One of my closest friends has just moved to NYC, so I’m always keeping my eye out for great places to visit (and so I can live vicariously through her experiences!). This is one such find, Brook Farm General Store, located under the Willamsburg Bridge, Brooklyn. They have a great philosophy in offering both old and new products but all that are simple, useful and timeless. You can shop online, but no shipping to OZ yet. Might have to send an order with my friend to bring home at Christmas! The recycled glass vase and Lampe Gras in black would be on my shopping list. Anything you would put straight on your shopping list?

(images: Brook Farm General Store)

Back to the grindstone, after a lovely weekend in Mudgee for the food and wine festival. It was my first time to Mudgee,  it had that great country charm with some ‘city-fied’ influences. Had great coffee all weekend, and of course the surrounding wineries and cheese houses offered fantastic tastings. Here are a few of the highlights from the weekend.

Coffee at The Butcher cafe (above) – this great cafe set up in an old Butchers, white and blue tiles and all.

Wine tasting at Andrew Harris Winery, set just outside Mudgee on the Sydney road, it had a very quaint tasting room set up in an old shearing shed and beautifully decorated inside. We bought a great white and should have bought this fabulous port we tasted. Best one I’ve had!

Then along to Logan Wines – one of my all time favourite wineries. With a gorgeous modern tasting room, set against the rolling hills and landscape of Mudgee. The wines are fantastic and a regular on our dining table. You can order online and receive their newsletter. The packaging and design were created by Sydney studio War Designs (also very brilliant), and this only adds to the experience at Logan (recently shown in the design bible D&AD 2009 book).

We discovered the beautiful homewares store, Juliet Horsley, whom had just recently opened. A truely lovely store with everything ranging from beautiful linen napery, to Birch tree lamps and tea light holders, to straw cowboy hats and white dinnerware.

The wineries offer great tastings and food goods. We tasted some great free range proscuitto from The Farmers Pantry, who also sell in Sydney at the Pyrmont markets, and tasted some beautiful wines. My only recommendation, is try and organise a tour or a designated driver, because after a few little tastes driving is that last thing you should be doing. Rather sitting out in the sun, enjoying the local produce.

(images taken by elki. Juliet Horsley from her site here)

[images sourced from Conde Nast Traveller, The Vine]