This ain't no small potatoes!!!!

So, there i was, in my t-shirt & sweat pants, being a total couch potato... when the hunger pain hit! I was mashing my brains out, trying to figure out wat i was gonna eat for dinner......


I was searching menugpages, freewilliamsburg, and "spud"denly realized what i really wanted was a loaded potato from potato cafe.....

I was keeping my eyes peeled as i scrolled through listings, trying to find the menu....


Then, i just searched potato cafe williamsburg, and something "spud"tacular happened!


At the top of my search was a link...... It said potato cafe..... but.... it was a myspace page...???


i thought to myself "this seems interesting..." if i only knew that i was going to get sucked into the world of potatos, i might have ordered Italian....


To see the myspace!:


http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=192743217


* make sure to pause the music when watching videos


*heres the menu for all you potato-heads that want want some potato cafe today! (they only accept cash for now, But Rael expects to be able to take cards soon!)

(i find it morrally correct to give my bff eran credit to introducing me to potato cafe, thanx eran! i'll take you with me for the sweet, test tasting later!)

ERAN a frequent Potato Cafe customer, also known as "Dude", has a bit to say:

"I love 'em! The homemade pesto is great! I love everything!"

Charmaine and her brother, Rael Started the Cafe in Sept. 07 after Rael had a drunken night partying.....( Ch. actually can't remember where Rael was partying.... when he had the amazing idea!)

Rael and his original partner were so excited about the business opportunity, except there was once problem, Rael did not know how to cook!

So naturally he asked his sister to come on board.... and bring her years of potato experience to the table! (or cutting table!)

(Interview)

Hey Charmaine, i'm calling from Farylrobin... we have this blog...... .... ....

(questions)
Me: Have you ever thought about venturing out to other roots/vegetables like Onions, Radishes, or Squash? Or does your Loyalty lie with the Potato?

Ch: Yes, actually... Sweet potatoes (Charmaine giggles) As far as toppings, we believe if it can go on pasta, it can go on potatoes.....

Me: Will you ever offer Potato Pastry's such as "Spudnuts" w/ optional toppings?

(this question was inspired by Lauras early roots in the midwest and memory's of her childhood trips to Papa's doughnuts)

Ch: Um.... yes, marshmallow, caramel potatoes... we were thinking of sweet potatoes w/ marshmallows and chocolate..

Me: Can i be the first to try it? :)

Ch: Of course, i just need to find a damn sweet potato! i went to union square market, and was like $20!!! i think i'll stick to idaho... (giggles)..., i'll call you when i test it...

Me: Wats ur favorite Potato entree?

Ch: Chilli con carne, just cause i've practiced it for 15 years....

Me: How did you get into the Potato Industry? Have potatoes always been a passion of yours?

(thanx julia, good question!)

Ch: hahahhahahah no! (to passion), i never dreamt i'd be in the potato industry, not in a million years! (laughing)... but duty calls & my brother gave me no choice.....

me: What is a fun fact about potatoes for our readers?

Ch: oh, well.... well, well... let me think of a fun fact... How about they cook in 2-3 min! you can eat the skin? wait, thats not a fun fact.... how about the long list of toppings we offer, thats fun enough!!!

After getting the whole company riled up Julia & I called Charmaine back and asked her if there was any way we could get potato cafe delivered from williamsburg to soho!!! She hesitantly said "Hold on, let me ask my delivery guy" (i reminded her there was extra tip involved)... When she called back, in between laughs, she told me what he said....

"Who the F, do you think i am!"

(thats a sad NO julia.... if you want a potato, looks like your going to willy!)

Charmaine is so sweet and fun, and the potatoes are amazing! She promised to call me when she masters her new sweet recipe.. she told me to come by anytime, but not this weekend, Because she going to Stowe, VT to taste Vermont Potatoes!!! (thats even more interesting!)

So now i'm obviously curious about Vermont potatoes..................

I decided to call our Account, Well Heeled in Stowe, Vermont and ask Lisa....

http://wellheeledstowe.com/

Me: Lisa, whats so good about Vermont Potatoes that Charmaine is willing to travel?

L: There ain't no spuds coming up around here!.... Boy, we got snow to our knees & the cutest shoes around! :)

*Including the sold-out, wait-listed, Cuter than any potato........ CAMPO IN CARAMEL!!! (which even more interestingly looks kinda like the colour of a potato!)
*Lisa is willing to do Mail-Sales for a limited time for our devoted Farylrobin fans who have religiously called every week trying to get this shoe!!!

(Thanx Lisa, we'll be in touch soon!)

Interesting Potato History:

1) Mr. Potato Head was invented by George Lerner in the early 1950s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Potato_Head

2)Paul Greengard won the 2000 medicine Nobel for nerve-cell research, but he also came in first in a potato-sack race at a New York Boy Scout jamboree!

http://discovermagazine.com/2006/oct/20-things-nobel-prizes

*robbed of your childhood?click on link below!

http://www.kids-fun-and-games.com/child-party-game.html

3) The self educated Luther Burbank (1849-1926) was an American plant breeder, who actually invented the Russet Burbank potato (also called the Idaho potato), in 1871.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1900a.shtml

4) James Brown had two Mashed Potato related chart Hits! (Do the) Mashed Potatoes (1960) and Mashed Potatoes U.S.A. (1962)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashed_Potato

(thanx Jane, our new design assistant, great potato history!)

5) French fries were introduced to Americans when President Thomas Jefferson served them at the White House.

http://www.stim.com/Stim-x/9.2/fries/fries.html

6) In October 1995, the potato was the first vegetable to be grown in space. (yes, it is a vegetable)

7) The potato is the second most consumed food in the United States - trailing only after milk products.

Looks like theres a world of potatoes out there! you can even listen to Potato Music!

http://www.potatoengine.com/potatoradio/

(thanx agian Julia, looks like potato talk has inspired you! :)

All right boys and girls...... i think thats enough potato talk for today... Feel the need to fact check me? got an interesting potato fact, trivia, or history? Wanna have potato talk? :) tell me what you think!!!! Tell me a funny story about potatoes.... anything!!!

~alex~

Eve loves the Edie!

Recently Farylrobin has ventured into the world of facebook and has received a warm welcoming from its fans!  Eve from Brooklyn wrote us a message and I just had to post it in our blog.

I found your FB through farylrobin.com and I thought it would be the best place to send over a simple compliment. I spotted my boots at DSW and was mysteriously drawn to them. I was on a mission to find flat, brown, non-suede boots so that I'd be comfortable, they'd match with my brown wardrobe, and I could wear them in non-perfect winter weather. so I got these boots, and it turns out they are also the most comfortable shoes I own, and I own a lot of shoes.

I wanted to share a photo from a winter walk around midtown.

I was so ecstatic about boots that were stylin' and comfy.. they opened up a whole part of the sidewalk that heels kept me from exploring. :)

Hope this reaches someone who'd appreciate it. Thanks!

-Eve



Eve, we definitely love to hear from our customers:) I have worn the edie like crazy too!

If you are addicted to facebook as much as we are- be our friend!

My Visit to NEDA!!!!!

So Neda & I have been emailing back & forth for quite some time and trying to get together so she could take another look at some of her Spring Samples..... On Wed. we finally made it happen and BOY did I fall in love with her store!



It wasn't my first trip to Cobble Hill (as I live in Williamsburg, I'm on the other side of Brooklyn), but it was my first time walking down Court street. Neda glows like an Amethyst crystal amidst a block of other cute boutiques and family-owned restaurants. Conveniently, there is a Dry Clean/Alteration stop a block or two away which is gold to those of us who thrive in a world of immediate gratification.


When I first walked in, I was blown away by the most colourful chandelier I think I've ever seen.

Neda was clearly an accessory designer before she launched her stores and you can tell by the acute attention to detail. Every item in her boutique screams "carefully selected" and all of her merchandise seems to sing in a choir of harmony.

And though the shop sees the scope of all colours its purple and warm tones of brown that Neda seems to love the most.

Aside from the great finds you get at http://www.shopneda.com/ , you'll also be charmed by the sweet faces of Nandini & Erica......

(luv those bags!!!)

And if these two sweethearts can't make you smile, then if you ask nicely maybe, and just maybe, you'll be lucky enough to meet Neda's adorable Poochie named Ito, (comes from one of the Spanish suffixes that you use to make things small and endearing)

If you live in Brooklyn or not too far away, I'd suggest stopping in for a peek at what makes us all love fashion! Be sure to check out her other store in Park Slope on 7th. And here's a preview of her FARYLROBIN selections for the coming spring!

Wee (flat punch & stud thong) in White available May-ish

Entworth (flat peep-toe w/ blue sting-ray) in Tan available March-ish

Song (platform sandal) in shimery Cromo (silver) available April-ish

Have a great weekend boys & gurls!!!!!

Shoes across the Country...

So we decided to take a break from making stylishly comfortable shoes and see what is outside the Farylrobin office. Holiday vacation was the perfect time to do it since most of us come from different parts of the country. We packed our bags and cameras and headed to the West, the Midwest, the South, and of course the East to find out what shoes the world is really wearing! So here is what we found…

LA is getting chilly!

Let’s start in the West. I am originally from Los Angeles and like most southern Californians wore my Rainbow flip flops year round. The weather didn’t require wearing more than that most of the time and transitioning from going to the mall and then meeting your friends at the beach for a bonfire was easy! I went back and went to one of the few places people actually walk in LA—Melrose. Guess what I saw.

Uggs or Ugg inspired boots were very popular…still. As my dear friend Alex would say, “friends don’t let friends wear Ugg-ly shoes!” If I didn’t feel for myself how cold it got in LA this year, I would have totally laughed at the idea of wearing an Ugg boot in LA, but now that Global Warming is in full effect and temperature lows are hitting 40's, I understand that warmth is becoming more of a necessity as it is for us in New York. But I have to say this—there are options!

Here are just 2 of the shoes that I saw my entire trip that stood out to me. (It may be due to the fact that they are not Uggs)

I like the black boot because it’s a tough shoe that can be worn casual or dressed up. The little fur-lined ankle bootie is actually my dear friend Jen’s. She lives in New York, but went to high school with me. I’ve seen her wear this in New York, but figured I’d cheat on this assignment a little by using it as an LA shoe. Even though this shoe is just “visiting” it would be a great option for the West Coast. It’s both casual and stylish and the fur accent is a good option instead of Uggs!

I couldn't resist. This is my bff, Yvonne's french bulldog!! Devin wants me to take it off, but she's so cute!

xxDonna

It's a White Christmas in Wisconsin!

Well, I went home to Wisconsin for Christmas and New Years and was bombarded with snow, snow, and more snow. The trend in the Midwest at the moment is boots and rubber toed shoes...anything that keeps your feet warm, happy, and dry. Where Uggs are a fashion statement on the West Coast, Uggs in the Midwest are meant to keep your tootsies toasty. There is definitely more focus on function over fashion in Wisconsin, especially if you have to get up every morning and shovel through a heap load of snow to get your car out of the drive way... Here are a few photos I took.

The first is of course three different versions of rubber toed shoes. The ones on the right with the white are mine....Lands' End baby, based in Dodgeville, WI. The key to a perfect shoe for the winter weather, is something you can slip right on without having to tie and untie. These shoes are perfect for that because they have stretch elastic around the back to easily slip your foot in and out. OH and also make sure you have some good tread on the bottom, so you don't slip and fall in a snow bank.

Next is a photo I took of a thrift shop find my friend Leah had on. Although a lot of people like wearing Doc Marten's and Frye boots....it is nice to see a good looking vintage boot. Leah wore these to the New Years cocktail party my friend Darren threw. The party was cocktail attire, but with Leah's sense of humor, she showed up in a square dance outfit...boots included:) I love the look of old mushy leather!


I know I stated the shoes in Wisconsin were all about function, but that doesn't mean you can't wear a pair of ballet flats around the house. My younger sister Hannah and my little cousin Dana ( who I fear will be taller than me next year) wore the same black ballet flats with pin tucked stitching across the front. Dana's even rocking the skinny jeans which is not so common in rural WI...go Dana!

Lastly for kicks...here is a pic of me stuck in the snow. So now you can see why everyone's wearing boots:)

Stay Warm,

          Laura

They're Diggin' Purple on the East Coast

So I was having a conversation with my girlfriend on how we've both seen a lot of purple in the world of shoes lately. Specifically, within the past few weeks I've seen a lot of purple pumps.  And no….I don't mean these!!! Haha

A friend of mine picked up some very cool purple suede pumps from a local Brooklyn vintage shop. They even had a cute little bow in the back.

I saw these purple boots on a woman who was clearly enjoying the effects of global warming. She told me it's not often she gets to wear a mini-skirt in January!

This sexy club-goer was sporting some funky purple satin and silver metallic leather platform T-strap pumps and black tights. I don't know how she managed to walk in these while sober, let alone after a few drinks.

In the same night, while out on the town w/ my roommate, I ran into this young lady, who….although, not sporting purple shoes was wearing a really cool (and bright!!) pair of sparkling purple stockings.

In celebrity news, I found a few celebs sporting purple pumps as colorful accents to their wardrobe as well. I thought Tracy Ellis Ross looked great in her purple pumps. (then again…I'm a sucker for great legs!!)

And finally…I had to get in on the purple action myself. As some of you know, I am a complete sneaker fiend…and couldn't help myself when I saw these. Take a look at my most recent purchase for New Years. (I'm wearing them right now)
Devin

Bring on Da'Heat baby....

Cold in Jacksonville Florida means you have to wear a cardigan & closed toe for the one week it actually drops below 60. I had so much fun and believe me when i say i didn't pull my scarf or gloves outta my carry on the whole trip.... But I ran around with old bff's and watch my boyfriends & gurlfriends trot around in their flip-flops per usual. Some things never change..... I told my lovely sister on xmas day to not let me 4get to take my shoe fotos 4 work and she got really inspired at my dads haus when my step mom BEV walked in the room with slip ons... "See Alex, even Bev's got on slip-ons!" See the product of my amazing sister's photography below.




My adorable nephew just has to stick his fingers or feet in every picture!

Tales from the Crypt,

Alex

It's beginning to look a lot like...Spring?

Flying home to North Carolina, I kept hoping for the same thing I hope for every year – a white Christmas. However, I quickly realized that there would be no snow or even a reason to wear my new leather gloves my brother gave me, because it felt like the beginning days of Spring! Although it felt great outside, I truly love having the four different seasons. I was ready to be bundled up! The boots I have adjusted to wearing in New York were put away (as well as the clothes I packed), and I was able to pull out my favorite kind of shoes… flats! They are oh so great and practical – cute, funky, and totally comfortable. I guess women in North Carolina were on the same page, because I saw flats absolutely everywhere – all kinds of colors, prints, and materials. I really could have walked a mile in some of these shoes!

These are shoes my mom got for Christmas. They are actually wellie loafers, which is so cool! The leopard keeps them trendy and they won’t get messed up on a rainy day!


Okay, everyone needs one pair that they can just put on quickly and run to the store – and these seem to be someone’s pick!


It is always great to just have solid colors – they go with everything! I love how these have the different textures and materials.



It was December, so I did see some boots. I absolutely love this first pair of vintage ones, and the other pair is great as well!



And just so everyone knows… as soon as I left NC, it did get cold for about a week!

xoxo,
Julia

NY POST INTERVIEWS FARYL!

If case you missed this Sunday's New York Post feature story on Faryl Robin Morse and her favorite New York picks, check it out!



To read the entire article click here for the online version: http://www.nypost.com/seven/01062008/entertainment/my_new_york__faryl_robin_608340.htm

What are some of your favorite New York spots?