(A Place To...) Get Your Daily 'Bread'

Bread. Situated on the ground level of a townhouse on Spring Street in Soho there's a quaint little restauant. But it is after you pass through the thick, leather curtains guarding the interior from the stiff winter winds that it hits you: this place is cool. The layout of the restaurant in itself is unique; the first room is thin and long, with high ceilings, and all the tables are round or square two-seaters. What makes it stand out even more is the whitewashed brick wall interior, accompanied by a pressed tin ceiling and numerous one of a kind pieces of décor combine to give the space a real New York vibe.

Started in 2001, Bread is a family run business, and the recipes of simple, contemporary Italian food originate directly from extended family in Italy. Originally encompassing just the front room and offering only salads and panini’s, the restaurant eventually expanded into a back room, complete with a larger kitchen offering more dishes. Indeed, it was a general Google search for the ‘best salad in New York’ that led me to ‘Bread’ (the very food I was trying to abstain from!).

After speaking with the two owners and an assistant in the business, I learn where the flair for the unusual décor originates: the wife, and co-owner of the restaurant also works as a set designer and found many of the various pieces of art and other works from Italy. The neighborhood is constantly changing, with new shops and restaurants and I learn that in order to keep pace, no longer being a new restaurant, and especially in the vicious food world of New York, the décor is also constantly changing. The latest look was to aim for simplicity; white walls with a hint of colour here and there, but to really ‘let the food speak for itself.’ (While the food certainly does speak for itself, the décor is without a doubt noticeable, not obsolete, and was a large part of my dining experience).

Now to the food. The large lunch menu offers everything from appetizers of grilled octopus, to ten different salads, to a multitude of pastas and sandwiches. I opted for a butternut squash soup (made without cream), and a shrimp salad. Everything was delicious and wonderfully seasoned without being overwhelming.

The crowd is eclectic, from two French speaking people at the table beside me, to a colourful man with long, curly hair, bell-bottom jeans and a fedora hat with a band of feathers encircling the brim. The music was a solid choice of Motown hits, the Supremes and Marvin among the mix.

The restaurant was definitely a positive experience; I hadn’t even planned on blogging on it; luckily I had a camera on hand to document the event, as well as the luck to chat with the owners.

The restaurant from Spring St.

The long, narrow front room

Wine bottles artfully arranged at the bar

Whitewashed walls and eclectic art surround the tables for two

Shrimp salad with avocado and cherry tomatoes

A delightful seating area... for the summer months

Bread

20 Spring St. (Elizabeth and Mott)

New York, NY

Fun with Vintage: Linde Gallery St Barth

Located in les Hauts du Carré d'Or in Gustavia, the entrance to Linde Gallery is fringed by palm trees and comfortable lounge chairs, creating an oasis away from the busy bustling world of shops below. Guessing correctly that I had come to do research for a blog as I was armed with a large SLR camera,Jerome was only too happy to show me the back closet, filled with vintage treasures to satisfy any junkie. First and foremost upon entrance into Linde Gallery, the most noticeable aspects of the boutique are the sunglass cases. Upon closer inspection, you realize that all the sunglasses are vintage. Delve deeper, and Jerome will provide the full story: Back in the 1970s in Biarritz there was a lady who owned an optics shop. Upon closing the shop, rather than selling off the remaining stock of sunglasses, she chose to store them; complete in their boxes. Eventually, the sunglasses were slowly listed on eBay, where they caught the eye of the owner of Linde Gallery, who initially purchased small amounts of five or six. However, realizing the incredible opportunity to procure such a unique collection, the owner gradually purchased all 800 pairs, half of which today can be found in St Barth. From sunglasses, we moved on to vintage clothes, where I was able to try on stunning outfits, from a black tie cocktail dress to a mohair YSL piece. It turned out to be an extraordinary evening in what I wish was my own adult dress-up play room!

The pink pair of glasses are vintage Courreges in a style called 'The Mask' from the 1970s. One of, if not the first in its kind in this particular style, 'The Mask' inspired collections that can be found in stores today.

What makes these Givenchy shoes unique is that while worn on the runway, they were never mass produced for the public.

The photos in the background are the work of Parisian society photographer Philippe Morillon.

A white, faux fur vintage Courreges jacket complete with another look found among the hundreds of sunglasses.

Upon first glance, I thought that this incredible knit dress was just another YSL work. However, upon closer inspection, Jerome informed me that it is in fact a piece from the Tricot line, a branch from the designer that has been discontinued for quite some time.

Accompanied with the YSL are another pair of Givenchy shoes never produced for the public. They were so comfortable, too bad they were a size too big!

This fabulous party frock is designed by 'Tutto,' a fairly unknown Italian house and is believed to have originated in the 1970s. The sunglasses in the photo below are vintage YSL.

The Beginning

For a while now people have been telling me to create a blog. Not only would it be helpful for my future career in journalism, they tell me, but it would also be interesting for people to read about the various adventures in my life. I put off creating one for quite a while, but have finally decided to take the leap and put my creativity to work.

The name for the blog came to me from a great professor who once described a character in a novel as a 'Civilized Savage.' Those two words really spoke to me as they seemed to perfectly describe me- My love of sophistication; fashion, food, and the finer things in life, as well as my love of nature; in particular the ocean, or a deserted beach buffeted by 'savage' waves.

As time progresses, I plan to cover events in New York as well as other places I may travel, unique hideaways and fun places to eat, drink and dance. Lastly and most importantly, expect to read within this blog about fashion; from hidden vintage stores to runway show comments and individual street fashion.

I welcome and invite you to step into my world of 'Civilized Chic and Sultry Savage.'