food diary 04: january joyride

jan 4 - jan 20

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚If I started writing something about David Lynch, I feel like I wouldn’t be able to stop, and even if I kept on going, it would never feel enough. Let me just add that I am lucky that we got to share an existence with him, and though he is corporeally not here, his spirit is never far. Rest in peace, and thank you.˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

1.4 New Years was wonderful, getting to hear poetry on the first day of the year is always a treat, except I felt like the energy was a little low compared to the previous marathons I’ve attended at The Poetry Project. Of course, Matt was amazing, and it was a wild ride going to the alternative marathon on the other side of town and back. We mainly stayed at home until Saturday where we read, and then surprisingly got to bless a few hot wheels onstage, at a David Berman tribute show. It was cool and brought me back to the days of smoking Gauloises and reading Actual Air.

It was freezing but we snagged a table at Malatesta Trattoria which is always a go-to when we’re out in the West Village. We got the classic tuna tartare to start. It’s rare for restaurants to offer complimentary bread these days but you can rely on Malatesta to not only bring you bread but also olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. I tried their steak on a bed of arugula and sliced Grana. It was exactly what I needed. I just wish it came with a carb, but it’s hearty and juicy. Their homemade pastas are flavorful and dependable; Matt stuck with their bolognese. I got a margarita at the Bowery Ballroom as an ode.

1.6 After a weekend of relaxing, Penelope and I couldn’t wait for our dinner reservation later for pizza with friends, so we went to BCD Tofu House clad in our earmuffs and puffer jackets to split a galbi combo dish that comes with their signature kimchi soon tofu stew. I hadn’t been in a few years, because the batch of kimchi I had before tasted a little too sour, but it was perfect this time around. We then met up with our friends at Song e’Napule, and although we enjoyed their elderflower cocktails, the slice I tried did not leave me wanting more. We grabbed another drink at Scarlet Lounge, and sipped a La Vie en Rose while live music played. Aislinn and Penelope wanted to get Chip City, and I liked their chocolate chip but found the center too gooey. We unfortunately waited almost half an hour in the cold for the bus back, but gazed at the lingering snow in Central Park as we waited.

1.7 We grabbed breakfast at Citizens of Chelsea before Aislinn and Penelope left to Penn Station for catch their train to Maine. I wasn’t a big fan of their matcha, but the breakfast burrito Penelope and I shared was filling. I wasn’t expecting actual banana bread for their banana bread French toast, which was tasty but too decadent and thick for me. I’d prefer Little Ruby’s for an “Aussie-style breakfast,” but St. Jardim has a cute vibe for catching up with friends. We wanted to try Raf’s but it was too far. I felt a little under the weather when I got home and didn’t leave the house until Thursday.

1.9 I met with an acquaintance studying poetry at Columbia over coffee at the Hungarian Pastry Shop. I got a usual peach danish. We chatted a bit about writing and also food, exchanging Beli usernames. We have a 23% profile match. For dinner, I caught up with Mia at Tomo21, which is a pretty reliable sushi spot. However, I believe that nigiri should come in pairs. You can’t go wrong with salmon avocado, but I also enjoyed their negitoro and scallop rolls with a glass of plum wine. We ended the night at Analogue, which has a date-night vibe. Their menu is insane, but we just ordered martinis. It was eerie how empty the streets were at 11 p.m.

1.14 Matt and I spent the weekend cooking steak with sweet mashed potatoes. I felt a bit of cabin fever and decided to go out on Tuesday. Noah and I grabbed a few rolls at Tomo21. I was surprised that there was an extra charge to make a hot toddy at a certain bar that will go unnamed, but I wouldn’t have minded as much if the waitress had told me when I initially asked for the price. Anyway, we were blessed at Studio 151 and were offered complimentary spicy margs as soon as we arrived. It was fun being in the swing of things again.

1.15 Sahaj and I caught up at Cecchi’s where we tried their happy hour meal of a martini with fries. While it isn’t hard to enjoy, and the ambience is stunning, I don’t know if I’d necessarily come back. It got crowded too quick. We then shared some oysters at St. Jardim, after waiting at a table outside (luckily under a heat lamp), and tried a glass of their orange wine and a French 75. We ended with a nightcap of passionfruit margs at Lucien with a basket of their complimentary bread.

1.16-1.20 I woke up thinking of pie for some reason. I had a cup, really two cups in one, of Counter Culture Big Trouble coffee—love the subtle caramel nuttiness—that I made with my French press. I tried the lunch set at Cho Dang Gol which was deliciously affordable, but shortly after I finished, I found out David Lynch had passed away. The first person I texted was my mother. I started sobbing walking through Midtown with a flood of nostalgia, but I’ll always remember him in my heart and in the cherry stick and poke I have on my right ankle. I decided not to mope around at home, so I went to the Anastasia Coope show at Earth with Zoe after getting happy hour drinks at The Library (they were unfortunately not projecting any David Lynch) which was fitting with her reverb and ethereal bubble machine. We had some wine there and grabbed a slice at Scarr’s, but then I went home feeling kind of strange but also recharged. I felt a wave, a reminder, of my roots and my passion for visual text.

I made chicken noodle soup (love adding lemon and parsley) over the weekend which was comforting and got Matt on my turkey BLT with a side of chips (currently obsessed with the Boulder Canyon avocado oil salt and vinegar) wavelength. Then I read some new and old poems as Audrey Horne in the Red Room which seemed like the only fitting thing to do on David Lynch’s birthday and dragged myself there despite my body aches. But I’m taking this week to heal while reading Room to Dream.

xoxo,
ashley

p.s. if anyone from grub street wants me to document my diet; i’d happily do so :)