Last call for some good mentions

Welcome to A Few Good Mentions, a weekly (or so) toss-up of five random, share-worthy things I might come across, see, read, do, or eat in a given week. You can find me on Instagram, and my website, which I try my best to update with latest published works. Ok, let’s go!

I saw article in the New York Times this week that referred to 2022 as an “objectively bad year.” WOW. I know most of us are pretty pumped to kick it to the curb like stinky trash (along with the two years before it), but this also made me think: what makes an ‘objectively good’ year? And when was the last time we had one? Truthfully, I don’t think we can whittle an entire 365 days into a single declaration—not globally, not collectively, not even personally.

If anything, I think 2022—maybe every year—was more like a country music album: splendorous with highs and lows, both tinged with deeper meanings than the lyrics and titles at first glance might suggest. There was heartbreak and also triumphant reunions (J. Lo and Ben!), victories and burnouts; there were bad players and some real heroes…this country music album needs a name and some contextual track titles, but in the meantime, is it too early to feel nostalgic? If not, keep reading.

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1.

A few of the best things I ate and drank in 2022: Morningbird Cafe’s mochi donuts; La Cabra’s cardamom buns; the luscious, soft-scrambled eggs “Brouillés” at Corner Bar; and the caramelized onion torta at Ci Siamo (along with everything else on the menu); all the pastries at Librae Bakery; Shukette’s sweet potatoes (loaded up with goat feta butter and studded with flecks of cacao); the cocktails—both the classics and the originals—at Nothing Really Matters; a good Vesper Martini anywhere, most especially at Temple Bar; Contessa’s lobster cappellini and torta di baci; chef Hannah Wong’s nasi goreng and mushroom larb at The Aviary; Kolomon’s gougeres; the tasting menu at Nazka in Amsterdam; the pasta at Osteria da Fortunata in Rome; and the entire multi-page menu at Salumeria Roscioli.

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2.

Some outstanding and exceedingly special hotels where I was fortunate enough to lay my head: the beautifully renovated Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, where every inch is practically dripping with history and folklore; Botania Hall, the stunning private villa at Terra Nostra Garden Hotel in the Azores; the stately Riggs Hotel in Washington, DC (nab a pair of their fun yellow slippers!); Il Melograno in Italy’s Puglia region (the breakfasts!); Boston’s The Newbury; and The Dewberry (always a favorite!) in Charleston.

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3.

When it came to reading things, there were too many good books, articles, essays, and short stories to list. Alas, some favorite podcasts: Air Mail’s Morning Meeting; Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware; Every Outfit [on Sex and the City] for the smart, sometimes snarky style commentary; The Cutting Room Floor for fashion interviews that dig well below the industry’s glamorous surface; All There Is With Anderson Cooper, specifically the episode on anticipatory grief; and Molly Shannon’s guest stint and hilarious storytelling on Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,

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4.

Some exceptionally unforgettable experiences: getting to see Balenciaga’s devastatingly beautiful Fall/Winter 2022 runway show in person; a whirlwind 36-hour trip to the Azores (with an earthquake to boot!); the double thrill of witnessing a first-time trip to NYC through the eyes of my 8-year old nephew, and embarking on the first of many fun overnight adventures with nephews and nieces; publishing something deeply personal—and feeling pretty good about it—a proper, non-working two-week vacation in Italy with best friends (and the most glorious reunion with my sister in Rome); dewy, early morning bike rides in the summer with Christene; Victor Glemaud’s joyful, roller disco fashion show at Rockefeller Center; stumbling into a 6:15am barre class attended by FLOTUS Dr. Jill Biden (and to think I almost canceled that morning!); and finding myself overcome with emotion and humility by the profound goodwill of neighbors who came to my rescue after a 10-inch chef’s knife landed on my bare foot.

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5.

OPTIONAL HOMEWORK: This one involves a bit of thought on your part, dear reader— WHAT’S YOUR WORD FOR 2023?

Share, don’t share, write it down, tuck it away, tear the paper up…do what feels right for you. I think I know mine, and it’s already made me excited to kick down some walls.

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