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

I.  Lately, I’ve been catering back-to-back extravagant multiple-course dinners with over-the-top menus. Yet, at the end of the evening, I always find myself craving simple comfort food. And there is nothing more comforting than a basic cheeseburger. No aioli, no caramelized onion, no truffle oil.  Just meat, cheese, bun, and traditional pub-style trimmings. My favorite recipe is tangy danish blue just barely melted into medium-rare sirloin on a glossy brioche bun (you used to have to visit a bakery for these, but now you can find them in most grocery stores). Even better – they take less than twenty minutes to make. Pair the Blue Cheese Burger with carrots roasted in maple syrup and thyme in the oven for fifteen minutes at 425 degrees for an easy, yet decadent, meal tonight.

II.  While on the topic of burgers, it seems that half the city empties every weekend now that we have consistent powder conditions in Tahoe this winter. And everyone knows that half the fun of heading up to the mountains is stopping along the way to indulge in fast (or at least fast-ish food). My go-to spots are In-n-Out for burgers and fries, Maria’s Tacos for mexican, and Ikeda’s to pick up fresh pies, but I was excited to discover new options in this compilation of the best places to stop for food on the way to Tahoe. See if your favorites made the list!

III.  A few weeks ago I wrote about (and subsequently attended) Spa Pop’s very first pop up at Parlor in Russian Hill. Part of the package included a “lip facial” - which I had no desire to partake in because what does that even mean?! Well, evidently my pout has been missing out… Sara Happ, of the eponymous lip line, was on-site from LA to apply lip scrub (a sugar based product), wipe away dry dead skin with a tissue, and then moisturize with her adorably named Lip Slip gloss. Sara’s own lips were that impossible-to-achieve shade of pale pink and bordering on filler perfection, which she swore was entirely due to the scrub/slip combo. I decided to give it a try, and was stunned by the results. I’m now a devotee, and you should be too.

IV.  With both gala and wedding season upon us, men sans tuxes are quickly going out of style. But don’t you worry your pretty little baseball cap-clad head because I have a solution for you. If you don’t have time to jet over to Hong Kong for a custom fitting, Menguin can save you. Here’s how it works: you go to the site, pick your style, complete online sizing, receive your tux well in advance of your event, and then put it back in the box it came in and send it away (exactly like Rent the Runway, but for men). You’re welcome.

V.  Always on the hunt for the new new in interior design, I was thrilled to find a POPSUGAR feature on the top trends for 2016. And I was even more thrilled to learn that it was curated by my oh-so-stylish friend Maggie Winterfeldt. Basically, she took a data approach to Pinterest in order to find what people want this year by examining hundreds of thousands of pins. The result is the most delicious eye candy I’ve seen in ages (including this outrageously chic gunmetal paint and cheeky bedroom art).

Have a wonderful week!  xx tt