Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:

I.  This morning, the logo that I designed two years ago was transformed into vinyl signage and installed in the Table + Teaspoon showroom window. When I started my cooking blog in 2009, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that T&T would turn into a full-fledged company and occupy space on Market Street. As passersby stop to inquire about what we are doing with the storefront and comment on the logo, I have to stop myself from bursting into tears of gratitude. With many more design projects for the showroom on the horizon, I’m excited to share our progress here and hopefully see many of your faces at our launch party next month.

II.  As I’m sure you can imagine, with the T&T headquarters move there hasn’t been much cooking going on chez moi. I also haven’t had time to look for lunch/dinner spots in the new neighborhood, and Postmates options are becoming a bit boring. To remedy this, I’ll be making a big batch of Beer Braised Shredded Chicken tonight to bring to work this week. The recipe is ridiculously easy (it was one of my very first blog posts) and pairs well with brown rice, quinoa, arugula, or as a taco filling with fresh corn tortillas and crispy slaw (make your own or pick up jarred coleslaw in the produce section).

III.   If your knowledge of iconic interior designers starts with Adler and ends with Wearstler, this Vogue article about the legends of design is a must-read. The chicest publication curated a list of the seven biggest influencers of the 20th century, including Albert Hadley (his chinoiserie papered entry pictured above is to die for) who is famed for his marriage of glamour with function, and Elsie De Wolfe, who pioneered the anti-Victorian movement and called glitterati like Karl Lagerfeld and the Fricks clients.

IV.  Over the weekend, I stumbled upon a fascinating concept - a museum about breakups, aptly called Museum of Broken Relationships. Founded circa 2006 in Croatia, and on tour worldwide, the impetus for the collection was to offer people a place to formally recognize the demise of their relationships. The organization recognized that we are allowed to publicly grieve deaths and celebrate weddings/graduations/jobs/etc., but there was no final stage for one of the most emotional experiences in life - love lost. For its first stateside exhibition in Los Angeles, the museum is taking submissions of single items that signify an important aspect of your recent breakup and the story behind the item. This may be worth a road-trip down the coast…

V.  I have absolutely no clue how I missed Belcampo Meat Co.’s Instagram account (@belcampomeatco​) until yesterday. With seven shops spanning from Santa Monica to Larkspur, the famed butchery/restaurant has long been on my radar. If you haven’t been, you’re seriously missing out on some of the most spectacular meat in California. What I particularly love is that the social media team provides both straight-forward recipes, and tips about meat cuts. For example, I learned that the petite sirloin wrapped in pork fat (bacon works just as well) is almost indistinguishable from the more pricey filet mignon cut. Check them out on Instagram while daydreaming about your next culinary endeavor.

Have a wonderful week!  xx tt