Bushwick, Brooklyn, is one of those parts of town that’s in the process of being gentrified.

This means that everyone who lived there previously is getting pissed, and everyone who never set foot there before is now flocking there to rent an apartment or try a new hipster coffee shop.

I used to work in Bushwick about two years ago, and it’s changed so much! When a friend of mine invited me to dinner/drinks at a place called Forrest Point, I was amazed that it was the same part of town.

To start, I had the Genji Gimlet which included Brooklyn Gin, Dry Sake, Green Chartreuse, Sesame Honey, Lime, Yuzu, and Toasted Sesame Tincture. It was really good and easy to drink. I also got this Rebecca Minkoff bag for sale at TJ Maxx for just $40 the other week, so figured I’d showcase that too.

For dinner, I was set on the eggplant sandwich but then the waitress decided to elaborate upon their “secret” burger menu and she literally saw my eyes light up when she mentioned a jalapeño mac and cheese burger. So my friend’s girlfriend and I decided to split the eggplant sandwich and the burger so we could have both. Always a great decision, because I always want to try everything possible.

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich: Marinated eggplant, roasted tomatoes, grilled halloumi, watercress, lemon-caper pesto. 

For dessert, we went across the street to Bake Shop, which was allegedly named as having the best chocolate cake in NYC or some shit. Once we saw that award, we were convinced. I got a Brooklyn Blackout cupcake and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.

The frosting was overly rich and the cake was dry. I’ve had way better cupcakes in NYC. I really like Baked By Melissa because I can get so many flavors without feeling sick afterwards, and Georgetown Cupcakes never disappoints, although I may be partial because I’m from DC.

Thankfully, even though the cupcake was sub-par, they did have a really cute side wall for a photo op…

Outfit details:

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (similar here)

Flannel: Thrifted for $2 (brand is Sears lol)

Bodysuit: Nastygal (on sale, mine is an XXS if that helps)

Shorts: American Eagle (similar here)

Socks: Betsey Johnson (similar here)

Shoes: YRU (on SALE)

Florals for spring? Groundbreaking.

I’m not usually a big fan of floral. It’s not that I don’t like floral on other people, it’s just not usually my style. But randomly, for some reason or another, I’ll occasionally see a floral piece that I like. Maybe it’s a very specific pattern that I’m into, maybe it’s a dark floral pattern that’ll fit better with my wardrobe, or maybe it’s just the warm weather has got to me.

When I went to Buffalo Exchange to trade in some old clothes, I spotted this bright yellow floral dress from H&M that was only $7. I was really in need of an easy dress to throw on when it was hot as balls outside, and this dress also seemed like it would be cute for casual day drinks or whatever. When my boyfriend saw my purchase, he was a bit confused and said “that’s not something I would ever see you buying.” And I said, “well, you don’t know how I’m going to style it…”

I paired the dress with a pair of super-high but super-comfy wedges I bought from Nastygal Shoe Cult a few years ago (similar here), a Zana Bayne choker (similar here), and a vintage leather Versace backpack (similar here). Here are some other accessories that would totally toughen up a floral look.
Chain Reaction Choker, Alien Outfitters (Use code ASHLEYU15 for discount!), Linked Mini Bucket Bag, Zana Bayne, Demonia Gloom Platforms, Dolls Kill.

I was really obsessed with how this look came together, so my apologies for so many pictures, hope you like them too 🙂

All shots by Pixilens

I’ve always dressed in a way that attracts attention, whether that attention be because I’m showing skin or because I’m dressing very differently than all the “normal” people around me. But in all the times I’ve gone out to dinner in a low-cut top or a cleavage bearing dress, I’ve never caught a waiter checking me out the way I did at Moshulu last night.

I wore this bodysuit from Nastygal (buy it here), a double-slitted maxi skirt from Tobi (same style in different colors here), and gladiator sandals from Nordstrom Rack. I was showing a lot of skin, and I’m not complaining about the waiter’s reaction or anything–it was just funny and I thought I’d share.

BTW– both of these items make it so easy to have a wardrobe malfunction in! The bodysuit made me actually pay attention to my posture for once so that the fabric didn’t gape open and show my nipples to innocent bystanders. Likewise, wearing this very flowy and open skirt on a windy day would ensure that your ass got flashed to everybody. The bodysuit is a thong, so I had to make sure I was holding down the skirt whenever I felt a breeze.

Upon walking up to the table to greet us, our waiter’s eyes got wide as he stared at my chest and he exclaimed, “that’s a nice….beer!” He suddenly started gesturing at my Yard’s Love Stout that I had gotten at the bar while waiting for the table. Besides that incident, he was an awesome waiter, he asked my boyfriend and I if we were celebrating anything and brought us complimentary champagne and dessert with the words “Happy Anniversary” written in chocolate sauce, maybe he was extra nice to make up for his accidental creepiness?

I thought the whole checking out my boobs incident was funny, my boyfriend maybe didn’t so much. Don’t worry, he still tipped him 20%.

Not sure what I love more about this beer, the tattoo logo or the hints of chocolate :p

Anyways…the food at Moshulu was wonderful and so was the service (besides the boob incident). I feel like there are so many places with good food in Philadelphia that the service can really distinguish one place from another. Moshulu was probably the second best service I’d had in Philadelphia, second only to Lacroix, which is my all-time fave place in Philly.

I chose the Oak Vineyards White Zinfandel because my boyfriend loves sweet rosés (v manly of him), it also didn’t hurt that it was the chepeast wine on the menu. When we got the wine, I realized why it was the cheapest because it tasted so sweet and sugary, reminded me of a Barefoot Moscato. Regardless, it still got me drunk which is the important thing.

We started off with the House Made Charcuterie and Artisan Cheese and it was awesome. The only thing left on the plate afterwards was some mustard. I really liked that they served thin crostini so that you didn’t lose any cheese or meat flavors to big hunks of bread. My personal favorite was the brie+fig+jam combo, it was fucking amazing.

My boyfriend went for the 14 OZ. Creek Stone 28 Day Dry Aged NY Strip Steak, and I went for two appetizers as my entree because I hate making decisions and I love tasting as many things as possible. I got the Prime Beef Steak Tartare and the California Shrimp Crunch Roll. We also got a side of Crab Mac + Cheese, which made me wonder why more restaurants don’t do crab in their mac rather than lobster? Because it was amazing.

Prime Beef Steak Tartar with American Caviar, goat cheese croquettes, caper remoulade relish, and crostini.

Beef tartare can be a hit or a miss, and this was absolutely a hit. The beef was super flavorful and the caviar on top added even more. I would’ve potentially liked thicker bread to balance out the powerful flavors, but the crostini was awesome too. As for the goat cheese croquettes…let’s just say I never met a fried cheese that I didn’t like.

California Shrimp Crunch Roll with kani salad, mango, and avocado masago shrimp crunch.

Compared to everything else we had, I think the sushi was surprisingly the least exciting. The kani was overpowering and you couldn’t really make out the mango and avocado flavors. That being said, it’s not like I didn’t eat it anyways.

Creek Stone 28 day dry aged NY Strip Steak with potato gratin, asparagus, and a balsamic black pepper reduction.

Crab mac and cheese with truffle bread crumbs.

Like I said previously, the crab mac and cheese was really on another level. It wasn’t overbearingly creamy, the truffle bread crumbs added a perfect crunch, and there was even a little spice (possibly from the crab?). Although we ended up taking some stuff home since we were stuffed, we made sure to finish all of this.

Hey, even though the waiter checked out my boobs way too obviously, he did make up for it with some complimentary champagne and this cute little sorbet plate. After all, isn’t that what showing cleavage is for, free drinks? JK…kinda?

Anyways, the only thing better than the food at Moshulu was the amazing natural lighting we got from sitting outside, because all these pics were taken on my Iphone. I definitely recommend it next time you’re in Philly, if not for the crab mac then for the Instagram food porn potential.