NYC Cheap Eats, Perfect Rom-Coms and a Summer Skin Secret Weapon
Plus, five new jewelry brands we can’t get enough of!
Hi friends,
This month we’re buying bags, bras and beauty products. We also talk about the glassware we share, fancy hot dogs, Rach’s evolving hair care routine and the ideal Brooklyn spring restaurant Cait decided to no longer gatekeep.
Plus, we close some tabs we left open in our March issue and take a Buzzfeed-style quiz to see “what color reader” we are, which was…illuminating!
Happy shopping, reading, eating!
Rach + Cait
Open Tabs
CP: Spring feels like a time for newness all around, so I’m not entirely surprised a lot of new (to me, at least) brands are popping up. Last week I saw Sofie Pavitt post about the launch of workout wear brand H-O-R-S-E Activewear, which is meant to look like “a cross of The Row and your Dad’s gym uniform from the 70’s” and is 100% cotton. I’m very compelled by their sweatshirt. Here’s a $60 version that’s still 100% cotton and a slightly more synthetic, but still cute $30 alt.
On the skincare side of things, I saw post about Pers, saying it was “both chic and effective” — sold! Their retinol tube and vitamin C serum both look ready for their top shelf spotlight.
RKH: Sign me up for the Pers retinol! Can add into my rotation of extra-strength face chemicals - a major bright spot in the kind of emotional process of stopping breastfeeding! Also reminding me I need to make a Botox appointment. On this same topic, I desperately need new bras, mostly from a mental health standpoint. Everything is …. different now (IYKYK), and I’ve decided the best way to feel better about that is to overhaul my intimates! I have been looking at the sheer demi and Bianca lace bras at Fleur de Mal (also how cute is their pomodoro tomato bra?!). The Negative Underwear mini bra (love the Bay color!) has also been stalking me on socials and I am intrigued! Kind of looks like a bikini but I think I like that. This Kye Intimates mesh bra is also very my vibe. I’m also slowly being worn down by Intimissimi’s influencer content, and genuinely wondering if the Sofia or Carlotta balconettes deserve a spot in my drawer.
I’m also starting to window shop for some weddings we have coming up later this year. Sadly, none of these are seasonally appropriate for the events I’m going to, so I will let you guys have them!! Specifically - Georgia Hardinge Torrent dress in blue, this Siedres green halter dress with removable neck scarf (that is sadly now sold out, but surely will pop up on TRR or eBay soon enough! I do like this option as a similarly-vibed alt!), and this butter yellow Baobab maxi with a sheer skirt.
CP: I’m a true Kye Intimates convert and swear by that bra and their Mies brief, for what that’s worth!
I’ve been window shopping for jewelry, as always. I love these citrine silver drop earrings from Casa Shop (sadly out of stock, but these are also nice!), the “disco pearls” or “disco necklace” from Studio Ena and these floating pearl earrings from Santangelo via Carmen Amsterdam (where we’re staying when we go there next month!). It feels like lately the coolest girls are wearing really simple outfits but with unique bags (like these crystal-encrusted suede ones from Iacobella) or interesting jewelry. A formula I can get behind!
RKH: The simple outfit + unique bag/interesting jewelry combo is truly my ideal outfit! In this same vein, my friend Lauren recently texted me about the brand Pura Utz’s bags and said - “these are Rachel coded.” Hard agree!! Particularly the green flower dream and silver strawberry pouch. After clicking through their entire website, honestly I feel like they’ve been stalking my Pinterest boards? Would like the silver cherry mood stick earring, white flor beaded huggie, alllll of the sweet beaded bracelets, and the oversized beaded fruits to style on a coffee table or use as part of a centerpiece. So cute!!
CP: That strawberry pouch is asking to be hung on an under-bar-hook at Angel Face this summer! Manifesting it for you! And for me, to be getting a cocktail there with you.
Speaking of the restaurant world, I, like everyone in New York, can’t WAIT for Four Horseman’s second venture to open. It’s called I Cavallini, is right next door to their original properties (including nightmoves in that count), and sounds like it’s going to be just as impossible of a res to get. A girl can dream…
Closed Tabs
CP: After we solidified our plans to move, I’ve been toggling between still wanting to go to new NYC restaurants and also feeling a pull to visit our most important spots while they’re still easily accessible. Which reminds me — should I do a “best of NY” series? I just hit 800 places on my “Cait’s Been To” map but not all of them are created equal!! I’d love to play favorites.
Two weeks ago, we went back to one of the top spots on that list, Saint Julivert. It’s a place so good I’m almost tempted to gatekeep…but I wish for them to have success/stay in business more than I want to keep it tight-to-the-vest. It’s a seafood restaurant with a killer wine list and one of my favorite dishes in the entire city — a shiso leaf scallop “taco” that’s topped with crispy shallots. It was an 80 (!!) degree spring day (my dream temp), we ate almost exclusively raw seafood alfresco overlooking Cobble Hill Park during peak tulip bloom — heaven on earth, as Cat Cohen would say!
I’ve also been on a hot streak of incredible cheap eats lately. Starting with the pineapple pork buns at Mei Lah Wah. It was less than $4 and perfectly salty-sweet between the savory pork and crackle-y pineapple crust. Over in Queens, we got salteñas at Bolivian Llama Party that were so golden brown and well-laminated it blew my little mind! Lastly, we grabbed a donut at Little Flower Cafe that was filled with firni cream, topped with chopped pistachios and light as AIR! A nice reminder that you don’t have to spend a lot to eat well.
Shopping wise, I’ve been very unmotivated…Blame it on this weird in-between season where neither your winter clothes or summer clothes work for the fluctuating temps. However I did capitalize on the Shopbop sale and picked up some light layers from Coucou — the cropped henley and bateau long sleeve tee. Both are so soft and versatile, I have been reaching for them constantly. I also got the newest lip tint from Violette, called Mon Chéri. A soft brown-based red, I’m loving it so far.
RKH: I vote yes for “best of NY” series! Would be wrong not to, IMO.
Whoever is pushing the buttons at Poshmark knows what they’re doing. I’ve recently bought two things in a trance from their targeted IG ads - the DÔEN Fidella top (sadly I can’t link because sold out! Similar-ish here.), and a Cras strawberry quilted jacket (actually also available to be rented from Nuuly!). Did I need either? No! Tempted to block them, but also don’t want to block my future happiness, you know? Speaking of Nuuly, I have been using it for the past few months to try out different styles of jean (fellow tall gals, you know the pants struggle is so real), and I recently tried and loved the Agolde Dame wide leg jean in the perfect light blue wash. They also arrived with tags on, which felt like even more of a sign that they needed to stay with me.
I also love an OT closed loop - I ended up pulling the trigger on the brown and white striped ottoman mentioned in our March send (found on sale at Home Depot!). It’s one of those pieces of large furniture that weirdly makes the room feel bigger? A trick of the eye with the stripes, perhaps, but we are loving it. Gives me less anxiety re: a soon-to-be-mobile baby than our marble coffee table. First of many necessary baby proofing steps that need to be taken!
CP: I have an OT closed loop from the March send too! We went to the wine bar I mentioned, Lai Rai, after getting those pork buns. It was a little oasis from the chaos of Forsyth St, the owner was so nice and the fried shrimp crackers were incredible with a glass of sparkling, sitting in the window — bliss!
RKH: On the beauty front lately … for hair: I have been really liking the Ouai Detox shampoo. I’ve been a dphue ACV hair rinse fan for a long time, and this feels similar but I like that you can work into more of a lather. Also re: hair, I grabbed the Crown Affair scalp scrub and renewal hair mask to try. For face: I’ve also been using and loving the Nuxe Melting Sun Cream - smells so good and I love the texture! I also grabbed the cult fav NARS bronzer in Laguna in a panic when my tried and true Laura Mercier bronzer was out of stock and have been happy with the switch up (for now …!). And then for body, I finally pulled the trigger on Soft Services’ Theraplush in their new “Hold” scent as a Mother’s Day gift to myself. My waxer also highly recommended CeraVe’s salicylic acid body cream, specifically for, and I quote, “if you want your butt to look like a peach in a bikini” - which, who doesn’t? I’ve been testing it for the past few weeks and I think it’s safe to say she’s right. This is definitely not an aesthetic beauty purchase to display on your counter, but can see this becoming a secret weapon for summer skin!
And lastly, restaurant-wise, had a fun and very good dinner at Gigi’s in SF last weekend! The highlight was the loaded Waygu hot dog, and the Vietnamese caesar salad.
CP: Cue the Jennifer Coolidge meme!
Open Books
CP: Ready for some “news we can use”?? America’s sweetheart, Samin Nosrat, is coming out of book publishing retirement to grace our shelves with another cookbook! I can’t wait to get my paws on the, aptly named, Good Things. Even more exciting is this publicity cycle will mean the resurrection of her food questions podcast, Home Cooking, cohosted with Song Exploder’s Hrishikesh Hirway. Samin’s infamous laugh, the gentle way that she addresses listener cooking dilemmas, Hrishi’s food puns that annoy her — it’s straight serotonin! Inject it into my veins!!
I also added Cellar Rat (a memoir about fine dining restaurant culture) and Friends of the Museum (described as The White Lotus but set in the art world) to my “Want to Read” list this month.
RKH: I feel like if you read OT, you probably were like me and loved a “which XYZ are you” style quiz back in the day. My friend Meg recently shared with me this “Read Your Color” quiz which I obviously had to take! Apparently I’m a “blue” reader … described as “The Introspective Oracle” aka stories about some f*cked up sh*t, which really resonates with the books I gravitate towards lol. I decided to read one of the books it recommended for me - Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. I liked it, but it is definitely emo. Very me! I needed a bit of a palette cleanser after that, and cruised through Broken Country (which, actually, is still quite sad. I am who I am!).
CP: Can’t resist a quiz that tells me who I am! Just took it and I’m a “red” reader (described as “The Passionate Adventurer”) but it was almost an even-split between that and orange. Maybe that’s my Gemini moon at play, to be two things at once? So fun, either way!
Open Obsessions
CP: On a recent solo night-in (while preparing this delicacy) I went down a YouTube rabbit hole looking for any British rom coms I’ve yet to see. After many trailers, I landed on the 2004 movie Wimbledon. For those not familiar, it stars a young Kristen Dunst and Paul Bettany (aka Mr Jennifer Connelly) as two pro tennis players competing at, you guessed it, Wimbledon. As stated here, I’m not “into sports” so this was a semi-surprising pick for me! However, here to say it is a near-perfect rom com. There are a ton of people in it who have since become insanely famous (a pre-Game of Thrones Jamie Lannister! A pre-Marvel cinematic universe Jon Favreau!) as well as maybe my most formative childhood movie villain, Miss Minchin from A Little Princess. Anyone else still think about the hair-dipping-in-ink scene? I, of course, listened to the corresponding Wimbledon ep immediately after turning off the TV, which happened to be co-hosted by the actress who plays Lady Sybil (RIP) in Downton Abbey! Per usual, Caroline + co pose many great questions, likeeee —
1) Was the early 2000’s (“noughties”) the peak of rom coms?
2) After Notting Hill, was every leading man *slightly* modeled after Hugh Grant?
3) Maybe most importantly, what’s the difference between a “rom com” and a “com rom”?
They listed Judd Apatow movies as an example of a “com rom” (leaning more into comedy than romance), which I think is fair when you think about the difference between Knocked Up and something more cannon like When Harry Met Sally. From there, you can get into “rom dram” territory with period films like Pride & Prejudice (soon to be adapted by OT muse Dolly Alderton!) and the list goes on. Either way, I think this is Kirsten Dunst at the peak of her powers, Paul Bettany is criminally underrated as a leading man and they collectively did the impossible — made me care about sports! Add it to your watch list, for sure.
RKH: I have never seen Wimbledon! Resolving that ASAP. And the way I was transported back in time by your mention of A Little Princess. A true masterpiece to my seven year old brain!
I am late to this, but have been binging With love, Meghan and I have to say I’m … obsessed. I love how dumb rich she is, and how (sweetly) out of touch she can be, but more importantly, I am genuinely inspired by the way she puts meals together, her “studio” (aka an entire house and farm in Montecito … slay), the Nara Smith casualness of the very elaborate preparations … I love it so much! It’s like brain balm to me to watch it, and it did inspire me to set the table for a casual Easter brunch with my family more intentionally. Pulled out my great aunt’s china, used my favorite Upstate glasses and even remembered to take a pic! Rare.
CP: I’ve been reaching for the same Upstate glasses (gifted by Rach for our wedding!) for iced tea lately — such a treat to use.
RKH: Also this is very random but I am currently genuinely obsessed with getting my car washed lol. I have gone probably once a week since getting my new whip. Any speck of pollen or dirt and I’m disgusted! I’ve always wondered who the people who buy the monthly unlimited car wash packages are … and for better or worse it seems like it’s going to be me. Life comes at you fast.
CP: 2Fast2Furious!!
That’s all for issue #16! To see more of what we ate, linked to or chatted about in this letter, follow our Instagram @opentabsletter or shop all of our issues here.