Food
If you’re in NYC, I suggest you to take the ferry on over to Red Hook for an afternoon adventure while the weather is still nice! Plan your day backwards: make a reservation for an early dinner at Red Hook Tavern (I was skeptical, but the burger absolutely lived up to the hype! One of the best I’ve ever had, if not *the* best); Start your afternoon over at Pioneer Works for a little bit of culture; Walk down to Brooklyn Crab for a beverage & some light bites (sit upstairs); meander around the neighborhood and pop in to some of the many boutiques (don’t skip Taurus Vintage or Open Invite); Stroll back towards the water for a sweet treat at Steve’s Key Lime Pie; Grab a seat outside on the waterfront at Red Hook Cidery / Strong Rope Brewery (bring a deck of cards, obvi); Then, hopefully it’s time for your reservation at Red Hook Tavern, and you can just waltz by the insanely long walk-in line to your reserved table.
Teruko: I feel like this place has flown under the radar since it opened. They seemingly have tons of reservations available daily, which made me skeptical; but figured we’d try it in a pinch when we needed a last minute reservation. It really surprised me - both the food & service were excellent. The restaurant, located in the basement of the Hotel Chelsea, has a dark & moody vibe that is distinctly different from the rest of the hotel’s spaces. Definitely a good new date spot (followed by $40 martinis in the lobby bar, of course).
Adda: I know the cuisine here is regionally different than at Semma, but since they’re from the same restaurant group, it feels fair to compare the two. Adda blows Semma out of the water (I still don’t understand how it was crowned the best restaurant in all of NYC). The order: dahi tamatar (amazing), bhatti da murgh (v spicy but great), malawani macchi (my favorite dish of the night), ananas paneer tikka (yum), and the gucchi and kumbh pulao (the only thing I wouldn’t necessarily recommend). Really great service, despite feeling ever so slightly rushed. Definitely do the mini kulfi pops for dessert (dipped tableside in your choice of chocolate). Need to return for their special advanced-booking “Butter Chicken Experience”.
Thai Diner: a perfect rainy day meal is the Khao Soi from Thai Diner. No notes.
Bartolo: This restaurant has an impossibly chic aura. Cozy, intimate, luxuriously designed, with a cool airiness and the doors flung open (probably not for much longer, so try to go before the weather turns!). I’ll be the first to admit that Spanish food is among my least favorite cuisines - but the food was good and there were more than enough options on the menu that I was enthusiastic to try (and thoroughly enjoyed). Service was great and I was surprised that it already felt like a well-oiled machine despite opening within the past month or so. This spot is definitely going to enter the lexicon of West Village *it* restaurants.
Fashion
Did you know that some of the coolest vintage gems in the city are stashed away on the 2nd floor of an inconspicuous Chinatown mall? I know it’s not new, but it is new to me (thanks, TikTok). I’m not the biggest vintage girl - I usually find it too overwhelming - but it’s occasionally fun to browse and discover. The 2nd floor of the mall at 75 E Broadway is where it’s all going down. James Veloria is the shop that caught my eye and piqued my interest to visit. I suggest popping in and out of all of the different shops around the floor. Definitely don’t skip Old Jewelry - my friend & I both snagged interesting, special pieces there.
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!
Arts & Culture
After visiting the Collectible Design Fair last weekend, I really wish more than ever that I was the lucky Powerball winner. Collectible is showcase of contemporary objects, and there were so many swoon-worthy pieces that I wish I could design an entire home around. These are my favorite things I saw:
This cabinet from Toro Manifesto
Every single thing in the booth at Tuleste Factory
This dreamy lamp from Yuxuan Huang
Morphus, a “multi sensory lounge” system that would help anyone to become a meditation wizard
The hand blown glass pieces from Homa
This lamp from Jesse Groom
Movies & TV
I finally saw Weapons this week, and…each and every one of you lied to me about it not being scary. I was positively skittish on my walk home from the theater (and for the remainder of the night). No spoilers, but it was a truly chaotic ride…I don’t think I would’ve finished the movie if I were watching it at home. I do sincerely love the originality of it, though (and the ending was worth sticking it out for). I love love love supporting independent theaters, and we’ve already lost so many gems over the years in the city, but the Village East was absolutely testing my patience said evening - theater #5 had a screen that barely rivaled the size of my living room TV, and the AC was completely broken. Ugh.
Current Obsession
I know I’ve mentioned this already, but it’s worth including again - my weekly flower subscription with Botanical Brothers brings me great joy each week. An easy way to dip my toe into flower arranging without the stress of going to the flower market and picking them out myself, a box of unique fresh stems arrive at my doorstep each week, complete with an informative guide to each flower and suggestions on how to arrange and care for them.
If you’re in NYC and want to give it a try, you can get 50% off your first order (that’s $25 for a stunning gorgeous bouquet of flowers - unheard of in NYC!) using my referral code. It’s not a big commitment, and is super easy to skip weeks, reschedule, or cancel all together if you ultimately don’t vibe (I know that’s the biggest pain usually with subscription services)!
On My Radar
Hear me out…the newly renovated W Hotel Union Square looks like a really chic place to have a cocktail?!
Part Two, a luxury vintage pop up market this weekend in Soho (Saturday & Sunday)
The Eighty Six, a new steakhouse from the people behind The Corner Store, will surely break the curse over at 86 Bedford
Jane Krakowski is taking over the titular role in “Oh, Mary!” from 10/14-12/7. This is my dream casting, tbh.
Fonty’s, a new WV sandwich shop with a focus on Indian flavors
Ansa Coffee, a new tech based cafe and “Micro-Coffee-Roastery” in Soho
Until next week -
xo
Lo
I always feel like a snob for not choosing a restaurant with so many reservations available on resy! If I'm not click spamming Resy at 8am on a Tuesday, will the steak frites even be worth it?
Neeeeeed to go to the W Hotel Union Square (never thought I’d say that)