Hi friends,
It’s my birthday! I’m having a pretty normal day, going to the office and then having a post work drink with Dale before watching the Bachelorette with my friends. I had a really nice weekend celebrating and relaxing and have some more fun ahead.
31 is a very Monday age especially after turning 30 on a Saturday with lots of fanfare. If this decade is a week, I’m at the start and I really don’t know how it’s all going to unfold (though I think about it all the time, probably to my own detriment). In a lot of ways, I feel more secure than I did this time last year and I love feeling more confident in myself. There are things (like hiking or attending 15 person group dinners) that I don’t want to do and won’t be doing. But there are also new things I’ll grow to love even if they’re hard (in the past year, I tried pottery, attending a concert alone, wearing eyeliner again after a hiatus, being more honest about my feelings). I’ve stepped outside my comfort zone in many ways this year and also remembered how much I need to give myself enough time to cook and watch tv and reset after periods of hyperactivity. I like when things move fast and struggle with patience (hence why gentle january is hard and important) but some things take time and there are no shortcuts. I started writing this newsletter when I was 24, working full time at a nonprofit, living with Julia and feeling unsure about just about everything. 31 felt so far away. Actually 30 did, I don’t think I ever thought about what came after because I thought everywhere would be so established by then. A big LOL to that. Now it’s here and for the most part, things are better than I thought they would be, which feels like a real gift.
Hosting my first happy hour in a very long time last week was a beautiful reminder of how special this community is. Old friends mingled with readers I hadn’t met before in The Last Call’s backyard and it was so joyful. Thank you to everyone who attended—I will host another one this winter (because we’ll all need something to do!)
For birthday reflections, check out the newsletters from 30, 29, 28, and 27.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I was back in Brooklyn for Bachelorette Monday and Julia made crispy tofu with Omsom’s bulgogi starter and broccoli. It was delicious as always and great to have a vegetable after traveling.
Dale and I made a Trader Joe’s run and I got their fusili corti pasta, which is a delightful coil. I enjoy it with their kale and cashew pesto, salted cherry tomatoes, and mini mozzarella balls.
I improvised lunch for work and made a lemony broccoli white bean salad that was really good. Char the broccoli in a hot skillet with some olive oil and garlic and then turn down the heat and add some white beans. Heat through and add lemon zest and juice and some feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper and top with a glug of olive oil. Delicious. I also made a broccoli skillet for dinner with charred broccoli, eggs, feta, and chili crisp.
Once the birthday festivities wrap up later this week, I will be cooking from
’s What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking (a NYTimes bestseller). I’ve already bookmarked a ton of recipes, including cheesy rice and beans, peanut noodles, and white bean caprese salad and will report back (here are Caro’s suggestions of where to start)!Something to order:
The Last Call was the perfect spot for happy hour—the backyard was filled with excited conversations and connections. I ordered a gin and sonic (a gin and tonic with half soda half tonic, you should try it). There was a pizza popup that night which added to the festivities and Dale got a cake from Fortunato Brothers with cannoli filling.
Isa and I celebrated her new job (!!) with dinner at Bar Camillo—they have a great happy hour with wine and spritzes and $12 pizza. The food was good with generous portions and they have a covered backyard. Afterwards, we walked a few blocks down for ice cream at Brown Butter Creamery—they have a great pistachio scoop. I wanted to bring Isa flowers to celebrate but wasn’t coming from home and my usual bodega. I walked past Paradise Flower Shop after getting library books and got a stunning custom bouquet for a very reasonable price. I will definitely go back!
Tilden and I got a chic breakfast at Nem’s—a Japanese Scandinavian spot with an extensive smoothie menu (they have Erewhon dupes). We leaned savory and split miso butter eggs and a miso mushroom toast with ricotta. Both were very good and it’s a cute setting both inside and out.
Dale joined Soho House and we’ve been soaking up the sunshine on the Dumbo patio. So far my favorite food items are the pizza, the green smoothie, the edamame dip and guac (love a green dip), and the shoestring fries with mayo not ketchup. Also their house chocolate chip cookies have maldon salt, which we love.
Something to read:
From
(a newsletter I open every time): How The NY Public Library Meme’d Their Way Out of Budget CutsYou can read this headline and article 100 time times and it will still not make any sense. Ceasefire and arms embargo now. Israeli strikes on Gaza leave children without parents and parents without children
The Branded Trash Cans of Madison Avenue by
‘A Lot of Us Are Gone’: How the Push to Diversify Publishing Fell Short
I read Long Island, the sequel to Brooklyn this weekend and it was juicier than I expected. If you’ve read it, let’s discuss!
on not shopping for fall (I’m thinking about it but also it’s so nice and warm and I know it won’t last so I want to live in that for as long as possible)You can’t eat technology—what happened to Smallhold, the popular mushroom company.
I always enjoy
’s brand reviews and this is a fun retrospective (I am very close to ordering Moon Juice magnesium)New York’s streeterys are gone and I miss them already!
on 20 years in New YorkHave a wonderful week and thank you for being here!
xo, Abigail
Happy happy birthday! I hope Virgo season treats you well ♍️ 🙌