Issue #5 May: Everything I Ate in New York 🗽

Plus where to get hoagies in SF, a look inside a $32M mansion, and the comfiest earplugs to block out a very loud world

This month kicked off with a week-long trip to NYC. I hadn’t been since 2018 and was eager to check out all the new sights and restaurants and visit friends. The first shocker was how expensive hotels have gotten (a contributing factor has been the city’s ban on short-term rentals like AirBnB). The next was how tough restaurant reservations are to get. I was fighting for my life against the bots that would book up every table and then resell the reservations for hundreds of dollars! 🤯 They say if you can make it in NYC, you can make it anywhere and I was determined to eat as much as possible. Details below on where I ended up, but first, here are some other things I enjoyed this month.  

Eat 😋

Palm City (Outer Sunset, SF)

I was thrilled to see that Palm City made it on the most recent Eater SF’s 38 Essential Restaurants list. It’s where you’ll find actual San Franciscans on a weekend afternoon (rain or shine) waiting in line with their strollers (baby or dog) for the city’s best hoagie sandwiches 🥪. I’ve tried all five sandwiches and would recommend every one. The Italian American and Au Poivre are probably the most popular, but don’t sleep on the Roasted Cauliflower (it gives banh mi vibes). Their playlist is 90s R&B, which is especially funny when Ginuwine’s Pony blasts through the speakers as small children run around. Unfortunately, they don’t take reservations, but will recommend a nice glass of natural wine 🍷 while you wait. 

Shop 🛍️

Earplugs from Loop

I’m at the age where I carry earplugs with me everywhere, not just to concerts or fireworks displays. I find the world extremely loud and am constantly worried about hearing loss (it’s irreversible!). I decided to try these earplugs on my recent trip to NYC. I got the Switch model, which allows me to adjust the setting for whatever environment I’m in, i.e. a loud restaurant or a concert or on a plane. They come with ear tips in several sizes so they fit comfortably in my ears. I was able to actually sleep on my flight thanks to these 😴. Bonus points for the cute and tiny carrying case.

See 🖼️

Decorator Showcase (Pacific Heights, SF)

Every year, the Bay Area’s most creative interior designers show off their talents at the Decorator Showcase to raise money for SF University High School. The Showcase is held in a historical mansion (this year at 2898 Broadway) and each designer transforms a room into the most creative and innovative space imaginable. The only way regular people like me would ever see the inside of a $32M mansion is to attend the Showcase and cry out in poor at all the beautiful things I will never own 😭, like a bamboo wall blessed by Thai monks. More photos here. 

Visit 🛫

New York City, NY

Eat 😋

• Torrisi 🍝 (Soho): Same restaurant group as Carbone, but maybe less celebrity sightings. Get the cucumbers New Yorkese, tortellini, linguini clam sauce, and “affogato” for dessert. Don’t skip their complimentary sourdough and cookies at the end. Lunch reservations at the bar are easier to get than dinner in their dining room. 
• Semma 🍛 (Soho): Michelin-star southern Indian food with a lively vibe and fun decor. Get the paniyaram (rice & lentil dumpling), gunpowder dosa (rice & lentil crepe), eral thokku (tiger prawns), kuttanadan tharavu (duck leg), and finish with the prettiest passionfruit pudding for dessert. 
• L’Industrie Pizza 🍕 (West Village, Brooklyn): Popular slice shop serving up classic NY pizzas. I went for a pre-dinner snack so I only tried the burrata, which was perfect on a warm day. There’s always a line, but it moves quickly. 
• Los Tacos No. 1 🌮 (multiple locations): No frills made-to-order tacos on fresh tortillas and a spicy salsa bar. I almost skipped this spot because I eat tacos weekly at home, but so glad I didn’t. I ordered one of each of their four tacos and think nopal 🌵 was my favorite.
• Lafayette Grand Cafe 🥐 (Noho): Cute French cafe with dine-in and a take-out pastry counter. Their viral spiral croissants are not only beautiful to look at, but delicious as well with their delicate flaky layers. Their cruffin is also tasty.
• Raku 🍜 (multiple locations): Chewy udon noodles served in their signature dashi broth. Sheer comfort in a bowl. 
• Moono 🍲 (Nomad): Stylish Korean restaurant from the chef behind Michelin-starred Jua. Get the yukhoe (beef tartare), galbi-jjim (braised prime beef), mushroom sotbap (claypot rice), and buckwheat ice cream for dessert.
• Potluck Club 🍚 (Chinatown): Vibey Hong-Kong movie themed restaurant with a retro vending machine of Chinese snacks. Get the salt & pepper chicken, xo fried rice, and pea shoots. 

Shop 🛍️

• Dover Street Market (Midtown): 7 floors of the coolest designers to offer style inspo.  
• Attersee (UES): I wrote about this brand last month. Studio is by appointment only.
• Atelier Jolie (Noho): Angelina Jolie’s boutique and cafe in the building where Basquiat lived and worked. Everything is upcycled. 
• Khaite (Soho): The most beautiful store I’ve ever seen. NYT agrees.
• Procell (LES): Tiny vintage shop popular with celebrities. Known for their concert tee collection (Travis Scott, a Björk fan).

See 🖼️

• Storm King (New Windsor): Huge outdoor sculpture park about 90 min from Manhattan. Wear a hat, sunscreen, and bug spray. 
• Little Island: Newish floating park with lovely views of the Hudson.
• Brooklyn Museum: The Giants exhibit featuring Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’ art collection is amazing.

FAQ ❓

Q: What SF treats should I bring to share with my friends / colleagues who live abroad? 

A: I generally like to pick items that won’t take up too much luggage space and ideally comes in a box or some kind of packaging to avoid being smushed during the journey. A box of See’s or chocolate bars 🍫 and hot chocolate mix from Dandelion are nice options as well as dried fruit from Frog Hollow or mushroom jerky 🍄 from Far West Fungi. For coffee lovers ☕, Blue Bottle has a selection of gifting sets (note: Blue Bottle has international locations so wouldn’t advise this if your destination already has a cafe). Miette has the best gingersnaps and fortune cookies 🥠 from Fortune Cookie Factory are super fun. Another popular and easy option is to go to Trader Joe’s, grab some shopping totes and fill them up with your favorite snacks.