Who am I? Originally from Alabama, I guess you could say I’ve been city hopping along the East Coast for eight years before arriving in NYC over seven years ago. Somewhere along the way, I turned in the keys to my car in favor of mass transit in flip flops and being crammed into tight subway cars with smelly passengers – a sacrifice I don’t regret.
When it comes to the kitchen, I’m a work in progress. However I’m well experienced in the art of ordering off of menus in tasty places. I’ve traveled from one end of the city to the other in the name of good food. I’m especially in hot pursuit of new brunch locales and the ever elusive good Mexican restaurant in New York. I’m a firm believer that smart diners always make dessert a priority, which is why you’ll often see desserts make an appearance here. Have a spot to suggest? Fire away!
By day I work a 9-6(ish) corporate job, but on the side I choose to spend most of my time revising my second book, posting here on my personal blog, taking my weekly trapeze class, and just hanging out with my fabulous Yorkie, Dixie. Like any foodie in NYC, I can usually be found having brunch somewhere on the weekend. Though I’ve reigned in my content here to have a food focus, feel free to hop over to my Tumblr account to see the rest of my ramblings, including my almost weekly trapeze video upload (also on YouTube) and more on my writing.
If that’s not enough, click here for some more random info on me.
Pull up a chair. Try to stave off hunger for a bit. Stay a while. And be sure to say hello!
grits in the city 
Hey Lara,
I dig the website! Very cool. It seems like you have settled in well in the NYC. Good luck on the book.
J 🙂
Thanks Jasen – thanks for shopping by! I’ll admit, book’s been on hold while the weather’s been nice. Winter promises to be a beast, so I’ll be staying warm putting the final touches on it for sure in my favorite coffee shop!
Hey LJ, I love the photo of the raspberry topped grits in your sidebar. I am originally from Slovakia, and there we eat plenty of grits too (actually the thinner farina porridge). We usually top it with cinnamon, cocoa and melted butter. Here is my recipe:
http://www.slovakcooking.com/2009/recipes/grits/
Hi Lara
You should check out a new Southern style cuisine restaurant in Prospect Heights Brooklyn called Elberta. They are located on Flatbush Avenue their shrimp & grits are awesome and if you are into unique desserts then try their “Chocolate bag” prada move over !! http://www.elbertabrooklyn.com
When does your book Blown Out come out? I was just reading about it on your site and it sounds awesome