After a blogging hiatus, Castle Court is back on this beautiful Friday morning in NYC!  


What a better way to return to the blogging world than to wish William and Kate a HAPPY 1st ANNIVERSARY!  It was 1 year ago tomorrow that I jumped out of bed on a Friday morning at 4:30am to start watching the footage for the Royal Wedding.


Here is the video slideshow that I debuted 1 year ago in honor of William and Kate's royal wedding.  


Happy Anniversary Will and Kate!  And for you, get your tissues out, this slideshow may make you cry!


Will & Kate: A Royal Slideshow!

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Happy Thanksgiving eCard from Castle Court Images!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!  Click on your eCard above! 

Castle Court Images will create your family eCard 

to share with friends and fam for the holidays!

1) Email us your pictures and names of your family members to kim@castlecourtimages.com 

2) We will create your eCard and send back to you!

Farm-to-Table Cuisine in Connecticut - with a 'Twist'!

TODAY'S CHEFS

I didn't realize, until I read this article below on The Feast, that the same month (May) that I moved out of Greenwich and back to NYC, a wonderful Chef and friend of my mom's, Chef Francois Kwaku-Dongo of L'Escale, also left town for a new venture. Although my friends and family may miss me, an entire community of Greenwich & Fairfield Counties, Westchester County and NYC foodies looking for an escape will miss him. 

Chef Francoise (as my mom calls him) moved north in May to prepare to open two new restaurants located at the newly branded Madison Beach Hotel in the coastal town of Madison, CT. The restaurants are: The Wharf and Tides on the Sound.  He describes his new restaurants as a "twist" to farm-to-table cuisine - as he will cook with fresh local ingredients and also says his menu will be 80% seafood.  

Finally a world renown chef is uncovering the beautiful seacoast and farms that Connecticut has to offer.  As Chef Francois has been so creative with his delicious & elegant dishes at L'escale, moving up to Madison is an opportunity to be actual neighbors to many Connecticut farms. 

I was introduced to local farm-to-table meals for the first time at restaurants like Scopa & Barndiva in Sonoma County's culinary jewel of Healdsburg, California.  The food at these restaurants are unbelievably delicious and you can taste and smell the farm-fresh ingredients in every single bite. It truly carries the culinary experience to a whole other level. It is also both relaxing & exciting when the menus online are just samples and the actual menu changes each day depending on what the restaurant has fresh from the farms.  Chef Francoise will embrace this daily menu for a number of his dishes in his two new restaurants.  

To top it off, Chef Francoise is extremely friendly and has such a unique life growing up in the Ivory Coast and quickly proving his multiple talents in the Epicurean world, working with Wolfgang Puck as his mentor. This may be my local answer to Healdsburg, with an East Coast "twist".  Madison is LUCKY to have him...and remember Local Farms, The Madison Beach Hotel & Chef Francoise are only a car-ride away!

L'Escale Chef Moves to Madison 

article: www.thefeast.com
Kitchen Roulette by Peyton Dougherty

and Chef Francois Kwaku-Dongo, the acclaimed Wolfgang Puck protege who's presided over the kitchen at Greenwich's L'Escale since 2005, has decided to leave the famed dining destination and head north for a similar position at the rebranded Madison Beach Hotel. Kwaku-Dongo left L'Escale on May 1. On or around July 1, he will open two restaurants, The Wharf and Tides on the Sound, at the family-owned boutique hotel that just finished a massive renovation.

"I was looking for a place where I could serve locally-produced cuisine, and where I could meet farmers and be part of a small community," Kwaku-Dongo tells The Feast. "Our menu will be more influenced by New England [than it was at] L'Escale. It's my twist on farm-to-table dining and will probably be about 80-percent seafood."

Kwaku-Dongo was raised in Ivory Coast. After attending college in Manhattan, he worked as a Sous Chef under Francesco Antonucci at Remi and later caught the eye of Puck. He served under the famed celebrity chef throughout the nineties, holding Executive Chef titles at SpagoWest Hollywood and Spago Chicago before relocating to Greenwich.

Madison, CT is a beautiful CT historic beachtown on Long Island Sound, great for relaxing, biking, farmstands, kayaking and spending time with your family.  The sunsets are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen and is not too far from wine-tasting, antiquing and much more crowded and touristy yet fun for kids, Mystic, CT.

xo Kim

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Rachel Platten's 'Be Here' : See her perform Live!

Happy Friday....

THIS WEEKEND'S MUSIC TOUR HEADS SOUTH!

My Friend from Trinity and brilliant singer/song writer, Rachel Platten, is performing with her band tonight in Baltimore AT THE 8x10, tomorrow night in Charlotte, NC at The Evening Muse and Sunday night in Atlanta at Park Tavern!   

Rachel's tour below which opened in NYC on May 3rd, features her brand new album 'Be Here'.  I was there and it was amazing!  Rachel signed with Rock Ridge Music (distributed by ADA/Warner Music Group) in January.  

Share this with Maryland, DC, Charlotte, NC & Atlanta friends!  Her album is amazing and upbeat...She's so fun live & seriously every song is great!

Upcoming shows for 'Be Here' tour

• Friday, June 10 7:00 pm    TONIGHT!
• Rachel Platten in Baltimore MD, 6/10 @ 8x10
• The 8x10: 10 E Cross St, Baltimore, MD (MAP)
• Share

• Saturday, June 11 7:00 pm    TOMORROW NIGHT!
• Rachel Platten in Charlotte NC, 6/11 @ The Evening Muse
• The Evening Muse: 3227 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC (MAP)
• Share

• Sunday, June 12 6:00 pm
• Rachel Platten in Atlanta GA, 6/12 @ Park Tavern
• Park Tavern: 500 10th St NE, Atlanta, GA (MAP)
• Share

• Monday, June 13 8:00 pm
• Rachel Platten live web show! 6/05 on StageIt.com
• http://www.stageit.com: New York, NY (MAP)
• Share

• Wednesday, June 15 7:00 pm
• Rachel Platten in Columbia SC, 6/15 @ New Brookland Tavern
• New Brookland Tavern: 122 State St, W Columbia, SC (MAP)
• Share

• Friday, June 17 8:00 pm
• Rachel Platten in Gatlinburg TN, 6/17 @ Hard Rock Cafe
• Hard Rock Cafe Gatlinburg: 515 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN (MAP)
• Share

• Wednesday, June 22 7:00 pm
• Rachel Platten in Columbus OH, 6/22 @ Brothers Drake
• Brothers Drake: 26 E 5th Ave, Columbus, OH (MAP)
• Share

• Friday, July 8 7:00 pm
• Rachel Platten in Boston, 7/8 @ Cafe 939
• Cafe 939: 1140 Boylston St., Boston, MA (MAP)
• Share

• Tuesday, July 12 10:30 pm
• Rachel Platten in NYC, 7/12 @ Rockwood Music HAll
• Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2): 196 Allen St, New York, NY (MAP)
• (Buy tickets)
• Share

• Wednesday, July 13 7:00 pm
• Rachel Platten in Newton Square, 7/13 @ Burlap and Bean
• Burlap and Bean: 204 S Newtown Street Rd., Newtown Square, PA (MAP)
• (Buy tickets)
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• Wednesday, July 20 7:00 pm
• (Early) Rachel Platten live in Chicago @ Schuba's Tavern, 7/20
• Schubas Tavern: 3159 N Southport Ave., Chicago, IL (MAP)
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• Thursday, July 21 8:00 pm
• Rachel Platten live in Indianapolis @ Birdy's, 7/21
• Birdy's Bar & Grill: 2131 E 71st St., Indianapolis, IN (MAP)
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• Friday, July 22 9:00 pm
• Rachel Platten live in Rockford @ Kryptonite, 7/22
• Kryptonite: 308 W State St., Rockford, IL (MAP)
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• Saturday, July 23 8:00 pm
• Rachel Platten live in Duluth @ Beaner's, 7/23
• Beaner's Central: 324 N Central Ave., Duluth, MN (MAP)
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• Tuesday, July 26 7:00 pm
• Rachel Platten live in Fargo @ The Aquarium, 7/26
• The Aquarium: 226 Broadway, Fargo, ND (MAP)
• Share

• Wednesday, July 27 8:00 pm
• Rachel Platten live in Omaha @ The Waiting Room, 7/27
• The Waiting Room Lounge: 6212 Maple St., Omaha, NE (MAP)
• Share

• Friday, July 29 8:00 pm
• Rachel Platten live in Fairfield @ Cafe Paradiso, 7/29
• Cafe Paradiso: 101 North Main Street, Fairfield, No State (MAP)
• Share

• Saturday, July 30 8:00 pm
• Rachel Platten live in Minneapolis @ Fine Line, 7/30
• Fine Line Music Café: 318 1st Ave. N, Minneapolis, MN (MAP)
• Share

• Tuesday, August 2 7:00 pm
• Rachel Platten in Pittsburgh, 8/2 @ Club Cafe
• Club Cafe: 56-58 S 12th St., Pittsburgh, PA (MAP)
• Share

• Saturday, September 24 8:00 pm
• Rachel Platten live @ Hotel Carolina Music Festival, 9/24
• Windjammer: 1008 Ocean Blvd., Isle Of Palms, SC (MAP)
• (Buy tickets)
• Share

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!  XO

castle court images: videos for your family memories & events

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email: kim@castlecourtimages.com

phone: 203.561.0974

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