A New Era
Plus recs for Vancouver and Seattle, reads, and more!
I hope you had a great long weekend full of sunshine and enjoyable activities. Today is my first day of work! Thank you for all your support on my announcement last week—it meant a lot to be able to share the moment with you! ICYMI, I shared more of the job search process on Thursday.
Since it’s a short week, there will be no Thursday newsletter this week. I’ll be back to the regular schedule next week!
I’m still riding the high of going to the Eras tour on Sunday and had a wonderful trip out west. This week is a bit of a grab bag but that’s life sometimes.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
When we arrived in Vancouver, Chuck, my cousin who we stayed with, greeted us with a lovely lunch spread that’s perfect if you’re hosting guests who are arriving at an unpredictable time (customs lines vary). He got cold cuts, local cheese, sourdough, chickpea salad, and a grain salad and we all made different sandwiches. I even had a Canadian sparkling water. Everything was delicious and easy, just what you want after a flight.
We also tried Montreal Bagels while in Vancouver (from the Siegel’s Bagels stand at Granville Market) and they were really good. They’re smaller and sweeter than a New York bagel and Dale was raving about the cold smoked salmon we got from another market vendor. A bagel spread is another great thing for guests (it’s a crucial part of Jewish culture).
In Seattle, we celebrated Michelle’s birthday with dinner at her parents’ house. Her mom made delicious fried rice with a blend of grains that included purple rice and her dad decanted some very special Washington wines.
I got back late Thursday and finally cooked for myself on Saturday night. I made pasta with pesto, white beans, and broccoli again because I always have pesto in the freezer. It’s delicious and so fresh.
Something to order:
Vancouver:
I absolutely loved Vancouver! Chuck (we missed seeing Joanne who had a work trip) was an excellent guide and we got to see so much of the city in just a few days. It’s beautiful and surrounded by water, which made me so happy. We took lots of walks and ate very well. If you’re a biker, this city is a must visit—there are so many bike lanes and paths and parks. There’s also beautiful First Nations art around the city, even in the airport. Definitely take a walk in Stanley Park to see the totems and the views, visit Granville Island to check out the market (it feels more local than other similar markets and you could put together a great picnic from the different vendors) and shops, do some shopping on Robsen Street. We went downtown to see the area where cruise ships leave for Alaska and more views. And our last stop before getting on our bus to Seattle was Tim Hortons. The Timbits are definitely better than muchkins. The train station also had a sushi spot that was incredibly delicious—I had a spinach gomae roll that I’m still thinking about.
We had dinner our first night at Vij’s (Chuck made the reservation right after we confirmed the dates which was the right call). We ate upstairs in the garden and the food was incredible. The Indian menu changes a lot and I had a paneer appetizer, a vegetarian sampler and a Chardonnay from the Okanagan Valley. They also had local fish and they bring out naan and rice when you need it so it’s always warm and fresh (and complimentary). Everything was so well seasoned and I wish I lived closer to this spot.
On our second night, we went to The Naam, a vegetarian restaurant in Kitsilano that’s been open since 1968. It has a laid back hippie vibe and the veggie burger was great. They also made great grilled cheese and have a huge menu. There’s normally a long wait for a table but we got lucky.
Seattle:
It was Dale’s first time in Seattle (I last visited in 2019 for a work project) and we stayed at this cute and well located AirBnB in Queen Anne. It was an easy walk to Cafe Hagan, a Scandanavian inspired coffeeshop that we went to twice for breakfast (the breakfast bun is so good as is the coffee). From there we also walked to the Space Needle and Chihuly Gardens (we did both and saved $10 with a joint ticket). It was a clear day and the views from the Space Needle were stunning.
I really wanted to sample West Coast oysters so we went to Taylor Shellfish, an oyster farm that serves extremely fresh shellfish. The oysters were delicious (happy hours ends at 4 so plan accordingly) and they also make a caesar salad that’s extremely good (or maybe I just needed salad after lots of traveling).
Finally, Dale and I caught the Mariners game. Tickets were very reasonable (started at $9) and we were so impressed by the food options in the stadium. I got mushroom buns from Din Tai Fung and a local beer and they have Hawaiian food, acai bowls, seafood, PNW wines, Salt and Straw ice cream, and so much more. It was a fun way to spend an evening. The All Star Game is in Seattle this year so if you’re headed there, know you’ll be eating well.
I got Ellenos yogurt to eat on the flight back and it was so good and creamy. They had a strawberry shortcake flavor that included strawberry jam and a buttery crumble and I think we need this flavor to catch on.
New York:
I had to get a bagel my first morning back and Simply Nova was there for me, as always.
I also had a particularly good Cava bowl with spicy feta and feta as a topping. We deserve both.
Julianne found the perfect spot for us to eat before getting on the NJ Transit to see Taylor (it would also come in handy pre MSG events): Fiele on 33rd street had surprisingly good food and lots of seating. I had a hearty quesadilla and everyone loved their burgers and fries.
Something to read:
How Brightland Founder Aishwarya Iyer Shook Up The Olive Oil Industry
Are you seeing fewer QR code menus? I still see them in lots of places.
A Very Brief History of the Birkenstock Arizona, my summer shoe
Henry Kissinger is 100 and still a war criminal
Inside Superiority Burger: The Buzziest Restaurant in America. I liked how this story highlighted the team behind this spot.
When digital nomads come to town
An urgent crisis: Pasta prices have surged, prompting crisis meetings in Italy and calls for a strike
Rick Bishop, a Greenmarket Fixture for Decades, Has Retired
This story about Horses, in LA, is wild
A great New Yorker profile on Stephen Satterfield
The HR-ification Of Marriage. Calendars are complicated.
and Hetty McKinnon chat about vegetables. I just got Lukas’ new veggie burger cookbook and can’t wait to cook from it!Have a great week—it feels like the start of summer and so much more!
xo, Abigail
I miss the QR code menus so much! They were the norm in China and it made ordering as a nervous/introverted foreigner so much easier because I felt like I could really take my time. Even in NY I loved being able to quickly order more of this or that to the table via code vs waiting for a server to come check on me.
I feel like an issue that arose during the pandemic (which may have been partially related to the QR code menus) was that people were tipping way less bc there was “less service” involved. So I do wonder if that’s also a reason for the pivot back to regular menus.
But I’m just an introvert, scanning a QR code, asking for another cup of tea.