Sunny September
Justin Bieber, Guac, and Froyo! Oh my!
Hi there,
Don’t you love a long weekend? It was so nice to have an extra day for seeing friends, resting, and cleaning up around the apartment. Dale and I head to London later this week and I’m going to take off the next week from the newsletter in attempt to lean into this whole PTO thing. I think the time difference will help in terms of disconnecting and I’m so excited to see Teal and go back to some London favorites (and try new ones). I’ll be back with some jet lagged updates next Thursday.
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I was in withdrawal from our Monday rice bowls so I made some sesame noodles for lunches last week. I used this recipe and added some mushrooms and tofu. I served it with sliced cucumbers, chili crisp, and chopped peanuts. So good and it held up very well over a few days.
Using restaurant leftovers as ingredients for cooking always feels like a superpower. I had leftover guacamole from Homemade Taqueria and I used it as a basis for avocado toast with scrambled eggs and salsa. That with a side of raspberries hit the spot on Saturday morning.
Another meal that never fails: Annie’s Mac and Cheese with broccoli. Boil the broccoli while you boil the pasta (it takes less time than the pasta) and add lots of black pepper and a little chili powder. Never fails.
I made it to the Farmer’s Market on Sunday (another win for the summer bucket list) and managed to snag some sungold tomatoes. I have this pasta recipe bookmarked.
Something to order:
Mandy and I had dinner at Sisters, which was so nice. The fried pickles are a great way to start and I really like their veggie burger. It’s a beautiful space and convenient for people to meet off the G (my specialty).
Clara’s is Dale’s favorite sports bar in Bushwick and it recently got a little facelift. I love their veggie quesadilla and Dale always gets their wings.
Teal, Ali, and I had drinks at the Immigrant in the East Village, which is very cute inside and outside. It’s a go to for pre dinner drinks.
Growing up in Queens, I was always very aware of the US Open but this year was my first time going and it was a blast. Michelle organized tickets a while ago and we went Friday night. The atmosphere is more like a music festival than a typical sporting event with shops, activations, and so many food options. I tried the $22 honey deuce (it’s good and fun for the moment but wouldn’t be my drink of choice) and a spicy tofu bowl from Korilla. One highlight of the night was seeing Coco Gauff play. She lost the first set and then saw the Justin Bieber was there and didn’t want to lose in front of him so she won the next two. Love it. The only bad part of the open was getting home, which took forever. Subway is the way to go but the MTA needs to increase late night service on all the lines, not just the 7.
Julia and I regressed and went to 16 Handles, which hit the spot. Froyo never went out of style in my heart but they did take away the sample cups, which is sad. We continued our nostalgia tour by watching You’re So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah on Netflix, which was very cute and reminded me just how hard it is to be 12.
Frida and I grabbed brunch at Claudia’s, a Guatemalan spot in Williamsburg. It’s so good and the traditional breakfast is very similar to what I ate pretty much everyday while living there.
We hung out for so long that it was time for another meal, so we headed to Esters for pizza and rosé. I love it there and the wine selection is always changing and so delicious.
Something to read:
This piece about listening to Taylor Swift in prison is as moving as everyone said.
How to unionize your pizza shop (love that Barboncino is unionizing)
Friendship breakups are real and painful. I Asked Four Former Friends Why We Stopped Speaking. Here’s What I Learned
Millennials are tired of trying to be perfect moms
Related: Bad cook, good mom
A Sunday in the life of a scooper at Sugar Hill Creamery
Why note-taking apps don’t make us smarter
The Art of Friendship: How to Travel Together
‘Made in Taiwan’ is the cookbook that couldn’t have existed 20 years ago
I hope you had a restful long weekend! I love the energy of September and can’t believe it’s here!
xo, Abigail