Vol. 34 — October 23, 2020
WHAT’S NEW
This week we’re sharing ways to support NYC movie theaters & restaurants, highlighting our favorite bookstores in Brooklyn, and introducing a new cool friend, Flynn McGarry.
CULTURE CORNER
EAT
New York’s restaurants and dining scene have a huge hit during the pandemic, but one of our favorite things about this city is that creative, driven people will never stop giving it a shot. Here are a few newly-opened restaurants in NYC that you should try out immediately.
- Palmetto (Cocktails, Bushwick)
- PDA (Pizza, Gowanus)
- One More Charm (Bubble Tea, Park Slope)
- Mel (Bakery, LES)
- Fat Choy (Vegan Chinese, LES)
WATCH
This week we’re super excited to welcome Elissa Suh of MOVIEPUDDING as a guest contributor. Check out Elissa’s picks ︎︎︎
Film Forum is showing movies by master documentarian Frederick Wiseman in their virtual screening room. Catch one on the American Ballet Theater company or his latest on Boston politics, City Hall, which is like real life Parks and Recreation untrammeled in its mundane glory. Three plus hours of bureaucracy may not sound like your jam, but watching normal people go about their daily pencil-pushing lives may be just the calming non spectacle your eyes need to see during the pandemic.
For the perfect pandemic alone-but together activity, catch a flick at the Queens Drive-in. You can still score FREE tickets for the midnight screening of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
TREND
Three things that caught our eye this week. All PAINTED. All COLORFUL.
For your floors (& eyes)- Crosby Street Studios’ new rug collection: Studio.
Flor your desk- these new hand-painted hardbound notebooks from Moglea.
For your wall- all of Emily Quandahl’s striking abstract paintings, especially this one.
BEST OF
We may not be super avid readers but we are definitely avid book buyers (G only buys ones with pictures). There are tons of amazing indie book shops in Brooklyn, whether you’re looking for a new release or the perfect rare find. This week we’ve rounded up our favorites across the neighborhoods we spend most of our time. Read our picks on the site.
COOL FRIENDS: Flynn McGarry
Meet Flynn, chef & owner of Gem. Flynn’s cooking is delicate, nuanced, and served in a stunning space that is always being tweaked (not to mention his daily floral arrangements throughout the space). Gem has recently reopened serving an 8-course tasting menu to a single party of 8-10 people each night.
How did your career as a chef begin?
I started working in restaurants when I was 12 and wanted to have a platform to be able to create my own food so I started a pop up in my mother's home. As the demand started to grow I moved it into a restaurant in Los Angeles once a month. I did this as well as working in restaurants until I eventually opened my own restaurant in New York.
What's your favorite part about the New York creative community?
I love how the creative community here is composed of so many different industries to draw inspiration from. It's the only place that you can go to a dinner party and everyone has a completely different job, but get along.
What's inspiring you right now?
It's been a weird year for inspiration, most of mine usually comes from traveling and being active, two things that haven’t been easily accessible. This year I’ve been very inspired by English gardens, Wabi Sabi, as design but also a way to enjoy imperfections, and I've been obsessed with apples.
Follow along:
www.gem-nyc.com/
@diningwithflynn on Instagram
PALETTE
Bodega flowers at home in Park Slope, Brooklyn
