002: A Week in NYC
menu
food for thought | reflection: I know nothing about inflation
restaurant | NYC roundup (preview of restaurant pages to come!)
recipe | what to make with an empty fridge
food for thought
reflection: I know nothing about inflation
"Could you help me set up a fun icebreaker for us to play?" asked my friend Fay, as she mounted a panel of sconces against the wall of her new Brooklyn apartment. "Similar to the one we played last year, at my last housewarming?"
I thought back to last year when we had both been in San Francisco, trying to guess 1/ the country of the flag taped to our backs and 2/ what the arbitrary number below the flag related to (the respective country's carbon emissions), for Fay's icebreaker game back then. She's always had a knack for inventive icebreakers, some that went disastrously (think: blindfolded musical chairs) but others that have been quite fun. I wasn't too stoked on her current idea, though.
"So I was thinking," she started, "Since inflation is such a hot topic right now, we could have people guess the inflation rate related to different items! Like milk, or gas!"
"Uh..." I started, as I scoured my brain for remnants of the AP Econ and Macroeconomics for Business classes I had once taken. "I feel like the inflation index for each of those is different, every year?" What I meant to say (if I had the humility to refresh my econ knowledge at that moment) was that inflation is based on something known as the consumer price index, which is calculated for each market basket as a ratio between the price of the said basket in two different years, and that without more parameters, guests would find it difficult to come up with an estimate. Also that this was maybe a bit too cerebral for an icebreaker between strangers.
We didn't end up playing the game, but our small conversation did trigger an insecurity of mine: although I've worked in finance for several years, I haven't kept up with the market or pursued more expertise; it'd be more accurate to say that I've stagnated in my knowledge to the point at which I couldn't explain something as foundational as inflation.
Later, I did some more research into inflation out of genuine curiosity. I wanted to learn exactly how supply chain bottlenecks and the war in Ukraine were affecting U.S. inflation, and why experts don't think we're at risk for a repeat of the 70s and 80s' "stagflation." I wanted to know what inflation meant for wage increases and salary expectations, what was to come out of the Inflation Reduction Act that had just been approved by the Senate the week before, or what it meant for crypto-currencies to be "inflation-proof" (and why they haven't been).
Obviously, there's still a bit to unpack here, but I like the questions this short interaction opened up for me:
I wonder how much "finance" is still in me: did I ever actually start disliking the subject, or just the type of person (cough, finance bro) who works in the field?
Why did I get so hung up on my momentary freeze when explaining inflation? Nobody else would have cared; am I just trying to hold onto a past identity, and if so, why?
There's a part of me that still enjoys researching (I guess you can't take the high school debate out of me...) but I've learned to love interacting with and directly helping folks more than say, writing analyses. I wonder what types of careers could be out there if I leaned more into these inclinations.
restaurant
NYC Food Roundup!
Page(s) coming eventually—I'm deprioritizing these for now since my website is primarily San Francisco-themed. But here's where I ate while in NYC (and a link to MyMaps too). I dropped in a couple of pictures too:
Meals
Joe's Pizza - Call me basic but I love this place, especially when it's fresh from the oven. My favorites are the Supreme and White Pie.
The Inn at New Hyde Park - for the wedding reception! Apparently Long Island weddings are all super over the top... but regardless, color me impressed!
Song E Napuli - 😕 - I was pretty disappointed at how soggy the crust was. And this place was recommended to me by a guy who bought his own pizza oven! 😩
Vesekla - underwhelmed by the presentation but VERY happy with the taste. I could eat their latkes any day. No wonder this place is an establishment!
Five Senses - I met with James's BFF here for dinner and quickly grew to like him because of what he ordered, which included spicy baby octopus. Yum!
Noods N' Chill (Doordash) - such a great staple for easy Thai food.
Nami Nori Williamsburg - this was my ball-out meal and was worth every penny! Reminds me of The Handroll Project in SF.
CafeDelia - Had my first khatchapuri (cheeseboat) here! It was a tad salty but loved this cute Georgian cafe regardless.
River Deli - Kristine and I went here after we scoped out Brooklyn Heights for a photo shoot we were going to do for our friends. The restaurant makes for a beautiful backdrop for portraits (literally no filter here) and also serves homey Sardinian meals.
Baba Cool (Doordash) - healthy Caribbean bowls, which was exactly what we wanted to eat after a long week.
Desserts
Morgenstern's Ice Cream - their sorbets were so yummy! This place reminds me of Mitchell's in SF with all their options (and sometimes long line).
Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream - when do I not come here?
Mango Mango Dessert - everything is mango themed here! (What gave it away?)
Grace Street Coffee & Desserts - the front is unassuming; the inside is so big. Come here for your Asian dessert cravings!
Mogu Tee - boba!
I'Milky - also boba!
Breakfast / Snacks
Ten Ichi Market & Deli - all the Japanese snacks! And plushies!
Edith's Eatery & Grocery (Doordash) - I want to eat here in person next time—the Sephardi Breakfast Wrap was already so delicious and a peek at their full menu just makes me want more!
Sweatshop - Our favorite local coffee spot, serving great drinks and a great R&B playlist, and an iconic Timothy Goodman mural.
Edy's Grocer (Doordash) - everything is so colorful and yummy! I loved the shawarma and falafel wraps we split.
Honeybird Coffee - I tried a chaga latte for the first time here... apparently adaptogenic mushroom drinks are very in right now...
The Coffee Project Chelsea - who knew that coconut water + espresso could taste so good together?
Ceremonia Bakeshop - a hearty breakfast burrito (like, I could only finish half) and the most delicious cookies 😍
Going Out
I feel like everywhere we went was like, S-tier. Kristine really picked the best places for us to go!
Wanpako / The Hidden Pearl (speakeasy) - Japanese restaurant with low-key speakeasy in the back. Delicious drinks + karaage in an intimate space.
Eavesdrop - I LOVED this bar. The music, design, dessert, drinks... aside from the fact that it's impossible to get a reservation here (thank you Kristine for staking this out 🙏🏼) I'd want to come back anytime.
The Breakers - Fun music, chill vibes, and yummy drinks. We came here for a birthday party... to find that all the friends there were like. REALLY GOOD DANCERS. I just two-stepped in the corner but had a great time regardless.
Want to save all this down? Here's a link to MyMaps!
recipe
Midnight Pasta
I was ravenous when I came home to SF. Unfortunately for me, I learned that James just eats takeout when I'm not around (which is actually really cute, if I think about it). However, that also meant that I now had an empty fridge after throwing away all the rotten/spoiled ingredients inside, and worst of all, I was still hungry.
Here's a dish I whip up when I have pretty much nothing left in the fridge: A simple, olive-oil based pasta dish with flavor from pantry items like garlic, red pepper flakes, anchovies, and capers. Luckily, I had a bit of (wilted) parsley, lemon, and parmesan left to top it off with as well.
Here's a link to the recipe (from the New York Times)!
Wendynoms is an independent newsletter that provides you with 1 restaurant recommendation, 1 recipe, and (at least) 1 fun link or food for thought every week, so that you will always have something to eat and chat about while eating. Please send questions to hello@wendynoms.com. Happy reading and happy eating!