A belated Spring return
On Modern Love, diner data, and the longevity of sourdough and crafts.
Belated Hello!!! I’ve been trying to get this out for two weeks so excuse the less timely note.
Did you get to see 🙂↔️SOLAR ECLIPSE🙂↔️ MONDAY?? And were you a prepared owner of Solar Eclipse Glasses? Internet traffic in areas of totality dropped 40% and Delta wrote a PR piece about a proposal that took place on one of their flights at the time of the eclipse. Wild.
In other news, the 1 Madison Ave clock has finally finished restorations? Not too sure what was going on but happy to see it in it’s full glory for the first time since I began working in Flatiron this time last year:
On My Mind:
Hot (now lukewarm) off the press: Pete Wells’ 2024 list. James Beard semifinalists and finalists. GQ’s Most Creative Companies (interestingly incorporations span 1837-2020). Italian Historian Umberto Eco describes list-making as the “origin of culture… to make infinity comprehensible.”
❤️🩹 We’re not in some modern love crisis! 📲❤️🩹❤️🩹❣️ In February, the new Bumble CEO announced they were cutting 30% of jobs (350 employees) after weak Q4 2023 results. Naturally, the NYT began its journalistic endeavor into “Why the Young and the Single Can’t Commit to Dating Apps” and how “Dating apps have hit a wall.” But isn’t it obvious why? Online dating apps are artificial, (sometimes) scary, and, frankly, a lot of noise.
CNN compiled some data that makes this clear:
Tinder downloads have decreased, losing market share to Bumble, Hinge. The market itself likely hasn’t shrunk without structural alternatives to apps altogether. 
That said, when we look at the stats, young adults are more likely than any other age group to have been close friends with their partner before dating. We ARE in a post-inflation-cooling crisis... 🥲🥲🥲 Everything still feels expensive so no, you likely can’t invite all your favorite people to a fabulous dinner w/ +1s. Workplace crushes might get tricky, though an enduring option as my friend S. validated at a team outing. But a chance to meet friends of friends? Someone needs to speak to the nightlife director for the city of New York.
SevenRooms left the “reservation wars” and has instead taken on a spookier role. I noticed some of my favorite restaurants (Zaytinya, Tacos Guey RIP) switched from SevenRooms to Resy/OpenTable. What I didn’t know was that hospitality groups hadn’t churned off of SevenRooms altogether but had begun using them in a different manner: to keep track of your allergies, favorite dishes, level of spending, recurrence on the back-end.
Example of a diner profile on SevenRooms:
This is a little spooky. Who uses it? Mercer Street Hospitality (Lure Fishbar, Bistrot Leo, Butterfly Soho); Union Square Hospitality Group (Gramercy Tavern, Maialino, Ci Siamo, The Modern, Daily Provisions); Altamarea Group (Marea, Morini, Ai Fiori); In Good Company Hospitality (Park Avenue Tavern, The Wilson); Noho Hospitality (Locanda Verde, The Dutch, Lafayette, Carne Mare); Portale; RBM Restaurants (Sarabeth’s, Jane); Gerber Group (The Campbell, Mr Purple); SH Hotels (1 Hotel Central Park — JAMS); Virgin Hotels (Everdene); Brandit Group (Maison Close), among others.
Karlie Kloss and Josh Kushner are relaunching Life Magazine. “As part of the deal, Kloss and Kushner’s media holding company, Bedford Media, will manage the full operations of Life Magazine, including editorial strategy and revenue. Bedford also owns i-D magazine, a monthly magazine focused on fashion and the arts, which will resume its own print publication later this fall.” Hoorah, print is alive and well!!!
On “Method Dressing”: Zendaya never misses. Potentially a hot take but APRIL 6 AT HOTEL DE CRILLON IN PARIS is my favorite.
Why Are Women Both Sadder and Happier Than Men? Because we’re emotional beings? Or you can read on about the “female happiness paradox.”
Why the French are drinking less wine: “…a health-conscious younger generation is drinking less. A quarter of French 18 to 34-year-olds say they never drink alcohol… the decline of cheaper stuff has wider repercussions for France. Last summer the government allocated €200M to buy superfluous low-end wine that producers could not sell. In some areas farmers are ripping out lesser vines altogether.”
Momofuku’s David Chang is sending cease-and-desist letters to competitors of his chili crunch. To those that use “chile crunch” (owns trademark rights) and “chili crunch” (does not own trademark rights, yet) incl. MìLa and Homiah. Fly By Jing and Lao Gan Ma are not in crosshairs given they use “chili crisp”.
On Deals: This one’s pending but a pretty big deal. Years ago I interned at Sol De Janeiro (and smelled Bom Dia Bright in ideation) who was later acquired by L'Occitane so this is particularly interesting to me. AND SOME OTHERS:
Ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz invested in Tony’s Chocolonely: I just watched their CNBC Make It video (cookies!) and was surprised to see a lot of hate in the comments. Not sure if it’s self selecting.
Full Glass Wine, a brand acquisition management startup that acquires wine marketplaces, raised a $14M Series A. This is interesting given Uber’s decision to sunset Drizly.
TRENDING: It’s hard not to see the overlap w/ Cowboy Carter, Pharrell’s Men’s show, post-girlhood, Americana, the ideology of MAGA. This SSENSE article takes a historical lens into the fashion trend. “…enlightenment is out, being your own authority is in. And isn’t that what being a cowboy is all about?”
What’s new in celebrity packaged goods. Lizzo’s YITTY. Lebron’s The Shop. Meghan Markle’s American Riviera Orchard.
Tabs /to buy:
I’m obsessed w/ this woman. You can see all her recipes here and she sells sourdough pancake and baking mix!
Coyotas v. Siete cassava tortilla?
Curious about Cardaom: Instructions are to add 5-10 drops in final stages of preparation of anything… For an immunity boost, body detoxification and digestion.
Not a thing, but I enjoyed this Second Life podcast episode.
Warped pieces like this, a trip seaside with this, for the wrist, Jennifer Fisher’s choker. Anything with Mother-of-Pearl buttons. And in continuation with last note’s ballet slippers, this time on pointe. Black for summertime. 🤠
Tabs /to spend:
@Laureniseating: Still awaiting Meju and Din Tai Fung.
There is lots happening in the Mexican food scene: For UESiders, restaurant aficionado father took me to Soledad (it was pretty good all around). Jesha’s sourdough videos get me excited for Corima, a sourdough flour tortilla fine-dining restaurant from Contra alum Fidel Caballero (this is a tasting menu). Cosme’s Enrique Olvera is opening a tacqueria in Williamsburg.
Local News. Smør is expanding to Brooklyn! CASHEW & PEAS SALAD is 🧑🍳💏.
IN RESPONSE TO: Where do you buy cards? I stumbled upon Cursive New York that has some beautiful cards for all occasions (but a bit pricey).
GOVERNOR’S ISLAND seems to be making waves. My friend M. told me about QC Spa, a relaxing day trip “away” from the city.
In other, more personal, news I have decided to revisit my quilting days and enrolled in crochet sessions for the month of May, in an attempt to take my back my youth (ironic) and (re)learn something offline (side hustles are booming, though I’m not sure this will be one).
While I promise I don’t base my interests off of data, it’s fascinating that “yarn” and “embroidery” searches are now at an all-time high, up 109% and 74% MoM, given their popularity over Covid. Crochet topped the product searches within the craft and hobby categories for the fourth quarter of 2023 and “crochet” searches skyrocketed to 117 percent month-over-month during January 2024.
Be back soon…