30.

Birthday surprises and spritzes

Hi there,

I’m writing this on Sunday evening on the couch. I’m wiped out and so content after a weekend of birthday celebrations. Huge thanks to everyone who helped plan surprises, recorded videos and sent messages to make the day extra special. I wrote more about this milestone last week but at the end of the day, I’m just really grateful.

Now, let’s dive in.

Something to cook:

Julia and I watched the Bachelorette finale (rooting for Charity and Dotun) with tofu bowls with peanut sauce and crunchy veggies (bell pepper, carrot, cucumber). So good and refreshing.

I also packed a classic quesadilla for the office and made more rice bowls with sriracha and spicy mayo. I even channeled the meal prep classes Erica and I used to teach and packed a yogurt parfait in a Bonne Maman jar with strawberries, peanuts, and chia seeds.

On Friday, I slept in and made shakshuka for Dale and me with the last of my Ciao Pappy sauce and parm (I didn’t have feta, which would have been great). I added some spinach at the last minute and luckily had a slice of sourdough in the freezer to sop up the sauce. I use this silicone lid to make shakshuka without turning on the oven.

Gabriela made cosmopolitans for the finale of And Just Like That and Jessica made chocolate cookies with tobelorone chocolate. We also had Williamsburg Pizza—that show is best watched with a crew (and good snacks).

Something to order:

Teal kicked off the birthday celebrations with dinner at Balaboosta in the West Village. The food was so delicious and we had a wonderful server who guided us to the best bites and wines—would recommend the whipped feta, the seasonal tempura, the fried olives, and the hummus. Also the churros, wow

Dale and I took Friday off and he planned lovely surprises—first we got massages and went to the baths at Bathhouse and then we got dinner at the stunning Le Crocodile. It’s a really gorgeous space (I want to steal the light fixtures) and we had spritzes, oysters, fries, summer squash, cacio e pepe orzo and an incredible banana date cake with caramel sauce.

After dinner, we hung out and then Dale suggested we grab one more drink closer to home. I suspected nothing when we walked into Tuffet but Julianne, Julia, Hillary, Tilden, and Ian were hidden in the back with cupcakes and bubbly. I was so surprised and it was the perfect way to officially ring in the birthday.

On Saturday, I had a party at my favorite place, Lighthouse! They were incredibly kind and went above and beyond with custom menus featuring all my favorite things: labneh, oysters, seasonal mezze with corn and tomato, their fries, salads, and pitchers of vermouth spritzes. My dad brought some wine from my birth year and Dale got a cake from Fortunato Brothers. It was so wonderful to celebrate with everyone in a place that means so much to me. Dale and I went on our first offical date there, Julia and I have had every kind of a life chat there, I’ve had family dinners, friend dinners, and solo dinners there. They just resigned their lease for another 15 years and I am very relieved and excited to be a forever customer and friend.

We have a lot of Virgos in the fam so we went to the Mets game on Sunday to celebrate my dad’s birthday. Leah and I split nachos and we went back to Forest Hills after to get Eddie’s with Anjali (the best ice cream).

Something to read:

A sneak peek at James Park’s chili crisp cookbook

Citi Field is fun but the Cyclones are the best baseball team in New York City

Love the idea of hanging pictures of friends in your home. Would you do it?

Scarr’s makes the best pizza in New York. But best is subjective. And there are multiple bests.

Heat Is Not a Metaphor

The Staggering Economic Impact of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

I Wrote The Care and Keeping of You for Girls. This Wasn’t the Future I Imagined for Them.

How scallion pancakes became the most versatile bread in America

Why Food Sensitivity Tests Are Dangerous for Kids

This made me laugh but I also get it: why pistachios are the nut of quiet luxury

Loved this from a Penn student journalist: Interning at a Strike Newspaper Taught Me About Labor Rights and Journalism

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Thanks so much for reading and making this season so special!

xo, Abigail