The beginning of August is basically the best time of year because it ushers in the anticipation for autumn and the holidays. Am I reaching? The anticipation of something is almost as sweet as the actual arrival of whatever it is youāre waiting for.
In any case, hereās what went down last month!
You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.
I wrote about the first leg of my summer trip to London, England.
I went to the American Dream mall in New Jersey with my friend Diana, so thankfully I never have to go again! Itās really just a spectacle, and not in a good way. Why would you ever need a mall to have indoor skiing available? Isnāt the best part of skiing the scenery that surrounds the hills? Am I crazy? Regardless, the mall is terrible. Itās way too big, there are countless empty storefronts (because of the ludicrous rent, Iām assuming) and the furniture is gaudy as hell. Absolutely no reason to go again.
I went to Brighton Beach for the first time with my great friend Paul (who just moved back to NY) and what a fine beach it was. Not as filthy as Coney Island, but almost as nice as Rockaway. I canāt really put into words how incredible it is that he moved back here, so just know that this fact is the highlight of my summer.
Speaking of Paul, his perfect husband Richard made us a meal one night using ground beef from Stoudemire Farms (which Iāve always wanted to try) and it was spectacular. Must remember to buy it the next time Iām at the Union Square market on a Friday.
I also went to Bar Marseille with Diana and the food was great! Itās right near Rockaway, so I wasnāt expecting a lot from a beachside place but Iād definitely go back. The steak sandwich was perfect.
It only took 18 months, but the dog volunteering that Baby Dog and I used to do is finally back! It was cancelled in February 2020 for obvious reasons and just started up again this month. Itās organized through New York Cares and it happens once a month on the Upper West Side. Essentially, you bring your dog to the auditorium of an elderly care center and any residents who love dogs come down to play with them for an hour. We do it each month and the more dogs that come the better, so I should really post about it more on Instagram. Yeah, Iāll get on that. (The next one is scheduled for August 10th, email me for more information if youāre interested.)
Since itās Restaurant Week, Irene and I went to The Grid restaurant at the Great Jones Distillery mainly because I was intensely craving good halibut. And yes, the food was good but itās extremely overrated. Iām sorry but no restaurant ever should charge for basic bread and butter. Itās offensive. The service was good, but you can just tell people werenāt trained very well. And for a place so new and beautiful, youād expect a lot more.
I saw Mr. Saturday Night on Broadway and all that I can say is wow. A perfect show and a beautiful theatre. Can every single comedian in this town go see it immediately before it closes next month? Itās wildly good. Iāve never felt more seen than I did in this song sung by a comedianās wife.
The only time I like to drink rose is in the summer (Iām pretty original, I know) and I think I found the best tasting one of life.
Iāve started making garlic butter almost once a week now and I donāt think Iāll ever be able to stop? Itās so superior to every other thing inside my fridge. Sure you could buy garlic butter, but it tastes infinitely better if you make it yourself, I promise.
I made this lamb bolognese from Antoni Porowski and I think itās even better than the Alison Roman one that I love so much (it might be because I bought the coriander seeds whole and then ground them up in my spice grinder? The flavour of that individual spice is so crazy good, I had no idea). Obviously one is a fast lamb recipe and one is a leisurely one, so Iāll continue to keep both in my rotation. But you absolutely have to make the three hour one at least once to see what Iām talking about. Especially since Costco sells ground lamb now.
I went to the Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn for the first time and what a perfect theatre. Love that they have a beautiful bar attached (House of Wax).
Some Things I Watched:
I really had low expectations, but I went to see Marcel The Shell With Shoes On and it was beyond sweet.
Indecent Proposal is on HBO right now so I watched it for the first time and loved it.
I saw The Thomas Crown Affair and itās such a party. I love this kind of 90s movie. Perfect in every way.
I watched the first episode of Loot and it really just wasnāt for me.
Of course I saw the whole first season of The Bear and itās as good as everyone says it is. With the exception of the sister, I donāt know if sheās just written badly as a character or the actress is just wretched. Either way, itās the worst part of a great show. Episode seven is clearly the best one. (Also, I badly want to make this recipe now.)
I also saw the whole first season of The Summer I Turned Pretty and this really scratched my summer/teen itch. Perfect summer show.
I saw the Victoriaās Secret documentary and oh my god, I might have to stop shopping at Bath & Body Works now.
I started the new season of Only Murders In The Building and other than the inclusion of Amy Schumer, itās been good so far.
I also watched Porkyās and Screwballs for some reason?? Obviously I hated both? I think I was just so desperate for an old teen movie that I havenāt seen.
After those two disasters I have no other choice but to cleanse my palette and rewatch Clueless.
Iāve been there a few times, but I think itās time to declare how much I officially hate Astoria Park. The RFK bridge above makes it way too loud, the jet skis in the water blast the worst music, the grass has more brown patches than any other park in the city, the train is at least a 15 minute walk away, there are zero food or water vendors anywhere. WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE THIS PARK? God, itās awful.
I made these cheesy poblano corn enchiladas and they were really good. In hindsight I shouldāve added some shredded chicken or something to them to make them slightly heartier.
I finally went to see the Amityville house and even though they changed the eerie window frames, itās definitely still creepy. One thing I wasnāt expecting? How nice that town is! Itās like some big secret, I think. Would totally live there.
I made my favourite strawberry crumble coffee cake and itās always a winner. Pro tip: use cake flour for the cake part and use regular flour for the crumble topping to really make it perfect.
I ate the July-only-special Emmy cheeseburger dumplings from Mimi Chengās and they were good but not as good as the first time I had the last year. Am I evolving past cheeseburger dumplingsā¦? God I hope not.
Incase you care, August is the only month you can apply for SNL tickets so get on that, if you so desire.
Also, if youāre going to the CNE in Toronto next month, you can get free tickets for kids under 13 if you fill out this form.
Some things Iām looking forward to this month: Iāll continue to mark things off of my summer list, I canāt wait to see my friend Dustyās movie thatās being screened at the MoMA next week, and I canāt wait to take a few more little summer trips (stay tuned).
If youāve got any interest in reading last monthās roundup, you can see what went down in June over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
