partyin' and partyin' and partyin' YEAH

some of you know i've been working for red bull here and there as a photographer.
it's probs been my favorite handful of social photography settings i've gotten to work. they're always really different and diverse and exciting jobs. this last saturday, red bull sponsored a halloween party near campus that i was asked to work by my good friend & red bull representative, matt rosenfeld.

um, duh. that's all i'll say.

if you can take anything from little red riding hood, the big bad wolf, a power ranger, an indian, a guido, some nerds, and drunken lindsey lohan: drink red bull. it gives you wings!

happy halloween, everyone!

a piece of havana

last weekend nic and i went to a piece of havana in charlotte, nc.
yes, i am eating cuban food nonstop, lately. i ain't even mad about it either.
i'm a big fan of all the stuff nic has cooked for me and i'm a big fan of all the food he's gotten me to eat at restaurants and other places in the name of his cuban background.

the place was adorable and cozy and had a nice classy and hip hispanic vibe. it was a place where i felt okay with stuffing my face and enjoying a crap ton of not crappy food.

appetizer: havana tamale (tamale habanero)

cornmeal stuffed with meat, topped with their house mojo sauce and served with these marinated pork chunks, topped with marinated onions

appetizer (to the left): mariquitas 

thin slices of fried plantains served with their house mojo sauce.

meal (to the right): roasted pork (lechon asado) 

(nic and i got the same thing)

their 12 hour marinated, 4 to 6 hour slow cooked, roasted pork - slightly pulled and grilled, served with sautéed onions. side of beans, white rice, and sweet plantains.

dessert: cuban coffee (café cubano)

dessert: flan!

caramel and cream and cherry and yum.

piece of havana: yes, do it, delicious. 

click here to visit a piece of havana's website!

cuban fewd always.

dinner by nic, last week in charlotte: plantains, ACP, wine

 (ignore the palm olive, please.)

get on this level.

get on this level, too.

on the go

i have been studying biology nonstop.

i love it but i hate it. 

shown above:

i instagramed this artsy fartsy three dimensional structure of photosystems II as determined by x-ray crystallography. psII is a big fat deal in photosynthesis because it can oxidize water (which includes oxidizing oxygen which isn’t something that can just happen) in the manganese cluster, which ultimately leads to the byproduct of oxygen from plants so all you bitches can breathe and not die.

i pray to god i do well on this exam. i never know how i'm going to do.

the god of all french bakeries.

amélie's.

seriously.

i can't even with this place.

do you like bakeries? okay, cool. me too. do you like unique interior design? what about a funky place to chill out and eat/sip on some crazy delicious and hip snacks or cakes or goodies? i know, it sounds too damn good to be true. well, it's not. 

like i said, i can't even with this place. in the best way possible. 

about a month ago when nic and i made my first trip to charlotte, this was one of the first places he took me. it's a 24 hour bakery that has the looks of a picasso painting, a sweet old grandma's living room, alice in wonderland's journey down the rabbit hole, and a sketch comedy act. you'll never feel more relaxed and entertained standing or sitting in a bakery. plus, the main thing: the baked goods are freaking ridiculous. and they have a [small but amazing] gluten free section!

pearl and upside down wine glass chandeliers! 

mona's a fan.

a not gluten free napoleon nic got. it was so beautiful i almost cried. 

napoleon with a [gluten free] raspberry dark chocolate cup truffle. 

nic eating mentioned [gluten free] raspberry dark chocolate truffle cup.

napoleon bathing in all it's glory. featured with my french lavender lemonade and nic's hand.

mine and nic's desserts becoming friends.

color and flavor and nothing less. not too sweet, not too rich, not too anything except perfect. a gluten free plate of desserts offered by this bakery, something enough to make my eyes and mouth water. it's been a long time since i've been able to walk into a bakery and pick something out for myself that is gluten free AND delicious. it's a rarity. not here, though. 

macarons are those little cakes you see pictures of everywhere, and you think they look rainbow UFOs. guess what? you're right. there are pictures of them everywhere (now featured on this blog, too) and they do look like rainbow UFOs. with a little research i found out they are gluten free (if made correctly). 

featured above is a wild berry macaron (purple), lemon cream (yellow), and cinnamon sugar (i think you can figure out which one that is on your own). they each have a very unique taste, but all taste amazing. there is quite a large selection of flavors (and colors, duh) to choose from. they are a bit pricey, being around $1.70 ish each. it's well worth it for a unique gluten free sweet. 

this is probably the one dessert that made me want to throw it up and eat it again. i don't even care if that sounds gross. made with a special almond flour (or so is what the woman at the counter told me) is a fistful raspberry teacake. it was probably the best baked anything i've had since i was gluten free. it was moist and buttery and didn't have any sort of gritty texture that i've found comes with most gluten free cakes. it was the perfect size that was seriously my perfect dessert. price ranged around the $1.70 per tea cake, also. 

i definitely recommend this bakery to anyone who likes um, food? dessert? good tasting food? nice everything? yeah. if you like being happy, go here and eat. if you like being miserable and eating a steady diet of shit, never come close to this place.

i really want a teacake now.