Okay. Maybe I’m ready to let go of the flies.

I’ve never been good at saying goodbye to summer. Even living in California, I mourned it. Like clockwork, at the start of September, I become a kid desperate to stay up past my bedtime. Please, I say every year. One more hour. One more minute. Don’t let it be over yet.

Of course, summer isn’t over. Not yet at least. We still have at least a few more weeks of perfect fruit and golden nights and, if you’re lucky, a small town sidewalk you can walk on, barefoot. Feeling the sun on your soles.

Here’s what I’ve been up to this August, and everything I’m looking forward to trying in September.

MY AUGUST RECAP

What I Read:

Listen–I technically don’t have any books to show for this month. But that’s not because I haven’t been reading! It’s because I’m making my way through the behemoth that is Lonesome Dove, along with seemingly everyone else. I’ll have more to say about it next month, but so far, two things: I refuse to call Montana anything other than Montany moving forward. And I totally, immediately get why this is a cult classic.

What I Ate:

• Seafood tower at Zig Zag (Prospect Heights): Based on the restaurant group’s track record, I knew I was going to love Zig Zag. A true blue oyster bar, you can’t go without getting a bivalve of some sort. Their classic seafood tower comes with basically all of them: oysters, mussels, and clams, plus their shrimp cocktail and chips. It’s a spectacle well worth ordering, but if you’re going to get just one thing from it, the mussels get my vote. They’re served cold and drenched in a bright green, chimichurri-like sauce that goes down nice with a martini. And even though the boiled potatoes sound like something an Irish peasant might eat, I assure you they’re a revelation, served in a pool of horseradish cream.

• Carnitas taco at Santo Taco (SoHo): The steak trompo taco from Santo is the one I’ve seen all over my Instagram. It features thinly-sliced New York strip that all but covers the tortilla underneath it, with a splash of neon green avocado salsa on top. And it was good! But I thought the carnitas were the standout. One bite and I was momentarily back in an LA parking lot, eating on the hood of my car. The difference was this taco was over $6, but hey. That’s SoHo.

• Aguachile at Mariscos El Submarino (Fort Greene): Speaking of California: I finally made it to Mariscos El Submarino, where I ate the best aguachile I’ve had since leaving LA. I got the verde version, which was bright and acidic, with plump, sweet shrimp and creamy avocado. Even though I was there for a lowkey solo lunch, I clearly couldn’t help myself and also ordered the tuna tostada, which I found to be a little less flavorful than the aguachile, but still so, so fresh. Afterward, my mouth tingled from the spice. I can’t wait to return with a group so I can try everything else.

• Happy meal at Bar Valentina (Lower East Side): A teeny ‘tini and a side of McDonalds-esque fries for 12 bucks? It’s what happy hour dreams are made of! Bar Valentina’s tiramisu deluxe is also a great move for a last round–it comes with 2 teeny espresso martinis and, naturally, an order of tiramisu. My friend Giana found out about their happy hour deal through this app, which lets you search for New York happy hours by neighborhood, time, and day of the week. Brilliant!!

MY SEPTEMBER LIST

What I Want to Read:

• Switzy by Emma Cline: Longlisted for the Booker, this new novel from the writer of The Guest and The Girls follows a retired business exec with dementia as he journeys to a euthanasia clinic in Zurich. I’m endlessly fascinated by stories about complicated characters at the end of their life, so this sounds great. It comes out September 8th.

What I Want to Eat:

• Frenzie Wine & Pizza (Brooklyn Heights): A new wine bar slinging Neapolitan pizzas until two in the morning on the weekends is an immediate hell yeah from me.

• Crust Baker (Prospect Lefferts Gardens): This bakery only serves croissants on Tuesdays, but according to Mike Chau, they’re some of the best in the city. I’ll have to make a weekday pilgrimage down Nostrand to see for myself.

• 20 Blocks (East Village): This new sandwich spot serves only three different sandwiches—for now, at least. Roast beef with charred broccoli, turkey with fried green tomatoes, and an ooey gooey corn and havarti sandwich, aptly named the Corn Star.

For me, it comes down to three factors: ease, craveability, and that hard to pin down but nonetheless important feeling of giddiness in declaring a place one of my favorites. It should make my heart swell when I tell someone about it. And when I leave? I should be gushing about how I can’t wait to come back.

I’m often overwhelmed by how many places there are to try in New York. God knows there are so many institutions I haven’t gotten to yet. And every time I tick one off my list, another dozen open. But there is a certain freedom in accepting I will never get everywhere, and instead doubling down on the restaurants I already know and love.

Here are five sit-down spots already in my rotation:

Don Udon (Crown Heights): Everyone needs a restaurant for when they don’t know where else to go. Don Udon is that for me. The neighborhood noodle shop reliably serves chewy udon for under $20. Whether I’m dining inside or out, the atmosphere is always intimate and not overly precious. I love coming equally for solo lunches and lowkey dinner dates, when I’ll often tack on an icy Sapporo and an order of unagi.

Barney Greengrass (Upper West Side): If I’m heading uptown, odds are I’ll use it as an excuse to swing by Barney Greengrass, the Jewish deli and New York institution I’ve already raved about endlessly here. The golden latkes, the curmudgeonly service, the Nora Ephron-ness of it all–it’s hard not to be charmed by it. So I am. And I’ll continue to be as I go over and over, again and again, forever and ever, amen.

Ingas Bar (Brooklyn Heights): The food at Ingas rarely reinvents the wheel. The beauty is that it’s not trying to. They just make a mean burger and serve it in a room that’s as romantic as the neighborhood it occupies. Who would have thought! Throw in my platonic ideal of a chocolate cake, the best candles burning in the bathroom, and an after-dinner walk on the promenade and it’s safe to say I’m smitten for life.

LaRina (Fort Greene): LaRina has accidentally become my go-to “special spot.” My boyfriend Nick and I have celebrated birthdays, brought friends, and introduced our parents here. They have a beautiful, covered, string-lit backyard where a live jazz band occasionally plays—basically, where fairies live. It helps too that every pasta is perfect, whether it’s a classic like their famed lasagna or something more unique like their beef and chicken agnolotti, which is finely dusted with black lime zest.

Hart’s (Bed-Stuy): I’ve never had a bad bite at Hart’s. Hell, I’ve never had an okay bite at Hart’s. Everything I’ve had out of their kitchen has been delicious, sometimes even mind-bendingly so, like on Valentine’s Day this past year when I had onion rings that altered what I thought onion rings could be. Their menu changes every few days, so there’s always a new reason to come back. But the constants, like their always-on lamb burger and clam toast, are reason enough for me. With its low light and tiny footprint, it’s a restaurant I could go to every week, and it’d still feel special.

Here are five other restaurants that have real repeat potential, but haven’t made my list yet. Not because I don’t love them, but because I haven’t had the chance to go back.

Wildair (Lower East Side): I have a bit of a crush on Wildair, which feels silly to say since the restaurant has been around for over a decade. It’s not exactly some hot new thing. But it’s new-ish to me, since I’m still new-ish to New York. Everything–from the wine, to the sweet service, to the gob-smackingly delicious steak tartare–blew me away. It’s not a cheap meal, so it will remain a special occasion spot until I make my millions (surely that’s coming soon?). But I’ll be back, that’s for sure.

Dinner Party (Clinton Hill): Like Wildair, Dinner Party’s three-course menu is more of a splurge than I’m likely to make on the reg. But! You can easily go without committing to the full dinner by ordering à la carte or swinging by for their daytime cafe service. They consider themselves a “micro-seasonal restaurant,” which means the menu gets a full overhaul every four weeks. Between the communal tables, dripping candlesticks, and cozy-but-slightly-chefy food, it really lives up to its name–and is a spot that absolutely bears repeating.

F&F Restaurant and Bar (Carroll Gardens): I already love F&F’s slice shop, so I was surprised when I went to their sit-down sister restaurant and found it was the pastas I fell for most. During my visit, their silky, intensely lemony shrimp and spaghetti absolutely did me in. But so long as you’re going with at least one other person, I think it’s wise to do a pasta and a pie. At least that’s what I’ll be doing when I inevitably return.

Naks (East Village): This Filipino restaurant from Unapologetic Foods (who are also behind Indian hot spots Semma, Dhamaka, and Adda) feels like a party–but one where you get to control the volume. Everything’s made to be shared, including classic dishes like the pancit and lechon. Next on my list to try is their brunch; the salted egg pancake and Filipino platter are both calling to me. Regardless of when you dine, it’s a great place for a group meal. I’ll be bringing a proper crew.

Place des Fêtes (Clinton Hill): A wine bar open seven days a week that encourages walk-ins? PDF is basically insisting I come back. Which, like, twist my arm. The sardine toast with smoked butter was my favorite thing I had on my first visit, though dessert–a chocolate choux situation–rocked me. I love the versatility of this restaurant. It’s one I could pop in just as easily for a drink and a snack as I could a full dinner.

BUT. August is arguably my favorite month in New York, especially in the evenings when the humidity thins and the sky looks like a cup of sherbet–pink, orange, gone. I won’t let a little home cooking keep me away from all that, no matter how good the tomatoes are.

Luckily, there’s a way to have the best of both worlds. Dinner in. Drinks out. And a little ice cream after as a treat, because there’s only so much summer left.

Each of these pipelines is easily walkable, so you can go seamlessly from drinks to dessert.

Pipeline 1: Zig Zag → Lisbonata

Walk: 11 minutes | Perfect for: Starting the weekend early

Start with oysters and martinis at the new Hart’s team spot that’s already packed most nights, then segue into soft serve in fun, summery flavors like heirloom tomato (currently on the menu through Sunday, though I’m sure whatever follows will be just as great).

Pipeline 2: Wallace → Ample Hills

Walk: 2 minutes | Perfect for: Gabbing with the gals

Grab a chilled glass of orange on Wallace’s charming back patio before taking a brief stroll down the street to Ample Hills. I am personally obsessed with the banana pudding ice cream there, but go with what moves you.

Pipeline 3: Sofreh Cafe → Bar Goto Niban

Walk: 1 minute | Perfect for: A lowkey date night

Dessert comes first this time. Before Sofreh closes at 6, grab a saffron rose frozen yogurt that Helen Rosner declared the best in the city. Then jet across the street for a Japanese highball to round out the evening.

Pipeline 4: King Tai → Island Pops

Walk: 2 minutes | Perfect for: A taste of the tropics

Enjoy a rum drink or a tropical take on a Negroni over at King Tai–anything that could be served with an umbrella is the thing to get. Follow it with a Caribbean-inspired scoop, from guava cheesecake to sorrel rum sorbet.

Pipeline 5: Barely Disfigured → Malai

Walk: 1 minute | Perfect for: Flavor-maxxing

Barely Disfigured has such a fun cocktail program, so I’d steer you toward something you could try only here, like a crystal clear espresso martini or a frozen scotch and cantaloupe cocktail. Then head to Malai, where you can get Indian-inspired ice cream in flavors like cardamom pistachio crumble and masala chai.

Pipeline 6: Bar Americano → Caffè Panna

Walk: 12 minutes | Perfect for: Pretending you’re in Italy

You’ll need a little liquid courage to brave the line at Caffè Panna–Bar Americano can help with that. The bar specializes in aperitivo, so you can really lean into the Italian theme of the evening with an Americano or vermouth with orange foam followed by ice cream topped with panna, a dollop of fresh cream.

I drank piña coladas. Said goodbye to Agi’s. Saw Dog Day Afternoon on Broadway. Got a hydrafacial. Had a beach day. Flew to Michigan. Ate radishes with good butter. Swam like a little fish.

In between, here’s what I read and ate, and what’s on my list for August.

MY JULY RECAP

What I Read:

• Whidbey by T Kira Madden: I already wrote a whole letter about how much I loved this book, so I won’t bore you with the details. But let it stand: Madden’s debut novel about three women in the aftermath of one man’s murder is every bit as gorgeous and heart-wrenching as her memoir, which I read back in 2020 and absolutely adored.

• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Set in the early ‘80s, this best-selling novel follows two women who join NASA’s first female astronaut class and fall in love. It was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book, and I was worried it’d be a bit cheesy for me. But it turns out I’m the cheesy one, because it made me cry like a baby!

What I Ate:

• Apple fritter at Little Egg (Prospect Heights): This was possibly the best apple fritter I’ve ever had, a lofty claim that I’ll back up with these three selling points: it has perfectly craggly, crispy edges, is topped with a salty maple glaze, and every bite is studded with soft pieces of apple. It’s an apple-forward apple fritter!! And I love it for it.

• Fish tacos at Tacoway Beach (Rockaway): It’s hard to imagine a food I’d rather eat during a day at the beach than the tacos from Tacoway. Hot, fried-to-a-crisp fish is topped a mile high with guac, shredded cabbage, and a spicy mayo for an impossibly messy, impossibly delicious bite. Wash it all down with a fresh pineapple mint juice.

• Tilefish ceviche and sesame khubz at Theodora (Fort Greene): I ate a wide spread at Theodora, and everything–from the swordfish belly to the whole butterflied trout–was jaw-droppingly delicious. But it’s these two dishes that I kept coming back to. Like most ceviches, the one here is acidic, almost bracing. But where other versions press their foot on the gas, Theodora pulls back and balances out the lime with condensed milk. And the sesame khubz–it’s wood-fired to the point of blistering, and served with bottarga and taramasalata, a creamy Greek dip made of fish roe. Rip it, dip it, and thank god for the Greeks.

• Steamed fish at Fish Cheeks (NoHo): Speaking of fish: silky is the word I would use to describe this whole steamed branzino, served bubbling hot and spiked with lime and chili. The crab curry is arguably the star at Fish Cheeks, and I did enjoy it, but the steamed fish gave a subtler performance that I ultimately preferred: less spicy, less rich, but expertly executed.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

MY AUGUST LIST

What I Want to Read:

• The Body in Question by Jill Ciment: I just started the 850+ page epic that is Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove, so I’ll be shocked if I make it to other books this month. But if I do: this slim novel about two jurors who are sequestered for a murder trial and have an affair—only to realize they’re on opposing sides—sounds like a great, fast-paced follow-up.

What I Want to Eat:

• Zig Zag Oyster Bar (Prospect Heights): A brand spanking new oyster bar from the restaurant group behind some of my favorite spots—Hart’s, The Fly, Eel Bar, and Cervo’s—Zig Zag serves much more than just oysters. They also offer potato chips with anchovies, Bang’s Island mussels, and plenty more small, salty snacks that will go down nicely with a Pegu Club.

Set between Washington’s Whidbey Island and Florida’s Gulf Coast, it’s a portrait of three women–Birdie Chang, Linzie King, and Mary-Beth Boyer–in the aftermath of one man’s murder. Their lives orbit one another as they navigate grief, trauma, and the lingering effects of violence. I was on board from the jump, but the further I read, the more tenderness I felt for these women. Madden rendered them so completely that I felt like I could smell their hairspray, hear their laughter. I loved it so much I held it close to my chest after reading.

Goodreads, meanwhile, gave it a 3.37.

If you’ve spent any time at all on the platform, you know that’s not a great score. Five-star averages are impossible, but many authors–and readers–see a four as the benchmark for success. Clear that mark and you’re golden.

Increasingly, though, I’m convinced the threes are where the best books live–or at least the ones I’m most interested in.

Last week, I came across this exchange on Notes:

It made me think about my own reading habits, and I realized a lot of my favorite books land somewhere in this range, though my personal sweet spot actually skews closer to a 3.3-3.7.

There’s Orbital by Samantha Harvey (3.48), a quiet, plot-light novel about six astronauts on a space mission. The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty (3.5), a dazzling debut about a cast of neighbors in a crumbling Midwestern apartment complex. Tilt by Emma Pattee (3.55), which begins as a propulsive disaster novel before revealing itself to be something stranger and more searching.

There are throughlines across these books. They’re ambitious, either in structure or in scope. They’re morally ambiguous. Emotionally thorny. Willing to go “there,” even when they’re not sure where “there” is. Above all, they refuse to sand themselves down in pursuit of mass appeal.

That’s why I love them. And that’s why their Goodreads ratings land where they do.

Goodreads is built on consensus. A high average usually means a book delivered what most readers hoped it would. But books that take bigger swings have a higher likelihood of leaving someone cold. A two-star review from someone who wanted a straightforward thriller counts for just as much as a five-star review from someone who fell in love with its voice, its lyrical language, its emotional honesty. We all come to books looking for something, and most people come looking for what they were promised.

For me, though, the books I love the most aren’t the ones that come exactly as-advertised. They offer something beyond what I was expecting.

Occasionally, there are books that do both. They thread the needle somehow between specific and celebrated, one-of-one and one-for-all.

A few of my all-time favorites are widely adored–I can’t be an alt girl all the time. Caroline O’Donoghue’s The Rachel Incident has a healthy 4.05. Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead nabbed an impressive 4.46. I don’t think these books have high ratings because they failed to take big swings; Kingsolver’s Pulitzer-prize winning masterpiece is one of the most ambitious books I’ve ever read. But once in a while, a big swing pays off, and it lands with everyone. It’s rare stuff, the making of a modern classic. Not all writers can be so lucky.

More often, when I finish a book that’s left me breathless, changed, I look it up on Goodreads and find…a 3.4.

I see that less as a warning, more as an endorsement.

Where do your faves fall on the 1-5 scale? Is there a polarizing book that floored you? I’m all ears.

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I did not go to New York often as a kid. From rural Pennsylvania, the city felt closer to Camelot than it did a viable weekend destination. My family went to Philadelphia with more regularity, to buy stinky cheese at a stall in South Philly and swing by Trader Joes for roasted red pepper soup on the way home. But we didn’t go to New York to do normal things, because New York was not a normal place. It was mythic. Impossible. In other words: not ours.

I went only a few times growing up. Each visit, I tried to squeeze as much juice out of it as I could, as if the city might dry up before my next return, a petrified lime on the counter.

The first time, I went with my dad. We stood in line for the now-closed FAO Schwartz flagship on Fifth Ave, waiting in the cold behind the brother from Everybody Loves Raymond. The one everybody didn’t love.

Then for my fifteenth birthday, my mom brought me and my friends to stay in Times Square for the weekend and I cosplayed Carrie at the New York Public Library, wearing Uggs instead of Manolos, a North Face fleece instead of Vivienne Westwood.

And on a class trip my junior year of high school, I cried on the subway stairs because my high school boyfriend wanted to go to the Hard Rock Cafe and I very much did not, and thought this fundamental difference would be grounds for breaking up (eventually, it was).

On these trips, I was only there for a day or two. Always, I wanted more. Now I have it, all the time in the world here. I have to remind myself there’s no rush, as I’m staring down a wide-open Saturday and the list of things I still want to see feels almost daunting. I have time, I tell myself. All I have is time.

About six months after moving to New York, I read Goodbye to All That, a collection of essays by writers who have loved and left the city. Many followed the arc of Joan Didion’s original, chronicling the New York they once fell for and the same city that months, years, sometimes decades later, they became disenchanted by. It was strange to read these farewells to the city as I myself was just beginning to know it. But in a way, I understood. I could already feel my own perception of New York starting to shift, and I had just arrived.

Two years in, which is nothing in New York time, and that shift has widened. I don’t mean that in a bad way. Not even a little bit. I love New York more than I did when I first got here, more too than when I was a kid visiting. It’s a deeper, more specific kind of love, not the bald adoration reserved for gods and false kings.

All I mean is that it’s surprising how quickly the mythos of New York evaporates, and how expeditiously it is replaced with routine.

In that routine, a new city emerges entirely.

My version of New York is different from the one I fell for. It is made up of the man who emerges every June to sell plants on my corner. The bodega cat who has come out of her shell slowly, and now drapes herself over La Croix cases like a woman in a Renaissance painting. The way my living room window floods with green every spring, light dancing on the ceiling, playing tricks on my own cat. Nature’s laser pointer.

There’s a name for this: perceptual learning. The longer you spend with something, the more you start noticing its subtleties. Sommeliers taste notes of anise and cigarettes while the average joe-shmo can only taste grapes. Constant exposure to a thing–or a place–literally changes the way you perceive it.

Spending time in New York does not transform it. It transforms what you can see. From an idea, a movie set, Camelot. Into something real.

People experience this in other cities all the time. But there is something about New York’s larger-than-life reputation that makes it especially vulnerable to this sort of recalibration. The contrast between the perception and reality of it is sharper.

What I can say so far is that reality is sweeter. It takes its time. It looks like dry cleaners and cats in windows and the same street over and over and over again, shifting with the seasons, always changing, always staying the same. What’s remarkable is that even in all that mundanity, New York is still able to trick your eye from time to time, to convince you that it is still the movie version of itself. It happens when the Knicks win, when you’re a few drinks in, when the Q train crosses the East River and the city shines like lightning bugs, gently buzzing.

There it is again, for a fleeting moment. The greatest city in the world.

If you’re in a New York state of mind, here are a few other New York-y pieces I’ve put out:

June, in reality, was a beer-soaked blur. It was full of Knicks games and bug bites and staying out way past my bedtime. In so many ways, it was better than the laidback month I had imagined. I got to squeeze my friends and revel in a citywide camaraderie I haven’t experienced since the Cubs won the World Series, ten years and two cities ago.

But now it’s July, and I’m tired, and all that slow-paced summer stuff I was planning on doing sounds really good right about now.

Here’s what I read, what I ate, and what’s on the docket for this month.

MY JUNE RECAP

What I Read:

• The Likeness by Tana French: This was my very first Tana French, the certifiable queen of psychological mysteries. I can’t believe it took me so long. The second novel in French’s popular Dublin Murder Squad series, The Likeness stands on its own, following a detective who goes undercover as a murder victim who just so happens to look exactly like her. It’s suspenseful, beautifully written, and full of charming Irish witticisms–basically exactly what I want in a book.

• A Good Person by Kirsten King: The ultimate antihero story, A Good Person reminded me tonally of The Guest by Emma Cline. I’ve also heard comps to Jen Beagin’s Big Swiss and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, so it’s no wonder it got snapped up for an adaptation, with Daisy Edgar-Jones attached to produce. Darkly funny, the novel follows a woman seeking revenge on her ex-situationship with a hex, only for him to actually die.

What I Ate:

• Le caesar at Cafe Mado (Prospect Heights): Mado’s menu changes with the seasons, with the only constant (as far as I can tell) being their caesar salad. You can tell it’s gonna be a good one the second it lands on your table, because it is blanketed in an almost irresponsible amount of cheese. This is a salad that goes vertical, not horizontal, with every piece of lettuce perfectly dressed.

• Burger at Fairfax (West Village): I usually like my burgers frills-free. Lettuce, mayo, maybe a pickle. Fairfax’s famous burger has just the right amount of frills for me to branch out a bit. BBQ mayo, potato sticks, and a flattened bun are its defining features, but all you need to know is it’s juicy as hell.

• Sausage roll at Otway Bakery (Clinton Hill): Ever had an Auntie Anne’s hotdog and thought, This is pretty good, but what if I subbed the pretzel for a flaky croissant and the hot dog for sausage? If so, greatness awaits at Otway. I have a tendency to overthink my choices when presented with a full pastry case and a long line, but I have to say I nailed this one. Savory pastry of my dreams.

• Market crudo and oxtail ravioli at Aita (Clinton Hill): I know it’s cool to hate on crudo in the same way it’s cool to hate on burrata; both definitely get overplayed at the types of restaurants I frequent. But what the hell, I love a good crudo, especially on a warm summer night with a crispity crunchity glass of white wine. The one at Aita, a sweet neighborhood Italian spot, is served with slivers of fennel, flakes of olive salt, and enough lemon to power a Clinton Hill lemonade stand. The oxtail ravioli, swimming in a butter, sage, and bone marrow sauce, is also excellent. The fine dusting of lemon zest makes all the richness work.

• Breakfast sandwich at Turtle Gut (Wildwood, NJ): If you find yourself in Cape May or Wildwood this summer, I highly recommend swinging by Turtle Gut for a coffee, breakfast sandwich, and walk around the bay (and, hey, maybe a maritozzo while you’re at it). Order the sandwich with the blueberry maple sausage, which is thick as a burger and lends the perfect amount of sweetness, balanced out by the spicy aioli. If this was in Brooklyn I’d get it all the time.

MY JULY LIST

What I Want to Read:

• Missing Me by Ayana Lage: This memoir chronicling Lage’s experience with postpartum psychosis is really about control; having it, losing it, and what happens after.

• John of John by Douglas Stuart: You don’t need me telling you about a book that has Oprah’s and Ann Patchett’s names on the cover, but here I am anyway. Set in the mid-’90s, this novel follows a young man returning to his Scottish hometown and the heartbreaking family secrets he uncovers while there.

What I Want to Eat:

• Titán (DUMBO): A new Mexican restaurant with a big backyard and drinks by Ivy Mix, a James Beard award-winning bartender and the owner of one of my favorite neighborhood wine bars, Whoopsie Daisy.

• Lonnies (Boerum Hill): A sweet new spot from the people behind Inga’s Bar, one of my Brooklyn Heights faves for a burger and slice of Guinness chocolate cake. Lonnies looks just as charming.

ILY, June, you sweet summer child!!!

When taking stock of everything I’ve read this year, I discovered some pretty clear throughlines that have defined my reading in 2026 so far.

For example: Of the 15 books I’ve read, 12 were both written by and starring women.

10 were lit-fic.

And 8 came out within the last year.

So I guess for the latter-half of 2026, I need to read some backlist genre fiction written by men. Lonesome Dove, I’m coming for you.

Here’s everything I’ve read, broken down by genre and subject matter.

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Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein: A funny, whipsmart novel about a woman looking back on an affair she had with her college professor the same summer of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, with plenty of relatable nuggets about what it feels like to be a young woman figuring yourself out.

Read if: You have a lot of love and tenderness in your heart for your 19-year-old self.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans: This moving epistolary novel follows a charmingly difficult older woman as she grapples with the mistakes she’s made and the relationships she’s lost.

Read if: You aspire to be (or already are) a charmingly difficult woman.

Tom Lake by Anne Patchett: Set during the summer of 2020, a mother recounts her young romance with a now-famous actor to her three daughters as they harvest cherries together. A beautiful, quietly transportive read.

Read if: You want to be transported to Michigan cherry orchards and days at the lake.

Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz: Published in 1977, Babitz’s iconic collection of essays captures the Los Angeles scene of the late ‘60s and ‘70s along with her personal quest for love and a big, interesting life.

Read if: You want some old Hollywood lore interspersed with beautiful descriptions of California.

Strangers by Belle Burden: The divorce memoir to end all divorce memoirs, about a woman whose husband of twenty years suddenly left her and her children in the early days of the pandemic. Compulsively page-turning, a feat for non-fiction.

Read if: You haven’t read it yet and want to know what everyone else is talking about before the Gwyneth Paltrow adaptation comes out.

Famesick by Lena Dunham: A forthcoming memoir all about the making of the millennial sensation that was Girls, and its ripple effects on the woman behind it. A worthwhile read regardless of your opinion on the show.

Read if: You have feelings about whether you’re a Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, or Shosh.

Bluets by Maggie Nelson: An experimental collection of prose poems about heartbreak and loss, told through meditations on the color blue. An excellent cool-toned palate cleanser between beefier books.

Read if: You’re going through a breakup and/or want to get into poetry.

Vigil by George Saunders: In this offbeat, satirical novel, a spirit is tasked with ushering an oil tycoon into the afterlife after he’s unapologetically forsaken our planet, asking the question: can a man like this find redemption?

Read if: You’re into stories about morally bankrupt characters, with a heavy dose of humor.

Tilt by Emma Pattee: Set in Portland, this literary thriller follows a pregnant woman searching for her husband in the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake. Its dark humor and fast pace kept me completely locked in every step of the way.

Read if: You live somewhere that doesn’t have earthquakes.

A Good Person by Kirsten King: A woman seeks revenge on her ex-situationship by placing a hex on him, only for him to actually die the next day. This is a true anti-hero story, and one I gobbled up in a weekend.

Read if: You loved Yellowface and Gone Girl.

Little One by Olivia Muenter: Told in alternating timelines, this novel follows a girl growing up in a cult led by her father in Central Florida, and her attempts to outrun her personal history years later. Its structure jumping between the past and present kept me hungry for the next page.

Read if: You’re obsessed with cults.

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar: In this gorgeous debut, a young Iranian-American man becomes obsessed with the idea of martyrdom as he tries to process his mother’s senseless death. The ending leaves more questions than answers.

Read if: You’re less about plot than you are about beautiful prose.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore: From the same author as The God of the Woods (one of my 2025 faves), this gripping suspense novel follows a Philadelphia police officer patrolling Kensington while searching for her sister, who’s struggling with addiction.

Read if: You’re a sucker for a good sisters story.

The Likeness by Tana French: A detective goes undercover to determine what exactly happened to a murdered woman who looks exactly like her. Completely implausible, completely captivating nonetheless.

Read if: You love a twisty-turny murder mystery.

Refuse to be Done by Matt Bell: This practical guide for novelists breaks the writing and rewriting process into three distinct, actionable stages. I was underlining like a mad woman.

Read if: You’re writing a book and want actually helpful craft advice.

Clearly, I have a soft spot for complicated characters, dark comedies, and juicy crime plots. If you have any recs in that vein, please, send them my way! And if you have a book you adore that is something else entirely, I’d love to break up my reading rhythm and give it a go, too.

I sweat. I spritzed. I walked miles in my brand-new espadrilles.

Let’s get into it.

SEVILLA

It was comically hot in Sevilla, touching 100 degrees the day we arrived. I’m pretty sure at one point I become a single anthropomorphized bead of sweat.

Afternoons were quiet as locals ducked in for their midday siestas, coming back out at night for tapas and tinto. Everywhere I looked, the city was saturated in color: orange trees, red flamenco dresses, bright pink bougainvillea, all glowing like gems in the sun.

EAT

Dinner at Casa Monolo León: Traditional Andalusian food served in a sprawling historic home that felt like a fancy doll house. We drank cold wine and ate rice with prawns and crispy artichokes while luxuriating in the air conditioning of the beautiful dining room.

Cookies at Convento de Santa Inés: We took ourselves to church in Sevilla–or rather, to a convent where cloistered nuns sell homemade cookies through a tiny turntable window. We bought a mountain of baked goods before hopping on our train to Granada.

SHOP

Dresses at Fin Gizz: A sweet boutique selling colorful dresses that will almost certainly garner a compliment, to which you can say “Oh this? I bought it in Sevilla.” I got a bubblegum pink short-sleeved jacket that I can’t wait to wear.

Vintage at Wonder Vintage: I scored a silk scarf and crocheted tank top at Wonder Vintage, which had a really lovely selection of clothes. Nearby are Nonna’s Vintage and Romula, which were both on my list but unexpectedly closed when I went.

SEE

Night walk at Setas de Sevilla: A honeycomb-shaped structure that lights up at night to look like something straight out of the movie Her. The city-wide views from the top were stunning, and gave a great sense of Sevilla’s mix of old and new. From up there, church towers and centuries-old plazas sit alongside a strikingly futuristic design.

Daytime walk at Plaza de España: This was possibly the most show-stopping landmark from the trip, just as impressive for its scale as its intricate detailing and tilework. We walked around for way longer than we planned, just gawking at the passing boats and cooling off in the fountain.

Flamenco show at Tablao Flamenco Pura Esencia: An intimate flamenco venue, where we sipped wine and snacked on jamon as we fell into the rhythm of the musicians clapping, stomping, and singing.

GRANADA

In comparison to Sevilla, Granada was cooler and calmer, all winding hills and flowers in alcoves.

It was my favorite of the three cities we visited, and something about the warm, dry air and golden light reminded me so much of Southern California it made my heart ache a bit for LA.

EAT

Dinner at Taberna La Bienpagá: Everything here was delicious, but it’s the toasted brioche with a thick smear of butter and anchovies I can’t stop thinking about. I need to recreate that dish at home as soon as humanly possible.

Dinner at Bab Mansour: Granada’s Moorish history is everywhere, including its excellent Moroccan restaurants. This jewel box of a spot serves a fab lamb tagine.

SEE

Tour at the Alhambra: It’s basically illegal to visit Granada without visiting the Alhambra, the Moorish fortress perched high in the hills. That’s for good reason–the gardens, courtyards, and sweeping views of the city are so stunning they don’t quite feel real.

Spa day at Hammam Al Ándalus: An unbelievably beautiful bathhouse with baths at three temperatures, plus add-on services like scrubs and massages. We went immediately after visiting the Alhambra and spent 90 blissful minutes floating between baths, drinking mint tea, and laying like lizards on a hot stone.

Somehow, I already miss it.

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If I had to distill it into a taste, it’d be the thick salt lick of olives and anchovy.

If I had to distill it into a sound, it’d be my friends laughing like hyenas. Bleating horns. Birdsong.

I just got back from a weeklong girls’ trip bouncing between Madrid, Sevilla, and Granada. Originally, I planned to tackle all three cities in one post, but it was getting quite long. So instead, you’re getting two letters: one all about Madrid, and the second on the Andalusia region, coming next week.

We were in Madrid two nights at the top of the trip, then again for one night at the tail end. For the first leg, we stayed in La Latina, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. For the second, we were over in Madrid’s gayborhood, Chueca.

EAT

Coffee at Pastora: Pastora felt very much like the sort of multi-hyphenate storefront you’d find in Brooklyn. Part bottle shop, part café, part shoppy shop. I was there mostly for the café offerings, and scooped up a cortado and a canelé, both of which were great.

Matcha at Sakuhin Coffee: Between espressos, I also needed a good old iced matcha. This spot, a stone’s throw from our Chueca Airbnb, served a shockingly green one. I got the strawberry; my friend Emma got the melon. It’s a lovely little shop I could have gone back to plenty of times if I were there longer.

Lunch at Casa Dani: A casual lunch place where we accidentally overordered and got not one but two tortillas de patatas–not a slice but the whole damn thing. Luckily, it was delicious: softly cooked and deeply flavorful. The croquetas were also sneakily some of my favorites from the trip, which says a lot since we ordered them basically everywhere.

Frozen yogurt at KALA: I got crumbly walnut cookies, pistachio sauce, and amorena cherries on top of original tart frozen yogurt and, unfortunately, ruined myself for all other fro-yo. It was devastatingly delicious. MYKA in New York–another Spanish chain–seems similar, but I just can’t bear the line. Maybe some day.

Dinner at Farah: A stunning Middle Eastern restaurant, ideal for breaking up all the tapas you’re bound to eat. The octopus was my favorite bite–tender, with delectably charred edges–and the bottle of red we split kicked off a trip-long fixation on Tempranillo. The ambiance felt special too–moody, quiet, cool but still elegant.

Dinner at La Taberna Sanlúcar: An old-school Spanish restaurant. I adored the squid, an apparent theme for Madrid, and the tomatoes with sardines hit especially hard. Give an East coast girl a perfect tomato in May and you might make her weep. We very proudly shut the place down after midnight, on our first day in Spain no less.

Dinner at D’stapa: On our last night, we went for paella, ordering two massive pans–one seafood, one jamón. The best bites were the ones you had to scrape the pan clean to get. It was the perfect Spanish sendoff, made ever more memorable by the complimentary shots our server kept bringing over at the end of our meal.

SHOP

Espadrilles at Casa Hernanz: An almost-200-year-old espadrille shop selling every color and style under the sun. Women of all ages and nationalities line up to buy a pair, which is very sweet to watch. Italian nonnas trying on shoes alongside French teenagers is peak girlhood. The quality is also insane for the price–$35 shoes should not look or feel this good.

Glasses at Óptica Toscana: On the opposite end of the price spectrum is Óptica Toscana, a luxury optical shop stocking brands like Mykita and Lapima. I noticed a lot of cool eyewear in Madrid generally, so if you’re in the market for a fun new pair of sunnies, it’d be a great city to scoop some up.

SEE

Cecilio Rodriguez Garden at El Retiro Park: This beautiful garden at the outer edge of El Retiro Park has dozens of peacocks roaming the grounds. Have you ever seen a peacock from behind? I’ll warn you: it’s not nearly as flattering an angle. Retiro on the whole was so well-manicured it made Central Park look like a jungle.

The Garden of Earthly Delights at the Prado Museum: I loved the Prado–for its architecture, curation, and strong A/C, which was especially appreciated on the 95-degree day we went. Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights was a standout. The triptych was painted between 1490 and 1510 and somehow felt fresh and modern against all the portraiture.

Naturally, there were a ton of places on my list that I didn’t have time to get to this trip:

• La Paloma, a tiny seafood restaurant serving oysters, grilled shrimp, and beer

• Posada de la Villa, a 400-year-old traditional Spanish restaurant

• Toguita Restaurante, a Peruvian place in La Latina

• La Coquette Blues Bar, an intimate blues bar in the heart of Madrid

• Pistola, a really delicious looking sandwich shop

• Santo Bakehouse, an artisanal pastry place right by Pistola

• Pan y Pepinillos Café, an espresso bar so many food people rave about

• Juana La Loca, a Basque-style tapas place with a famed tortilla española

Reason enough to go back…

Well, dad, if you’re reading, some news: looking at my receipts, I went out to eat well over twenty times this month. To be fair, I was on vacation for a week, but still… you’re right.

I somehow managed to sneak in some other fun between bites. Namely: a Bruce Springsteen show at Barclays, a few non-food-related activities in Spain, and a season and a half of Twin Peaks (Kyle MacLachlan, the man that you are).

Let’s get into the rest of it.

MY MAY RECAP

What I Read:

• Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbien: This novel follows Jean, a now middle-aged woman revisiting the affair she had with her professor while studying abroad in France as a college student. As the title suggests, she’s visited by the spirit of Monica Lewinsky, whose affair with Bill Clinton unfolded the very same summer. I loved this one–Langbien captures the particular ache and confusion of being a young woman still figuring herself out in such a singular, captivating way.

What I Ate:

• Bulgogi at Kisa (East Village): At Kisa, you get only one choice: your protein. Once you’ve decided between bulgogi, spicy pork, stir-fried squid, and bibimbap, Jesus (aka the chef at Kisa) takes the wheel. The banchan–from standard fare like kimchi and japchae noodles to a crudo and silken tofu number–is excellent. Get a complimentary black bean latte from the self-serve machine on your way out.

  

• O.G. banh mi at Bánh Anh Em (East Village): My friend Maggie is one of the only people who can get me to stand in a line, something I actively avoid at all costs. She and I showed up to Bánh Anh Em a half hour before they opened and just missed the first seating, so we grabbed a boba around the block while we waited. The grilled oysters were great, but it’s really all about the bánh mì here. We ordered the O.G. and the crispy pork. You can’t go wrong with either, but bánh mì aficionados will particularly appreciate the original, with crackly housemade bread, a thick smear of patê, cold cuts, and pickled veg

  

• Carbonara at Via Della Pace (East Village): It’s funny how hard it is to get into certain Italian restaurants in New York (*cough* Via Carota *cough* I Sodi) when perfect pasta awaits in abundance elsewhere. I haven’t been to either restaurant, so maybe my mind has yet to be blown wide open. BUT. This carbonara was everything I’d want it to be: an expertly emulsified sauce and chewy noodles, studded with crispy jewels of guanciale.

• Fattat jaj at al Badawi (Brooklyn Heights): A six-layer chicken-and-rice dish with chickpeas, crispy pita, slivered almonds, and a heavy drizzle of tahini is the thing to get at this Palestinian spot, though my tablemate who ordered the lamb chops got an enthusiastic stamp of approval from our waiter. While you’re at it, fire off an order of the muhammara, an addictively tangy red pepper dip with walnuts and date syrup.

  

I also ate extremely well across Madrid, Seville, and Granada, but I’ll save those spots for next week’s post.

MY JUNE LIST

What I Want to Read:

• Vantage Point by Sara Sligar: A technology suspense novel that’s “Succession meets Megan Abbott,” Vantage Point is about the downfall of one of America’s wealthiest families.

• Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: Two young women share a sultry summer in Paris, beginning a love story that will span decades as they consider the life together they almost led.

What I Want to Eat:

• Olmo in Bed-Stuy: A very cute neighborhood cantina serving things like queso fundido and fideo seco alongside margs and micheladas.

• Grimm Tavern in Prospect Heights: The Brooklyn-based brewery is opening up in June in the old Olmsted space, serving classic tavern fare like burgers and roast chicken.

What was the best thing you ate or read this month?

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One Ice Cream

Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb

Listen–I’m not even a Van Leeuwen girl. Ample Hills has the key to my heart and loans it occasionally to Jeni’s (though let’s be real it’s an open door policy with those two). But this flavor beckoned to me. You know those videos of dogs where the owner rattles off all their favorite words–walk, treat, play–and they cock their head at each one? That was me with this ice cream. Peanut butter? Brownie? HONEYCOMB?! Supremely decadent. I can’t wait to eat gobs of it all June.

One Linen Top

Linen Blend Camisole

I did my seasonal shop at Uniqlo last weekend, where I scooped up this linen camisole in a soft, ballerina pink. It’s giving Deiji Studios without the Deiji price, because even my expensive taste has limits. It looks so cute with ballet flats and cut-offs for an easy, breezy, knocking-around-town ‘fit.

One Summer Read

June Baby by Shannon Garvey

This coming-of-age novel follows a young woman grappling with love and loss over a summer on Block Island. I’ve heard it’s very Lily King meets Elin Hilderbrand, who blurbed it as “the book of the summer.” I envision reading it poolside while eating copious amounts of honeydew (honeydew haters not welcome here).

One Wine Bar

Wallace in Prospect Heights

A new wine bar from the team behind Black Mountain Wine House just opened up a few weeks ago on Vanderbilt. They serve your usual natty wine fare alongside classic cocktails, plus there’s a lovely patio out back for gabbing with friends. There’s been a wine bar void in the neighborhood ever since Lalou closed, so I’m hoping this fills it nicely.

One Refreshing Bev

Poppy’s in Brooklyn Heights

I’m a sucker for a fun matcha special, and the one currently on offer at Poppy’s–an Orange Vanilla matcha inspired by a creamsicle–sounds delicious. I have big plans to get one, then take a stroll down Court Street for a sandwich. Court Street Grocers’ BLT is what summer dreams are made of.

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To make the choice a little less overwhelming, I asked a few locals for the one place they always bring visitors.

Go to these spots when you want to charm the pants off your friends.

Uptown Haunts

For old-school charm and a stroll through Central Park

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📍 Barney Greengrass on the Upper West Side

I feel like the answer to this question is ever evolving, and also maybe the most impossible question because how do you choose just one spot? So many great restaurants come to mind, but I feel like you can’t come to NYC without getting a good bagel.

And while there are SO many great bagel spots—I actually think Apollo is making one of the best right now, Barney Greengrass is a must stop. It’s truly an institution, and has everything you’d expect from a classic New York Jewish deli. It’s chaotic, delicious, and they only take cash. You feel like you’re in a rom com the second you walk in, and it just hits the spot every time. Def worth the journey uptown!

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📍 Gray’s Papaya on the Upper West Side

So many of the city’s most iconic institutions are martini joints. And while it’s worthwhile to sit at a wooden bar and drink a stiff drink at some point while visiting, it’s also nice to tuck in for something more low-key, but just as quintessentially New York. Like Alex, I adore Barney Greengrass, the 118-year-old Jewish deli serving my favorite latkes in the city. Their servers will almost certainly give you shit, but in a loving way, and you’ll leave feeling like a member of the Greengrass family.

But if I’m short on time, a hotdog and tropical drink from Gray’s Papaya also scratches a particular New York itch. You have no choice but to enjoy it on the sidewalk, which adds to the charm. Afterward, head over to Central Park to grab a sneaky spritz at the Boat House and people watch from a bench.

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📍Patisserie Vanessa on the Upper East Side

If you have a sweet tooth and find yourself on the Upper East Side, I recommend stopping by Patisserie Vanessa. Best chocolate chip cookie in the neighborhood.

Midtown Detour

For an artsy fartsy and not at all finance-y afternoon

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📍Art galleries in Chelsea

Start by wandering in and out of the (free!) Chelsea galleries in the West 20s. If you’re not into art, opt for a walk on the High Line instead. End with a drink at the Lobby Bar at the Hotel Chelsea.

Downtown Crawls

For bopping around below 14th street

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📍Thai Diner in Nolita

The Lower East Side is my favorite place in the city. I’d start at GEM Home for a snack ish breakfast - their bread and whipped butter is all you need, and their iced yuzu chamomile is my favorite summer drink. Then, walk directly across the street to Thai Diner and get your name on the list for lunch. It is not just my favorite food, but favorite restaurant experience. Absolute magic.

While you’re waiting for a table, walk down Elizabeth and Mott, where you see a glimpse of Chinatown markets, Little Italy, and a selection of some of my favorite retail design experiences in the city. After shopping around a bit and grabbing lunch, I’d walk over to the SoHo area to grab a pineapple foam espresso tonic from my favorite coffee shop in the city, Manjul.

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📍L’industrie in Little Italy

Everyone inevitably asks for pizza, and for that, there’s L’industrie. It is as good as everyone says. They recently opened on Grand Street smack dab in Little Italy, blending in seamlessly with the other restaurants. It tickles me: while hordes of tourists line up for mediocre vongole, seemingly unaware that just a step away is one of the city’s greatest slices.

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📍Morgenstern’s on the Lower East Side

As a born-and-raised New Yorker, I’m lucky that most of my community is already here — people joke that New Yorkers never really leave. So I don’t actually play tour guide all that often. But when I do have friends visiting, I almost always take them to Morgenstern’s.

For over a decade, Nick Morgenstern has been making some of the most inventive, boundary-pushing ice cream in the city. Even now, he’s using ingredients like tonka bean (technically illegal in the U.S.) in flavors like Tonka Chip — take my word for it, it’s addictive. The textures are unbelievably creamy, the flavors feel completely undisguised and intentional, and there’s always something unexpected on the menu. Every visitor I’ve brought ends up falling in love with it or asking why they can’t get it shipped nationally. He’s constantly doing something a little under-the-radar and surprising, which is what keeps me coming back too.

Brooklyn & Queens Bound

For when you successfully convince your friends to cross the East River

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📍Bong in Crown Heights

When I’m with out-of-towners, I always want to give them a taste of something that might not be available to them on the daily. I think for most scenarios, Bong is the place for that. Khmer cuisine isn’t widely accessible, the vibe there is so fun, and the food that’s being served is really special.

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📍Long Island Bar in Cobble Hill

Long Island Bar is a go-to for taking friends who are visiting because nothing is better than really amazing deviled eggs and a crunchy little gem salad and a crispy chicken sandwich. Runner ups: Allswell (again, for a perfect crispy chicken sandwich), Arepas Cafe, or Casa Adela for Puerto Rican.

Thank you to , , , , , , , and for contributing!

If you have a standout spot you love taking visiting friends or fam, I’m all ears.

Picture this: it’s a warm, fizzy night in New York. The din of the city roaring around you, it’s that special season again. There’s no way you’re going home. Or even inside!

You’re drinking a glass of wine so perfectly chilled, it’s breaking a sweat alongside you. You’re sitting under string lights, maybe there’s cigarette smoke curling around strangers macking in the corner. The first nights of NYC summer.

These are our favorite outdoor wine bars–from Brooklyn backyards to downtown hotspots–so you don’t have to break a sweat finding the perfect seat and glass.

Emilie’s Picks

Rude Mouth (Williamsburg) Rude Mouth opened last year just around the corner from my apartment, and it’s quickly become one of those places that quietly anchors a neighborhood. I’ve been in the dead of winter when it feels almost secret - dim, cozy, a little cocoon where you can tuck into a glass and a conversation - and I’ve been in the summer when the backyard opens up into long picnic tables under string lights, the air buzzing with groups splitting bottles and passing around plates. The by-the-glass list rotates constantly (basically weekly), which is equal parts frustrating and delightful. I can never return to an exact favorite, but I’m always discovering a new one! Ava, the owner, is often around and genuinely excited to steer you toward something you’ll love, but truthfully anyone behind the bar is locked in on what’s drinking best that week.

Le Dive (Canal Street) I’m not bragging but every time I’ve been to this chaotic bar, I’ve always gotten the best seat in the packed house. Le Dive is the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into a very specific, very glamorous version of downtown life. I’ve sat at the bar and had afternoons there that turned into evenings without really noticing as friends in the neighborhood come in for a glass then bop to the next Dimes Square spot. Sitting outside is the move: Canal Street roaring past, a rotating cast of stylish strangers, and just enough chaos to make everything feel cinematic. It’s the place to romanticize your life.

Black Mountain (Carroll Gardens) A cabin in Carroll Gardens? Serving personal fondue pots and incredible natural wines? Makes no sense! Black Mountain makes you feel like you discovered it (I did!). You walk through and suddenly you’re in this backyard that feels completely removed from the street. Warm wood, soft lighting, a little greenery, and in the winter, a roaring fireplace inside and a smokey firepit outside. The wines are thoughtful, but it’s the “where are we??” feeling that keeps me coming back.

Nicole’s Picks

Whoopsie Daisy (Crown Heights): Whoopsie Daisy has a lovely back patio where you’ll often find more dogs than people. The lowkey environs make it the perfect place to knock back a couple glasses of natty orange while petting a stranger’s labradoodle and snacking on pigs in a blanket. Beyond wine, they offer frozen drinks and classic cocktails that you can order as two-sippers, a program that rightfully earned beverage director Ivy Mix a James Beard nom. The owners have a bottle shop across the street called Fiasco!, which also (surprise, surprise) boasts a very sweet shop dog and thoughtful recommendations.

Frog (Bed-Stuy): The string light-filled patio at Frog is massive, but that doesn’t stop it from filling up the second the weather creeps above 70 degrees, especially when they’re running one of their popular pop-ups in the back. If Whoopsie Daisy is all dogs and babies, the crowd at Frog is way more Bed-Stuy cool kids ripping cigs, nary a stroller in sight. Like Whoopsie Daisy though, they also have an affiliated bottle shop–aptly named Frog Wine Shop–over in Cobble Hill. I haven’t made it over yet, but I love the trend of wine bars opening up their own retail spaces–who better to buy a bottle from than the people setting the menus at our favorite haunts?

With Others (Williamsburg): I stumbled upon With Others for the first time when Sauced was packed and I needed a table for a party of eight. Enter: a blessedly large picnic table on their back patio and a properly gluggable bottle of chilled red. Sometimes, Plan B turns into Plan A. The interior at With Others is just as lovely, should it be raining or you need some A/C, stat. And while I haven’t had their food, Emilie and I got a whiff of their fried chicken when we visited, and it smelled divine. If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of wine, their owner Shanna Nasiri also runs a weekly wine school, where you can taste and learn about wines from different regions, like the wines of Sicily or grower Champagne.

Sometimes the best outdoor seat in the house is a picnic blanket or your front stoop!

Here are a few wines for the great outdoors, hand-selected for us by Valerie Pimpinelli, the General Manager and Wine Buyer of Flatiron Wines.

Sierra de Toloño, Rioja Rosado, 2025

Insanely refreshing and delicious with raspberry, blood orange, herbs, limestone minerality/salinity. Fresh, easygoing, juicy but also really complex. Made by a super talented young female Rioja-native winemaker.

Alta Alella, Cava Reserva Brut Nature Mirgin, 2022

A classic blend of Xarel-lo, Macabeu and Parellada and perhaps the saltiest Cava I’ve tasted in a while, with a burst of fruit on the finish balancing the ocean-like minerality (granite-rich soils also impart lots of saline mineral verve). The added bonus is no corkscrew needed!

Peter Lauer, Riesling Barrel X, 2025

This is Riesling’s Platonic ideal — just slightly off-dry, with plenty of ripe fruit flavors and zippy acidity. Perfect for pairing with all sorts of food or entirely on its own. Peter Lauer never disappoints!

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Here’s everything I got up to.

MY APRIL RECAP

What I Read:

• Famesick by Lena Dunham: I’ll be honest: I went in with some apprehension. I’m a girl’s girl, but I’m not the biggest Girls™ girl–when it comes to shows exploring female friendship, I prefer the silliness of Broad City. That said, I gobbled up Lena’s latest memoir with a fervor that surprised me. It’s confessional and gossipy (half the fun), and the writing itself is so sharp and funny. Consider me converted.

• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett: After picking up a free copy from the sidewalk, I finally read Tom Lake, Ann Patchett’s 2023 novel about a mother recounting her young romance with a now-famous actor to her three daughters as they harvest cherries on their Michigan farm. Despite being a pandemic book–set in 2020–it feels like a lovely escape every time you open it. Sweet, steady, and quietly transporting.

• Vigil by George Saunders: I adore George Saunders. His craft book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain has been incredibly formative for me, so reading his latest novel was a given. Vigil follows a spirit tasked with ushering an oil tycoon into the afterlife, raising the question of whether a man largely responsible for climate catastrophe can find redemption. It’s surreal and darkly funny, though its chapterless structure made it a more challenging read than I expected.

What I Ate:

• Key lime pie from Cait’s Key Lime: Ordering from Cait’s feels a little like being an undercover spy. You pre-order a pie weeks in advance, select a pick-up window, then arrive at an agreed-upon location to secure the goods. I ordered one for Nick’s birthday and it was the pinnacle of what a key lime pie can be: not-too-sweet cream swooped like a cloud, and an abundance of fresh zest.

• Lechon platter at Naks (East Village): The shatteringly crisp yet succulent pork belly was my favorite bite at Naks, though the pancit batil patong–egg noodles tossed in a sugary vinegar sauce–came dangerously close. I also have to sing the praises of the Zesto cocktail, a soursop milk punch with rum and coconut that might be the best drink I’ve had in recent memory.

• Deviled eggs at Long Island Bar (Cobble Hill): I can’t say the deviled eggs (or, frankly, the burger) changed my life. But spending my afternoon tucked into the warm, wooden enclave and sipping on a paloma made my problems feel temporarily far away. And the eggs definitely didn’t hurt.

• Fried chicken sandwich at Disco Birdies (Bed-Stuy): On an unseasonably warm spring day, is there a better meal on god’s green earth than a spicy fried chicken sandwich and a glass of champagne enjoyed outside? I’d argue no. And the version at Disco Birdies–supremely crispy and served on a pillowy potato bun–is tops.

  

• Shrimp with fresh spaghetti at F&F Restaurant and Bar (Carroll Gardens): This was one of the best pastas I’ve had in a while, which really says something since F&F is a pizza-first establishment. Delicate, just-barely-poached shrimp and house-made spaghetti are tossed in a silky lemon sauce buttery enough to feel decadent, acidic enough not to overwhelm. It’s a perfect dish.

• Hazelnut gelato at Gelateria Gentile (West Village): A good scoop of gelato is stretchy like taffy, creamy like, well, fresh cream, and flavored to taste like actual hazelnut or pistachio, not a cartoon version of it. Gelateria Gentile succeeds on all three fronts.

MY MAY LIST

What I Want to Read:

• Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein: A woman is visited by an apparition of Monica Lewinsky decades after a sordid affair with her professor, which just so happened to take place the same summer as the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal. It’s a kookier concept with some meatier themes of desire and forgiveness–I can’t wait to give it a whirl.

• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke: After reading Strangers and Famesick, I’m on a real roll of reading the hot new Substack book. It’s fun to feel like I’m in one very large, online book club. Burke’s debut about a trad wife influencer who gets sent back to the 1800s, forced to actually lead the life she romanticizes online, is next on the docket.

What I Want to Eat:

• Lumpia at Kubo (Bed-Stuy): A new Filipino cocktail bar with a large back patio, where lumpia is a bar snack and karaoke starts after ten.

• Rotisserie chicken at Cleo Downtown (West Village): The latest in a slew of rotisserie chicken restaurants, from the team behind Montague Diner and Margot.

• Fish and chips at Dean’s (West Village): Is it a pub? Is it a restaurant? There seems to be no true consensus when it comes to Dean’s, the new British-inflected spot from the King team. Regardless of its designation, I can’t wait to have a cheeky pint and some fish and chips.

That’s all for this month, my friends. I’m going to Madrid, Seville, and Granada in a couple weeks, so if you have any recs for what to eat and see while I’m there, I’m all ears!

I’ll spare you all the aphorisms about the “best laid plans” and say the obvious: sometimes, despite all my careful preparation, the plan doesn’t work out.

That’s what happened on Saturday. My boyfriend Nick and I planned a day trip over to Governor’s Island for his birthday. I brought a book, a blanket, and a loose but still obsessively scrutinized itinerary of biking and eating fish tacos.

Then the ferry came and it was full, and the next one wasn’t for an hour. Instead of waiting, we decided to abandon that plan and instead laze about Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, discovering what we wanted to do along the way.

Of course, it was perfect in the way that only an unplanned day can be perfect.

We walked past Long Island Bar at 1:55pm and were able to snag a seat right when they opened at two. Devilled eggs. An endive salad. The burger. Importantly: an afternoon paloma.

From there, we popped into shops and snapped photos of birds and buds, then wandered slowly back to the promenade, walking until we found a suitable patch of grass to lay on in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

We saw babies toddling by on shaky feet and a teenager doing front and back handsprings at such an intense speed we were sure, for a moment, that this was going to be how we die: death by gymnastics.

I read a book about Copenhagen, already planning for an upcoming trip, clearly not internalizing any of that moment’s lessons about letting go and seeing where the wind takes me.

And by the time the day was done–Thai delivery on the way, an episode of Paradise on the queue–all of our original plans for that afternoon felt far away.

The experience made me think of all the other times I’ve followed my whims, and where it got me.

To a perfect plate of pasta.

To a tiny show.

To a dreamy last dinner in Barcelona.

And it made me think I should loosen my grip, at least a little.

I’ve sent fifty letters this year, pausing only for Christmas and a family vacation–time will tell if I can maintain that clip. Instead of a typical letter today, I’m going back through the archives and pulling ten of my favorites from the past year.

On Writing

In the Weeds of Writing a Novel

A peek behind the curtain of writing a novel, written during a part of the process when I was feeling especially lost.

Where Writers Actually Write in New York

A Brooklyn–focused guide on where to write, from some of my favorite Substack writers. I loved putting this together–more community-focused letters coming this year!

On Reading

Am I Reading Enough?

A question I’ve asked myself a lot, especially as I consume more book-related content. Revisiting this one is a nice reminder that it literally does not matter at all.

The Best Books I Read This Year

My 2025 reading recap, broken down by category (e.g. “novels where nature is the main character” and “nonfiction that made me feel dumb”). 2026 is looking just as good based on what I’ve read so far.

On Restaurants

Now’s a Good Time to Go Out to Eat

A love letter to one of my favorite Brooklyn restaurants, Agi’s Counter, and my thoughts on the unsustainable restaurant business.

The Main Course is Dead – Long Live Dessert

Some of the very best restaurant desserts in New York according to me, on a scale from light as air to downright decadent.

On Alone Time

You Should Take Yourself on a Date

Why I love spending time by myself, along with three solo date ideas in New York. Romance is alive and well baby.

How to Have a Night In (As Someone Who’d Rather Be Out)

Confessions from someone who cannot sit still, including one of my all-time favorite cookbooks and some tips on how to make staying in feel less like a concession if you’re insane like me.

On Los Angeles

The LA vs NY Debate

One of the first pieces I wrote, and one of the most sentimental. It’s about leaving and loving LA, while embracing the expansiveness of New York.

To All the Los Angeles Restaurants I Loved Before

I accidentally made Nick cry with this one–oops! This is an ode to the taquerias, Armenian restaurants, and Koreatown staples that made my five years in LA so delicious.

Thanks so much for reading, whether you’ve read one or all fifty. I’m excited for what’s to come in year two.

For a split second, I almost said yes.

The first thing you see when you step into my apartment are the bookshelves, which are basically bursting at the seams. I have a pretty… generous… book buying policy, if I can even call it that: I’m allowed to buy one new book every time I step into a bookstore. I tell myself I’m building good book karma, so one day when I (hopefully) publish my own, other people will do the same.

The result is I own a shit ton of books. Poetry anthologies from college. An entire shelf of cookbooks. The latest buzzy hard cover. God bless the movers who had to lug my haul all the way from Los Angeles to Brooklyn. They’re really the ones earning the good karma.

All of that to say, I’m making a concerted effort to work my way through my current collection, supplementing with library books before I buy anything new.

Here’s what I got through this month–what I read, what I ate, and what I watched–along with everything I’m looking forward to in April.

MY MARCH RECAP

What I Read:

• Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar: Cyrus Shams, the newly sober son of Iranian immigrants, becomes obsessed with martyrdom as he tries to make sense of his mother’s senseless death. The prose is staggeringly beautiful–it’s hard to believe this is a debut–and the ending provides more questions than answers, which probably explains why it’s become such a book club darling.

• Long Bright River by Liz Moore: Published in 2020 (and now a Peacock series starring Amanda Seyfried), this literary suspense novel follows a Philadelphia police officer patrolling Kensington while searching for her sister, who’s struggling with addiction. Pennsylvania + sisters + a juicy suspense plot = the perfect book for me.

What I Ate:

• Steak au poivre at Bong (Crown Heights): This au poivre isn’t your typical bistro fare. Where most interpretations of the dish are straight to the point (cognac, stock, pepper, cream), Bong bangs a sharp left, spiking theirs with oyster and fish sauce. I could drink that sauce with a spoon. But like, over rice works too.

• Chicken mole tamal at Tamaleria la Madrina (Crown Heights): At $4 a pop, these tamales have been a big boon for my weekday lunch game. The sweet, smoky depth of their mole in particular plays perfectly with their salsa verde.

• Harissa chicken pita sandwich at Shifka (Noho): I’m always searching for a quick, healthy lunch spot while shopping in Soho, and now I’ve found it. The harissa chicken pita with sumac onions and yogurt is full of fresh veg, pickles, and a drizzle of tahini.

• Cheeseburger at Joe Allen (Hell’s Kitchen): Post-show, the burger at this Broadway institution is exactly what you want it to be: juicy, satisfying, and quintessentially New York.

• Fried string cheese at Mish Mish (Philly): Everything here was great–from seared maitakes to pork belly swimming in a subtly sweet salsa verde–but it’s hard to compete with fried cheese, especially when it’s tempura-battered and showered with black pepper.

• Pappardelle ai porcini at Malaparte (West Village): Wide, chewy noodles in a rich porcini-shiitake sauce–that’s exactly what I want in a mushroom pasta. It’s even better when the front windows are swung open on a warm night.

• Jerk plantain and pumpkin patty at Patty Haus (Crown Heights): This is the snack other snacks want to be when they grow up. The filling is perfectly spiced, smooth, and encased in a flaky golden crust.

What I Watched:

• Maybe Happy Ending: This might be my favorite show I’ve seen since moving to New York. It’s such a sweet, silly love story with beautifully designed sets, and Darren Criss and Hannah Kevitt are both fantastic. (Thank you Monette and Dave <3)

• All the President’s Men: I finally saw the Hoffman/ Redford Watergate classic and loved it. The ‘fits went unbelievably hard–we should really bring back short, wide ties.

MY APRIL LIST

What I Want to Read:

• A Good Person by Kirsten King: This debut came out this week and already has Daisy Edgar-Jones attached to the film adaptation. The pitch is Big Swiss meets Gone Girl–I’m in.

• The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai: This Pulitzer prize finalist about the AIDS crisis in 1980s Chicago has been sitting on my shelf for years. I’m finally fixing that.

What I Want to Eat:

• Sisig at Gayang (Elmhurst): I haven’t stopped thinking about Grubstreet’s article “Where to Eat Sizzling Sisig and Sing ABBA at 1 a.m.”

• Tostadas at Mariscos El Submarino (Park Slope): It’s actually warm out, which means it’s ceviche tostada o’clock.

What I Want to Watch:

• Project Hail Mary: I never read the book, but any box office success for an adaptation is a win in my book.

That’s all for this month. Tell me what you’ve been reading, eating, and watching–god knows I’m always looking for an excuse to ignore my own TBR.

If I’m being honest with myself though, all I really want to do most weekends–weather permitting–is walk. And talk. And walk some more.

Now that spring is finally upon us, I intend to do just that.

Here are four cafe and park pairings so you, too, can walk and talk (and caffeinate) to your heart’s content.

Nako → Brooklyn Heights Promenade (Brooklyn Heights)

Nako is on an especially charming street in the already exceedingly charming neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. This is an incredibly innocuous detail, but they serve their to-go coffee in perfectly iced cappuccino-sized cups. Cute!!

Grab a capp or one of their signature Nako lattes–made with espresso or matcha–and then wander the nearby fruit streets before ending up at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. IMO, it has one of the best skyline views in the city.

Villager → Prospect Park (Prospect Heights)

Once while waiting for my coffee at Villager, I saw Eric André chat up a girl in line and ask for her number. It felt like seeing a master at work; this is the man who once pulled Emily Ratajkowski after all. You gotta give it up! But I digress.

I go to Villager a lot while en route to Prospect Park. The combo hits especially hard on a Saturday morning, when you can scoop up fresh tulips from the Grand Army greenmarket and buy ramps or whatever hot girl produce is currently on offer. After you secure the goods, take a long, winding stroll through the Vale of Cashmere portion of the park (my personal favorite). Watch birds. Pretend you’re in a Miyazaki movie.

Bittersweet → Fort Greene Park (Fort Greene)

Speaking of Saturday mornings… it’s also a great time to wander around Fort Greene. Swing by Bittersweet first for a really lovely mocha, then take a lap around the Fort Greene greenmarket.

My friend Maggie just put me on to Veda, a new bakery popping up there every Saturday serving both savory (think green shakshuka and chicken tikka) and sweet pastries (like passionfruit and blackcurrant donuts). Enjoy yours while you watch people picnicking and playing tennis in the park.

Thayer → East River Park (East Village)

Last but not least is Thayer, which pulls excellent espresso on Avenue B in the East Village. I recommend getting a simple, espresso-forward drink like a cortado, then taking a leisurely stroll around Tompkins Square Park before heading east toward the river.

One thing I love about New York is how many vantage points you can have of the city. From East River Park, you have a view of Brooklyn, which is less obviously striking than the view from the other side of the water looking at Manhattan, but worth slowing down and taking in nonetheless.

I hope you walk and talk your hearts out this weekend, my friends.

I recently listened to an episode of the This is TASTE podcast with New York Times food columnist Eric Kim. In it, Kim rattled off a handful of places he loves to write in the city, from the hidden bar at Junior’s in Downtown Brooklyn to the Italian restaurant Anton’s in the West Village.

I loved that his picks fell well outside the usual coffee shop rotation, and it made me curious where other writers like to work in New York.

So I asked some of my favorite New York-based writers to share their go-to spots–from neighborhood cafes to bookish bars–throwing a couple of my own in the mix as well for good measure.

Here’s where we write.

Escaping the Apartment

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📍 Padmore’s in Bed-Stuy & Prospect Park

I’m a busybody who works from home full-time, which means I regularly go stir-crazy in the confines of my apartment. Two spots reliably save my sanity: Padmore’s in Bed-Stuy, which is blessedly open until 7pm (as more coffee shops should be), and Prospect Park. I can’t say I splay out in the grass with my laptop there, but jotting down a few lines in a notebook always feels nice.

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📍 Dae in Carroll Gardens

I do most of my writing at home but on the days I want to leave my apartment, I find myself at Dae in Carroll Gardens. It’s nice and quiet on weekday mornings and their misugaru latte is magical. I just found out they’re closing later this spring (but relocating!) so I’m hoping they stay in the neighborhood.

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📍Eastern Parkway

I do a lot of writing at home after work, but if I’m venturing into the outside world, I’ll gladly grab a bench on the middle walkway of Eastern Parkway. It’s one of those walking paths that’s chaotically situated right in the center of a busy expressway. Kind of as close to sitting in the middle of oncoming traffic as you can get.

For some reason, I find that relaxing. I space out half the time I write anyway, so there’s plenty to see between the traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians. Watching everybody else on their way to something possibly forces me to focus on my own work. That or I just like the feeling of hiding in plain sight.

Writing in Motion

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📍 The MTA

Honestly, my favorite place to write is the subway by way of my Notes app. I prefer it to scrolling into oblivion or listening to music. I feel like I have all of my best thoughts while in transit!

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📍 The MTA (specifically, the F train)

Honestly, I mostly write from home, and if I’m writing from anywhere else, it’s in my Notes app on the subway. Since my beat requires me to be out and about reporting frequently, some days I can’t find enough time to sit down at my desk… but I often feel my most productive drafting a newsletter on the F train.

Quiet Corners

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📍 The Center for Fiction in Fort Greene & Liz’s Book Bar in Carroll Gardens

I’ve been holing up at the Center for Fiction. It’s so quiet and spacious and I love working alongside people who are also very focused. I also like writing at Liz’s Book Bar in Carroll Gardens (Black owned, woman owned, author owned!) for the drip coffee and the bookish environment.

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📍 Anaïs in Boerum Hill

Anaïs has just the right amount of natural light and cozy ambience—more windows than your living room, less fluorescent lighting than your office—where I can sit for long enough that my morning cappuccino can be replaced by a glass of wine.

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📍 Principles GI in Gowanus

Over in Gowanus, there’s a quiet cafe a few blocks off busy 4th Ave called Principles GI. It’s a quirky, warehousey space that doubles as a bike repair shop. There’s always a seat, never a rush, and the big garage doors in the front let air flow through on nice days. A lovely place to park it and get some words down.

Thank you to the lovely writers who contributed!!

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If you have a favorite place to write in New York, I’d love to hear it.