Lucky 13 — Influencers Don’t Want Free Clothes Anymore, They Want Dinner 🍝
Plus 'Tomatillo Girls' + some vegan stuff I ate recently...
Bites
It’s official, butter kitchens > green kitchens. Sorry, Dakota.
These Tiktok comments are coming for you, Zebulon men lol.
Apparently that Flamin’ Hot Cheetos 🔥 movie I mentioned in Issue 11, was not a true story? Damn. The Truth about Flamon’ Hot isn’t Flamin’ Hot.
Grá is now serving brunch Sat / Sun. Get a free glass of wine when you tag them on IG 🍷 Here are the deets.
Might fuckaround and get back into farm boxes this summer. LA home farm is tempting me! — starting at $35.
LITTLEMATCHSTUDIO will be popping up at Rykn in the arts district 6/24. 🍵
Emma Chamberlain’s Erewhon Cold Brew Cookie Smoothie came in so hot, no one even noticed Kourtney’s Lemme Latte with Cha Cha Matcha . (I wrote this before her pregnancy announcement...)
Heavy Water, ☕️ Echo Park’s newest coffee shop announced their grand opening will be July 1st! Follow their stories for soft open dates until then. Perilla 🍃and Baker’s Bench 🥐 will be joining them in the courtyard soon!
Kismet announced their summer series ft. 3 guest chefs. Sad I won’t be in town for DeVonn… Also, this scallop crudo looks gorg.
Burgerlords brought back their dodger dogs 🌭 🧢 (the best veggie dog IMO) only in chinatown. You can also get them at Walt’s...
McD’s is celebrating Grimace’s birthday with a special meal + shake — if you’re into fast food news, give Zack a follow.
Porridge + Puffs is closing, again…
All my friends are addicted to these raspberry ‘sweedish fish’ candies!
Tomato, no, how about Tomatillo Girl Summer 🍅
‘Tomato Girl Summer’ is the latest spin on the European Summer trend, hitting both fashion and food. <— I spy a courage bagel in that tiktok.
“Linen dresses, green tiles, and juicy red tomatoes —think a mish-mash of Call Me By Your Name, Aperol Spritz culture, and the popular pasta and fruit-print tops from brands like Lisa Says Gah and Miaou.” — Byrdie 🍋🦐🍸🥖🍷🍝
Every candle brand has a Tomato Scent these days… from Loewe to TJs.
Valerie (@mammafolk) points out that maybe we’ve seen enough of the European Summer, and makes a strong case for a Latina Girl Summer.
Bring in Salma Hayek, gold jewelry + bright colors. Hold the croissants + cherries, Valerie says, ‘Catch me at the taco stand’. Full mood board here.
Influencers Don’t Want Free Clothes, they Want Dinner (Probably Italian 🍕🍦)
The results are in. The girls are sick of breaking down cardboard boxes filled with skincare and new clothes. They’re hungry for something else. They want an exclusive reservation, a private back room at a trendy spot, a catered brunch in a photogenic home. Brands are all over this, and it doesn’t seem to matter what they’re selling.
We saw content girls flock to skincare brand, Summer Fridays pizza pop up in NY. Nothing says Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment like the Spicy Pomodoro at Cento pasta bar.🍝Mejuri is looking to boost ring sales this summer, so obviously it’s time to open an ice cream shop. 💫🍦 Brandy Melville has been on this since 2021 — they have a full blown pizza restaurant at the Grove. Maybe they’re all gearing up for another pandemic — getting into the food biz so they can classify themselves as ‘essential’.
Anyway, the girls are loving it. They’re showing up, they’re posting, they’re tagging. Brand awareness is happening. It’s the marketing tactic just one step down (…okay maybe a few) from a brand trip. They can’t quite send 30 girls + 25 employees to Dubai, but they will take over a corner restaurant for 2 weeks, or at least rent out the back room.
They all seem to lean pretty Italian… pizza, pasta, seafood, gelato… possibly leaning into the Tomato Girl / Italian Summer vibe. Where’s the KBBQ at?
As a marketing lady, I can’t help but wonder if these fancy dinners + pop ups are converting monetarily. Regardless, it sure is fun to watch from afar… and please, feel free to invite me. 😏
Saie x Saltie Girl celebrated a foundation launch.
Summer Fridays Pizza Club sold limited edition merch + pizza at Upside Pizza in Soho.
Several of my friends have hosted/attended a Sunday Riley Dinner. Mady (@CamberApp) hosted one at Cento Pasta Bar (still sad I was out of town!!) Kiana (@KeeksItSimple) hosted one at Semi Tropic Wines, in Costa Mesa. Adorable.
Mate x L’Appartement 4F got together to sell limited edition merch + a exclusive pain au chocolat au café.
Daily Drills x Galley celebrated their silky launch with a catered dinner by a private chef? (Not sure, didn’t see any @s)
Rezek’s Summer luncheon at Chateau Marmont celebrated their summer drop. (Fun fact: I designed the digi-invite for this ;)
HUGE MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Versed should have hit up a bakery for the launch of their new beige-girl croissant headband! 🥐
I’m sure there are so many more. Tell me what I missed…
Recent Bites —
🌱 Planta
I typically shy away from entirely vegan multi-cuisine restaurants, as I feel they tend to rely on processed soy and dish up confused flavor pairings. But I was pleasantly surprised with Planta. Lean into the Gracias Madre-esque cheug a bit, and give this place a try. Everything was really fresh + herb forward. The sushi roll had lemon and shiso, no deep fried fake shrimp or mayo. Planta’s Kamameshi dish felt inspired by Majordomo’s mushroom cripsy rice, and I appreciated that. It’s a bit out of the way, but worth the trek for a fully vegan friend, or maybe a good stop home from the airport. I enjoyed everything we ordered… I bolded my faves:
Sunset Roll: sweet potato, jicama, pistachio, meyer lemon, shiso
Crispy Rice: spicy ahi watermelon, avocado
Black Garlic Tofu: tamari, sesame, scallions
Truffle Kamameshi Rice: shiitake, swiss chard, chimichurri
Ceviche: leche de piña, coconut milk, sweet potato, corn nuts, cilantro, lime
Gyoza: taro, lemongrass, aji amarillo, spinach, chimichurri
Maz-cal Me Maybe: mezcal, ginger liqueur, passion fruit, lime
Piña Marg: tequila, orange liqueur, pineapple, fresh squeezed sour blend
Lych Please: hibiscus-infused gin, lychee, lemon, pineapple
🌱 Justine’s Wine Bar —
Justine’s Wine Bar is the evening compliment to Just What I Kneaded — serving up all vegan pastas, artichoke dip, salad, fries, + Moroccan cigars. We went for their soft opening — full bar opens in the back soon. Justine gave us a sneak peek 👇
🌱 Go Get Em Tiger’s New Tofu Scram Brekkie Burrito
With tater tots inside... For how grub-y this burrito is, it’s surprisingly so clean to eat and stays together so well. (very important) Order with extra hot sauce, you won’t be disappointed.
Beans n Bevys 🫘
— I’m making this a thing if you can’t tell. Danielle and I tried Heyday’s Harissa Lemon flavor, we just garnished with a lil drizzle of Le Marké, parsley and preserved lemon. I’m trying all the beans pretty plain for now, getting so many ideas of how to enhance them for next time.
Also pictured, roasted carrots with Sunny Tahini, more evoo, and Chloe’s homemade pistachio dukkah. Easy meals are key when the main objective is to catch up with your bestie over a bottle of Bianco.
Also, last I checked, THE BEANS were on sale at whole foods… 2 ferr $7. 🫘
Garden Soup
ft. kale from Laura’s garden, Weiser summer squash, + Italian butter beans. I was inspired by Chloe’s recipe, but ended up just using what I had on hand. 🥬
Some Wine I’ve liked recently:
🔗 Last Week’s Most Clicked Link
The owner of Flamingo Estate laughs every time you buy something from them. 💩
Absolutely loved this. I have been preaching this exact thought in my role at Starling re upcoming events/ activation planning. The girls gotta eat good!
Such a good issue! Loved it!