The wow factor, and an underground cocktail destination
1.
Less is more: In Molly Fischer’s eulogizing praise of Joan Didion for New York Magazine, she hones in on a very specific moment when, in 1979, Didion dispatched a cutting takedown of Woody Allen’s Manhattan for the New York Review of Books. It incited a slew of angry, belittling reactions from [mostly male] academics and Allen fans, which the NYRB published in a later issue, along with Didion’s own response to all the gratuitous fuss: “Oh, wow.” In two devastating words, Didion—unfazed and unbothered—issued one of the most gloriously potent dismissals in literary history (that I know of, at least). Wow. For real.
2.
For a while, buying up restaurant merch—t-shirts, tote bags, etc—was an easy way to support beloved spots while Covid kept them from from business as usual. Nowadays, though it’s still a major source of support, owning wearable goods from local restaurants and indie businesses has become its own kind of “insider” status marker. In that case, consider this site the Opening Ceremony of the downtown NY merch market.
3.
Fame from home. My friend Zach Morris is the founder of LEAP (The Leading Edge Arts Project), an arts-focused initiative for anyone and everyone who might benefit from scratching their creative itchies. While the world was in lockdown in 2020, the organization was forced to pivot to mostly-remote offerings, which has evolved into a new, recently-launched membership platform that includes access to a growing lineup of masterclasses from Broadway and West End theater insiders, including Julius Anthony Rubio, who stars as ‘Quique' in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Georgina Onuorah from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End production of Cinderella, and RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 finalist, The Rosé. No agonizing audition, nor Juilliard-level admission (about $50k, FYI) required.
4.
I’m foolishly hoping the temperature’s going to be biting cold when I head upstate this weekend, making it the perfect occasion for this lentils cacciatore dish I’ve been itching to braise up. (Wait, I just checked the weather forecast. Yep! 👩🏻🍳👩🏻🍳👩🏻🍳)
5.
Drinks down below: I’m accepting it as a sign of being a true New Yorker (versus someone who’s just getting old and jaded) that it takes more than buzz and a flashy opening for a new restaurant or bar to really excite me. Nothing Really Matters, a new midtown hideaway hawking a slim lineup of excellent house cocktails and several clever takes on the classics, did just that. This is a spot that trades on discretion and discovery (though all are welcome), preferring to keep the finding of its inconspicuous location part of the experience. My favorite drink, the “Under Broadway,” is head bartender Cyllan Hicks’ brightly-flavored spin on the Mezcal Mule, and it comes with a wink on the side. (That’s a clue.)