11/30: Pizza with Casey Lewis

Wishlist Interviews: Part 1

Nov 30, 2024

“I’m really in my leek vibe right now,” I tell Casey as we contemplate taking a chance on Leo’s special which is a white pie with leeks, pancetta, garlic, and lemon juice. We’re torn between this or going with one of her favorites, the margarita with pepperoni. After a chorus of what do you think? No - what do you think?, we land on the special along with the cobb salad (deliciously unexpected) and the focaccia with whipped ricotta.

Every time I’ve been to Leo, Casey’s been the main event. First was her wedding reception, two years ago, with her husband Brandon and their dog Bear who looked dapper as ever in a mini tux. And the second was this interview. I asked what she wanted to do for this conversation, where she wanted to take me, and since her favorite BLT at Court Street Grocer was now out of season, Leo was the obvious choice. She loves this place so much, part of me thinks she conjured it into existence.

It’s worth mentioning how we first met. Around 3 years ago, our paths crossed for a brief moment when I was still living in Texas. It was a blip. There was no reason that we should have left such a meaningful impression on each other, but I think our timelines intersected at a crucial moment.

Casey burst into my life with joy and determination. She saw what I couldn’t see in myself and truly believed in me. It wasn’t just that she liked who I was but she thought I had good ideas and could build something of my own.

From my perspective, the summer we met was a turning point for her too. I watched her make slow, deliberate steps in the direction of her future, temperature-checking along the way and asking herself if each opportunity was aligned with her internal compass. To see where she’s taken her newsletter, After School, and how her passion and knowledge made her an invaluable expert on trends, culture, and Gen Z - she’s an example of building a career, brick by brick, while maintaining an unwavering commitment to her voice.

It’s the same voice that was earnestly telling me all about how much she loves the gory X films and rumors swirling around Mia Goth as we stuffed our mouths with pizza. Honestly, thank god I’m the only one who has to hear the audio of this conversation because we are so into yapping, we aren’t pausing to properly chew our food. You’d be hard-pressed to find others in the restaurant as dedicated to chit-chatting as us.

We have another reason for literally and metaphorically getting lost in the sauce, we’re meeting on November 4th - the day before the election. We both decided not to vote early because we wanted to pepper election day with various errands to distract ourselves.

At the table, we recount what life was like when we found out Trump won in 2016. Casey was at a bar watch party in Greenpoint. She left early and rode the train alone. I was on the phone with my friend, sobbing until 3 in the morning until the race was officially called. I had a 7:30 am class the next day.

It felt wild crafting another election story we would recount in the future. Knowing that we would look back on this conversation with either affection or longing, made it seen special and daunting. While we sipped on La Paonnerie and discussed Young Thung, we knew we were making a core memory.

Which brings me to the main event ⬇️

Casey’s Wishlist

Thought Starter

Young Thug

I asked Casey if she had heard Tyler, the Creator’s new album. It debuted the previous week and she told me she’d given it a listen but it wasn’t taking up the most space in her mind.

Casey viewed the hierarchy of rap news in the first week of November like this:

Young Thug being released from prison. - “It feels trite to say I love him because I love him sooo much. He’s been my top artist on Spotify wrapped for the past 5 or 6 years.”
Lil Uzi Vert released a new album, Eternal Atake 2.
Tyler’s CHROMAKOPIA

On November 1st, an unseasonably warm Friday afternoon, Casey was taking a walk through her neighborhood. As she recounts it, golden light streamed through the trees and peals of laughter could be heard as kids got out of school. It could not have been a more euphoric way to start the weekend - then her phone buzzed. A New York Times notification appeared on her lock screen saying Young Thug was going home.

“I genuinely almost started crying. His trial was Georgia’s longest running criminal trial. I truly wish I had a law degree to understand the nuances of it all because it’s so complicated but they kept him in jail for three years!”

To celebrate, Casey and Brandon went home and watched a bunch of Young Thug music videos. (This is where we got a little off topic and started talking about how much we love watching music videos on TV and Casey made a point telling me to watch Booty Drop by Doechii.) While music videos were playing, Casey turned to screenmaxxing as she tried to ingest any and all pieces of information about his release.

She wishes more people saw the statement he gave at the end of the trial because it highlights not only Young Thug’s humanity but also the plight of others stuck in this oppressive system.

I’ve known Casey long enough that I know Young Thug will always make his way onto a list of her favorite things. 🫶

I’m in love with your daughter tiktok trend

She was obsessed with Years and Years back in 2015 when she worked at Teen Vogue. Every time the song, Breathe, popped up on her FYP she got a dopamine rush. It makes her giddy. The song + Brian Alvarez’s ridiculous dancing + the trend’s positive impact on the reception of his show, English Teacher, makes it something she can’t help but stan.

“The power of social media is incredible, I love it.”

I asked if she had seen English Teacher yet… and she hadn’t. I told her it was her homework to watch it and this remix to one of Brian’s TikTok songs, which I promptly sang for her, loudly, in the crowded restaurant.

Product

Teddie’s Peanut Butter

“I was a vegetarian for ten years and peanut butter was the most important food for me. It kept me alive in college and in my first couple of years in New York. It wasn’t even a pillar of my diet, it was my diet. Apples with peanut butter, bananas with peanut butter, carrots with peanut butter…” I chime in that it sounds like the centrifugal force of her diet.

“It’s the perfect food… as long as you don’t have a peanut allergy (lol). It has fiber, protein, it can go savory or sweet. People are afraid of the fat content but you need healthy fat.”

“A couple of years ago, my brother asked if I had ever tried Teddie’s. I hadn’t so he brought some the next time he visited from Maine.” She loved it but it was hard to come by.

It recently came back into her life when she was ordering groceries for delivery. Whole Foods carries it in the city and she says that despite the ingredients being literally the same as the generic Whole Foods branded peanut butter, Teddie’s tastes like the crème de la crème.

I asked what type of peanut butter is her go-to and she said, “not just chunky, super chunky.”

What is it: Super Chunky Peanut Butter

How much: ~$6

We were talking about how much apple slices and peanut butter would hit at this point in the night when I mentioned I wanted to pick some up after voting the next day. That launched us back into a conversation about the impending election, abortion rights, Christian influencers, and dangers of fire escapes that aren’t up to code.

This conversation was long and winding, with a lot off the record, but it’s able to capture more than a listicle of the best restaurants or the hottest products online. It’s about sharing recommendations in the way you’d normally receive them from a friend - sandwiched between pictures of someone’s baby and anecdotes from work.

I’m excited to continue this series next month for paid subscribers but I’m happy to give this one to you for free : )