A Month-long Celebration
RECS #33: Anniversaries, birthdays, and parties for no reason. Yes, please.
Dear friends,
Unlike January, which felt reclusive and bitter, February has bloomed with anniversaries and birthdays and travel and long overdue catch-ups and parties for no reason. And, it looks like March is going to bring more of the same. I had a conversation recently with someone about the importance of finding community in early adulthood, and I feel very lucky for the abundance in mine. Of course, it would not be nearly as bright if Conor weren’t a part of it. We celebrated three years since our first meeting on February 15th, and after a dinner of steak au poivre and fries, we meandered to Williamsburg for Al’s birthday party. It felt just right—to end our evening surrounded by our favorite people, celebrating just one of the very best.
This week is our big anniversary party at work. For the last month or so, everyone has been chatting about what they’re wearing and where they’re getting ready. It’s reminded me so much of prom, in all the good ways. There are no absolutely no dates and we’ll all be drinking legally, but the unabashed excitement feels very nostalgic. I’m trying to soak it all in.
READING: I love to eat out, but I do not love how it sometimes feels impossible to do so. So, one of my favorite things I’ve read recently is this piece from Grub Street about how and why all the cool New York restaurants are moving from Resy to OpenTable. It’s fun to get a peek at how these trendy restaurants function, and that piece reminded me of this one from last year about the chaos and confusion surrounding reservation culture in the city. I’m still chugging along in Danzy Senna’s “Colored Television.” It remains fun and snarky and entertaining. This New York Times project in which people submitted stories of their lost loves warmed my heart. It’s just like Hugh Grant says in “Love, Actually”: “if you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love, actually, is all around.” It just takes courage to act on it.



EATING: In between our weekend upstate and our real anniversary, we skipped our usual Tuesday trivia to celebrate Caitlin and Soph’s legal partnership at Hudson Clearwater. We gabbed over Martinis and fries and gnocchi and chocolate pudding. It was wonderful. On the following evening, I braced frigid temperatures to meet up with Lorenzo for ramen at Mr. Taka. I’d been wanting umami-rich broth and chewy noodles for so long, and this tiny restaurant satisfied my cravings, and warmed up my insides, so well. On Valentine’s Day proper, Conor and I treated ourselves to sushi from Momoya, a favorite of ours in the neighborhood. It’s brightly lit and unfussy, and on this occasion, every diner received a red rose. I was charmed. Among other things, we ordered their crispy rice topped with spicy tuna—which, I think I’ve said, is one of my favorite bites ever. The next night, I waltzed down Broadway, picked up a bottle of our favorite chilled red, and joined Conor for steak, fries, and salad. We admittedly overcooked the meat just a bit, but the creamy, salty sauce more than made up for it.
CONSUMING: It feels like we’re experiencing a deluge of television right now—some good and some less than good—with the return of “The White Lotus” and “Severance,” as well as “Traitors” and “Love Is Blind.” The former make me think, and the latter allows me to turn off. I tell myself it’s a healthy balance. The second season of “Severance” has been just as mysterious and thrilling as the first one. I also continue to delight in Lake Street Dive’s discography. “Good Together,” the title track on their most recent album has, in particular, taken on a new and special meaning over the last couple weeks.


SAVORING: First of all, I’m grateful to have HBO Sundays back. This new season of “White Lotus” is filled with the same insufferable, incestuous, and back-stabbing rich people we’ve come to love. It is a pleasure to end my weeks alongside them. And, for as cold and dark as it’s been, February has been kind to me. There has been lots of cause for celebration. As I said last time, I’m grateful to have found a love worth celebrating—both boldly and casually. I’m also lucky to have found both friends, and a job, that give me a reason to gather. They bring life back into an otherwise cold and bleary season.
Until next time,
Erin