No place like home

August 12, 2021

Ok, hi! Hey, heya. Hello from Substack. Same newsletter, just a new platform and a barely-tweaked look. I might incorporate some imagery from time to time, but that’s already far too much ambition for one day.

1.

New York state of mind… Remember that insane rant by some “putz on LinkedIn” (Jerry Seinfeld’s words, not mine) who declared New York City dead forever? While it’s true that the pandemic spurred many New Yorkers to relocate elsewhere*, but not, as this NY Times piece explains, without some serious pangs of homesickness. From the often overlooked conveniences, to the diverse food scene, and just that collective New York mindset that almost involuntarily clicks on for those who live here…that’s what makes New York so irreplaceable.

*It also opened the door for floods of new urbanites to come join us.

2.

Food packaging design is a fine and particular art. I love the old Cento-brand tins of tuna and anchovies—forever and always!—but I also adore these recently-discovered and sweetly-wrapped Scottish tea cakes, and these chic bottles of Campari soda (the aesthetic reminds me of Bauhaus and also Italian futurism). It all goes hand-in-hand with my love for well-designed matchboxes. Speaking of small packages, my friend Patrick handed me a pocket-sized tin of Jacobsen’s sea salt recently—to discreetly sprinkle on any restaurant dishes, picnic items, or otherwise on-the-go foods that might need a little extra oomph. Heirloom tomatoes, I’m coming for you.

3.

My friends Colu and Chad came over for aperitifs and snacks on the porch at my parents’ house this weekend. Colu made a fabulous vegetable galette (the crust’s winning ingredient = EUROPEAN BUTTER. Like chocolate…it’s just better). It paired beautifully with the perfectly juicy, lip-smacking bottle of rosé they brought, too. I haven’t been too keen on rosé this summer, but this bottle got tipped upside down fast.

4.

Adding to the culture calendar: Not to be outdone by the Met’s long-awaited fashion exhibition this September, the Brooklyn Museum recently announced one of its own: Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams.

5.

I’m as equally charmed by Ted Lasso as everyone else is these days, and I love how fully-formed so many of the supporting characters are. In a recent interview with WSJ Magazine, Juno Temple offers up this Anaïs Nin quote to describe her character Keely’s emotional growth: “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” I can’t stop thinking about the heft of this poetic mic drop—both its wisdom, and Temple’s own choice to it in the context of her comedic character.