THE NOORTWYCK, ERNESTO'S, AND THE NEW SOHO TELFAR
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On Thursday, my roommate took me out to dinner for my birthday. She is very sweet and a very kind person. We went to ...
THE NOORTWYCK
...in the West Village. A good 1:1 catch up is delightful. Platonic intimacy is underrated. She told me that I am very good at finding third spaces. I told her that it is because I am good at loitering and always very chatty.
At The Noortwyck, we had:
Seeded Parker House ♡ light & airy
Toasted Crumpet ♡ very interesting bite
Hamachi ♡ complex! yummy!
Roast Chicken ♡ unreal. Decadent, like if a rotisserie chicken had a trust fund
ERNESTO'S
On Friday, I went to Ernesto's on the Lower East Side with actor, artist, and internet darling Wildlin Pierrevil, who gave me the rundown on the show he'd just been doing in Portland. A week or so ago, I'd swung by his birthday party at Fossetta (love Fossetta), where beautiful, smiling people were in attendance.
At Ernesto's, we had:
Pintxo matrimonio al ajillo ♡ so yummy. would order again in a heartbeat
Ensalada Mixta ♡ I love manzanilla olives
Calamares Fritos ♡ very good
Jello shots ♡ classy jello shots are a favorite trend of mine. The red wine one was great, the mezcal one was amazing
a porrón of an easy red wine ♡ an experience
This was a pretty light order, but I had dinner plans after and had a very dinner-y week, so we nibbled and shared the entire porrón --
"I hope you're ready because I capital D drink," I told him as we sat down.
I used to have a lot of midwestern protestant guilt around alcohol (which I think will be a big theme in my second novel), but ever since I started living with my current roommates and going out more and finally briefly dating this one wonderful Spanish man who was extremely comfortable with the human parts of himself, I've gotten over it. It's fun. And it tastes good. And I didn't spill any wine on the white shirt, as the staff told me was "bold" with the porrón.
I love Ernesto's. Great food, attendance staff, and a name inspired by Hemingway.
TELFAR LAUNCH
On Saturday, I woke up hungover (hello classy jello shots and an entire porrón of wine). I put a pie in the oven, which one of my roommates watched, sending me pictures and updates like a Nanny, and after dipping into my French Press, I went to SoHo with Sean Forde for the launch of the new Telfar store, a store which they claim will "be there forever."
When we arrived a few things were clear
Every business/launch wants a line now (again? pre social media/digital queues?)
Everyone who works for Telfar is beautiful
Telfar is trying to continue building culture and not just a brand or a thing you buy and leave with
I interviewed a few Telfar employees (not about the launch). Sean asked about the new "schmedium" size and the bag featured in a Beyonce video, and the staff members answered with smiles and giggles and enthusiasm.
I asked one what the photo disclaimers were for around the line and he explained that it was for "Telfar TV." And sure enough, closer to the entrance to the store was a giant camera on an electronic arm, camera men, a DJ, and a crowd of people dancing in Walker Alley.
I saw Black mothers and daughters and thought of how much I miss my own. I couldn't help but dance, because the music was good.
And I had to leave early, because I had a meeting in the West Village. As I tried to leave the alley, I got stuck in between a Telfar staff member and a woman manning a giant camera.
He was interviewing someone in line about Telfar, about the launch.
"And once you buy your bag, you don't even have to leave!" He said.
As I asked someone with an earpiece how I could leave the gate, I kept thinking about this last line. Especially in a neighborhood like SoHo, that was once families, then was artists looking for affordable rent, and is now an incredibly commercialized district.
It seems to me that Telfar is positioning itself and this store as a potential third space. A place where you can come and hang out -- something Gen Z desperately needs.
My mind was spinning as I walked. About how Black and Brown people in luxury stores have to be hyper aware of being following, of being perceived as a threat to the merchandise.
How urban design that prevents people from just sticking around is rooted in colonial ideology and is bad for everyone. About how if anyone can design a third space that is luxe and welcome to all, Telfar could.
Hello Telfar store in SoHo. My name is Hailey, but everyone calls me Hailo. I am very good at loitering and I love to chat. If you want your store to be a third space, let me put it to the test.
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