things i can't wait to eat and read this summer

basically, this is my summer hitlist

hi friends!

the post-long weekend blues are hitting HARD over here, and I’m trying to squash them by remembering tomorrow won’t be as bad as we think it will. really, it won’t…promise.

for me, the day will start with a 5a alarm to depart for the airport by 5:30a for a 6:30a flight, but then I’ll be back in my beloved New York. between my stint in Buffalo and recent Europe trip, I’ve only slept at my apartment once in the past nineteen days. I cannot wait to get back into my routine in Manhattan.

while what my body is craving is movement, cooking nourishing meals, and abstaining from alcohol, being in my everyday life is equally about finding what fills up my cup, and oftentimes, that is a perfectly timed sweet treat or coveted dinner res. I anticipate being in the city for the majority of the next couple of months, so to help turn my messy bookmarks on IG/TT into an actionable list of places to prioritize trying, I’ve rounded up thirteen places I want to hit up for everything from sandwiches and sit-down dinners.

but before we get into that fun, if you’re a new subscriber, WELCOME!! I’m so grateful you’re here with over a thousand other readers. my content in this weekly newsletter runs the gamut of foodie things, travel tips, New York recs, books recs, book club updates, trend recaps, or whatever else is on my mind on any given sunday. typically, I also feature interviews with authors and those in the publishing world about books that I think my sunday series subscribers will love. but this summer, I’m taking a brief pause on my Q&As to figure out a bit better rhythm with what you’re looking to glean from me — I’ll be using the engagement (replies, likes, comments directly here in Substack) as an indicator of what lands best with you, so please be sure to let me know if something resonates by commenting directly in the Substack app which is of course, free to download.

without further ado, let’s get into what I’ve been saving down across social to help guide my next meal or snack choice. if there are new fun spots or summer eats on your radar that you think I can’t miss, please let me know here in the comments so we can share the love with fellow readers!

BREAKFAST BOOKMARKS

• BEC on laminated croissant dough from Petit Chou (East Village)

• sourdough bagel with lox and cream cheese from Apollo Bagels (East Village)

• pancakes at Golden Diner (Lower East Side)

• literally anything from Radio Bakery (Greenpoint)

LUNCH / DINNER BOOKMARKS

• ham and gruyère sandwich at Alf Bakery (Chelsea Market)

• The Italian at Faicco’s (West Village)

• OG bowl with miso salmon from This Bowl (Noho)

• coconut lime monkfish at Margot (Fort Greene)

• the burger at 4 Charles…if I could ever get a res, ha! (West Village)

• everything at Tatiana (Colombus Circle)

DESSERT BOOKMARKS

• croissant butter softserve from Supermoon Bakehouse (Lower East Side)

• black and white ice cream cookie sandwich from Bad Habit (East Village)

• tahini softserve at Seed + Mill (Chelsea Market)

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summer reads: top of the TBR pile

other than what I’ll be eating, I plan to focus on getting through a decent portion of my TBR pile this summer. on a recent bookstore trip, I found myself getting overwhelmed by all of the options instead of tackling the books I’ve already identified as interesting to me, so I’ve made this list to refocus my summer reading priorities! the below twenty-two books are a mix of 2024 releases and some other from recent years that I’ve been meaning to get to and think would be perfect for summer! happy reading xKD

• Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

• The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

• Sandwich by Catherine Newman

• The Guncle and The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

• One Last Summer by Kate Spencer

• Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo

• Funny Story, Book Lovers, and Beach Read by Emily Henry

• The Astrology House by Carinn Jade

• Bad Summer People and Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum

• One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

• Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

• I Want You More by Swan Huntley

• Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez

• Blank by Zibby Owens

• The Most Famous Girl in the World by Iman Hariri-Kia

• Acts of Service by Lillian Fishman

• Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

• All Fours by Miranda July