of superheroes ever make it to the major leagues, most supes never achieve anything beside D-list status and everybody is fighting for the crumbs left behind by your posse of clowns– is not a fiscally responsible decision. A career that can only exist on extreme gambling is not one that can make money. Not to mention am not cute or tall." She took the first step into the elevator– I never want my mother to worry about money. I want to buy her a mansion on top of a cliff staring at the ocean, have a dozen maids care for the house and she can just spend the rest of her life in luxury”

She turns to see him crossing her arms with a serious look on her tiny face.

“My goal is to take your job.”

“The Seven?” He grinned.

“Vought.”

“I can wait to see you try.” he grinned.

“It won’t be that hard… At least when I am in charge security will be tighter.”

Bottles of V dropped from above Homelander’s head, he caught most of them but a few were lost, those were hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drops staining his pants and shoes, Helena caught one bottle, sliding it between nimble fingers back and forth.

“Don’t look so surprised, it seems this is a common occurence… Here's an unwanted tip: use biometrics and only allow lab techs to enter the 67th floor, not just rely on good will, clown.” sections of her body and clothes flicked back and forth between visible and invisible, taunting him about how easy it had been to steal them using her superpowers.

As his eyes took an extra tinge of red, he saw a brief flash of pale blue encasing her, he followed her to the entrance of the Gym, where she expected to be left alone with Homelander not to find another kid.

“The prodigal son.” she mumbles.

Ryan sat on top of some raised stepping stones in the recently established obstacle course, Helena imagined she needed to know parkour in lieu of flying abilities, which seemed redundant for the kid who could fly.

“Thought you two could practice together.” He shouted while placing the V on the nearest bench.

“Guess there are ways to successfully murder a child and get away with it.” She raised an eyebrow– and here I thought you wouldn’t be irked by the words of a little girl… like I said you’re a maladjusted person.”

“I don’t hurt children. I have no idea…” he said calmly while a little bit angry, as he returned to her side.

“I dunno– it would look really bad if the press found out that you’re a deadbeat.”

His expression dropped as the little girl's eyes glowed.

“Smartest little girl in the world… or...?” She said dryly, as she headed towards Ryan to save him the walk– my bubble refracts light, easy to spot if you notice images are wavering without the heat.”

The little boy ran cheerfully after his father, who for the first time ignored him, his eyes transfixed on the little girl, who had been playing stupid all along.

taglist-- @fromforeigntofamiliarity , @demodemo909 and @immyowndefender

here's the house:

[tameblog]

It has been nearly four months since I dined at abc kitchens, the three-in-one, instantly iconic restaurant nestled on the ground floor of London's luxury hotel The Emory, across the road from leafy Hyde Park. But not even the time that has passed has been able to take away from the pleasantly hypnotic sensory overload I felt upon stepping inside.Inaugurated last spring, the burgeoning hotspot marks the debut of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's celebrated trilogy of New York eateries — abc kitchen, abcV, and abc cocina — onto the British culinary scene. A multi-award-winning restaurateur, Vongerichten is the creative powerhouse behind, and the owner of, 60 gastronomic destinations worldwide — including the eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges, one of the few to have been awarded four stars by The New York Times.Credited with having "invented America's answer to nouvelle cuisine", as fellow chef and writer Mario Batali wrote in a 2005 article for the New York magazine, his masterfully executed, sculptural fusion of modern American, plant-based, and Latin American flavors would be enough to make abc kitchens a mandatory entry in our list of the best London restaurants — and a daily ritual for those lucky enough to sojourn at the sleekly designed, all-suite The Emory.Still, it won't take you more than a glance at its winding 1970s-style banquette couch and shimmering cocktail bar to understand that food isn't but one side of the story at this amber-hued location; the cherry on top of the cake, to keep it within the taste realm.With their pop, floral touches, Damien Hirst's The Secret Gardens Paintings (2023) bring the neutrally tinted interiors of abc kitchens to life(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)From the outside, the monumental pale stone, glass, and bronze, with the white-painted steel masts and cabling of The Emory's functionalist façade — a sophisticated exercise signed, as the rest of its architecture, by RSHP's late co-founder Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour — make knowing what lies indoors anyone's guess. But as visitors turn left past the reception of the coveted Belgravia hotel, a play of light and shapes unfolds around the corner.When I visited the restaurant last fall, the sun had only just set on a Hyde Park covered in yellowed foliage, and the same golden glow irradiated the warm wood tones and Rosso Orobico marble of abc kitchens, casting dramatic shadows all over its mid-century modern furniture. Conceived to amplify the building's surroundings by self-taught interior designer Rémi Tessier, the space embraces diners in a chic cocooning environment where industrial-style copper pendant lights, a twinkling glass wine cave, and a wavy metallic curtain set the mood for Vongerichten's culinary explorations.Much like his genre-bending understanding of cuisine, abc kitchens is many things at once. "It's warm, cozy, inviting, and intimate," Vongerichten tells me over an email exchange. "You're able to gaze at the park while sitting in this highly designed and lit dining room", and thanks to its wide open kitchen, positioned meters away from where guests are seated, you can even catch him and Executive Chef Ben Boeynaems at work while savoring your meal.The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.The amber glass wine cave of abc kitchens makes the dining room into an atmospheric haven(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)For the American food disruptor, who first introduced the idea of fusion cuisine to London during his tenure at The Berkeley's Vong restaurant, abc kitchens' vision wouldn't be complete without its dazzling setting. "The original three abc restaurants have been loved by New Yorkers since we opened abc kitchen in 2010," he explains. "Each one harmoniously speaks to the same ethos — an emphasis placed on community and working with local, organic ingredients — but every restaurant takes that ethos and transforms it, whether in the form of cuisine or design."At abc kitchens, the trio of eateries is reunited under one roof for the first time in a boundaries-blurring tasting and aesthetic encounter between New York and the British capital. "From interiors to culture, food, and beyond, Londoners are very similar to New Yorkers in their preferences," Vongerichten says. "We have always wanted to combine the three abc restaurants, and in collaboration with The Emory, we felt it was the right place and time to turn this trilogy into a well-rounded experience that satisfies tastes and cravings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."This intermingling of inspirations is best embodied by acclaimed English artist Damien Hirst's Secret Gardens Paintings series, whose striking floral motifs add unexpected pop touches to the space. "The variety of colors and textures in his pieces speak to the range of flavors and textures you can enjoy while dining at abc kitchens," adds the chef.The restaurant's retro-futuristic private dining room(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)Think anything from melt-in-your-mouth, sweet Orkney sea scallop tartare with shiso, kohlrabi, plum sesame, smoky crisp cabbage with roasted kabocha squash, Asian pear, and miso dressing to deliciously refreshing heirloom beet carpaccio with avocado purée, pea guacamole, crunchy tortillas, garlicky shrimps, and fragrant arroz con pollo with lemon zest and black pepper. Not forgetting the multisensory work of art that is the gold leaf-encrusted hibiscus poached pear dessert — the ultimate palate cleanser for sweet-toothed gourmands.Thanks to its worldly, tapas-style dining experience, where the collective enjoyment of food integral to Latin American and Southern European cultures meets the meticulous precision of French and Asian cuisine, and the heartwarming nostalgia of American diners, abc kitchens transforms meals into an opportunity for connection while continuously striving to push the boundaries of gastronomic innovation."The goal at abc kitchens is to facilitate a fun dining experience, where guests can share different dishes and flavors together," concludes Vongerichten. "It's the way I love to eat with my friends and family, and we encourage the same for people dining at our restaurants."Plus, if you are an interior enthusiast, the food is just the starter: head to The Emory's rooftop to discover what's for main.Book your table at abc kitchens. Source link

[ramestoryworld]

It has been nearly four months since I dined at abc kitchens, the three-in-one, instantly iconic restaurant nestled on the ground floor of London's luxury hotel The Emory, across the road from leafy Hyde Park. But not even the time that has passed has been able to take away from the pleasantly hypnotic sensory overload I felt upon stepping inside.Inaugurated last spring, the burgeoning hotspot marks the debut of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's celebrated trilogy of New York eateries — abc kitchen, abcV, and abc cocina — onto the British culinary scene. A multi-award-winning restaurateur, Vongerichten is the creative powerhouse behind, and the owner of, 60 gastronomic destinations worldwide — including the eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges, one of the few to have been awarded four stars by The New York Times.Credited with having "invented America's answer to nouvelle cuisine", as fellow chef and writer Mario Batali wrote in a 2005 article for the New York magazine, his masterfully executed, sculptural fusion of modern American, plant-based, and Latin American flavors would be enough to make abc kitchens a mandatory entry in our list of the best London restaurants — and a daily ritual for those lucky enough to sojourn at the sleekly designed, all-suite The Emory.Still, it won't take you more than a glance at its winding 1970s-style banquette couch and shimmering cocktail bar to understand that food isn't but one side of the story at this amber-hued location; the cherry on top of the cake, to keep it within the taste realm.With their pop, floral touches, Damien Hirst's The Secret Gardens Paintings (2023) bring the neutrally tinted interiors of abc kitchens to life(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)From the outside, the monumental pale stone, glass, and bronze, with the white-painted steel masts and cabling of The Emory's functionalist façade — a sophisticated exercise signed, as the rest of its architecture, by RSHP's late co-founder Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour — make knowing what lies indoors anyone's guess. But as visitors turn left past the reception of the coveted Belgravia hotel, a play of light and shapes unfolds around the corner.When I visited the restaurant last fall, the sun had only just set on a Hyde Park covered in yellowed foliage, and the same golden glow irradiated the warm wood tones and Rosso Orobico marble of abc kitchens, casting dramatic shadows all over its mid-century modern furniture. Conceived to amplify the building's surroundings by self-taught interior designer Rémi Tessier, the space embraces diners in a chic cocooning environment where industrial-style copper pendant lights, a twinkling glass wine cave, and a wavy metallic curtain set the mood for Vongerichten's culinary explorations.Much like his genre-bending understanding of cuisine, abc kitchens is many things at once. "It's warm, cozy, inviting, and intimate," Vongerichten tells me over an email exchange. "You're able to gaze at the park while sitting in this highly designed and lit dining room", and thanks to its wide open kitchen, positioned meters away from where guests are seated, you can even catch him and Executive Chef Ben Boeynaems at work while savoring your meal.The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.The amber glass wine cave of abc kitchens makes the dining room into an atmospheric haven(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)For the American food disruptor, who first introduced the idea of fusion cuisine to London during his tenure at The Berkeley's Vong restaurant, abc kitchens' vision wouldn't be complete without its dazzling setting. "The original three abc restaurants have been loved by New Yorkers since we opened abc kitchen in 2010," he explains. "Each one harmoniously speaks to the same ethos — an emphasis placed on community and working with local, organic ingredients — but every restaurant takes that ethos and transforms it, whether in the form of cuisine or design."At abc kitchens, the trio of eateries is reunited under one roof for the first time in a boundaries-blurring tasting and aesthetic encounter between New York and the British capital. "From interiors to culture, food, and beyond, Londoners are very similar to New Yorkers in their preferences," Vongerichten says. "We have always wanted to combine the three abc restaurants, and in collaboration with The Emory, we felt it was the right place and time to turn this trilogy into a well-rounded experience that satisfies tastes and cravings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."This intermingling of inspirations is best embodied by acclaimed English artist Damien Hirst's Secret Gardens Paintings series, whose striking floral motifs add unexpected pop touches to the space. "The variety of colors and textures in his pieces speak to the range of flavors and textures you can enjoy while dining at abc kitchens," adds the chef.The restaurant's retro-futuristic private dining room(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)Think anything from melt-in-your-mouth, sweet Orkney sea scallop tartare with shiso, kohlrabi, plum sesame, smoky crisp cabbage with roasted kabocha squash, Asian pear, and miso dressing to deliciously refreshing heirloom beet carpaccio with avocado purée, pea guacamole, crunchy tortillas, garlicky shrimps, and fragrant arroz con pollo with lemon zest and black pepper. Not forgetting the multisensory work of art that is the gold leaf-encrusted hibiscus poached pear dessert — the ultimate palate cleanser for sweet-toothed gourmands.Thanks to its worldly, tapas-style dining experience, where the collective enjoyment of food integral to Latin American and Southern European cultures meets the meticulous precision of French and Asian cuisine, and the heartwarming nostalgia of American diners, abc kitchens transforms meals into an opportunity for connection while continuously striving to push the boundaries of gastronomic innovation."The goal at abc kitchens is to facilitate a fun dining experience, where guests can share different dishes and flavors together," concludes Vongerichten. "It's the way I love to eat with my friends and family, and we encourage the same for people dining at our restaurants."Plus, if you are an interior enthusiast, the food is just the starter: head to The Emory's rooftop to discover what's for main.Book your table at abc kitchens. Source link

[alexha2210]

It has been nearly four months since I dined at abc kitchens, the three-in-one, instantly iconic restaurant nestled on the ground floor of London's luxury hotel The Emory, across the road from leafy Hyde Park. But not even the time that has passed has been able to take away from the pleasantly hypnotic sensory overload I felt upon stepping inside.Inaugurated last spring, the burgeoning hotspot marks the debut of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's celebrated trilogy of New York eateries — abc kitchen, abcV, and abc cocina — onto the British culinary scene. A multi-award-winning restaurateur, Vongerichten is the creative powerhouse behind, and the owner of, 60 gastronomic destinations worldwide — including the eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges, one of the few to have been awarded four stars by The New York Times.Credited with having "invented America's answer to nouvelle cuisine", as fellow chef and writer Mario Batali wrote in a 2005 article for the New York magazine, his masterfully executed, sculptural fusion of modern American, plant-based, and Latin American flavors would be enough to make abc kitchens a mandatory entry in our list of the best London restaurants — and a daily ritual for those lucky enough to sojourn at the sleekly designed, all-suite The Emory.Still, it won't take you more than a glance at its winding 1970s-style banquette couch and shimmering cocktail bar to understand that food isn't but one side of the story at this amber-hued location; the cherry on top of the cake, to keep it within the taste realm.With their pop, floral touches, Damien Hirst's The Secret Gardens Paintings (2023) bring the neutrally tinted interiors of abc kitchens to life(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)From the outside, the monumental pale stone, glass, and bronze, with the white-painted steel masts and cabling of The Emory's functionalist façade — a sophisticated exercise signed, as the rest of its architecture, by RSHP's late co-founder Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour — make knowing what lies indoors anyone's guess. But as visitors turn left past the reception of the coveted Belgravia hotel, a play of light and shapes unfolds around the corner.When I visited the restaurant last fall, the sun had only just set on a Hyde Park covered in yellowed foliage, and the same golden glow irradiated the warm wood tones and Rosso Orobico marble of abc kitchens, casting dramatic shadows all over its mid-century modern furniture. Conceived to amplify the building's surroundings by self-taught interior designer Rémi Tessier, the space embraces diners in a chic cocooning environment where industrial-style copper pendant lights, a twinkling glass wine cave, and a wavy metallic curtain set the mood for Vongerichten's culinary explorations.Much like his genre-bending understanding of cuisine, abc kitchens is many things at once. "It's warm, cozy, inviting, and intimate," Vongerichten tells me over an email exchange. "You're able to gaze at the park while sitting in this highly designed and lit dining room", and thanks to its wide open kitchen, positioned meters away from where guests are seated, you can even catch him and Executive Chef Ben Boeynaems at work while savoring your meal.The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.The amber glass wine cave of abc kitchens makes the dining room into an atmospheric haven(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)For the American food disruptor, who first introduced the idea of fusion cuisine to London during his tenure at The Berkeley's Vong restaurant, abc kitchens' vision wouldn't be complete without its dazzling setting. "The original three abc restaurants have been loved by New Yorkers since we opened abc kitchen in 2010," he explains. "Each one harmoniously speaks to the same ethos — an emphasis placed on community and working with local, organic ingredients — but every restaurant takes that ethos and transforms it, whether in the form of cuisine or design."At abc kitchens, the trio of eateries is reunited under one roof for the first time in a boundaries-blurring tasting and aesthetic encounter between New York and the British capital. "From interiors to culture, food, and beyond, Londoners are very similar to New Yorkers in their preferences," Vongerichten says. "We have always wanted to combine the three abc restaurants, and in collaboration with The Emory, we felt it was the right place and time to turn this trilogy into a well-rounded experience that satisfies tastes and cravings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."This intermingling of inspirations is best embodied by acclaimed English artist Damien Hirst's Secret Gardens Paintings series, whose striking floral motifs add unexpected pop touches to the space. "The variety of colors and textures in his pieces speak to the range of flavors and textures you can enjoy while dining at abc kitchens," adds the chef.The restaurant's retro-futuristic private dining room(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)Think anything from melt-in-your-mouth, sweet Orkney sea scallop tartare with shiso, kohlrabi, plum sesame, smoky crisp cabbage with roasted kabocha squash, Asian pear, and miso dressing to deliciously refreshing heirloom beet carpaccio with avocado purée, pea guacamole, crunchy tortillas, garlicky shrimps, and fragrant arroz con pollo with lemon zest and black pepper. Not forgetting the multisensory work of art that is the gold leaf-encrusted hibiscus poached pear dessert — the ultimate palate cleanser for sweet-toothed gourmands.Thanks to its worldly, tapas-style dining experience, where the collective enjoyment of food integral to Latin American and Southern European cultures meets the meticulous precision of French and Asian cuisine, and the heartwarming nostalgia of American diners, abc kitchens transforms meals into an opportunity for connection while continuously striving to push the boundaries of gastronomic innovation."The goal at abc kitchens is to facilitate a fun dining experience, where guests can share different dishes and flavors together," concludes Vongerichten. "It's the way I love to eat with my friends and family, and we encourage the same for people dining at our restaurants."Plus, if you are an interior enthusiast, the food is just the starter: head to The Emory's rooftop to discover what's for main.Book your table at abc kitchens. Source link

[angusstory]

It has been nearly four months since I dined at abc kitchens, the three-in-one, instantly iconic restaurant nestled on the ground floor of London's luxury hotel The Emory, across the road from leafy Hyde Park. But not even the time that has passed has been able to take away from the pleasantly hypnotic sensory overload I felt upon stepping inside.Inaugurated last spring, the burgeoning hotspot marks the debut of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's celebrated trilogy of New York eateries — abc kitchen, abcV, and abc cocina — onto the British culinary scene. A multi-award-winning restaurateur, Vongerichten is the creative powerhouse behind, and the owner of, 60 gastronomic destinations worldwide — including the eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges, one of the few to have been awarded four stars by The New York Times.Credited with having "invented America's answer to nouvelle cuisine", as fellow chef and writer Mario Batali wrote in a 2005 article for the New York magazine, his masterfully executed, sculptural fusion of modern American, plant-based, and Latin American flavors would be enough to make abc kitchens a mandatory entry in our list of the best London restaurants — and a daily ritual for those lucky enough to sojourn at the sleekly designed, all-suite The Emory.Still, it won't take you more than a glance at its winding 1970s-style banquette couch and shimmering cocktail bar to understand that food isn't but one side of the story at this amber-hued location; the cherry on top of the cake, to keep it within the taste realm.With their pop, floral touches, Damien Hirst's The Secret Gardens Paintings (2023) bring the neutrally tinted interiors of abc kitchens to life(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)From the outside, the monumental pale stone, glass, and bronze, with the white-painted steel masts and cabling of The Emory's functionalist façade — a sophisticated exercise signed, as the rest of its architecture, by RSHP's late co-founder Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour — make knowing what lies indoors anyone's guess. But as visitors turn left past the reception of the coveted Belgravia hotel, a play of light and shapes unfolds around the corner.When I visited the restaurant last fall, the sun had only just set on a Hyde Park covered in yellowed foliage, and the same golden glow irradiated the warm wood tones and Rosso Orobico marble of abc kitchens, casting dramatic shadows all over its mid-century modern furniture. Conceived to amplify the building's surroundings by self-taught interior designer Rémi Tessier, the space embraces diners in a chic cocooning environment where industrial-style copper pendant lights, a twinkling glass wine cave, and a wavy metallic curtain set the mood for Vongerichten's culinary explorations.Much like his genre-bending understanding of cuisine, abc kitchens is many things at once. "It's warm, cozy, inviting, and intimate," Vongerichten tells me over an email exchange. "You're able to gaze at the park while sitting in this highly designed and lit dining room", and thanks to its wide open kitchen, positioned meters away from where guests are seated, you can even catch him and Executive Chef Ben Boeynaems at work while savoring your meal.The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.The amber glass wine cave of abc kitchens makes the dining room into an atmospheric haven(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)For the American food disruptor, who first introduced the idea of fusion cuisine to London during his tenure at The Berkeley's Vong restaurant, abc kitchens' vision wouldn't be complete without its dazzling setting. "The original three abc restaurants have been loved by New Yorkers since we opened abc kitchen in 2010," he explains. "Each one harmoniously speaks to the same ethos — an emphasis placed on community and working with local, organic ingredients — but every restaurant takes that ethos and transforms it, whether in the form of cuisine or design."At abc kitchens, the trio of eateries is reunited under one roof for the first time in a boundaries-blurring tasting and aesthetic encounter between New York and the British capital. "From interiors to culture, food, and beyond, Londoners are very similar to New Yorkers in their preferences," Vongerichten says. "We have always wanted to combine the three abc restaurants, and in collaboration with The Emory, we felt it was the right place and time to turn this trilogy into a well-rounded experience that satisfies tastes and cravings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."This intermingling of inspirations is best embodied by acclaimed English artist Damien Hirst's Secret Gardens Paintings series, whose striking floral motifs add unexpected pop touches to the space. "The variety of colors and textures in his pieces speak to the range of flavors and textures you can enjoy while dining at abc kitchens," adds the chef.The restaurant's retro-futuristic private dining room(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)Think anything from melt-in-your-mouth, sweet Orkney sea scallop tartare with shiso, kohlrabi, plum sesame, smoky crisp cabbage with roasted kabocha squash, Asian pear, and miso dressing to deliciously refreshing heirloom beet carpaccio with avocado purée, pea guacamole, crunchy tortillas, garlicky shrimps, and fragrant arroz con pollo with lemon zest and black pepper. Not forgetting the multisensory work of art that is the gold leaf-encrusted hibiscus poached pear dessert — the ultimate palate cleanser for sweet-toothed gourmands.Thanks to its worldly, tapas-style dining experience, where the collective enjoyment of food integral to Latin American and Southern European cultures meets the meticulous precision of French and Asian cuisine, and the heartwarming nostalgia of American diners, abc kitchens transforms meals into an opportunity for connection while continuously striving to push the boundaries of gastronomic innovation."The goal at abc kitchens is to facilitate a fun dining experience, where guests can share different dishes and flavors together," concludes Vongerichten. "It's the way I love to eat with my friends and family, and we encourage the same for people dining at our restaurants."Plus, if you are an interior enthusiast, the food is just the starter: head to The Emory's rooftop to discover what's for main.Book your table at abc kitchens. Source link

[tumibaba]

It has been nearly four months since I dined at abc kitchens, the three-in-one, instantly iconic restaurant nestled on the ground floor of London's luxury hotel The Emory, across the road from leafy Hyde Park. But not even the time that has passed has been able to take away from the pleasantly hypnotic sensory overload I felt upon stepping inside.Inaugurated last spring, the burgeoning hotspot marks the debut of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's celebrated trilogy of New York eateries — abc kitchen, abcV, and abc cocina — onto the British culinary scene. A multi-award-winning restaurateur, Vongerichten is the creative powerhouse behind, and the owner of, 60 gastronomic destinations worldwide — including the eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges, one of the few to have been awarded four stars by The New York Times.Credited with having "invented America's answer to nouvelle cuisine", as fellow chef and writer Mario Batali wrote in a 2005 article for the New York magazine, his masterfully executed, sculptural fusion of modern American, plant-based, and Latin American flavors would be enough to make abc kitchens a mandatory entry in our list of the best London restaurants — and a daily ritual for those lucky enough to sojourn at the sleekly designed, all-suite The Emory.Still, it won't take you more than a glance at its winding 1970s-style banquette couch and shimmering cocktail bar to understand that food isn't but one side of the story at this amber-hued location; the cherry on top of the cake, to keep it within the taste realm.With their pop, floral touches, Damien Hirst's The Secret Gardens Paintings (2023) bring the neutrally tinted interiors of abc kitchens to life(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)From the outside, the monumental pale stone, glass, and bronze, with the white-painted steel masts and cabling of The Emory's functionalist façade — a sophisticated exercise signed, as the rest of its architecture, by RSHP's late co-founder Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour — make knowing what lies indoors anyone's guess. But as visitors turn left past the reception of the coveted Belgravia hotel, a play of light and shapes unfolds around the corner.When I visited the restaurant last fall, the sun had only just set on a Hyde Park covered in yellowed foliage, and the same golden glow irradiated the warm wood tones and Rosso Orobico marble of abc kitchens, casting dramatic shadows all over its mid-century modern furniture. Conceived to amplify the building's surroundings by self-taught interior designer Rémi Tessier, the space embraces diners in a chic cocooning environment where industrial-style copper pendant lights, a twinkling glass wine cave, and a wavy metallic curtain set the mood for Vongerichten's culinary explorations.Much like his genre-bending understanding of cuisine, abc kitchens is many things at once. "It's warm, cozy, inviting, and intimate," Vongerichten tells me over an email exchange. "You're able to gaze at the park while sitting in this highly designed and lit dining room", and thanks to its wide open kitchen, positioned meters away from where guests are seated, you can even catch him and Executive Chef Ben Boeynaems at work while savoring your meal.The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.The amber glass wine cave of abc kitchens makes the dining room into an atmospheric haven(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)For the American food disruptor, who first introduced the idea of fusion cuisine to London during his tenure at The Berkeley's Vong restaurant, abc kitchens' vision wouldn't be complete without its dazzling setting. "The original three abc restaurants have been loved by New Yorkers since we opened abc kitchen in 2010," he explains. "Each one harmoniously speaks to the same ethos — an emphasis placed on community and working with local, organic ingredients — but every restaurant takes that ethos and transforms it, whether in the form of cuisine or design."At abc kitchens, the trio of eateries is reunited under one roof for the first time in a boundaries-blurring tasting and aesthetic encounter between New York and the British capital. "From interiors to culture, food, and beyond, Londoners are very similar to New Yorkers in their preferences," Vongerichten says. "We have always wanted to combine the three abc restaurants, and in collaboration with The Emory, we felt it was the right place and time to turn this trilogy into a well-rounded experience that satisfies tastes and cravings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."This intermingling of inspirations is best embodied by acclaimed English artist Damien Hirst's Secret Gardens Paintings series, whose striking floral motifs add unexpected pop touches to the space. "The variety of colors and textures in his pieces speak to the range of flavors and textures you can enjoy while dining at abc kitchens," adds the chef.The restaurant's retro-futuristic private dining room(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)Think anything from melt-in-your-mouth, sweet Orkney sea scallop tartare with shiso, kohlrabi, plum sesame, smoky crisp cabbage with roasted kabocha squash, Asian pear, and miso dressing to deliciously refreshing heirloom beet carpaccio with avocado purée, pea guacamole, crunchy tortillas, garlicky shrimps, and fragrant arroz con pollo with lemon zest and black pepper. Not forgetting the multisensory work of art that is the gold leaf-encrusted hibiscus poached pear dessert — the ultimate palate cleanser for sweet-toothed gourmands.Thanks to its worldly, tapas-style dining experience, where the collective enjoyment of food integral to Latin American and Southern European cultures meets the meticulous precision of French and Asian cuisine, and the heartwarming nostalgia of American diners, abc kitchens transforms meals into an opportunity for connection while continuously striving to push the boundaries of gastronomic innovation."The goal at abc kitchens is to facilitate a fun dining experience, where guests can share different dishes and flavors together," concludes Vongerichten. "It's the way I love to eat with my friends and family, and we encourage the same for people dining at our restaurants."Plus, if you are an interior enthusiast, the food is just the starter: head to The Emory's rooftop to discover what's for main.Book your table at abc kitchens. Source link

[romaleen]

It has been nearly four months since I dined at abc kitchens, the three-in-one, instantly iconic restaurant nestled on the ground floor of London's luxury hotel The Emory, across the road from leafy Hyde Park. But not even the time that has passed has been able to take away from the pleasantly hypnotic sensory overload I felt upon stepping inside.Inaugurated last spring, the burgeoning hotspot marks the debut of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's celebrated trilogy of New York eateries — abc kitchen, abcV, and abc cocina — onto the British culinary scene. A multi-award-winning restaurateur, Vongerichten is the creative powerhouse behind, and the owner of, 60 gastronomic destinations worldwide — including the eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges, one of the few to have been awarded four stars by The New York Times.Credited with having "invented America's answer to nouvelle cuisine", as fellow chef and writer Mario Batali wrote in a 2005 article for the New York magazine, his masterfully executed, sculptural fusion of modern American, plant-based, and Latin American flavors would be enough to make abc kitchens a mandatory entry in our list of the best London restaurants — and a daily ritual for those lucky enough to sojourn at the sleekly designed, all-suite The Emory.Still, it won't take you more than a glance at its winding 1970s-style banquette couch and shimmering cocktail bar to understand that food isn't but one side of the story at this amber-hued location; the cherry on top of the cake, to keep it within the taste realm.With their pop, floral touches, Damien Hirst's The Secret Gardens Paintings (2023) bring the neutrally tinted interiors of abc kitchens to life(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)From the outside, the monumental pale stone, glass, and bronze, with the white-painted steel masts and cabling of The Emory's functionalist façade — a sophisticated exercise signed, as the rest of its architecture, by RSHP's late co-founder Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour — make knowing what lies indoors anyone's guess. But as visitors turn left past the reception of the coveted Belgravia hotel, a play of light and shapes unfolds around the corner.When I visited the restaurant last fall, the sun had only just set on a Hyde Park covered in yellowed foliage, and the same golden glow irradiated the warm wood tones and Rosso Orobico marble of abc kitchens, casting dramatic shadows all over its mid-century modern furniture. Conceived to amplify the building's surroundings by self-taught interior designer Rémi Tessier, the space embraces diners in a chic cocooning environment where industrial-style copper pendant lights, a twinkling glass wine cave, and a wavy metallic curtain set the mood for Vongerichten's culinary explorations.Much like his genre-bending understanding of cuisine, abc kitchens is many things at once. "It's warm, cozy, inviting, and intimate," Vongerichten tells me over an email exchange. "You're able to gaze at the park while sitting in this highly designed and lit dining room", and thanks to its wide open kitchen, positioned meters away from where guests are seated, you can even catch him and Executive Chef Ben Boeynaems at work while savoring your meal.The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.The amber glass wine cave of abc kitchens makes the dining room into an atmospheric haven(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)For the American food disruptor, who first introduced the idea of fusion cuisine to London during his tenure at The Berkeley's Vong restaurant, abc kitchens' vision wouldn't be complete without its dazzling setting. "The original three abc restaurants have been loved by New Yorkers since we opened abc kitchen in 2010," he explains. "Each one harmoniously speaks to the same ethos — an emphasis placed on community and working with local, organic ingredients — but every restaurant takes that ethos and transforms it, whether in the form of cuisine or design."At abc kitchens, the trio of eateries is reunited under one roof for the first time in a boundaries-blurring tasting and aesthetic encounter between New York and the British capital. "From interiors to culture, food, and beyond, Londoners are very similar to New Yorkers in their preferences," Vongerichten says. "We have always wanted to combine the three abc restaurants, and in collaboration with The Emory, we felt it was the right place and time to turn this trilogy into a well-rounded experience that satisfies tastes and cravings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."This intermingling of inspirations is best embodied by acclaimed English artist Damien Hirst's Secret Gardens Paintings series, whose striking floral motifs add unexpected pop touches to the space. "The variety of colors and textures in his pieces speak to the range of flavors and textures you can enjoy while dining at abc kitchens," adds the chef.The restaurant's retro-futuristic private dining room(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)Think anything from melt-in-your-mouth, sweet Orkney sea scallop tartare with shiso, kohlrabi, plum sesame, smoky crisp cabbage with roasted kabocha squash, Asian pear, and miso dressing to deliciously refreshing heirloom beet carpaccio with avocado purée, pea guacamole, crunchy tortillas, garlicky shrimps, and fragrant arroz con pollo with lemon zest and black pepper. Not forgetting the multisensory work of art that is the gold leaf-encrusted hibiscus poached pear dessert — the ultimate palate cleanser for sweet-toothed gourmands.Thanks to its worldly, tapas-style dining experience, where the collective enjoyment of food integral to Latin American and Southern European cultures meets the meticulous precision of French and Asian cuisine, and the heartwarming nostalgia of American diners, abc kitchens transforms meals into an opportunity for connection while continuously striving to push the boundaries of gastronomic innovation."The goal at abc kitchens is to facilitate a fun dining experience, where guests can share different dishes and flavors together," concludes Vongerichten. "It's the way I love to eat with my friends and family, and we encourage the same for people dining at our restaurants."Plus, if you are an interior enthusiast, the food is just the starter: head to The Emory's rooftop to discover what's for main.Book your table at abc kitchens. Source link

[monaleen101]

It has been nearly four months since I dined at abc kitchens, the three-in-one, instantly iconic restaurant nestled on the ground floor of London's luxury hotel The Emory, across the road from leafy Hyde Park. But not even the time that has passed has been able to take away from the pleasantly hypnotic sensory overload I felt upon stepping inside.Inaugurated last spring, the burgeoning hotspot marks the debut of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's celebrated trilogy of New York eateries — abc kitchen, abcV, and abc cocina — onto the British culinary scene. A multi-award-winning restaurateur, Vongerichten is the creative powerhouse behind, and the owner of, 60 gastronomic destinations worldwide — including the eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges, one of the few to have been awarded four stars by The New York Times.Credited with having "invented America's answer to nouvelle cuisine", as fellow chef and writer Mario Batali wrote in a 2005 article for the New York magazine, his masterfully executed, sculptural fusion of modern American, plant-based, and Latin American flavors would be enough to make abc kitchens a mandatory entry in our list of the best London restaurants — and a daily ritual for those lucky enough to sojourn at the sleekly designed, all-suite The Emory.Still, it won't take you more than a glance at its winding 1970s-style banquette couch and shimmering cocktail bar to understand that food isn't but one side of the story at this amber-hued location; the cherry on top of the cake, to keep it within the taste realm.With their pop, floral touches, Damien Hirst's The Secret Gardens Paintings (2023) bring the neutrally tinted interiors of abc kitchens to life(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)From the outside, the monumental pale stone, glass, and bronze, with the white-painted steel masts and cabling of The Emory's functionalist façade — a sophisticated exercise signed, as the rest of its architecture, by RSHP's late co-founder Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour — make knowing what lies indoors anyone's guess. But as visitors turn left past the reception of the coveted Belgravia hotel, a play of light and shapes unfolds around the corner.When I visited the restaurant last fall, the sun had only just set on a Hyde Park covered in yellowed foliage, and the same golden glow irradiated the warm wood tones and Rosso Orobico marble of abc kitchens, casting dramatic shadows all over its mid-century modern furniture. Conceived to amplify the building's surroundings by self-taught interior designer Rémi Tessier, the space embraces diners in a chic cocooning environment where industrial-style copper pendant lights, a twinkling glass wine cave, and a wavy metallic curtain set the mood for Vongerichten's culinary explorations.Much like his genre-bending understanding of cuisine, abc kitchens is many things at once. "It's warm, cozy, inviting, and intimate," Vongerichten tells me over an email exchange. "You're able to gaze at the park while sitting in this highly designed and lit dining room", and thanks to its wide open kitchen, positioned meters away from where guests are seated, you can even catch him and Executive Chef Ben Boeynaems at work while savoring your meal.The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.The amber glass wine cave of abc kitchens makes the dining room into an atmospheric haven(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)For the American food disruptor, who first introduced the idea of fusion cuisine to London during his tenure at The Berkeley's Vong restaurant, abc kitchens' vision wouldn't be complete without its dazzling setting. "The original three abc restaurants have been loved by New Yorkers since we opened abc kitchen in 2010," he explains. "Each one harmoniously speaks to the same ethos — an emphasis placed on community and working with local, organic ingredients — but every restaurant takes that ethos and transforms it, whether in the form of cuisine or design."At abc kitchens, the trio of eateries is reunited under one roof for the first time in a boundaries-blurring tasting and aesthetic encounter between New York and the British capital. "From interiors to culture, food, and beyond, Londoners are very similar to New Yorkers in their preferences," Vongerichten says. "We have always wanted to combine the three abc restaurants, and in collaboration with The Emory, we felt it was the right place and time to turn this trilogy into a well-rounded experience that satisfies tastes and cravings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."This intermingling of inspirations is best embodied by acclaimed English artist Damien Hirst's Secret Gardens Paintings series, whose striking floral motifs add unexpected pop touches to the space. "The variety of colors and textures in his pieces speak to the range of flavors and textures you can enjoy while dining at abc kitchens," adds the chef.The restaurant's retro-futuristic private dining room(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)Think anything from melt-in-your-mouth, sweet Orkney sea scallop tartare with shiso, kohlrabi, plum sesame, smoky crisp cabbage with roasted kabocha squash, Asian pear, and miso dressing to deliciously refreshing heirloom beet carpaccio with avocado purée, pea guacamole, crunchy tortillas, garlicky shrimps, and fragrant arroz con pollo with lemon zest and black pepper. Not forgetting the multisensory work of art that is the gold leaf-encrusted hibiscus poached pear dessert — the ultimate palate cleanser for sweet-toothed gourmands.Thanks to its worldly, tapas-style dining experience, where the collective enjoyment of food integral to Latin American and Southern European cultures meets the meticulous precision of French and Asian cuisine, and the heartwarming nostalgia of American diners, abc kitchens transforms meals into an opportunity for connection while continuously striving to push the boundaries of gastronomic innovation."The goal at abc kitchens is to facilitate a fun dining experience, where guests can share different dishes and flavors together," concludes Vongerichten. "It's the way I love to eat with my friends and family, and we encourage the same for people dining at our restaurants."Plus, if you are an interior enthusiast, the food is just the starter: head to The Emory's rooftop to discover what's for main.Book your table at abc kitchens. Source link

[iamownerofme]

It has been nearly four months since I dined at abc kitchens, the three-in-one, instantly iconic restaurant nestled on the ground floor of London's luxury hotel The Emory, across the road from leafy Hyde Park. But not even the time that has passed has been able to take away from the pleasantly hypnotic sensory overload I felt upon stepping inside.Inaugurated last spring, the burgeoning hotspot marks the debut of French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's celebrated trilogy of New York eateries — abc kitchen, abcV, and abc cocina — onto the British culinary scene. A multi-award-winning restaurateur, Vongerichten is the creative powerhouse behind, and the owner of, 60 gastronomic destinations worldwide — including the eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant Jean-Georges, one of the few to have been awarded four stars by The New York Times.Credited with having "invented America's answer to nouvelle cuisine", as fellow chef and writer Mario Batali wrote in a 2005 article for the New York magazine, his masterfully executed, sculptural fusion of modern American, plant-based, and Latin American flavors would be enough to make abc kitchens a mandatory entry in our list of the best London restaurants — and a daily ritual for those lucky enough to sojourn at the sleekly designed, all-suite The Emory.Still, it won't take you more than a glance at its winding 1970s-style banquette couch and shimmering cocktail bar to understand that food isn't but one side of the story at this amber-hued location; the cherry on top of the cake, to keep it within the taste realm.With their pop, floral touches, Damien Hirst's The Secret Gardens Paintings (2023) bring the neutrally tinted interiors of abc kitchens to life(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)From the outside, the monumental pale stone, glass, and bronze, with the white-painted steel masts and cabling of The Emory's functionalist façade — a sophisticated exercise signed, as the rest of its architecture, by RSHP's late co-founder Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour — make knowing what lies indoors anyone's guess. But as visitors turn left past the reception of the coveted Belgravia hotel, a play of light and shapes unfolds around the corner.When I visited the restaurant last fall, the sun had only just set on a Hyde Park covered in yellowed foliage, and the same golden glow irradiated the warm wood tones and Rosso Orobico marble of abc kitchens, casting dramatic shadows all over its mid-century modern furniture. Conceived to amplify the building's surroundings by self-taught interior designer Rémi Tessier, the space embraces diners in a chic cocooning environment where industrial-style copper pendant lights, a twinkling glass wine cave, and a wavy metallic curtain set the mood for Vongerichten's culinary explorations.Much like his genre-bending understanding of cuisine, abc kitchens is many things at once. "It's warm, cozy, inviting, and intimate," Vongerichten tells me over an email exchange. "You're able to gaze at the park while sitting in this highly designed and lit dining room", and thanks to its wide open kitchen, positioned meters away from where guests are seated, you can even catch him and Executive Chef Ben Boeynaems at work while savoring your meal.The Livingetc newsletter is your shortcut to the now and the next in home design. Subscribe today to receive a stunning free 200-page book of the best homes from around the world.The amber glass wine cave of abc kitchens makes the dining room into an atmospheric haven(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)For the American food disruptor, who first introduced the idea of fusion cuisine to London during his tenure at The Berkeley's Vong restaurant, abc kitchens' vision wouldn't be complete without its dazzling setting. "The original three abc restaurants have been loved by New Yorkers since we opened abc kitchen in 2010," he explains. "Each one harmoniously speaks to the same ethos — an emphasis placed on community and working with local, organic ingredients — but every restaurant takes that ethos and transforms it, whether in the form of cuisine or design."At abc kitchens, the trio of eateries is reunited under one roof for the first time in a boundaries-blurring tasting and aesthetic encounter between New York and the British capital. "From interiors to culture, food, and beyond, Londoners are very similar to New Yorkers in their preferences," Vongerichten says. "We have always wanted to combine the three abc restaurants, and in collaboration with The Emory, we felt it was the right place and time to turn this trilogy into a well-rounded experience that satisfies tastes and cravings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."This intermingling of inspirations is best embodied by acclaimed English artist Damien Hirst's Secret Gardens Paintings series, whose striking floral motifs add unexpected pop touches to the space. "The variety of colors and textures in his pieces speak to the range of flavors and textures you can enjoy while dining at abc kitchens," adds the chef.The restaurant's retro-futuristic private dining room(Image credit: abc kitchens. Design: Rémi Tessier)Think anything from melt-in-your-mouth, sweet Orkney sea scallop tartare with shiso, kohlrabi, plum sesame, smoky crisp cabbage with roasted kabocha squash, Asian pear, and miso dressing to deliciously refreshing heirloom beet carpaccio with avocado purée, pea guacamole, crunchy tortillas, garlicky shrimps, and fragrant arroz con pollo with lemon zest and black pepper. Not forgetting the multisensory work of art that is the gold leaf-encrusted hibiscus poached pear dessert — the ultimate palate cleanser for sweet-toothed gourmands.Thanks to its worldly, tapas-style dining experience, where the collective enjoyment of food integral to Latin American and Southern European cultures meets the meticulous precision of French and Asian cuisine, and the heartwarming nostalgia of American diners, abc kitchens transforms meals into an opportunity for connection while continuously striving to push the boundaries of gastronomic innovation."The goal at abc kitchens is to facilitate a fun dining experience, where guests can share different dishes and flavors together," concludes Vongerichten. "It's the way I love to eat with my friends and family, and we encourage the same for people dining at our restaurants."Plus, if you are an interior enthusiast, the food is just the starter: head to The Emory's rooftop to discover what's for main.Book your table at abc kitchens. Source link