5/17 - A spooky spa, new bakery, and bubbly sake
Friday’s Newsletter
You probably know Crumpstack for his long-winded, out of touch takes on the LES scene but I recently stumbled on Nicole’s Substack which is THE go-to spot for upcoming parties and recaps of raucous nights out.
Use it as a going-out guide or just live vicariously through Nicole.
: )
Thought Starters
Get lost at the Lanserhof spa
*article*
Learn about this weirddd german spa. It feels like an A24 film in the making as the author wanders stark halls, shuffling from treatment to treatment, breaking for shots of wheatgrass. After reading his account, I want to both run from this facility and win the lottery to fund my stay.
“Each morning, I wake up and down a glass of Epsom salts, which, despite its name, taste nothing like salt and a lot like bile. At breakfast, a little thimble of bitter drops awaits me, which I’m told detoxifies the liver yet tastes suspiciously like pure alcohol. This is followed by a shot of wheatgrass and a slice of bread, which I dutifully chew to mush like a cow in a meadow. Lunch is the largest meal of the day: a plate of vegetables, a side of boiled potatoes and a slice of bread. Dinner is just soup.”
“This morning, I meet my nemesis: the ‘natural detox hay’ pack. It involves lying on a square mat filled with damp hay, resting on a heated waterbed. I’m then wrapped in a thin, papery sheet and a thick rubber blanket. I have the impression of being trapped in a stinky horse stable in the middle of a storm, my rainwater-soaked clothing leaving me hot, wet and itchy. It is meant to last 50 minutes; I pack up after five. ‘It’s not for everyone,’ the very kind attendant says.”
I also really appreciated Mastermind’s short piece on Saul Bass, the artist responsible for the modern title sequence in movies.
Things to do
Print Launch of For Scale
When: May 17, 6 - 9 pm
What: For Scale is a design substack that is launching their first print edition tonight at Colbo.
We are truly in a new era of media. This week, Byline also launched the 6th edition of their online magazine in print. With media companies crumbling, cascading layoffs, and unlivable wages, writers are taking up their pens and creating their own publications. It’s not VC money funding these stories, it’s people like you and me. Folks aren’t reading the paper anymore, they’re reading substacks.
Celebrate this new wave of print by checking out For Scale’s launch party.
Summer Sunday
When: May 19, 2 - 5 pm
What: Katie and Erica are hosting a backyard concert, featuring homemade ice cream and vintage sellers. Tickets are selling fast, so sign up today for a chill time that will chase the Sunday scaries away.
Paloma Wool Pop Up
When: May 9 - June 30
What: Thanks to Cool Stuff for bringing this pop up to my attention! I used to work in a gift shop at The Adolphus hotel in Dallas which is where I first encountered Paloma Wool. I saved up for a periwinkle blue sweater and it’s still one of the coolest items I own. Paloma Wool will be here through the end of June, so stock up while you can!
Visit Laurel Bakery
When: Wednesday - Sunday, 8:30am until sold out.
What: There’s a new bakery on the block in the Columbia Waterfront District - where is that you ask? This cute neighborhood is nestled between Red Hook and Carroll Gardens.
We recently experienced a foiled attempt to move to this neighborhood (I say while shaking my fist to the sky) and while we were walking home from the open house, we came across the newly opened Laurel. This week, Elissa, who knows sooo much more about food than I do, told me that the folks behind this bakery also opened Oxalis and Place des Fêtes.
Top on my list to try: the pain suisse and the ramp & cantal escargot.
Brands
Sumerfall
*cpg*
Summerfall makes tiny cans of sparkling sake and it’s very good. I’m not a big drinker (I’m dunzo after a martini and a half) so I like the mini size and their refreshing sake is not too bubbly. It’s a beverage for the beach or backyard bbq. 😎
What is it? Classic Bubbles
How much? $56 for 8 cans