i’m trying a different format this month, and instead of categorizing by neighborhood i’m doing it by type of establishment. i’m still not sure if this is the final iteration; thanks as always for humoring me as i find what works.

restaurants + coffee shops.

my friend michael shared an eater article with 23 delicious indian restaurants around nyc, so of course i declared we now have to make our way through the list. we started with indian table in cobble hill and holy wow was that goan shrimp curry amazing and such a great blend of heat and flavor. the shammi kabab was also good, and seeing as how michael had three mango lassis it’s safe to say he was a fan.

post-indian table i of course wanted ice cream so we went to malai so that i could satiate my dessert stomach. they do a split scoop [big fan of this], so i did a mango cream and red chili chocolate combo that was scrumptious. all flavors are indian-inspired and yes they do ship nationwide.

i’ve been on the hunt for new coffee shops where i can work, so one day i ventured down to cobble hill to work at swallow café. i was there on a wednesday afternoon, and it was really chill and peaceful and i liked it a lot. i only had an iced tea on that day, but their menu sounded pretty good so on a future visit i’ll likely try some of their food as well.

i first walked past gupshup a few months ago and it’s been sitting on my “want to go” list ever since, and i finally got my opportunity when spencer and stephanie were in town and we were looking for dinner spots. i knew i was going to love it as soon as i spotted old monk on the menu, and i was right. everything we ordered — honey cauliflower, salmon tikka, keema pav, crispy okra, lamb shank, curried chickpeas, garlic naan — was phenomenal, and we barely scraped the surface of the menu. i will definitely be back, and likely very soon. pro tip: make a reservation; even on a monday night they were packed

my supervisor and i like to do a monthly coworking day when it makes sense for us both, and i really liked our spot for august, remi flower + coffee shop. it was so lovely to sit among the flowers and plants and do my work surrounded by the greenery, and although it’s a small space and they were quite busy i never felt like i was hogging the space. also the cheese scallion danish was very good. pro tip: if you’re planning to work there make sure your devices are fully charged; the one thing i couldn’t spot was a charging outlet

had a lovely dinner with matt and maggie at tortaria ahead of seeing a movie. we gobbled down the chips and guac, both m&m enjoyed their margaritas, and my enchiladas were very tasty.

had a great dinner at wayan with abi. the chicken satay, the spring rolls, the lobster noodles, and the nasi goreng were all fantastic, they have a drink called the devil’s avocado that was so nice and refreshing. it’s a little pricey but is well worth it. pro tip: make a reservation; we went at 5.45 and it was full

bars.

when alex and emmy were in town we went dancing at the woods in williamsburg. the dj was great, i really liked the courtyard space in the back, and best of all there was no cover.

shops.

i have yet to make a proper visit to books are magic to browse their shelves, but at the top of the month i went to an author event there and had a great time. i’m on a book-buying ban at the moment, but one of these days i’ll get back to take a look through everything they have in stock.

one afternoon i got a text from michael with a new recommendation: book club near tompkins square park. a bookshop and café by day and a wine bar by night, it’s a cozy spot to read or work and also to socialize and meet people. i stopped by on a friday afternoon to browse the shelves and read in the courtyard for a bit. recommendations like this make me feel really seen by my friends. pro tip: could have been friday afternoon, but it was pretty full when i was there; if you’re going to work i would go early to claim a spot

sights.

also while alex was in town we had a picnic in prospect park with rochelle, jake, and jonathan payne. it was a wonderful way to spend some time on a sunday, and i especially enjoyed watching the family volleyball game happening close by.

excited for [hopefully] cooler weather and more fun adventures this month!

xx