In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write to a famous author & ask for advice. Kurt Vonnegut was the only one to respond and his words are too good not to share. (It also reminds me of how this man was filled with good advice.)
The Best Tweets of April 2022
A Visit to The New York Transit Museum
Some days you wake up and think, “Christ… another day?” and it is on these days that you should get up and do something you’ve always wanted to do. ENTER THE TRANSIT MUSEUM!
It’s absolutely wild that this was the first time I’ve ever been here, it is now definitely in my top three favourite museums of New York. It should really just be called the train museum though because that’s what it is. “Transit” might be the most boring word in the history of language. Also, how cool is it to have the museum itself be inside the abandoned Court Street station?
Can you even imagine riding around in that bus (above)? So f-ing elegant.
Those photos (above) are of the now closed City Hall Station that I vow to visit one day. They do tours of the station every few years and I can only imagine how beautiful it would be to see in person. (Yes, I know that you can get glimpses of it if you stay on the downtown 6 train as it loops back around to become an uptown, but it’s not the same. I want to be out on that platform and ROAM damnit.)
On the ground floor of the museum, there are tons of photos and advertisements from old transit ads as well as old ticket booths and replica buses.
And the downstairs area is where it gets really fun.
Trains from different eras line both sides of the platforms and you can walk in and out of them.
If I can be honest here, it feels insane to be able to walk through history. You feel every era of each train. The coldness of the ones from the 70s, the decadence of the ones from the 20s, it’s unreal. The second best part of this place? The subway ads.
There aren’t enough ads these days that scare children into caring about safety.
I can’t recommend this museum enough. With kids, without kids, go high, go after the farmer’s market nearby. Just go. Such a good time.
Open Fridays - Sundays, 11am-4pm, advance tickets required.
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Birthday Candles on Broadway
I haven’t loved a play like this in a very long time. It’s extremely sentimental, but I love sentimentality. The play (by Noah Haidle) is about a woman (Debra Messing) baking the same golden butter cake for herself over 90 birthdays, which we live through with her in the course of the 90 minute play. In one sentence, it could be described as a play about the preciousness of life. You experience the births, deaths, mistakes, triumphs and everything that we all have in common.
The fact that it’s 90 minutes is insanity, it’s so heavy but nuanced. Everyone in it was incredible, the set is gorgeous. I laughed, I sobbed, I can’t believe how good it was. When I was leaving the theatre, some man asked his friend what he thought of it and the other man hesitated and then said, “Cute.” I wanted to shove him down the stairs. CUTE? You moron. Shut up and go hug your mother.
So of course I HATED the review in the Times about it. The critic complained of emotional manipulation?? Any time someone writes a play with heart, this is always the complaint. I’m sorry that you’re too hollow inside to understand what’s right infront of you. People are so odd when it comes to sentimentality, most people just seem to hate it, but I adore it. What is the opposite of it? Dispassionate or practical? (I looked it up.) UGH! I’d rather die that be accused of either of those traits. Just a wildly inaccurate review of one of the best new plays in years. Take your sentimental ass to go see it immediately OR sit your practical ass down at home and live your sad life.
It’s on until May 29th at the American Airlines Theatre & tickets are available here.
The Best Tweets of April 2022 So Far
March Magic 2022
“Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom.”
Sometimes I write these monthly posts and think, “How the hell did I do all of that in one month?” I mean, obviously I love it but sometimes it just seems bewildering that I get to do all of these things that make me so happy. I wish I could go back in time and tell kid Liz what a sweet life she’ll have. She’d never believe it. Anywaaaay, maybe that paragraph should’ve been a diary entry…? Here’s what went down in March, babies.
I recapped what I did from my winter list of things to do.
I wrote about the fashion exhibit on now at The Met (In America: A Lexicon of Fashion).
I tried out the new Vicks bath salts and they are incredible. I know that all bath salts hit hard, but these? Just beyond relaxing. I also tried the Vicks scented Puffs tissue paper and oh my god. Take all my money, Vicks. Such a genius idea to incorporate that smell when you blow your nose.
I went to the downtown location of Eataly and it’s less chaotic than the Flatiron one. And I don’t hate Eataly, but you definitely have to know why to go here. It’s overpriced and terrible if you’re going for a sit down meal or even their pre-packaged meals. But if you’re going for high quality dried pasta, incredible canned tomatoes and specialty items like anchovy paste and canned seafood, then it’s a cook’s dream.
I dyed my hair even blonder and… I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to natural. I love this look so much. I think my goal this year is to… become… untouchable?
The New York Times had a piece on the former mayor of Mississauga, Hazel McCallion!
Sometimes I like to sit in Barnes & Noble and peruse the cookbooks for inspiration and meal ideas since one day B&N will definitely go bankrupt and cease to exist. I give it ten more years, max. So in the meantime, I will take advantage. I looked through The Pepper Thai Cookbook (Chrissy Teigen’s mom) and it wasn’t anything special. I swear, her and her daughter make 90% of their recipes with fish sauce. And look, fish sauce is great when used sparsely, but it’s enough already. I also looked through The Milk Bar cookbook and again, nothing special.
I got coffee at the fancy coffee place Felix Roasting Co. and yes it’s a pretty space, but they really need to clean the fabric of their booths because they look ROUGH. I can’t stand it when a business puts so much effort and time into creating a different, beautiful space and then there is zero upkeep. Why spend all that money up front and then get lazy with the actual management of the place? It’s such a waste. And not to be a bitch, but the Starbucks flat white is better than whatever they’re serving here. Never again. And if you’d like to see the most pretentious coffee shop menu of all time, gently look below.
I can never find them, but damn those North Fork BBQ potato chips are everything.
Kind of over-the-moon in love with this Levi’s x The Simpsons collab. God, that cloud vest is perfect.
Obviously, you know how Ulta & Sephora give you a birthday gift during your birthday month, so add Kiehl’s to that list now too. Got their pear scented lip balm for free.
My brothers and I all surprised my mom and came to Canada for her 70th birthday and it was so nice. Can’t believe it actually happened.
I bought this fake suede green coat from Zara that is the absolute softest and will be completely ruined if it rains.
I tried the new croissant croutons from Trader Joe’s and they taste like little butter cubes. Just an insane amount of butter in these. They should’ve crumbled these up and sold them as a croissant breadcrumb instead. But what do I know (other than everything).
Every single time I go to Mimi Cheng’s, I remember how much I love them all over again. Not really for their every day items, but their monthly specials are always incredible. In March they had French onion soup dumplings that were so intensely flavourful, they didn’t even need a dipping sauce. Love this place.
My best friend Harmeet was visiting, so we had drinks at The Palm Court at The Plaza before going over to see Plaza Suite on Broadway (her idea to do both, a genius one at that). The play was too good. When did they start letting you order a whole bottle of wine to take to your seat? Love that. And Sarah Jessica Parker was magnificent, but Matthew Broderick? Not so great! He just seemed… tired. Or unenthusiastic. Which seems weird because doesn’t he have tons of Broadway experience?
I had my steak Diane at The Dowlings at The Carlyle and it was divine. Ordered the raviolo carbonara, the wedge salad and the table-side flambéed steak and what a glorious night it was. The Carlyle is such a beautiful hotel, I love that they still have mail chutes prominently shown (below).
I had lunch at Robert for the first time and it was perfectly all right. The food/service/view were all good, but who decorated this place? Bit of a yikes situation with the colour scheme.
This week in things that are too beautiful + too expensive:
I’ve mentioned my love of Bread Alone bakery (they always have a stand at the Union Square farmer’s market), but I hadn’t tried their oat chocolate chip cookie until now and it’s even better than the basic chocolate chip one. They also have incredible whole wheat sourdough.
I saw the Harry Potter play (SPOILERS) even though I’ve never read the books nor cared about the movies, so maybe that’s why I didn’t love it. One standout part, though? Those damn dementors, they were WILD. Do not see this play high. The effects of them were true insanity and if you liked the series even 1%, this is the main reason to see the play.
I love the spring collection of colours that Essie puts out and my favourite colour right now is definitely their Well Nested Energy.
I had the Vallata lunch special ($29 for a pasta & glass of wine) which was really, really good. Especially for that price. In 2022. Couldn’t believe it. I’m sure it won’t last.
Sweetest Irene treated me to birthday dinner at Rezdôra (I’ve been dying to go here for ages) and it was phenomenal. We had the Cacio E Pepe in Emilia, this puffed up prosciutto thing and some toasted bread to start and then for our entrees, the truffle Raviolo (the giant raviolo with black truffles), the Grandma Walking Through Forest in Emilia (the green pasta), and the Maccheroni al Pettine with duck ragu (truly heaven on earth). NOTE: I just noticed on their new, updated menu that the duck ragu is gone and replaced with a sausage ragu! I’ve already sent out an email to those in charge questioning this decision. I’ll do everything in my power to get it back on that menu.
Things I’ve Watched:
To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday: Okay, I watched this because I was turning 37 this month and I thought “that sounds fun” so of course it wasn’t. Spoiler but Gillian IS DEAD. She died on her 35th birthday! I had no idea the whole movie was about the grief of her death, so obviously this wasn’t a fun watch. Also, all the gross flirting with minors was… a lot.
Malice: Okay, do you know anything about this movie? If not, don’t look it up. Just watch it. I was ON CLOUD NINE watching this one. So many twists, there’s a great Alec Baldwin monologue in it, it’s just a party of a movie. Especially if you love early 90s semi-sexy psychological thrillers, WHICH I DO. Such a great movie.
Impeachment: Great watch. Started watching it at the airport out of boredom and then it really picked up. Fully recommend.
I tried these great Vicks-like patches called Salonpas that you can stick on any area that needs pain relief but without the stickiness of an ointment.
I visited Argosy Book Store (one of the oldest book stores in NYC) and it’s wild that this place has managed to stay alive.
Did you know that every night at 11:57pm, fifteen screens in Times Square shut down at the same time and display art for three minutes? It’s called the Midnight Moment.
So my dear friend Diana and I had brunch together and I found potentially my favourite burger (au poivre) in all of NYC at Raoul’s and I can’t recommend it enough. They only serve it for brunch on the weekends and then a limited amount at the bar on week days. Find this burger. Eat this burger. This is your only option. Christ, it’s a revelation.
Since when did Tim Hortons bring back the apple fritter? So messy and good. Not better than San Remo’s, but a respectable alternative. Now all they need to bring back are the salted caramel Timbits and I’ll stop complaining.
I made this lemon orzo with peas and parmesan and it tasted so flat, it was weird. I love all those ingredients in it, I was just confused eating it. It’s like when you meet someone you think is so gorgeous and you talk to them and there’s zero chemistry. Like, what the fuck… we coulda been something here.
I made this crazy easy lasagna (with jarred sauce instead of tomatoes) last minute and it came out great. Love a fast lasagna. No one has time for a béchamel sauce.
One of the best dishes I’ve eaten in a loooong time: the roasted corn and couscous risotto with parmesan from Glass House Tavern. Holy hell, was it good.
I made scallops for the first time at home and they tasted so ordinary. They might just be one of those dishes that taste better when somebody else makes it.
Some spring inspired recipes I’d love to make soon:
So I saw one of the best plays I’ve ever seen on Broadway: Birthday Candles with Debra Messing. I wrote about it here, but oh my god. I laughed, I cried, I can’t believe how good it was.
Things I’m looking forward to: I’ve gone to the open galleries in Chelsea on Thursdays but I didn’t know that on the third Thursday of every month most of the galleries on the Lower East Side remain open from 4pm-8pm so I’m definitely going to do that if the weather’s nice, I’m excited for all the rain that’s coming (does this sound insane?) because it’s a known fact that spring rain is the least depressing rain, and I really want to make a dent in my “movies to watch” list.
If you have any interest in reading what went on in February, come on over here.
The Best Tweets of March 2022
Spring List 2022
Springtime in NYC
Springtime in NYC
Spring has arrived! Time open the windows! Time to breathe in the cherry blossoms! Time to dry clean and put away your winter coats! Time to still be careful because there’s a deadly pandemic affecting literally everyone around you! But I don’t mean to be a downer. Just, like, keep that in the back part of your mind.
Here’s what I’d love to do this season.
See at least one Broadway play.
Make as many recipes as possible that incorporate spring peas (I love peas and I constantly forget about them).
Deep clean my apartment.
Plan out all of the outfits I want to wear on my big trip in June.
Visit a winery in the Hamptons.
As always, I encourage you to make your own spring list! We’re all busy and exhausted, so if you don’t section off some time for the things you’d enjoy then you’re missing out on… life?
If you’re looking for some ideas for yourself, here are some past spring lists I’ve made:
Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018 and Spring 2016.
Winter List 2021 Revisited
Central Park, NYC, January 2022
Central Park, NYC, January 2022
One of the best time of years has arrived! I’ll never understand people who aren’t overjoyed by the springtime. It’s full of beginnings, how is there anything better?
Here’s a recap of what I did from my winter list.
1. “I would love to either ride a snowmobile or go skiing. Either one will be an acceptable snow transaction.”
Ugh, I didn’t do either. To be fair, there was little to no snow this year in New York soooo is this one really my fault? Well, yes. I could have easily ventured upstate to find a slope. Next year!
2. “Eat a latke. I never have and I’d like to.”
Yeep. Didn’t even kinda remember this one.
3. “Waste away in Margaritaville. In Times Square. I know that this sounds so insanely lame, but I really want to and I refuse your judgement.”
Oh lord, this one I really wanted to do! What is wrong with me?
4. “Visit the Transit Museum because I’ve never gone and it seems like my kinda place.”
I did it! Finally! A thing I did! Full review over here.
5. “Eat moussaka. I never have and it seems like a good winter dish.”
NOPE! I’d still like to, but here we are.
Okay so 1/5 is pathetic, yes. But it’s springtime and anything is possible now. If you thought that this kind of failure would deter me from making a spring list tomorrow, you’d be wrong, baby!