Cappuccino Thoughts 21: On May
With visits to Roosevelt Island, The Met two ways, some great men's stores, and several states
I hope you all are enjoying this sunny Memorial Day weekend. After a week of crazy travel that saw me in four states in five days, I have taken this long weekend to sleep approximately twelve hours a day between a late lie-in and a decadent daily nap. But never fear, it hasn’t all been hibernation. I have a full round-up of recs for the month of May, which will take you from the bottom to the top of Manhattan, across state lines and New York waterways, and maybe even to Brooklyn. Hope you enjoy! And as always, reply to this email with any thoughts or suggestions.
Culture:
-Roosevelt Island. I recently spent the loveliest day on this skinny island wedged in the East River. It’s easy to take the air tram from 59th St (it’s the usual subway cost, but you do need a physical MTA card), which drops you right in the middle of the island. The island has gone through many names (Blackwell’s, Welfare Island) and uses, housing at various points incarcerated, sick, poor, and mentally ill people. Kind of a yikes. Now it’s like a cute town in miniature (with a post office, public library, school, and so on) and is mostly housing and parks, with 360 views of the water. The Four Freedoms Park (for Teddy Roosevelt) was redesigned by Louis Kahn and looks amazing. I went to a wonderful birthday picnic in Central Park early this month, but I’d petition for future celebrations to move to Roosevelt Island.
-Angèle concert. I am not a massive music fan in general, but I absolutely love this Belgian artist. So I went to my first concert since covid, and, man, it was amazing. She was so stylish (she seems to be sponsored by Chanel, or at least she’s spent a small fortune on glittery Chanel jackets and matching shorts) and charming. Probably a quarter of the crowd was French or Belgian, which also added to the atmosphere of the night. Give her music a listen if you haven’t yet. And I can’t wait to watch this Netflix documentary about her, which I somehow missed when it came out in 2021.
-Prima Facie. This play is about brutal subject matter, but Jodie Comer showcases her amazing emotional and accent range. I saw A Doll’s House last month and thought they were similar in many ways, with basically a solo performance by a celebrity, subject matter around a woman’s awakening, and a stripped down set, but A Doll’s House was perhaps more successfully done.
-Donald Judd Foundation in Soho. I must have walked past this art gallery a million times, with its subtle signage. I’ve always liked this Minimalist artist’s geometric sculptures, a few of which are on display on the first floor, which is also home to a rotating exhibit. While the first floor is open to the public for free on certain days, I learned you have to email in advance to get access to the other floors, which include his former residence and studio. I’ll definitely be back.
-I went to The Strand for a talk with Jeffrey Eugenides (who dedicated readers will know I absolutely love) and Emma Cline. Unfortunately, I must say, be wary of meeting your idols. Some people are writers, some are speakers, not all are both.
-In my quest to see every bookstore in Manhattan (see Cap Thoughts 6), I crossed off two more this month: Mercer Street Books and Printed Matter. I would skip Mercer Street, but Printed Matter was a crazy wonderland of 15,000 art books. They also host events, publish books, and are a certified non-profit. You’ve simply got to go yourself to see what it’s all about. I could easily while away days in there looking at independent zines and gorgeous art books.
Fashion:
-Karl Lagerfeld exhibit at the Met. Look, it’s a good exhibit and there are some knockout dresses from his days at Chloé, Fendi, Chanel, Patou, and his namesake brand. But it’s so overrun with people just taking pictures without even looking at the clothes. Unless you can get in during member’s hours or early on a weekday, it’s too much of a madhouse.
-Polène. I tried to visit this French handbag store when I was in Paris a couple months ago, but the line was around the block. When I saw there was no queue to enter the Soho location, I popped in. I see why it’s so popular—leather bags in modern-feeling silhouettes and a variety of colors at a mid-price range (think $300-500).
-French Sole. If you are looking for classic ballet flats in any color, this impossibly tiny Upper East Side store is the answer.
-And some recs for the men…..Drake’s and Knickerbocker are stylish men’s stores near each other on Canal Street. Drake’s is more classic with a twist while Knickerbocker would appeal to the Washington Square crowd. I will also recommend again Save Khaki United, particularly the Greenwich Village location, which has a great sales section. I also had a lovely visit to the The Armoury on the Upper East Side, which has a higher price point but looks like beautiful quality everyday clothes and suiting. Also, when I mentioned to the manager that the store smelled amazing, he handed me several sticks of incense in an envelope and said to try it for myself. Now that’s service.
Food:
I spent too much time and money in restaurants this month, but you shall be the recipient of my follies.
-When you’re done at The Armoury, stop by Poppi (not the same as Poppy’s in Cobble Hill), an adorable cafe with great mini-sandwiches for a bite on the go, or sit at their beautiful outdoor seating.
-American Bar. I spent a very amusing evening (and a good chunk of change) at this classic Greenwich Village spot.
-8th Street Wine Cellar. When you’re done at American Bar, head over here for underground libations, lot lizards not included.
-Raku. Great ramen with an appealingly sparse black and white décor scheme that feels like a sense of order being imposed on the chaos of the East Village.
-Black Press Coffee on the Upper West Side.
-I stopped at Taralucci’s in Flatiron for a quick drink with A. before the Strand talk and it’s the perfect happy hour hideout. We had the house wine and shared mushroom bruschetta.
-The Fulton by Jean-Georges, on someone else’s generous dime. It’s easy to forget Manhattan is completely surrounded by water. This seafood restaurant in Seaport has stunning views onto multiple bridges and served up delightful oysters and swordfish. But it would have been much less scrumptious if I had to pay, as it is in the Jean-Georges family after all.
Bonus around-the-country wrap-up:
San Francisco:
-New Yorkers may recognize Amélie Wine Bar, which has made its way out west and landed on Polk street. I actually had an awful experience at the West Village, New York location, but the San Francisco one was delightful. I met up with a friend from high school, J., there and we had some delicious glasses of rosé and a spread of gorgeous cheeses.
-I had a quick drink with a college friend, Z., at ABV in the Mission. I had a celery + gin drink that was just the right amount of surprisingly salty.
-Prubechu is a restaurant around the corner from ABV serving up Guamanian food, which was new to me. They have a fun picnic area with live music, making it a lively evening. I had a delicious bowl of noodles, and I’d be curious to go back for one of their whole roast-pig evenings.
-The Mill Valley Public Library has to be the most stunning public library in the world. It’s embedded in a redwood grove and seems like it would be more fitting of a luxury hotel, with a full fireplace and beautiful deck that overlooks the tall trees. They even have a program where they bring shelter dogs in and have little kids read to them to practice their literary skills. I mean!
New Haven:
-I got to celebrate one of my best friend’s, M., graduation at Yale. I had never seen a full graduation (mine, like so much else, was abridged by Covid) and…it’s a little long! But I never miss a chance to stop in at Claire’s Corner Copia for a cup of Russian fruit tea and a piece of Lithuanian coffee cake (I don’t know what they think is going on in Eastern Europe, but I have asked a Lithuanian and experienced in Russia first-hand that neither of these things exist) or Atticus for a great book selection and a fresh scone. If you’re going for any reason, I also recommend a visit to Fussy Coffee (a little further off-campus) and the Yale University Art Gallery, which is free for everyone.
Nashville:
-I went to Nashville for a client meeting that got canceled as soon as we touched down (oops!). So I ended up spending an indulgent day at Soho House (the value-add of partners) and of course had to go to my favorite author Ann Patchett’s bookstore Parnassus Books. She is doing such a service to that community, bringing in authors from all over the country. I pre-ordered a signed copy of her new book Tom Lake.
Updates on the bag project
You know that feeling when you're walking around in a great outfit, with all eyes on you in the best possible way? And what if you add to that a little secret—a little "I know something you don't." A soupçon of "just wait, there's more." That's what this bag is. A gorgeous, neutral bag that goes with everything on the outside. And a special something just for you on the inside. Upcycled from a vintage Gucci bag with a genuine bamboo handle and retrofitted with a green, yellow, and red geometric lining. Neutral on the outside, with a secret just for you on the inside. This one-of-a kind piece is perfect to bring to work or a special event, fitting a book and all your essentials with an interior pocket. The leather strap can be worn over the shoulder or cross-body, or taken on and off. So go ahead—flash a little lining.
I also added some sneak-peek images to the website from the magazine editorial that will come out later this summer. Take a look here.
TWO looks of the week
What’s on the bedside table
Patrick Bringley wrote All the Beauty in the World after working as a guard at the Met for ten years. He had lost his brother and described wanting to tap out of the world he was in (he was a writer for the New Yorker) and go radically against the New York grain, not striving for anything and not being busy. This was the most lovely book I’ve read in a long time. Bringley describes the art he stood next to every day, the guards and visitors he met, and loss and love with such beautiful prose and near reverence. What I most appreciated was he truly liked this job—he didn’t feel abashed or try to make it anything more than what it was. After I read this, I visited the Met and had almost more fun watching the guards interact with each other and visitors than looking at the art itself. Five stars, a must read.
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This week I am seeing two of my favorites authors, Elif Batuman and Katie Kitamura, in conversation at the Strand if anyone would like to join.