Barrio Chino

Name: Barrio Chino
Location: Sydney, Australia
Design: Mandy Edge Design

I love the gritty, rustic nature of Barrio Chino. Located in Sydney and designed to represent the Mexican cuisine and aesthetic, without going to stereotypical 'Mexican Restaurant'. the aged wall treatment, exposed brick, warm wood, and industrial accent all add to the level of refine-grittiness.

All images © Yellow Trace

Happy National Grilled Cheese Day

Today happens to be National Grilled Cheese Day and I, for one, am extremely happy about this. One of my favorite neighborhood lunch spots from my stint in San Francisco was The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. They featured gourmet versions of your childhood favorites and they did not disappoint.  Take a look at their space and their sandwiches and be sure to stop by the next time you are in S.F.

Image 1 © Grub Street SF

Image 2- 7©American Grilled Cheese Facebook page

Cafe Foam

Name: Cafe Foam
Location: Stockholm
Design: Note

I love a good pop of pink as much as the next girl, but it has to be done correctly. The wrong tone or shade and the wrong application can completely ruin any good pink intention.
Cafe foam, located in Stockholm, created a cafe with vibrant pink splashed through. It's just enough to create a punch and some visual interest while allowing the blonde wood and scandinavian vibe to be aptly apparent. What do you think, too much?

All images © Dwell

Local Favorite: Balena

Name: Balena
Location: Chicago, IL
Design: Karen Herold/ 555 Int.

Having just opened this past Wednesday, Balena is easily one of the most anticipated opening in Chicago. With the sneak peak videos, take out pizza, and Karen Herold behind the wheel for design (Girl & the Goat), expectations where high and murmurs of what it would look like were everywhere.
The rustic and warm interior perfectly suits the rustic italian fare being presented. With a touch of vintage and warm wood beams and shelving, the space feels like it could be straight out of Italy, while the modern touches and metal bar surround help remind you of it's Chicago local.

All images © Eater Chicago

Handsome Coffee Roasters

Name: Handsome Coffee Roasters
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Architecture: Kari Richardson 
Design: Woodsmithe


Handsome Coffee Roasters, located in the arts district of LA encompasses some of my favorite elements for any hospitality/restaurant design; simplicity, natural materials & color palate, quality product, great branding and concept, and attention to details.
The subway tiles on the coffee bar are replicated in aged oak along the back wall and features a laser etched branding detail. I also love the glass walls separating the roasting from the coffee bar, allowing customers a visual connection to the art and process. By focusing in on the concept, they were able to keep the design simple and pure, allowing the coffee to shine in it's environment.

Image 1-3 © Hypebeast

Image 5 © Cool Hunting

Image 4,6 © selectism.com

Little Building cafe

Name: Little Building Cafe
Location: Mississippi
Designer: Annie Coggan/ Coggan+Crawford

Little Building Cafe is the perfect example of not taking yourself too seriously. With a color palate of blue and white and a shot of color interspersed, the interior is playful and fun. The layout is straightforward with seating along a single wall and BOH space along the other and an added skylight opens up the small space. What I love most about the space is it's simplicity and overall feeling of relatability. It seems fittings of it's surroundings and not more or less than what is needed for it's demographics and area.

All photos © Yatzer via Annie Coggan

Frog N Snail

Name: Frog N Snail
Location: Chicago, IL

Newly opened in lakeview, Dale Levitski's (Top Chef season 3)newest spot looks like it will easily be a hit for the area. A bistro/coffee shop concept, it features a natural palate of browns and greens to create a clean, refined-rustic vibe. I can't wait to check it out and see how the interior turned out in person.

Image 1 -3 © eater chicago