Sweating through the Solstice
Ice cream, air conditioning, and arepas
It’s officially summer and things are heating up. Thank you to everyone who joined for our Sunday ice cream hang! We pivoted from a park to an air conditioned bar, Goldie’s, and it was perfect. I’m deeply appreciative of everyone who braved the heat and multiple subway transfers to come. And I met one person for the first time, which is always a highlight of these events. I have one more event in mind for the summer, so stay tuned. I really love taking this community offline when I can and am always open to event suggestions.
On Saturday, I saw John Proctor is the Villain with my family, a deeply important (and also funny) story about female rage and the abuse of power by men, especially ones in power set in a Georgia high school in 2018. Lorde’s Green Light also plays a major role, which I obviously loved. If you ever had a teacher make it into Page Six or your local equivalent for his behavior (raises hand), you need to see this.
We came out of the theater to the news of Trump bombing Iran and it feels like the early 2000s are back, in the worst way. American imperialism is such a destructive global force and the money that’s being spent on this will result in death, suffering, and environmental catastrophes. There are so many better ways that these resources could be used and I’m furious about it all. You can contact your reps here to sign an anti war resolution.
New Yorkers, I’ll see you at the polls tomorrow! We are not ranking Cuomo and
has so many reasons why not to. It is a good idea to fill out your ballot with basically anyone you’d prefer over him. I’ll be ranking Brad Lander first, then Zohran Mamdani, then Adrianne Adams, then Zellnor Myrie, and then Michael Blake. This quiz from The City is a great way to finalize your slate. If you’re curious about how votes get counted and why it might take a few days, this video is helpful. Find your poll site here and don’t let the heat stop you from voting.Later this week, I’m taking a few days off to head to Maine with Tilden. I’m so excited for a break and to do lots of cooking with her aunt, Ann, who graciously hosts us. Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
I had Julianne, Julia, and Hillary over for dinner and baked pasta was in order. I made a recipe inspired by a Chuck and Hailee video—it’s a simple tomato baked pasta with pesto ricotta on top. There are few techniques I picked up from their video, like cooking the pasta for half the time the box says, that I’ll apply to any baked pasta recipe. I served it with a little extra sauce, arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette (I have Brightland’s balsamic vinegar and it is really good), and garlic bread. Hillary helped me make brownies with chocolate chips and flakey salt, baked in a round pan, which I prefer texture-wise.
Zoe took a cooking class a few years ago and I got to be the beneficiary of her studies when she made mussels for Amy and me. They were extremely garlicky and delicious and it felt like such a treat to eat mussels on a Tuesday.
Tilden and I made arepas on Thursday with spicy green sauce, halloumi, and mushrooms al pastor. We had a side of cucumbers for something fresh and watched Shrek, one of the greatest movies of all time. I can’t believe it’s from 2001, it still feels so relevant and looks great.
Leah and I ate breakfast on Saturday and had basically bagels without the bagels—toast with cream cheese, tomato, onion and everything but the bagel seasoning. It was giving we have food at home and it worked!
Something to order:
, Jackie and I had a power breakfast at Balthazar, which was a delight. The pastries and bread are next level and the atmosphere is very special.
Danielle and I got a drink at Corkbuzz (which I’m so sad is closing at the end of the month, it’s a gem near Union Square). Their last day is June 28th if you want to visit!
Rose and I had a short and sweet hang at A&C Super—she was craving a sandwich and their turkey on focaccia delivered. I got their broccoli chickpea sandwich, which comes with tahini, a good pairing. I still need to try their breakfast sandwich.
Pre theater, we had family dinner at the Times Square Mermaid Inn, which is a good option in the area. I like their oysters, of course, and their kale salad and old bay fries deliver.
After the show, we met Anjali, Mathew, and Megan at Marie’s Crisis, which felt like a good place to be, given the news.
Our ice cream hang gave me an excuse to go to Screen Door, where I got a flurry with butterfinger (the saltiness is so good) before walking to Goldie’s. Goldie’s has great AC and a karaoke room that you can hang in as long as it’s not booked. It was so great to see everyone. Outside food is allowed so people got sandwiches from Campbell & Co. and a pie from Chrissy’s Pizza, where the line has died down.
After the hang, I was hungry so Leah, Erika, Jessica and I reclaimed a sports bar: Keg & Lantern. I used to visit a lot but haven’t been since the breakup (we had a big argument at their bar in February). But I couldn’t stop thinking about their caesar wrap and we were right nearby. It was so good to be back and I’ll definitely keep going, though not timed to any sports games. Erika and Jessica loved the wings and we devoured the spinach artichoke dip.
Something to read:
Remember my trip to Austin? It was to film this incredible CNBC segment with GoodPop (client). In college, he spent $3,500 to launch a popsicle business—now it brings in $63 million a year. The back of my head makes a cameo and it is pop season, so grab some GoodPops.
Have you ever venmoed a bride for a drink?
The genius and riffability of the crunchwrap supreme
on one year of being an authorHow street vendors in LA helped support the protests against ICE
Mahmoud Khalil is free and reunited with his family
ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills. This MIT study was put out in a rush because the author (a very accomplished scientist) believes “developing brains are at the highest risk” and wants to influence policy around the use of these tools in school.
Saving this green goddess tomato sandwich from
for when tomato season really hitsSpeaking of summer, I restocked on my go-to sunscreen and picked up a new one to try as well. Senti Senti is great for Korean and Japanese beauty shopping, and if you can go in person, the staff are super helpful.
Mama let’s research: Celebrity social media moments I still think about from
What to Do If Approached by ICE at the Airport, Border, Workplace, or Home
Inside Yoga Star Adriene Mishler’s Warm and Wonderfully Understated Austin Home
There's a massive gulf between what Americans say they want and what their leaders are doing. That’s true with this war and so many other things.
Stay cool and take care! Thank you for being here!
xo, Abigail
Thank you for sharing my post! <3
loooved John Proctor is the Villain! thank you for sharing my post <3