And the big news is...

A new chapter begins! The publicist era!

Hello from Vancouver! It’s my first time in Canada and I absolutely love Vancouver so far! We had an incredible first day walking along the waterfront and eating delicious food—I will share the full recap next week, but already can’t wait to come back.

I got some funny texts after last week’s tease (no, I am not engaged or moving to California). I got a new job! After more than five years of freelancing, I’m joining the fantastic team at Isetta, where I’ll be working with incredible food and drink brands on marketing and public relations. I start at the end of the month and am so excited about this next chapter.

I’m going to be sharing more about the process and how I decided to start the search on Thursday, but I want to answer a few questions below.

Q: What’s happening to This Needs Hot Sauce?

A: It’s not going anywhere! This newsletter has been a creative outlet and community since 2017 and I’ll continue writing it after hours and on weekends. I was working full time when I started it as well and will make tweaks as needed to make it all work. The content may shift a bit as my schedule and day to day life changes, but I think it will be great. I hope you’ll stick around and understand that it might take longer to respond to emails/comments as I settle in and focus on my new role.

Q: Will you still be freelancing for other places?

A: Nope! I’ll be writing here, but other than that, I will be focused on my new role! If you’re a writer or editor pal, I’ll definitely be in touch soon.

Q: What are you most excited for?

A: So many things! I’ve gotten to meet the team and they are absolutely wonderful—I’m excited to work with them. Isetta has incredible clients and I’m excited to apply my experiences in a new way to support them. It’s going to be a season of learning and creativity and teamwork and I can’t wait. I’m also excited to have an office to go into and all the other benefits that come with full time employment.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to encourage me, make connections, brainstorm ideas, and cheer me on during the job search process. I wanted to wait till everything was finalized to share, but nothing happens in a vacuum and I am so grateful for the support I received.

Now let’s dive in!

Something to cook:

I spent most of last week in California and cooked some easy meals, like veggie packed quesadillas (mushrooms, spinach, tomato, red onion) and scrambled eggs with english muffins.

Kaitlin and Don came for dinner one night and Grandma made a delicious baked pasta served with marinara sauce on the side, cheesy garlic bread, and a blueberry crumb cake for dessert. I have the recipes for both that I will share with paid subscribers in the next few months (I need to transcribe them and test them).

Something to order:

Our first meal off the plane was at Madre in Torrance, a Oaxacan restaurant with a few locations. It was absolutely delicious. We shared the fried quesadilla with squash blossoms and a cotija caesar salad. I also had a tamal.

No trip to Newport is complete without frozen bananas from Dad’s and a walk around Balboa Island. I really treasure time there.

We also had Taco Mesa on our last night in Newport and it’s delicious as always. I had veggie tacos and love their guacamole.

We stopped in Long Beach for treats from Colossus bakery which also has a great marketplace section. The sticky bun and chocolate chip cookie were great and they also have a full cafe menu.

Grandma, Teal, Dale and I had lunch at Bardonna, which makes a great breakfast burrito.

We celebrate the job news with dinner at Jemma di Mare, a sceney new spot in Brentwood. There’s a champagne vending machine and a big bar area. The food was really good, especially the brussels sprouts, the spicy rigatoni, and the pesto pastas.

We got delicious nachos and spicy pineapple margaritas with Karl at Vamos Vamos on Main Street. It’s a great spot for a casual Friday hang.

On my last night in LA, Sarah, Teal and I got Thai food from Emporium Thai, which is also a favorite of Cardi B’s. She recommends the mango sticky rice and so do I. I also recommend the veggie egg rolls.

Something to read:

I share more reads in Thursday’s newsletter.

These adobo chocolate chip cookies sound good

Behind the scenes at the One Love Community Fridge

I’m very invested in the future of New York slice shops

I will not miss fancy ketchup

Jenny Odell on the meaning of life

I shared an indispensable travel tip

There’s a new wave of frozen dumplings

Love this new video series about Black history in New York

The timing of Ben Smith releasing a book about digital media right after BuzzFeed News was shut down…also, sign this letter to support BuzzFeed News staffers

Adorable dads at the Eras tour (I’m going on Sunday and am counting the days!)

Shopping for What it Means to be an American Girl

How menus are designed for TikTok

Finding your signature drink order takes time (and changes with the seasons)

Need to visit this wine bar next time I’m in Paris. I always trust

David Lebovitz

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Have a great rest of your week and thanks for all of your support!

xo, Abigail