1. Yet another members only club you need to know about
Inside the Cocktail Soirée held at Moss Studio for photographer Tina Barney, 6 things you can talk about at parties, and one of my favorite weeknight recipes.
Hi cozy people. Have you heard of Moss?
I hadn’t until my friend invited me to a “Cocktail Soirée” there for a “celebration of American photographer Tina Barney's major European retrospective Family Ties, which recently débuted at Jeu de Paume in Paris.”
It was a great little party and you almost forgot you were in Midtown if not for the striking views of the Empire State Building from every window and the large terrace; you’re so high up it feels like it’s eye-level.
The makings of the party included a curated selection of cocktails and wine, light bites by Eel Bar, and sounds by Jade Croo. I hadn’t been to Eel Bar before, but my friend who invited me to the party was very excited about it. They love Eel Bar apparently, which makes sense because it’s part of the Hart’s, Cervo’s, The Fly, and Minnow family. I’ve been to Hart’s and The Fly many times and said friend always enjoys those places more than me too!
Said friend is Christina Daniels. They bring you all the fabulous art in Times Square at T-Square Arts and run a wine social club for QTPOC babes. They are much cooler than me as was just made obvious by the previous sentence. They have received the deck for joining Moss and they said it ain’t cheap. Which members only clubs are, I suppose?
I haven’t seen the deck, but what I can tell you is that all of the photos on the website are renderings because right now it was just one room, with one bar and a crazy terrace. The cocktail menu is super short, I think like 4 things, which I respect when you’re doing a Beta Space situation. They are trying to call themselves “the hidden gem of midtown” on the website and it makes me chuckle snidely to myself every time.
Another of our friends is working on a members only club in The Rockaways. How many members only clubs, are too many members only clubs?
Anyways, I’ve been doing a lot of Bang Bangs but with social plans, not two dinners. Before Moss Studio I went to the VIP Preview of the IDFAP Print Fair at the Park Avenue Armory. The art was ok but the people watching was fantastico. Think men in large ugly hats, entitled people cutting in line, and old ladies with flair! They commissioned a site-specific work from Mickalene Thomas, which was the most fun thing we saw.
Today’s letter includes: The rise of unisex pants and some I'm loving, a comparison of rotating restaurants around the world, my favorite one pan dish to make, an update on the Sundance Film Festival, group-chat certified Sourdough recipes, and a review of Jennie from BlackPink's solo album.
The new rotating restaurant in Times Square is actually cool. Right after I read about The View in Feed Me, Christina said they've been twice and LOVE it. The rotating restaurant is at the top of the Marriott Marquis in the Theater District, so I'm sure it will become a pre-broadway staple. Christina also says its perfect for a date, though they have yet to go with their actual girlfriend (hehe).
The decor is giving glamorous, old-school New York with seafood towers and martinis galore. Still, why do all rotating restaurants kind of give cruise ship vibes? Take the oppressive all-white-everything look at Le Jules Verne (rotating restaurant in Eiffel Tower) or the muted tones at At.mosphere (rotating restaurant in the Birj Khalifa). Food wise, Le Jules Verne has 2 Michelin stars, At.mosphere has none, and The View has yet to be rated.
Sundance is moving to Boulder! This is honestly so crazy. Sundance Film Festival and Park City feel like a duo that shouldn't be broken up (it's been 40 years!). However, having attended Sundance before, it is way too big for little Park City. It is a logistical nightmare to get to the movie theater from the downtown strip. The traffic is horrible, the snow makes it hard to walk around, sometimes there were no sidewalks.
Organizers realized it I guess, and said the festival had outgrown Park City. The shortlist for the move is kinda wild: Salt Lake City (with a smaller presence in Park City), Cincinnati, Ohio (no mountains! criminal) and Boulder, Colorado which obviously won. As you can imagine, Boulder's Mayor Aaron Brockett is "delighted" to welcome the film festival to its new home and Park City's Mayor Nann Worel is "deeply disappointed." You can't make everyone happy, can you!
Leyenda closed and Marlow and Sons is next 😞 Leyenda, the bar on Court Street in Brooklyn best known for over the top decorations during the holidays and very fun cocktails is closed its doors on March 29th after 10 years. Beloved Williamsburg staple Marlow and Sons will have its last day of service on Sunday, April 6th. What’s with institutions closing their doors? In 2024, the US restaurant industry saw record sales, with consumers spending an average of $191 a month on dining out. I wonder if they just can’t keep up with the real estate prices, or maybe the owners just wanna get off the hamster wheel?
It’s CherryWatch baby. The first cherry blossoms have been spotted on three trees in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Only a few blooms now, but be on alert and plan your trip to BBG accordingly!
I made my first Sourdough bread - lol I'm so late to this. After the talented Rosa Barney taught a few of us how to use a Sourdough starter, our group chat named "Bread Hotline" is popping off with sourdough and sourdough discard recipes.
Group chat certified recipes:
Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread (King Arthur)
Sourdough Focaccia (Maurizio Leo)
Sourdough Brioche Cinnamon Rolls (Sourdough Geeks)
This is the one Rosa made and it's probably too advanced for most (she's very advanced, check it out here), I will not be trying my hand at brioche quote yet, but there are lots of easier sourdough cinnamon roll recipes like this one.
I am experimenting with two different pizza crust recipes. More on that in the next newsletter.
I was recently reminded of how good this super fast NYT recipe is. Gnocchi and brussels sprouts - a duo I didn't consider to be iconic but after this recipe now do. The gnocchi are crispy and buttery, the brussels sprouts delude you into thinking it could be healthy even though there are 6 tablespoons of butter in it. It tastes so good and its ready in 20 minutes. Pre-packaged gnocchi are shelf stable so I usually stock up on a couple at Trader Joes. Everything else in this recipe are household staples so if you happen to have brussels sprouts, this can be a last minute decision with a delicious outcome.
Buttercream really is just a shit ton of butter. I made a vintage-style cake for AuntSarahDraws’ birthday! She cartooned about it and it's a great, short read. I will never complain about how much professional cakes cost because the time, labor, and material costs of butter are now clear to me.
Listening
I have a real soft spot for well-written and executed pop music. So mostly that.
Ke$ha is back baby. I know, I know, she's just Kesha now. The song is pretty catchy - it's called YIPPEE-KI-YAY, it features T-Pain. Yet another release proving that pop music is country music now. (s/o Beyonce and The Giver).
I like Jennie from BlackPink's solo album. The first single, Love Hangover is a bop even though it didn't really need Dominic Fike. Alternatively, Handlebars is a great pop song but sounds like a Dua Lipa song that features Jennie, vs. the other way around. The only song that slaps and isn't a collab is like JENNIE, her #1 on Spotify right now.
Everything Doechii is doing is the best. That's all.
Wearing
Here lies my OOTW (outfits of the week).
I’m loving unisex pants and I think everyone else is too. GU, the trendier sister of Uniqlo is doing a great job of taking my money. I really want these Maryam Nassir Zadeh pants.
If my husband Ben and I were closer to the same size … imagine the possibilities! Unisex pants are essential as we brace for a recession! Why buy two pairs of pants when you can share one pair with your sig other!
Last week it was warmer but cold at the same time.
Sandy Liang Sample Sale 4/4-4/6 at 70 Hester St. is enticing - but the crowds! And no try-ons.
IDK why, but this made me giggle. Was anyone actually worried about where Austin Butler was?
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