Issue 34 — Podcasts, Dessert Dates + San Diego Bites

Plus Palm Heights is everywhere.

@f.manson

Bites —

• It’s going to be a good year for Ghia. ‘January performance is usually the strongest indicator for the year ahead’ and apparently we ‘broke their warehouse’.

• Fishwife landed a deal on Sharktank — this recap breaks down all the numbers. 🎣📈

• The ‘Yassification of Lactaid’ is an actual headline rn.

  

  @pastagirlfriend

• 1/29 Maryam from @bichiwines + @azizamwines will be pouring at Mírate —Azizam is one of my favorites, and it’s not available anywhere rn! Mírate prepared a tasting menu for the occasion — tickets available here. 🍷

• I decided I like All Time again. This Salmon bowl won me over. ‘Sushi rice, slaw, peppers, cashews, avocado, chili, cilantro, basil, mint, sesame, furikake, ginger citrus soy’ YES.

• New salad at Bub’s looks bomb.

  

• The Hagel x Adidas Samba looks straight outta Flamingo Estate x My Theresa’s gingerbread pop-up.

• Louis lunch bags are here but they’ll cost ya $3k. More Culinary Couture via

  Snaxshot

• Mandarin Coffee is bringing back their Blossom Latte for Lunar New Year — fresh pink peppercorn, Yunnan pure ginger powder, raw sugar, mandarin blend espresso, and steamed milk. Topped with SALT 👀

• Jon + Vinny’s is pushing their Super Bowl offerings on IG with a bracket of their popular dishes. The winner has to be Spicy Fusilli… right? 🏈🍝

• Jess Damuck, who you know from cookbook Salad Freak is putting out her 2nd book, Health Nut (not to be confused with the iconic Calabasas salad spot which also has a cookbook)

• Hot tip in response to last week’s newsletter: ‘Next time you hit BCD, get the soon tofu with hot dogs. It’s gnarly, and you probably don’t eat hot dogs, but it’s bomb.’ Thanks TJ. (And he’s right, I don’t eat hot dogs… but if you do, please report back) 🌭

• I keep seeing predictions that wraps are making a comeback. I’m down, but where are they? 🌯 The only wraps that come to mind in LA are from California Chicken Cafe and Spitz so please drop a line if you know of any good crunchy caesar salad types. (My high school spots Cafe Del Sol + World Wrapps kind of slapped…)

  

• Right after I wrote that I saw Max’s Yummy is hosting a fried chickie WRAP pop-up at Wine + Eggs 1/28 🍗

• A random google search led me to realize Sqirl’s creative director Scott Barry is also the creative behind Plant Paper (yes the Toilet Paper company) and Rose - a weed brand. jsyk 🧻 🐿️

• I really enjoyed this Expedite piece discussing Coffee Shop Subscription Plans. They mostly reference Blank Street in NYC, but Go Get ‘Em also ran a similar subscription program (not available anymore). At Blank Street ‘Right now, 5,000 ‘Regulars’ pay up to $18 per week for access to 14 drinks, including cold brew, espresso drinks, and tea. A pared-down $9 weekly option buys customers up to 14 basic beverages; teas, hot brewed coffee, Americanos.’ Super interesting concept. Read more here. ☕️

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3 Taste Podcasts To Listen To 🎧

artwork by @skrzat

• Emily Sundberg coined ‘Hot Girls Drink Whole Milk’ and introduced the world to the Shoppy Shop (though she won’t take credit for it). Emily also puts out one of my favorite newsletters FeedMe every. single. morning. 💌

• Dan Frommer (founder of The New Consumer) chats with Matt all about CPG trends in the age of ozempic.

• Brian Rudolph (Banza founder) shares what the beginning was like for the gluten free pasta company, how many times they reformulated, and how they landed on their red/orange box.

Thanks Matt + Aliza for putting out so much content and keeping me company on long drives!!

One more… I haven’t listened yet, but Valeria Metz chatted with MasVinoPlease on Hey Amiga Pod. Cute! 🍷🎙

To Watch On Netflix: You Are What You Eat, A Twin Experiment 🎥

Published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, the first-of-its-kind study recruited 22 pairs of identical twins, split up by diet. In each twin pair, one was randomly assigned to eat a healthy vegan diet for eight weeks while the other was assigned a healthy omnivore diet that included meat, eggs, and dairy. (More about the research and the vegan bias via Vox)

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A Niche Internet Thread 🙃🐚🌀

Gohar World recently collab’d with Palm Heights on an 11-piece glassware + jewelry collection. Palm Heights is a new in-vogue boutique hotel in Grand Cayman — which happens to be where Molly Baz announced that Ben put a lime in her coconut. I learned in THIS Taste podcast that Palm Heights is owned by the same hospitality group that owns Happier Grocery (New York’s version of Erewhon). Are you keeping up? Lastly, my favorite salad dressing, Nour just launched at Happier 2 weeks ago. There’s a lot going on over there… Anyway!

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MOLLY BAZ on Instagram: ”@willett put his lime in my coconut 🍋🥥👶🏼‼️”

January 15, 2024

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Dessert Date 🍮🍷

So you’ve finished dinner, and you’re not quite done hanging out. You could order dessert where you are, but what’s the fun in that? When it comes to dates, second locations are key to get a sense of how mutual the feelings are.

This is why I think there should be more late night options you can stumble into after your meal — just for a night cap. Ice cream / cake shops with bright lights aren’t the vibe. Fluffy’s is cool but doesn’t quite check allll the boxes for me. The dessert spot should maintain the sex appeal of dinner. Full service, plated please, low lights + candles.

I have gone to a restaurant before and sat at the bar just for a drink and dessert, but I couldn’t help but feel like it was rude. Of course the restaurant would rather keep their seats available for people ordering full meals. One place I squeezed into was Bar Maruno, which has since closed… so IDK. The best sit down drink / dessert options I can think of now are Cafe Triste, Barra Santos (if you get there before 10pm) or Stir Crazy if it’s a week night lol

Open to thoughts. P.S. here’s Eater’s list of desserts worth saving room for.

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San Diego Bites

• Bird Rock Coffee: My fave lil chain. One location had this chart taped to the register and although it’s kind of cheugy, it’s extremely efficient for ordering drip with cream. I think about it all the time.

• ^Bica: Courtney went to Bica, so I went to Bica! Sweet little Portuguese cafe. (The Filipino spot White Rice Bodega across the street looked fun too)

• Azucar: a cuban patisserie. Their guava pastry is everything.

• Wayfarer Bread: Bread, Pastries, Sandwiches + Pizza on weekends.

  

• The Kitchen at the MCASD: I just loove a museum cafe. Their coffee + salads don’t have any business being this good. The museum has a really impressive collection and is right along the ocean. Great spot to catch the sunset, plus I spotted Ceramwrap in the gift shop👢

• El Pescador Fish Market: AND restaurant! Chowder, poke + louies. This is where I got our christmas eve oysters and the guys kindly gave me a shucking demo. This place gives me Dudley-Dad energy, pouring champagne for all their regulars wishing them happy holidays. Everyone is having a good time at Pescador.

• Paru Tea Shop: matcha tea shop + tea Omakase 🍵

  

• Maya Moon Cacao Shop: The best carrot lox I’ve had + the coziest hot cocoa

• Clos Wine Shop: great selection and v helpful staff — they put on events too.

• Plant Power: fast food for my vaygan friends.

• Ceserina: Pick your noodle Italian for millennials (with a whole vegan menu)

• Cafe Milano: Charming old-school Italian. They don’t let you leave without dessert. Get the Tiramisu.

• Sushi Ota: it’s in a strip mall so you know it’s good.

  

• Fortunate Son: Had the absolute best time here. Amazing ambiance, lots of flavor bombs + natural wine. If you get there early, wet your whistle at Polite Provisions next door. 🏮🍹

• La Jolla Open Aire Farmer’s Market: Find the vegan sushi stand, the dumplings / bao + the tamales lol.

  

• Pali Society: I usually stay with my family, but Pali was kind enough to put us up in their verrryy charming Wes Anderson-esque boutique hotel a few months back. They have the most stunning collection of chairs 🪑 I still need to go back to try their French diner, St. James!

• Lastly, YOU MUST CHECK OUT Kitchens for Good: an amazing pre-loved cookware shop that offers jobs and hospitality apprenticeship opportunities to people with barriers to employment. Amazing selection, amazing cause. ✔✔

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Me when all the events start picking up again…

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🔗 Last Week’s Most Clicked Link:

This 1975 MoMA Artists Cookbook features recipes from Salvador Dali, Alice Neel, + Roy Lichtenstein… Andy Warhol’s soup looks bomb. 🥫

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