A New York Holiday – Downtown Magazine

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me… Eleven pipers piping, Ten Lords-a-Leaping, Nine Ladies Dancing, Eight Maids-a-Milking, Seven Swans-a-Swimming, Six Geese-a-laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and A Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, we’ve chosen one of everyone’s all-time favorites: Chocolate. Savor, enjoy, indulge. It’s ok! This holiday, give the gift of sweet, indulgent chocolates. Always a hit, and you might just get offered a piece or two yourself.

Knipschildt’s Madeleine

This sweet indulgence is hand-crafted using a dark chocolate ganache and a French Perigord truffle. The ganache is made using 71% single bean Ecuadorian dark chocolate mixed with fresh cream that has been infused for 24 hours with the flavor of vanilla-beans and pure Italian truffle oil. The ganache is then shaped around the French Perigord truffle (the truffle alone costs up to $1,000 per pound/454 grams), then dipped in 71% Ecuadorian dark chocolate and rolled in cocoa powder. Our mouths are watering just writing this.

Ladurée

The history of Parisian tea rooms is intimately tied to the history of the Ladurée family. It all began in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée, a man from France’s southwest, created a bakery in Paris at 16 rue Royale.

David Holder is no ordinary president. Constantly jetting from place to place, this Parisian-at-heart is instinctive, visionary, warm, and open. He rarely stays in one place for long and yet is always fully present, attentive to the world that surrounds him, and keen to share his various interests.

Right here in Downtown Soho, we have one of our favorite locations for our sweet tooth and where you will find our dear friend Elisabeth Holder Raberin, President of Ladurée U.S. Operations. Be sure to tell her Downtown sent you!

“The Ladurée life: dreams, little pleasures enjoyed here and there, fantasy, rainbows and marshmallows.
It’s what we wish to share: the Ladurée Dream.”

Neuhaus

Back in 1857, Jean Neuhaus settles in Brussels and opens a pharmacy in the prestigious Galerie de la Reine. With his customers’ well-being at heart, he covers his medicines with a layer of chocolate to make them more palatable.

For more than 160 years, Neuhaus has remained the originator, the innovator, and the quintessence of Belgian Chocolate excellence. Neuhaus chocolate is a symphony of taste and texture – still crafted entirely in Belgium with the finest non-GMO ingredients from the best regions of the world. Always composed with the utmost care by our Maîtres Chocolatiers and imported fresh weekly. At Neuhaus, we believe in taking the time for real and profound human connection. Because, ultimately, we believe that the refined chocolates we create bring people moments of joy and connection to one another, enhancing their well-being.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… a partridge in a pear tree.

Or in this case, we’ve chosen two or our favorite gifts by designer Minnie Rose for the first of the 12 days of Christmas. Founded in 2005, Minnie Rose delivers luxurious cashmere and knitwear designed by fashion insider Lisa Shaller-Goldberg, the driving force behind iconic 90s and 2000s brands Juicy Couture, Camp Beverly Hills, Ugg Australia, True Religion, and Hard Candy. Minnie Rose is named as a tribute to Lisa’s wild-spirited grandmothers, a perpetual source of love, comfort, and support.

Celebrity fans include the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, Selma Blair, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria, Giuliana Rancic, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lisa Rinna, January Jones, Oprah Winfrey, Vanessa Hudgens and Christie Brinkley. Minnie Rose’s collection is available at high-profile specialty boutiques such as Planet Blue, Neiman Marcus, Elyse Walker, Stanley Korshak, Shopbop, and Minnie Rose. This luxurious collection will range from $84 – $450.

On the first day of Christmas, if you wake up to this stunning cropped cardigan with fur collar, we’re sure it will delight all your senses. There’s nothing quite like the soft touch of cashmere on your skin. It’s hard to imagine that the impossibly soft material could ever keep you warm, but this elegant cardigan does just that. Choose from vibrant colors such as Varsity Blue, Cardinal, White or more, for this dyed-to-match Fur Cardi.

Coziness On Point

There are lots of ways to achieve the perfect balance of coziness; you could wear your partner’s oversized winter socks, snuggle up in your favorite adult onesie, or relax by the fireplace in these Gucci-inspired horse bit and fur pom pom slippers by Minnie Rose. Yes, ladies… it’s time to throw away your stretched-out old slippers, and sink your feet into graceful and stylish ones instead.