A few things to make the best time of year even better…

The Meadow – 532 Hudson Street

The Meadow came into my life on a recent post-Sixteen Handles walk. Thankfully my frequent froyo partner in crime Emmy knew it was the kind of place I would be pretty into. The Meadow sells three things: salt, chocolate, and bitters. Shoppers can taste test different varieties of all three, while navigating the tiny shop, and every inch of the store is filled to the brim with gourmet goodness. Emmy suggested we try the truffle salt and black salt, and both were great. Fun fact: salt has flavors… I didn’t know that before. Prices at The Meadow are pretty reasonable, especially when it comes to the wall of chocolate bars. I got this treat for $4. And before you judge,  think salty/crunchy/sweet to inform your opinion.

Ed Sheeran

Before you judge Ed Sheeran for being 22 and the opening act on Taylor Swift’s tour, listen to his album “Plus.” Good music doesn’t always have to be loud and in your face, and Plus is a subtle, almost hypnotic record that gracefully weaves together rock, folk, R&B, and hip hop influences. Since Ed is lumped into the “teen pop” world, it’s easy to overlook him, but after his performance at the recent Billboard Music Awards, that’s no longer the case. Following over-produced, vocal track-heavy acts like Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Will-I-Am, Ed took the stage with a guitar, an amp, and his voice, and blew them all out of the water. I was lucky enough to see him perform at a small Fuse-hosted event, and his raw talent is something that doesn’t come along often. Also, “Kiss Me” might be the most romantic song ever written, and I’d argue that with any music aficionado out there.

Saturday Window Shop – Various

Combine the fashions of Kate Spade with those crazy touch screens in Minority Report, and you have the genius that is the Saturday Window Shop. Use the touch screen to literally window shop through Kate Spade’s more affordable Saturday offerings, and whatever you choose to purchase will be delivered to you an hour later. Just like that. The only thing left to be desired is a brick and mortar Saturday shop. Though, my bank account would probably disagree with me on that.

Faux-Cro-Nut – Gregory’s Coffee – 874 6th Avenue 

Last summer you couldn’t read a food blog without reading the words “Mission Chinese Food,” but these days it’s talk of the Cronut that’s crowding the blogosphere. The donut/croissant hybrid created by Dominique Ansel Bakery is the most desired sweet treat out there, resulting in Disney World-type lines, and Craigslist schemes inflating the pastry’s price upwards of $40. If all that sounds like crazy talk, then do what I did, and buy the Cro-Dough from Gregory’s Coffee. Same results, without the extraordinary measures. Maybe once the hoopla dies down, I’ll head over to Dominique Ansel’s, but in the meantime, the flaky and sweet faux-cro is just fine.