June 10, 2021

Hello from the non-Hamptons! I’m out east, somewhere delightful between Manhattan and the edge of sanity—partly for work, partly for fun, and I’m having a proper blast on all counts.

That said, I’ve got notes to take, stories to write, and porches (TWO!) to sit on, so let’s get right to things, shall we? The weekend’s upon us, it’s full-on summer, and I’m seeing a lot of orange in everyone’s future.

1.

The ratio 1:1:1….could mean a threesome. It’s also the foolproof formula for the classic Negroni, my favorite siren-red cocktail. Of course I’d prefer the IRL version, but it’s great to see the drink is getting its due praise in book form this season.  

2.

If this were the middle ages, or perhaps even just the 1800s, I’d be dead by now. But thank god for modern medicine, and heated homes keeping those of us with fragile constitutions alive. Getting on in one’s years seems like a less daunting process these days, too, thanks to innovative brands and retailers like Granny Gets a Grip, which has done the laborious research and sourcing to curate the best-designed lifestyle items for the aesthetically hard-to-please golden girl in your life. For ergonomic chef knives, sleek aluminum shopping trolleys, and walkers with serious sports-car flair, this is the place. Frankly, it’s great (and ludicrously overdue) to see something as normal as aging finally being presented in a more normalized way. 

3.

Spin the melon: For anyone who loves the umami-plus-sweetness appeal of the classic Italian summertime dish, proscuitto e melone, here’s an equally flavor-packed alternative that scraps the meat in favor of salty pistachios and herbs. Also, from here on out, I only want to consume cantaloupe in ribbon form.

4.

A non-Negroni option for pairing with that salad— I first came across Orange Glou, the fabulously-named wine club dedicated exclusively to orange wines (aka skin-contact wines) when I was working on a story for WSJ Magazine a few months ago. Founder Doreen Winkler is a leading sommelier and expert in the field, whose resume includes stints working at and also consulting with Michelin-starred restaurants on their wine selections and pairings. She has some of the best insights and connections for sourcing hard-to-get bottles from Slovakia to Texas, which is why I’m thrilled to see Orange Glou’s first brick and mortar location open tomorrow (June 11th) on the Lower East Side. It’s gonna be one hot glou summer… 

5.

Parting shot: If Lorde’s new album is half as memorable as the recently-teased cover art (photographed by the New Zealand-based artists and photographers Ophelia Mikkelson Jones and Ryder Jones), then we’ll have the perfect soundtrack to go with what’s already promised to be one hell of a “sun’s-out, buns-out” summer. 

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