Toronto, Canada + Copenhagen, Denmark
Hi everyone! We are calling this episode Drunk on Gregg's Couch. It's pretty clear why. We recorded this episode at our friend Gregg Monteith's home in Astoria while we were in New York City for this live show. We also made a little featurette while we were there - our first #10kForReels production - Rosé All Day Challenge. Go watch those videos for a hefty dose of entertainment. In addition to seeing many friends and recording many episodes, we got to do Afternoon Tea at The Pierre Hotel. Oh and we got mani/pedis, we brunched, we drank our body weight in wine over the course of the week. Basically us amateur basic bitches went pro. OH! You should also go watch this episode's Youtube Companion video. It is fan-freakin'-tastic.
Lulu gives an impressive hair flip as she turns to ask Alison what her obsession was this week. Alison emphatically answers oat milk. She is used to using almond milk in her coffee, but you know how it can be a bit thin? Try oat milk instead! It is creamy, and tasty, and made from oats, in case you were confused. You weren't? Yeah okay, me neither. Lulu is obsessed with the Roosevelt Island tram. She doesn't actually know any of the facts about it, but she lives on Roosevelt Island, so is asked frequently how you get there. While there are many ways - including a stop on the F train - she just loves taking the tram. People also ask her where Roosevelt Island even is, so if you are one of those who doesn't know, it is the thin strip of land between Manhattan and Queens where, according to her, "no one thinks anyone lives there". Well, Lulu does, and there are many interesting things to do there!
After discovering oat milk, Alison is wishing for a frother to make her at-home coffee taste next-level. "Frother, I don't even like her!" is just one of three witty quips Lulu has on the tip-of her tongue. It's just so funny, Listen to the wishlist segment from minute 6:32-9:17. Yes, I am giving you those time stamps so specifically, because it is absolutely worth you pausing right here and clicking play on the player at the top of the page. Go do it! Lulu is wishing for recreations of her favorite clothes. She has her absolute favorites that she has purchased in her travels all over the world in hole-in-the-walls and street markets, so has no way to buy more. Well, call me her fairy godmother because I will be making her wish come true very soon (Seeing a trip to Mood on our next trip to NYC). Stay tuned,we will share pictures all over social media!
Lulu stays in the executive suite at The Hazelton Hotel. She is super excited about the bathroom, with its heated floors, a soaking tub, and a tv built in to the mirror. Breakfast is at Eggspectation, which she picked simply because she thought the name was adorable. Well because of that and the Bay Bloody Caesar. It's a Bloody Mary with clam juice. Now for her first bar stop of this trip. Oh yes, there's more than one! The Lockhart is a tiny, Harry Potter-themed bar! "Not officially affiliated with the franchise, the bar has clever nods to the Hogwarts universe without being over-the-top". Drinks on the menu include the “Gin-ney Weasley” and their version of Butterbeer, served in a pewter stein with a toasted marshmallow on top. Lulu shares the ingredients of this Butterbeer imitation, so give the episode a listen if you want the scoop. They say to get there early because it gets packed, and seeing as its her first stop after breakfast, we think it's safe to say she gets a table. She must have been hungry when researching for her trip, because Lulu's next stop is at Holy Chuck Burger. She gets foie gras truffle poutine and a fudge, sea salt and fresh red chili milkshake. Enticing, no?
Now for some activities! She is doing the CN Tower Edgewalk, where you walk hands-free on a wide glass-bottom ledge that encircles the top of the tower. If you are not afraid, or even just minimally afraid of heights, you should go for this experience! Now for some shopping for one of Lulu's favorites - artisanal soaps - at The Good Bar. She buys their "Good Box", and a 1-year soap subscription. Next she takes a tour of Ontario Spring Water Sake Company. They bring in water from Japan to make their Sake, how incredible is that? Lulu buys four bottles of Sake, some for her and some as a souvenir for her sister. She heads to the Gardiner Museum to buy a Yumiko Katsuya sake serve set. For an affordable option, try one of these from Amazon. Now for something really Toronto, an visit to Cineforum, an illegal movie house run out of someone's house. The proprietor, Reg Hartt, has been doing these showings since the 60's. He stops the movie periodically to interject with educational tidbits. Interestingly enough, she heads to Medieval Times. Many would love this, but we don't see Lulu enjoying turkey legs and cheering on jousting. But if that's so you, check it out next time you are in Toronto!
She's still hungry so Lulu heads to Lake Inez, and is exciting to indulge in the two Filipino dishes on the menu. One last bar, guys. She's excited to try the modernist cocktails at BarChef, especially the Sailor's Mojito, with an ingredient called only "Beach Essence". She has not spent enough money at this point, like barely 3,000 dollars. So she buys this DVD/Audio Player and the DVD Box Set of Sports Night. She heads back to her hotel to binge-watch on the TV-in-the-bathroom-mirror whILE in her soaking tub with her new soaps and a bottle of Laphroaig QA Cask scotch. Her total spent is not incredible, at only~$6200, but she had the most incredible day!
Alison is excited to be staying at Nimb Hotel. The stylish, boutique hotel has a free-standing bathtub, luxury toiletries, and a fireplace in every room! First thing she does is a private three hour cruise that comes with breakfast and mimosas. On the cruise she stops to see The Little Mermaid Statue. It is one of those must visit sights in Copenhagen, though according to some it can be a bit underwhelming. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, the bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen is displayed on a rock by the waterside. A second one was built after vandals and protestors partially destroyed the original. The new one is just a couple hundred feet away from the original, and was designed by Bjørn Nørgaard. All about the private tours on this trip, Alison goes on the Private Hamlet Castle Tour. A tower, a dungeon – the palace lives up to its reputation. This World Heritage Site served as Frederik II’s fortress, Christian IV’s home and Shakespere’s scene for Hamlet.
Copenhagen is known for smorrebrod, the local speciality of rye bread topped with everything from fish to meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Royal Smushi Cafe takes the popular Danish dish and gives it a sushi-style twist, serving a range of bite-sized, layered smorrebrod. Next she goes to see the Throne of Denmark at Rosenberg Castle, described as follows - "opulence and fantasy collide in this royal chair which is supposedly made with unicorn horns." Just click that link and you'll see why she HAD to hire a photographer - Nataly Dauer - to take pictures of her on the throne, wearing this custom-made viking dress from Etsy. For dinner, Alison tries the tasting menu at Geranium. They have a wine pairing available, or juice pairings for those not inclined to imbibe. Obviously she chooses the wine pairing, and then heads to Denmark’s first champagne bar, Balthazar. Alison spends a couple of hundred dollars there shutting the place down when it closes at 2am. What a day!
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