where to — nyc when it’s absolutely freezing
hit up eel bar, gem for citrus olive oil cake and time again for an affordable glass of skin contact on the outskirts of dimes square
one of the main reasons i left new york is that i’m a little bitch about the cold! i can’t handle it, never could, so i told myself i’d only go back to visit when it’s nice peak spring, for all the fall leaves, even muggy summer, but never ever again a bleak winter. but when my client/friend amy of amah foods (formerly of west~bourne) reached out about another shoot and i saw how cheap the flights are for nyc in feb, i couldn’t resist.
where to warm up in nyc:
get your aura photographed at magic jewelry in chinatown, browse a bookshop like mcnally jackson or books are magic, catch a movie at metrograph or nitehawk, dethaw at the russian & turkish baths in ev, museum at the whitney or gallery hop in chelsea, get your acupuncture over at moxi, post up at any of the all day cafes below with said book, or there’s always day drinking somewhere cozy…
the new nyc spots worth going:
even with the unruly temps, new york’s never not a good time. eel bar was easily my favorite new-ish (opened in june but new to me!) spot by the cervo’s + hart’s team. i was most excited to get a pastry from hani’s and elbow bread (both were great!), but it was gem home’s citrus olive oil cake that really did it for me. my new favorite bar, time again is on the outskirts of dimes square and has a glass of skin contact (meinklang) for thirteen bucks vs the $22 (!) glasses i kept spending everywhere else. i did a lot of bang bang app and drinks: eel bar (<3), borgo (diner fam! but manhattan), bridges (sexyyy interior), penny + claud (cute cute), etc. but my best full dinner was at sunn’s — just promise me you’ll save room after all the banchan for the sesame mochi. i have a lot of love for all of the brooklyn day to night coffee shops turned natural wine bars like prima and pan pan vino vino. oh and i must admit: i waited on line (and failed!) for about ten min to see if i could get a seat at the corner store for a tini and fries before they informed us they were at capacity oye.
next time i’ve gottt to get to ensenada in south williamsburg. i have no excuse, it’s so close to my old ny apt, and where i stay at my friend clay’s, and have it high on my list every single trip, but never swing it. i’m curious about a night out at danger danger too. guess these will have to wait for september, unless someone else wants to book a shoot in the city 👀…
i’ve updated my full where to — nyc here on substack and my full nyc guide with my new additions. paid subscribers, you just scroll on down for access. if you’re not a paid subscriber, consider skipping your next coffee out, and try it for a month with that five dollars saved, check out the guides, save all my google map bookmarks to your phone, and stay awhile 🙃
la openings:
cafe 2001 - day to night arts district cafe with coffee, pastries, oysters, happy hour, (aka everything good in this world), marked by a handwritten sign i’m still obsessing over
colossus san pedro - the same insane pastries and coffee, but in a bigger space in san pedro, along with sourdough pizza and natural wine that i was lucky enough to shoot and taste
tomat - eerily close to lax, but a pretty amazing pastry and coffee program, so guess i’ve got to go back to experience dinner. great attention to detail (love the art on the way to the bathroom)
bread, espresso & - (another client!) japan opened their first us outpost in redondo beach, and is selling out daily
yama sushi marketplace - just opened a much more central ktown location — i recently had their san gabriel location and you get a lot of bang for your buck
my plugs on the angel:
one of my favorite substacks, emily’s the angel published my plugs, where you call out your go-tos: restaurant (sqirl), bar (el prado), shop (echo park farmers’ market), ingredient (nutritional yeast), person (my mom!) and treat (olive oil cake)
now playing:
like i say (i runaway) by nilüfer yanya
okay maybe my new favorite underrated artist?