The truth about the Hamptons

& a New York City good food guide!

Hi all!

I’m a few days behind on writing this newsletter and I’ve decided to blame it on the IT outage. Zoya & I just got back from a 5 day trip to the Hamptons and New York, that turned into an 8 day trip because of all of the flight cancellations. New York was, well New York in July…HOT. We managed by eating and drinking our way through town, what else is new?

While this was not my first time in the Hamptons, it was my first time in the Hamptons during summer-ON season. I was eager to explore a place I had only gotten to experience through the lens of the handful of Private Chefs on TikTok. Speaking of Private Chefs in the Hamptons, we went out to visit our friend Olivia Tiedemann for her one week off of Private (but more like very public) Chef-ing. Susi Vidal, aka Susi Pesto, aka Only Pans joined the trip too. It was the first time Susi & I had met and she is the coolest! We made maybe the rowdiest, food-loving, girl-gang the Hamptons has ever seen, don’t quote me on that.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of the Hamptons, as a California girl I’ve seen some pretty spectacular beach towns. I knew from my extensive research (ahem scrolling social media) it seemed to attract a lot of Billionaires. Well I’ve now decided billionaires are boring, because there wasn’t much to do. (I’m only kidding…I think)

I get that if you live in New York, you’d long to trade in rats and concrete for deer and trees, but I left with the understanding that billionaires enjoy the Hamptons because they are billionaires. It’s less of a vacation destination and more of an escape. A chance to run away from the fast-pace of the city to the snail-pace of, I don’t know-the suburbs? If I were a billionaire, maybe I too would park up at my sprawling ocean-front estate, hire a private chef, and chill at home (but I like to think I’d be off exploring somewhere with a little more funk). It’s slow, like reaaallllly slow, everything seems to be a 30 minute drive away, but if you’re a billionaire you don’t have to leave the estate because you have staff.

Ok, I know I sound harsh-let me be clear-it is a beautiful place and we had a lot of fun (I, for one, can have fun anywhere). The Hamptons are very big and we stayed at an airbnb that was a bit isolated. I know we only had a limited view of the place, so I could very well be wrong! (IF YOU ARE A BILLIONAIRE IN THE HAMPTONS AND WANT TO SHOW ME A GOOD TIME, I AM VERY OPEN TO IT) I did love visiting the farm stands, picking out fresh produce-the giant strawberries and juicy heirloom tomatoes-strolling through the streets and shops of Sag Harbor, cooling down with ice cream on handmade waffle cones, making poolside and seaside spritzes. It just all seemed a bit…overrated? And this is coming from ME-the rose-colored glasses, glass always full kind of girl- just imagine what Zoya thinks. I just wanted to write all of this out to say; I, like many of you, likely fell-victim to the trap of the social media FOMO. I spent YEARS waiting to be cool enough & successful enough & IN enough to get to visit such an otherworldly (or so it seemed) place, and not just during OFF season. Well I finally did, and guess what? I prefer Mexico LOL.

*I will give an honorable mention to Montauk- I loved Montauk. It’s an adorable seaside town at the end of the world, at least that what it felt like. It has more of a small-town vibe, so it’s easier to bounce around place to place. We had so much fun seeing Marcus King at the Surf Lodge, which drained our wallets but exceeded our expectations. The Crow’s Nest was such a beautiful restaurant with immaculate vibes and delicious Mediterranean fare. They don’t take reservations, but they have a waterfront tiki bar you can walk down to. Order a cocktail and lounge while you enjoy the sunset and wait for your table. In my humblest opinion, unless you’re boring (or a billionaire) skip the Hamptons and head straight to Montauk.

Again, I wanted to share all that not to knock my trip or even the Hamptons as a destination, but in case you saw me on social media this past week and in turn got the FOMO summer blues. I’m just here to remind you that nothing online is what it seems. Vacations and traveling are a privilege and luxury but more often than not, chaotic and exhausting, especially so if they coincide with an IT Outage.

After our stint in the Hamptons, we headed to New York for a night…that turned into three. For me, every visit to New York turns into a food crawl, because unlike social media FOMO, food FOMO is very much real, and all I ever want to do is eat as many things as possible. We stayed two nights at The William Vale and one night at The Hoxton, both amazing hotels with insane rooftop views. They are both in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, so most of what we ate was in the Brooklyn area.

NYC GFG (Good Food Guide)

Coffee & Breakfast:

Upstate Stock: I love a coffee shop/gift shop combo so I can browse while I wait for & drink my cappuccino.

Acre: Another cute coffee shop with a lush outdoor seating area, perfect for slow mornings. I’m a coffee girl but It’s Japanese so I’ve heard it has amazing matcha. Also, the bento boxes looked insanely good. I can imagine it would be a great place to park up and work from!

Pop Up Bagels: Hate to jump on the bandwagon, but I am a sucker for Pop Up. Their rip & dip model means hot, steamy bagels & best of all short lines. You have to buy 3 bagels and a schmear. This time around we were three people so we each got one, but in the past I’ve gone by myself and ate three myself.

Peter Pan Donuts: If you’re trading in a bagel for a donut, go here. A real, old school donut shop. Beware of long lines.

Sweet Treat:

Caffé Panna: First off, expect a long line. Especially in the summer when New York is unbearably hot, this place offers a sweet relief. Named after panna, the thick homemade Italian whipped cream that’s included on top of each ice cream or granita order. I get why it’s now the #1 ice cream spot. Their flavors are unique, we couldn’t choose so we ordered four. Each scoop come with toppings so load em up! (I loved the Red Flag; sweet cream ice cream, strawberry swirl, panna, graham crunch)

WenWen: When I walked by WenWen and saw their hand-drawn poster of a strawberry shaved ice plastered on the window, I stopped dead in my tracks. I ordered that thing so fast, Zoya didn’t even realize what was happening. It’s a Taiwanese restaurant, and they opened service through their window, so you can order right off the street! The shaved ice was light as snow, topped with a luscious strawberry cream, strawberry sauce, and scoop of ice cream. SO REFRESHING.

Dinner:

Forma: Skip Carbone and come straight here for some good PASTA. You walk up to the counter and order your pasta dish, they make it fresh, and call out your number when it’s ready. Perfectly al dente, I loved the pappardelle bolognese, pipette ragu, and fettuccini funghi. It’s more fast-casual than a restaurant-there are a few small tables outside. On the weekends the line gets long, but it is so worth the wait.

Joe’s Pizza: A classic, you can’t go wrong with a slice at Joe’s, especially after a night of drinking.

Bernies: One of the hottest spots in town we were lucky enough to snag a table at! They don’t take reservations, so go early and put your name in. We waited an hour for our table but killed time at the bar in the park across the street. A upscale diner with comfort food to the max. Think elevated mozzarella sticks, chicken parm, and crayons for the table. For a lighter but equally delicious bite try the famous vinegar chicken, pro-tip: dip the fries in the vinegar juice!

Laser Wolf: The days were just so hot, so we really could only fully enjoy outside once the sun went down. We wanted to watch the skyline sunset for one dinner, and this rooftop restaurant was the perfect place to do so! Great views & great food, what more could you ask for in New York? It’s prefix, but not in a stuffy way. You get a large dish of all the accompaniments; pickled veg, baba, different sauces, and each person picks a meat. Zoya got the guava marinated chicken and I got the koobideh kebab! Both juciy and delicious. Dessert is also included in the form of soft serve!

Ramirez: Now why would someone who lives in LA possibly go for Mexican food in New York? I don’t typically trust Mexican food outside of Mexico or California, but when I see a taco shop that looks cool I just can’t help myself. I popped in this CMDX inspired taqueria for one last bite before our flight home and I’m so glad I did. The Al Pastor taco was authentic, juicy, flavorful, and met my high taco standards.

Night Out:

Arlo Rooftop: If you’re in for a night out, we had a great time at the Arlo Rooftop. They had a great DJ and just an insane view of the skyline with two lookout points, including a water tower! The view & vibes literally gave me the CHILLS.

Greenpoint: I just love popping into the various bars around Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Walk around Beford & Franklin, it’s always buzzy and a good time.

TO DO:

Big Night: Not a restaurant but just the cutest store with the best vibes, it makes me happy just thinking about it. I want the owner to decorate my home. It’s a one stop shop for hosting; think cookbooks, homeware, small food brands, GAAAHHH I wish I could buy it all.

Happy Medium: Such a fun activity for a break from eating & drinking! We booked two hours in the garden, they gave us a menu of ART options, like menu items at a cafe. You each get to pick what you want to do, from collaging to painting, to watercolor. I picked air clay and made a cherry pie!

OK LOVE YOU BYE!!!!!