The Lo Down: 7/23/25

This is why we can't have nice things...

Jul 23, 2025

Culture

We need to talk about spoilers. Specifically grinding my gears today: why do people feel the need to post the entire Lady Gaga tour setlist the day after the tour starts? Every outfit, every surprise moment, every inch of the production thrown online for everyone to see before most of us even have the chance to go. Why are we like this??

I didn’t need to spend thousands seeing The Eras Tour, because I saw it from every angle possible - unintentionally, and against my will I might add. The Brat tour? Pre-spoiled before I even stepped in the venue - I knew the rain was coming the moment “Track 10” started playing. And now, I’ve blocked “Gaga,” “Mayhem,” and every other related word on TikTok just to preserve some semblance of surprise before I see the show in August. Hell, even dodging Love Island spoilers had become a sport recently.

We’re living in an era of overconsumption. We know everything before it happens - concerts, movie plots, restaurant menus, even first dates. Nothing hits fresh anymore. And when you’ve seen it all before it even happens, you’re walking in with a script in your head instead of letting the moment unfold. We’re not having an experience - we’re just confirming what we’ve already seen. It messes with the magic. It sets us up for disappointment, or at the very least, clouds our experience with someone else’s opinion before we even form our own.

Am I being dramatic? Possibly. But I think there’s something deeper going on. We’ve become so addicted to knowing everything before it happens that we’ve forgotten what it feels like to be surprised, to be present, to let things unfold. It’s why I love going to the movies alone, letting a story hit me without the opinion of the person sitting next to me shaping my experience or expectations. It’s one of the reasons I don’t use dating apps - I’d prefer that the spark come before the scroll. It’s why I guard the few moments of surprise I have left - because mystery feels like a luxury now, and I crave those rare, unspoiled moments.

Fashion

The fall wedding invites are coming in hot, and I’ve been deep in dress-scouting mode. Here’s the ultimate edit with no budget constraints, plus a more wallet-conscious roundup of options under $500 (okay, $525 - this Sau Lee dress was too good to leave out). I’m constantly adding new finds to my ShopMy collections as I come across them, so check back often if you’re still on the hunt.

For more of what’s in my closet, what I’m currently obsessing over, shopping guides & more, check out my ShopMy. Looking for some personal style advice? Whether it’s for curating a flawless vacation wardrobe, hunting down the perfect shoes, or finding the best basics for your closet, I’m here to help—just reach out!

Food

Ha’s Snack Bar: an absolute scene on a steamy Wednesday night. Is it deserving of recently being crowned the #5 best restaurant in all of NYC? Probably not. But maybe that opinion is a side effect of the aforementioned internet opinions/spoilers. But I digress - Ha’s was great for what it was - a buzzy spot with exceptional small plates and interesting, cloudy wines. The order: tomato carpaccio with cucumber & sweet chili (beautiful, but not exceptional); snails with garlic & tamarind butter (THESE were exceptional - not overly garlicky); skate steamed with ginger, agretti & nuoc mam (one of two entree sized plates on the menu. Delish); coffee ice cream & candied pistachio (unremarkable); and the blueberry & peach cobbler (I didn’t find any peaches in it, but it was divine. The biscuit topping was unbelievably light and fluffy with a nice crunch on the top. It says it’s for two, but I could’ve easily put it back myself).

A Chicago digest (This will read as though I spent a full week in Chicago eating; it was merely just a weekend of extreme indulgence):

Oliver’s: Great service, very good food, okay atmosphere. Load up on starters & vegetable sides instead of mains. The order: oysters (not for me, but my dining companions said they were the best dressed oysters they’d ever had); stracciatella; toast royale; truffle gnocchi; cucumber salad; squash salad; the burger was good, but not life changing; and skip the chicken. Do not skip the Malted Milk & Cookies for dessert - truly the perfect way to end a meal.

Kasama: Another review that may be too harsh, but the hype was extremely high for this one. We got there about 45 minutes before they opened and there were ~17 people in front of us. Once they opened, it took about 40 minutes to actually get inside - they move extremely slowly. Was definitely let down by their famous breakfast sandwich (egg, cheese, hashbrown) - needed a little spice or something interesting to amp up the flavor, although the egg was perfectly cooked and fluffy and the crunch of the hashbrown balanced it nicely. As for the pastries, the stand out star was the black truffle croissant (even if it had way too many rock sugar crystals on top) and the citrus poppyseed poundcake topped with berry compote and whipped creme fraiche. The matcha pandan eclair and ube & huckleberry basque cake were good but not life changing, and certainly not worth waiting in line for.

Bavette’s: Did you catch my first ever TikTok lipsync? Bavette’s is the predecessor to my beloved 4 Charles, and there are a lot of similarities between the two, from the ambiance to the menu. 4 Charles wins out on service by a mile, but Bavette’s wins for better dessert (they do *the* sundae 10x better, and they also have a carrot cake on the menu).

Pizz’amici: great vibes, cute interior, and stellar tavern style pizza (an underappreciated variety of pizza imo). Something I’ve never seen before - Italian Beef on a pizza - had me feeling weary, but it was beyond delicious (get it with the giardiniera). The pepperoni + hot honey combo was also great, as was the caesar salad. The cannoli pie dessert was skippable.

Drip Collective & Allez Cafe for coffee & matcha with a side of cool vibes

Charis Listening Bar for cocktails

Redhot Ranch: It’s illegal to go to Chicago and not get a hot dog

Lou Malnati’s: hating on deep dish pizza is extremely lame. Long live Lou’s

SUGOi Sweets: this little shop unexpectedly had some of, if not, the very best soft serve I’ve ever had. It was a vegan (!!) black sesame & matcha swirl.

Current Obsession

This Jelly Mirror from the NYC-based brand Ready To Hang (RTH). Can’t decide which colorway I love more: Honey or Cherry (also love their campaign imagery for this launch):

On My Radar

Sirrah, a chic looking new French spot in Meatpacking

Smiley Coffee, a very cute looking new coffee shop on Ludlow

Ops, the Bushwick pizza favorite, just opened a new location in the East Village

Hani’s is now serving soft serve on Fridays & Saturdays from 6-10PM

Tacos 1986, an LA-import, is opening tomorrow in the West Village (Is it just me, or does it seem like there’s a new taco spot opening up weekly this yr?)

Until next week -