Author: Nicole Isaacs

GUIDE TO TURKS & CAICOS

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Hi!!! I’ve been away in Turks and Caicos and finally settled back in Los Angeles and catching up on the blog. I have so much content to share so it’s taking me some time to get organized. I wanted to share my experience, give you some recommendations when traveling to T&C, and share with you some of my favorite pictures. I’m also doing a Turks & Caicos Top Three feature for Haute Living, so be sure to check that out once it’s live on their site to see exclusive pictures and adventures from my trip! Turks & Caicos VLOG coming soon too… http://hauteliving.com/2015/04/travel-blogger-miss-jetsetter-explores-the-best-of-turks-and-caicos/561552/ Known for it’s pristine beaches with beautiful turquoise water and white sand, Providenciales Island in Turks & Caicos is the ultimate beach lover’s vacation destination. I stayed for nine days which is a pretty long time to be on the island, but it gave me ample time to really discover the best the island has to offer. From visiting all the luxurious resorts, dining at the top recommended restaurants, and looking into all the excursions …

PLAN CHECK KITCHEN + BAR, LOS ANGELES

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Amazing burger alert! I’ve been to Plan Check Bar on Fairfax a couple times now, and I keep going back for their burgers. The “Chef’s Favorite Burger” in particular. The first time I went to Plan Check, I tried the “PCB” (Plan Check Burger) and was blown away by how good it was. The second time I tried the “Chef’s Favorite Burger”, and I decided I liked that one even better. These burgers are extremely rich- they are saucy and sloppy but if you’re in the mood for it and hungry, it’s extremely satisfying and delicious. I recommend trying both. I loved the crunch bun on the “PCB”, but I loved the cheese, bacon and hot sauce on the “Chef’s Favorite”- and it also has a fried egg! One thing that was unique about both these burgers is the “ketchup leather”. Instead of traditional ketchup, it’s in a texture of a fruit roll up. I was skeptical when I saw it on the menu because you know I love my sauce, but it worked perfect with …

IKE’S PLACE, SAN FRANCISCO

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I had to stop at Ike’s Place in San Francisco. I’ve had it on my San Fran “food bucket list” after I saw it on an episode of Man Vs. Food with Adam Richman on the Travel Channel a few years ago. You know I love me a good sandwich or burger- it’s my favorite food. So it was only appropriate that out of all the incredible culinary restaurants that San Francisco has to offer, I chose to get down and dirty with an epic, sloppy sandwich at Ike’s Place. Not only did I have one of the best sandwiches of my life, I got to meet and chat with Mr. Ike Shehadeh himself! He suggested what sandwiches to try and I ordered all of his suggestions, (obvi). The sandwich Ike told me to personally order was the Paul Ruebens, made with pastrami, french dressing, poppyseed coleslaw, and I substituted swiss for havarti cheese. The variety of sandwiches offered at Ike’s Place is overwhelming but in a good way- there is so much to choose from and all the …

SAN FRANCISCO

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I just came back from San Francisco and fell in love! I haven’t been there since I was  a little girl with my family, so it was almost like experiencing the city for the first time. I chose the perfect weekend in March- the weather was amazing. I loved the charm of the Victorian architecture, the hilly streets, the marina bay and the buzz and excitement of the city. San Francisco is a foodie’s heaven. It’s such a culinary city with so many incredible restaurants and places to eat. I was overwhelmed! I actually did more exploring this time because I was on other people’s schedules so it wasn’t so much of a foodie trip, but I will be back to do a San Francisco food tour soon! I did stop at the famous Ike’s Place for a sandwich, and it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. I will be blogging about Ike’s Place in my next post. I couldn’t go to San Francisco without making a visit to the iconic “Painted Ladies” …

HACHE LA

Published by Nicole Isaacs

You know I love a good burger. I was invited to Hache LA in Silverlake to make my own burger in their kitchen! I did everything from grind the meat, make the patty, grill and garnish the burger. I even got to make my own fresh strawberry basil lemonade and homemade custards! I had so much fun. They use steak meat from a sirloin cut and you can see them grinding the steak meat as  your order.  At Hache LA, they make all their sauces from scratch as well as their custards and specialty drinks. You can taste the quality, and everything is delicious. It is a great burger so for all you burger lovers out there, make a stop at Hache LA and tell me what you think! I personally recommend the “Karma Burger”. The special Karma sauce is addicting! Enjoy!!!

BELFAST & DUBLIN, IRELAND

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I’m finally catching up on posting about my travels. I’ve had a crazy couple of months with work because of award season and fashion weeks! Sorry for the delay. I want to make sure I’m all caught up before leaving again for my next big trip! I visited Ireland during Christmas this past December. I flew from Edinburgh, Scotland to Belfast which is an easy 45 minute flight. I stayed at the Culloden Estate & Spa in Northern Ireland located in the Holywood Hills overlooking Belfast City and the Antrim coastline. Unfortunately the city of Belfast was shut down because of Christmas Eve but I did book a private Game of Thrones Tour which took us up the coast of Northern Ireland and showed us all the main areas where they film the show which was so incredibly awesome! We also made a stop at the Giant’s Causeway which is a World Heritage Site and a must see if you are in Northern Ireland. My favorite site I visited though was the Dark Hedges, which …

EDINBURGH & GLASGOW AT THE BALMORAL HOTEL, SCOTLAND

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I went to Scotland during Christmas time and LOVED it! I stayed in Edinburgh at the Balmoral Hotel which was highly recommended  by multiple people. The hotel is beautiful, it looks like a palace from the outside. Edinburgh during Christmas time in my opinion, was the best time to go. The streets were festive and lit up with lights, and there was a Christmas Market right next to our hotel with a Ferris wheel, an ice skating rink , delicious food and desserts and several handmade jewelery vendors and  “trinkets” for sale. It was so charming. The historical architecture in Edinburgh is beautiful. The buildings and castles are from hundreds of years ago, and there are traditional Scottish pubs and bars that have been there for centuries as well. When you walk the streets of Edinburgh you feel like you are taken back in time. The “Old Town” was built in the 15th/16th century and the “New Town” was built closer to the 1800’s. It’s a small city so in one day you can get …

2015 OSCAR ROUND UP

Published by Nicole Isaacs

Award season has come to an end. I have been posting my favorite looks after most of the award shows this season, and I wanted to share my Oscar favorites! I like to post about it because I love seeing the red carpet fashion from all the A-listers at the big award shows. Also, a lot of my followers don’t know this, but aside from travel & food blogging, I am a field producer for E! Fashion Police. I’ve been working on the show for over four years now, so  I’m programmed to be excited about all the fashion because it’s been my life for the past couple years. However, I truly do get excited and love seeing the big fashion moments on the carpet. My top two favorites last night at the Oscars were Rosemund Pike in Givenchy, and Zoe Saldana in Atelier Versace. How insane does Zoe look after having twins just a couple months ago?! She killed it. Two of my honorable mentions are Reese Witherspoon in Tom Ford and Gwyneth Paltrow …

CARBONE, NYC

Published by Nicole Isaacs

I went to Carbone for dinner after the NBA All Star game in New York this past Sunday. My sister who lives in New York, made a reservation for Carbone a month in advance. It’s not easy to get in. I was sitting court side at the All Star Game and had to leave at half time and give up my court side seat to make it in time for our 10:15pm reservation! You might think I’m crazy to give up my court side seat, but if you know me, you know how I take food very seriously so I wasn’t going to let this reservation go to waste. During halftime, I FINALLY had the chance to meet Jay Z (which I’ve been waiting my whole life for), so I was coming off a high. I felt like my life was complete, so it made leaving the game a little easier (ha). Before talking about the food, I have to mention that our table was a foot away from Nas at Carbone. We chatted through out dinner and …