The Summer I Got Pizza
Pizza lunches, broccoli salads, and getting to know you
Good morning/afternoon/evening!
Last Thursday I sent out an introduction thread and I was unsure if anyone would respond (at some level, writing a newsletter can feel like writing into a void). I was thrilled to be wrong and spent much of the day getting to know you all in the thread. We have readers from 4 continents represented and you all are absolutely wonderful! Our days are so different—some of you swim in the sea, others have incredible gardens, and we all look for joy in the everyday. If you haven’t chimed in yet, I encourage you to do so here. I want to say a heartfelt thank you for being here and making this community so special. I feel so lucky to have you all in this corner of the internet.
Thursday’s newsletter is about calendars, schedules, and journaling. I’m sharing some of the tools I use to plan out my weeks (and I’m excited to hear from you about what works best). I’m also going to be announcing a really exciting event in the Thursday newsletter!
Now, let’s dive in.
Something to cook:
It was a short week and I did not cook a ton (we haven’t done a proper grocery shop in too long, which will be remedied soon). I made a big jar of quick pickles, which we’ll be making in this weekend’s meal prep class (it’s not too late to join)! They’re great to have with sandwiches or a quick rice bowl.
I had an intense broccoli craving and I made this broccoli rubble salad with farro. I steamed the broccoli and then cooked the farro in the same pot, adding more water, but otherwise mostly followed the recipe. It’s a good hearty salad and the leftovers keep well.
Other than that, I prepared a delicious bagel from Kossar’s with red onion and scallion cream cheese (I love an allium heavy bagel). To revive day old/frozen bagels, wet them before toasting or reheating. It works wonders! Kossar’s is opening a new location on the Upper East Side this fall and they sent bagels to celebrate (they’re also on Goldbelly if you want a bagel fix outside of New York).
Something to order:
I was hungry before physical therapy and Joe’s Pizza came to the rescue with a plain and a spinach slice.
Oset and I celebrated her new job with dinner and a movie at the Ace Hotel in Brooklyn. As You Are, the hotel’s restaurant, is good and they have a nice outdoor set up (get the parker house rolls and the latkes). Then, we headed upstairs to watch Dirty Dancing, a classic summer movie. Oset had never seen it and loved it (that abortion subplot is very relevant). Maude is sponsoring movie nights this summer so check the schedule for the next one. Tickets are $15 and include snacks and drinks (our tickets and dinner were comped thanks to the wonderful Ace Team).
Frida and I grabbed a summer friday lunch at the original Roberta’s (we both used to live close by). Lunch at the bar is always great and lowkey. We split the salad with dill and garlic dressing and two pizzas (get the bee sting with mushrooms instead of meat, it’s so good) and a glass of wine. It was so nice to catch up.
Dale and I got brunch at Le Fanfare, one of our favorite dinner spots in Greenpoint. It’s not a brunch scene (a good thing) and the food is great. The lemon ricotta pancakes were incredible and I got a polenta dish with poached eggs and mushrooms.
Last night, Julia, Julianne, Ian and Dylan and I went to duckduck to wrap up the weekend. It’s such a special place and sitting outside on a summer evening is always a delight. I love their jalapeño margarita, make sure you tip well!
Something to read:
I share additional reads in Thursday’s newsletter for paid subscribers.
Archestratus challenged cis men to put on a bake sale for the Brigid Alliance and so many stepped up. The sale is on Wednesday if you’re around.
I first saw The Real Mother Shucker in High on the Hog, a must watch, and now he’s in the Times.
A very charming week of outfits from the owner of a taco spot in Alabama.
As a huge oyster lover, it was an honor to update Resy’s oyster and drink pairings guide with some favorites.
Selling Sunset and the shimmering edifice of feminist capitalism
A beautiful piece from Isaac Fitzgerald about being an uncle
Vogue’s first non binary cover star is Emma Corrin
Eric Adams is now trying to hire more lifeguards
I tried every smoothie at Erewhon
Blue Hill, like so many other fine dining spots, is an abusive workplace (cw: sexual assault). Dan Barber blames the culture he came up in but at some point someone has to break the cycle (and the media needs to stop romanticizing perfection and chef’s mercurial tempers/visions). There are also many lies about sourcing and labeling (like bone ash being labeled vegetarian). Part two focuses on the working conditions on the connected farm, which were also terrible.
The complexities of traveling while Black
I’ll read any interview with Joanne Lee Molinaro, the Korean Vegan
Chris kindly featured me in two newsletters. We talked about work life and freelancing in one and about food, where I shared some of my favorite food newsletters, Substack, what food media needs to change, and more, in the other.
I’ve been loving this Vietnamese coffee for iced and hot coffee (I still drink hot coffee most mornings). The Orange County blend is my favorite (affiliate link).
This week, I hope you say hi on the intro thread if you haven’t already! We’ll be back with more questions next week.
Take care and please reply if you’d like to talk The Summer I Turned Pretty! I am team Conrad and eagerly awaiting Season 2!
xo, Abigail