Cappuccino Thoughts 116: On everything I've done in New York in the last three months
from the hottest new department store to the best Broadway shows
Cappuccino Thoughts is a weekly newsletter about culture and creativity in New York.
It’s been a busy couple of months here at Cappuccino HQ. Here’s everything new I tried in the city recently!
Experiences:
One of my favorite ways to spend a weekend is visiting someplace I’ve never been before. I made a trip out to the Brooklyn neighborhood Bed Stuy. Here’s what was on my itinerary: the concept store Sincerely Tommy, the Italian bakery Seraghina, cool coffee shop/vintage store Again Vintage, the tiny converted trailer of secondhand books Book Row, the very charming market Horseradish, and the OG L Train Vintage, which is chock a block full of good finds.
RUN don’t walk to the Casper David Friederich exhibit at the Met, on until May 11th. I absolutely love these gorgeous capital ‘R’ Romantic paintings that put man in conversation with nature. The Met has some of his iconic works on view now.
Teddy Roosevelt’s garb I used to walk by the Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace every day on my way to work and I finally made a point to stop in. It’s run by the National Park Service, so it’s free, but you have to go on a guided tour to see most of the house. For any history nerds out there, it’s worth a stop to learn more about this historic family.
I went to a few really fun art classes—fashion illustration led by Emma Rubinson and origami by Taro’s Origami Studio. I’m a big believer in just trying things, no matter if you’re good at them or not!
I hosted some wonderful talks at the Yale Club with fantasy authorLeigh Bardugo, fashion historian Elizabeth Block (about the history of hair!), and NYT writerSteven Kurutzabout American apparel manufacturing ( a major interest of mine). If you’re interested in lecture series, 92Y has a great one and I recommend getting in touch with university alumni groups.
I got a lovely tour of the new exhibit at PACE Gallery featuring Jean Dubouffet’s work. The photos don’t do it justice. It felt totally immersive, a bit like walking into Yayoi Kusama’s museum in Tokyo. It’s free to visit.
I took an embroidery class with my friend I. at the Met Cloisters. While I learned that I do not enjoy embroidery at all (too many tiny stitches!), it was fun to sit among the art and work away at a fiber arts project. The museum offers a bunch of other courses.
J. and I went upstate to Hudson for some fashion-related business. We had a delicious lunch at the French restaurant Le Gamin, perused old books at the newly opened and aptly named Old Books, and caffeinated at Hudson Roastery. We also made a brief stop in the town of Saugerties to stop in at a local designer’s store MLE. Need to go back sometime to do a whole tour of that cute town.
Artwork by Daniel Park I went to this beautiful art exhibit at Cafe MSMN and had to restrain myself from buying this piece, which reminded me of my favorite artist Agnes Martin’s work.
I did a three-weekend-long ballet intensive at a little studio in the East Village and holy moly, it was so hard. We took class like the normal company does, rehearsed our piece, and had a recital at the end of it. I quit ballet when I was 6 or 7 years old, shortly after my first recital, because I hated performing so much. (My introvert energy just could not handle it.) So I was super proud of myself for doing it as an adult! I’m glad I did it once, but I probably wouldn’t do it again, if only because I could barely walk, my legs hurt so much!
I made a snow angel! For the very first time. As a California girl, I didn’t grow up with snow, and I don’t know why I never thought to make one in college. As soon as snow fell one evening, I ran straight to Madison Square Park and jumped right in. Delightful!
Shows:
F. and I saw some great and some not-so-great Broadway shows. I was surprised how much we enjoyed Death Becomes Her with Meghan Hilty (of Smash fame. Anyone remember that show?). The play is based on the ‘90s movie of the same name and is super campy. The songs are so fun and it was a very good laugh. We also finally saw Hadestown, which had gorgeous music, and reminded me of my 5th grade Greek mythology phase. (Did we all go through that?) We also saw Gypsy with Audra McDonald and….I really did not enjoy it. I’m sorry! All the performers were great, but the plot is so dated and thin. You know what was great?! A Picture of Dorian Gray. I got reasonably priced tickets as soon as I heard about it. If you can snag seats, do so.
I was incredibly lucky to see ballerina Ashley Bouder’s final performance with New York City Ballet in an All Balanchine performance. It was so special to see the entire company give her flowers and congratulate her on a 20-year career. I have tickets to another upcoming Balanchine performance and I’m really excited that Paquita is on the program. Also a reminder that both NYCB and ABT have discounted tickets for people under 30!
Window shopping:
The iconic French department store Printemps opened a location downtown and the girlies are freaking out about it. With good reason! It’s gorgeous. I made a pilgrimage this weekend and retail felt EXCITING again. More than half the shoppers were walking around with wine in hand and people were actually shopping. In this economy! I loved that they had mostly smaller French brands and not just the big 5th Avenue brands. And the space itself is GORGEOUS.
Printemps, with all its colors and textures I went to
’s vintage pop-up with Rothy’s. So many fashion girlies! The way New Yorkers love a pop-up closet needs to be studied.
Restos:
L. and I went to Sahai in Murray Hill for Thai food and WOW we both audibly “mmmed” at the lettuce wraps—unbelievable layers of flavor. If you need a fix of Thailand post-White Lotus, definitely head here.
I went to Mudspot for brunch, which has a unique set up where you pay $23.95 and you pick among a few entrees and beverages. The back part of the restaurant used to be a concert venue. It has a classic East Village vibe, which everyone has picked up on given the line out the door.
I had a drink with a colleague at Scarpetta in Flatiron, which is an easy weekday spot with a gorgeous interior.
I celebrated my birthday at Balthazar’s, with a classic NYC dinner of oysters, steak frites, and a dirty martini. The best. Brooke Shields thought so, too, as she sat at the table across from me.
The burger at Bar Americano is simply the best in the city. It’s also such a vibe at this Greenpoint bar. A must, must, must if you are in the area.
I had the most perfect easy dinner at Beco. The plate with beef, rice, beans, farofa, and kale was perfeição and made me feel like I was back in Brazil.
Coffee:
I had a corn iced latte at Ando in the East Village. Surprisingly, delicious!
Every twenty-something girl’s dream: a flower coffee shop. Sahola shares its name and building with the floral store next door and the vibes spill over into this cute cafe.
I had a delightful cold brew on the first warm spring day at Sippy Café in Greenpoint.
I had a meeting at Librae on a weekday so I actually managed to avoid the crazy Instagram-induced lines. It has gorgeous Middle Eastern-inspired pastries and the spiced coffee is delish, too. But do not go on the weekends! The lines are insane.
I stopped at Cafe Luna in the West Village to catch up with a friend and it’s such a cute and cozy French cafe.
Bookstores/Libraries:
I am still making my way through every public library in Manhattan! I’ve now been to 15/43. Why are they all so far uptown?! AND there’s one on Roosevelt Island?! This might take a little longer than I thought….
Archestratus Books in Greenpoint is a very Brooklyn combo of bookstore and gourmet grocer. What more could you need?
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I’ll be popping up in Greenpoint next weekend! It’ll be a super sweet fair with other New York City creatives in my favorite Brooklyn neighborhood. Stop by and say hi!
In Dublin, I spotted this denim-clad woman walking through St. Stephen’s Green. Dublin was not exactly a fashion mecca, so she really stood out in her patchwork denim skirt, leather jacket, knitted teddy bear beanie, and funky black leather bag. Why not!
This is the best book I have read in months. Set during the Occupy Wall Street movement, Sirens & Muses is a debut novel by Antonia Angress about four artists at an art school that seems like a thinly veiled version of Brown. Each character represents a different facet of the art world. One is the daughter of rich collectors, one is a poor student from Louisiana, one is an artist rebelling against convention via digital art, and one is an aging professor whose 15 minutes of fame have long passed. I really loved how much it explored the complex dynamics of the art world: from how much ownership a figure model has over the completed work to a Warhol-esque character’s use of employees to make all his artwork to the effects of so much money flooding museums and galleries. The characters are so vivid and distinct, and there are shades of real life poking out—like the controversy at the Whitney over a portrait that seems inspired by the Emmett Till painting. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an incisive read about the contemporary art world.
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This week I am finally making it into the Easton Foundation, Louise Bourgeois’s house, and seeing the newly renovated Frick Museum.
All my best,
J’adore !
Picture of Dorian Gray added to the list!