Notes from New York
Plus! A better lunchbox, a gripping podcast, and the show I binged while I had COVID.
Covid got the best of my family this past week, taking me out on the occasion of our 11th wedding anniversary in New York City. We had two nights together, sans children, and a lovely room at the Brooklyn Ace Hotel (great location). All dolled up, we sat in a window seat at i Sodi, marveling at the throngs of people waiting in line at sister restaurants Bar Pisellino and Via Carota across the street. My sense of insolation from the crowds was suddenly eclipsed by the familiar wave of fatigue (this is my fourth time with COVID, despite being one of first and last people in the airport to wear a mask).
I was grateful to be taken down after all my city fun was had. Earlier that week I spent time sniffing essential oils and essences with Anne Serrano-McClain, the perfumer behind the Sisters collection of body products. Sister and I are working on a custom soap and candle collaboration and Anne was our olfactory guide, wooing us with shiso, mimosa, and neroli in their purest form.
I spent lot of time and money buying rare spices, powdered butter, and fresh Iranian pine nuts in their shells at SOS Chefs in the East Village, and I visited the atelier of Thank You Have A Good Day, where the designers let me fondle dead-stock silk and vintage fabrics sourced from all over the country for their one-of-a-kind clothes. I walked the seemingly endless floors of the WSA building, where suddenly everyone has an office, and I sold a case of my Salad Toppers to Happier Grocery, the most New York--ified interpretation of a supermarket one could conjure.
Beyond all of this, I was in the city doing research for a very exciting upcoming project (not ready to blab about it yet), but let’s just say it necessitated lots of eating out in restaurants and taking notes. Sure, I’ll share them with you. Why not?*
Borgo: I had the pleasure of attending the opening party for restaurateur Andrew Tarlow’s first Manhattan spot on East 27th street. The location at first felt like a curveball, but now I feel so much more secure just knowing there is something to eat above 14th street. Everything was delicious in that signature Tarlow way, from the fave e cicoria to the SheWolf bread and cured meats. The renovation is classic, with a cozy backyard and a big open kitchen. I can’t wait to go back for a proper meal.
Agi’s Counter: New Hungarian food in Crown Heights, this place beckons to the Ashkanazi Jew in me (which is 100% of me). The decor is a tad twee (terrazzo counter, lace curtains etc.), but the food is playfully plated, thoughtful, and familiar with just enough flair. The deviled eggs are served over an herb oil, with a fat white anchovy on top. The Caesar Salad is made with chicories in lieu of romaine, heavily dressed and dusted with caraway seed breadcrumbs. They are opening a steakhouse in Red Hook soon, so tell me how it is.
Frenchette: Hard pass. The food has really dropped off. And something really annoys me about a place that charges $20 for a side salad, but burns cheap Mrs. Meyer’s candles in the bathroom.
Frenchette Bakery at The Whitney: Given how disappointing our meal at the original Frenchette was, I was surprised by how enjoyable their new location at the Whitney Museum proved to be (it has taken the place of Untitled). The menu is fresher and more produce-driven than so many of the nouveau bistro menus on the scene right now (why must every menu include tuna tartare?!). Plus, the Alvin Ailey retrospective that just went up at the museum is so impressive with maroon walls and wrap-around archival footage -- lunch and that exhibition, and you have a perfect New York day.
Lucien: In the midst of a truly bananas Lower East Side, Lucien is a refuge for intergenerational artists to mingle, tucked away in a room that has never, and will never change. I came for a dirty martini and the people watching, and almost forgot about the frat party that threatened to breach the walls.
Rucola: Still packed, Rucola will always be a Brooklyn standby with a great wine list and delicious Italian food. The crudo is made with some of the best olive oil I’ve tasted in a restaurant in a long time. Around the corner you can find its little sister, Anais, a totally unpretentious wine bar with great lighting by the same owner, Henry Rich. Rich’s restaurants make Cobble Hill feel like a neighborhood you want to live in.
Cafe Chelsea at the Chelsea Hotel: We went for breakfast and the omelet was so tough, I had to resist the urge to make it bounce. The granola on the yogurt bowl was dusty like the last scoop of the 90s health food store bulk bin. The interiors, on the other hand, are magical. I’d definitely come back for a drink in any one of their many vibey bars, but would never eat another bite there.
Ok! On to my recommendations of what to consume this week, wherever you are, with a recipe from Ojai’s favorite chef, Maeve McAuliffe, coming later this week.
*these restaurants are not meant to be a list of my all time favs, just a snapshot of where I was this week.
LUNCH
When I post photos of my kids’ lunchboxes, I inevitably receive a slew of inquiries around what brand of metal bento I prefer. I can never fully endorse the ones I have (Lunch Bots and Planet Box). They just don’t seal to a degree that gives me confidence. Recently, I leveled up to Earth & Maker, a new metal lunchbox that is leak-proof and lined with removable silicone. It’s dishwasher safe, and I am using it for my own road trips and business trips too. For 20% off, use code JULIA20 at checkout.
LISTEN
Sick this past week, I listened to the entire five part audio series, The Deserter from the New York Times. It’s a riveting tale of a Russian soldier and his wife, and how they managed to escape the front lines of the war with Ukraine. The series details the dysfunction amongst the ranks of Putin’s military, the effects that propaganda has had on the psyche of Russian citizens, and the total lack of preparedness of the soldiers whose lives are at stake. It’s a compassionate look at a young family, and the horrors they faced trying to recuse themselves from a senseless war.
WATCH
Nothing about the profile of The Patriot ticks my usual boxes. The political drama follows an intelligence officer named John Tavner as he tries to stop Iran from going nuclear. Pushed ever deeper into the ill-fated mission by his own father and boss, John must assume a cover as a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping firm. Again, not my usual shtick, but the show maintains a sense of humor throughout, and the writing transcends the spy/thriller genre. For example, John has a terrible habit of blowing his own cover by performing original folk music at open mic nights, crooning about assassinating caliphates, because even an assassin needs an artistic outlet.
What I appreciate most of all is how the show dismantles a diametric construction of good and evil — there are no “good” or “bad” guys, only a cast of complicated people caught in a complex web of bad behavior. Since having kids (and since Trump rose to power), I avoid portrayals of “cops and robbers.” It’s this essentialist world view that justifies a state of mass incarceration, and writes entire groups of people off as “criminals.” The Patriot endeared me to an Iranian arms dealer in scenes where he acts as a goofy, loving father, and I found myself rooting for John, the protagonist, to the bitter end, even as he wreaks havoc over innocent people’s lives in the call of duty. The plot unfolds with a fugue-like structure; it’s masterful television.
COOK
More later this week! I’ll hit you with a recipe for Greek Chickpeas and Egg from Rory’s Other Place, the daytime spot opened in Ojai by Rory and Maeve, the sisters behind the beloved restaurant, Rory’s Place. I had it for breakfast when I was up there recently, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Stay tuned.
I'm wild for Happier Grocery and love that your toppers will be gracing their shelves