The Lo Down: 10/9/25

Fame, focaccia, and the fine art of frustration...

Oct 09, 2025

Culture

I ended up buying a last minute ticket to the Addison Rae concert last weekend - and can confirm that that girl is living her best life. Watching her is realizing that this is what happens when you follow your dreams, believe in yourself, and block out your haters.

Is she the best singer or performer alive? No. But what she’s doing is uniquely her - fun, flirty, a little burlesque-y, and totally self-aware. She’s really so cute and happy and genuinely seems to be having the time of her life.

Her debut album is surprisingly strong - and the viral side by side Pitchfork reviews of her album vs Taylor Swift’s is both art and comedy (see below). What I love most about her music is that it’s not boy-centric like so much of the current pop landscape. I know heartbreak makes for good songs, but sometime it’s refreshing to just lean into the fun - to sing about fashion, money, and throwing on your wired headphones, blasting your favorite song, and forgetting your troubles, even if for just a moment.

TBH the “Life of a Showgirl” rating may be a little generous imo…

Food

I Cavallini is a restaurant that I was already looking forward to returning to before my meal was even over. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt that way about a restaurant. The ambiance, service, and food were all 10/10. The order: focaccia with whipped ricotta and roasted cherry tomatoes (some of the best bread ever); a salad whose ingredients I can’t remember (it had no business being that good for a simple salad); trofie pasta with pesto (hands down the best pesto I’ve had outside of Italy); farfallone pasta with calabrian chili butter and smoked pancetta; gnocchetti sardi with shrimp, beans, and herb butter; and tiramisu for dessert (again - hands down the best I’ve had outside of Italy)! Run, don’t walk!

Misc

I - like most people, I assume - tend to lean into things I’m already good at. If something doesn’t come naturally, I just…move on. I’m a perfectionist to a painful degree. If you know me, you probably know I love handwriting letters and postcards (and that I had a random platonic penpal who lived in New Zealand a few years back. Hope he’s doing well).

If you’ve been on the receiving end of one of those letters, though, you also know my penmanship isn’t great. And I feel like it’s only gotten worse with time. But for the past 2 years or so, I’ve had email newsletters from the Society of Scribes hitting my inbox every so often, and I finally decided to pull the trigger and sign up for a class.

So last weekend, I spent ten hours (five on Saturday, five on Sunday) in a classroom, repeatedly dipping my pen into an inkwell and painstakingly writing and rewriting the alphabet. It was…humbling and frustrating. Truly so much harder than I expected. And I hated how bad I felt I was at it. I left the first day with a raging migraine, went home, popped 3 advil, and took a nap (which I never ever do).

Apparently, though, it’s good to do things you’re not naturally good at - something about growth or whatever - so I showed up for day 2. Those full 10 hours were just learning to write individual letters (five hours of lowercase, five hours of uppercase). No words, no sentences. I’ll have to practice that part on my own time, I guess.

It’s frustrating, but I want to try to stick with it. Maybe once I get the hang of it, it will be the meditative hobby I envisioned, instead of the migraine-inducing one it is at present.

Current Obsession

My Aurate tennis necklace. I’m getting countless compliments it lately, and I’ve honestly never been a tennis necklace girlie, but this one changed my mind. It adds a sophisticated, luxe touch to my typical necklace stack (and is not an insane price for the quality).

They’ve graciously extended a personal discount code for me to share with my readers, which will get you 20% off your order on their website (code: LORENONEILL20). Think I may need the matching bracelet now…

On My Radar

The Sandy Liang x GAP collab launching tomorrow at 10AM (I have my eye on the lace tech jacket & joggers, and the layered long sleeve tee)

Madison Fare’s new location in Greenwich Village (cannot wait to finally try this)

“Death for Dinner,” the series of immersive murder mystery weekends at The Six Bells (weekends of Dec 5, Jan 17, Feb 21, March 21, April 17, May 2). Email theinn@thesixbells.com to book and for more info.

The I Love NY Fall Foliage report

Cove, the new restaurant from Flynn McGarry

Wild Cherry, a new restaurant in collaboration between A24 and the culinary team from Frenchette & Le Veau d’Or, inside of the Cherry Lane Theater

Until next week -