09.2025
The changing of the seasons always seem to come when we don’t want it to. Spring too late, fall too soon. And this year New York was given fall weather early. Which is a lovely reprieve from the dreadfully humid summer we had, but makes us fear the winter to come.Â
September was a blur. Back to routines, interrupted, and a sort of limbo waiting for whatever comes next.Â
So naturally, I found myself westbound. A brief prance down the west coast before settling into real autumn. Still don’t feel ready for fall shit but I suppose it’s worth relishing the brief weeks of perfect weather as the days shorten.Â
westbound
Flew all the way across the country to get a breath of fresh air. And fresh air I got. Back to PDX, the lush green shade of PNW that heals you from the outside in, even my cold city heart. The weather was perfect. Brisk in the mornings, and not a cloud in sight. Spent a half day around Washington Park, just marveling at the trees and soaking up sun in the Japanese Garden and quite literally stopping to smell the roses in the International Rose Test Garden.Â
An early dinner at Republica (which definitely lived up to the hype – that black sesame flan is something I’ll think about for some time) followed by some evening wanders through the three floors of Powell Books is perhaps the ideal way to spend a Friday.Â
current obsessions
September was a frenzy. So much so that I don’t think I spent much time doing anything at all. Through it all the one thing that carried me through was conversations with friends. On a park bench. Over a neighborhood dinner. FaceTiming outside a cafe. In hushed tones in a conference room. While walking through an art show. Across large tables at group dinners.Â
My August self had the foresight to plan some big dinners. Which, though always a bit hectic to coordinate, continues to be an obsession. Gathering people, programming the food, catching up at regular cadences.Â
And neighborhood hangs, getting friends to meet up spontaneously to do a little bit of nothing.Â
In a stressful month, I found solace in familiar comforts. Asian soups. Soothr’s khao soi, Hangari’s kalguksu, Surawon’s soondubu, Golden Deli’s pho.Â
Also continuing my mission to find my favorite tuna tostada and I gotta say Oyamel’s is a good contender.Â
culture fix
unlocked a new level of weekend binge and while I am so late to the game, I did get sucked into Downton
all I can say is what a high production show, and what a meloncholy show, and also I have so many questions still
I never really watched Gilmore Girls until now, needing some easy fall background television, and it gives me thoughts I need to process, on the evolution of culture, society, television, and the WB lot
honestly simultaneously annoyed and charmed by this show, and perhaps that is ok
we’re listening to dreamy indie pop girls againÂ
and mixing up the podcast feed with a bit more journalistic deep dives, from the atlantic, the times, and the new yorker
NEW FIND
The little triangular block on Oak Street in downtown Portland is a place I always want to be. Frenchy Scandi food at Maurice followed by coffee and a kakigori at Courier and Soen, and this perfectly curated shop Storied Objects next door.Â
good bites
Back in New York, I had a week of Rubirosa. A large chino latino dinner with a side of Bad Bunny at Chino Grande. And some sunny bites here and there. But where I really indulged was on the other coast. Plenty of time spent in the parts of Koreatown that feel like a hug. Two trips to the San Gabriel Valley for good lunches. And several coffees on the east and west side to catch up with California friends.Â
PORTLAND EATS // because portland really is a great food destination that I ironically didn’t get to eat enough of last time I was here with professional food people
MAURICE // perfectly european in a way that is so casually portland but would be destroyed if in brooklyn
STERLING COFFEE // portland’s roaster roots really shows and this incredible boot of slightly sweetened latte tonic with an orange twist tasted like the final days of summer
PASAR // the first reservation I booked after booking my tickets to PDX, and such a fun, well executed concept by the sweetest team
CADEJO COFFEE // came for the coffee but would definitely come back for the breakfast because this brunch pop up did not need to hit this hard with the squash blossom quesadilla and chilaquiles
SOEN // had to come back for the kakigori
THE PAPER BRIDGE // the last meal in PDX and exceeded expectations with the creative interpretations of northern vietnamese dishes, enough to fill up all the way through a delayed flight down to LA
camera roll
constant fixation
analogueÂ
circling back
:))