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Growing up, I heard a lot about the famous Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies, kind of like when you’re a kid and people are always talking about acid rain, quick sand and piranhas so you think it’s statistically inevitable that you’ll run into them. To that point, I’ve still never had a cookie from Neiman’s, but I do hope they’re still churning them out. I have, however, had a rotisserie chicken at Harrods. There’s something that feels so vintage about eating in a luxury department store, it’s one of the most ladies-who-lunchiest things you can do nowadays. It’s instant glamor for the whittled soul. Having a drink is also fun—loosens up the shopping experience, liquid ease if you’re the sort to feel anxious when looking at things you can’t afford. Time definitely moves differently in these places, too—it’s all a bit ‘island of the lotus eaters.’ If you’re in London, the rotisserie restaurant in Harrods is good, dark, and savory and the wine bar at the bottom of Fortnum and Mason is a nice place to pass the time (also recommend the lemon and vanilla marmalade from the floor above).
Mar 27, 2023
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Specifically the downstairs Lincoln Center Whole Foods, with its windowless cafeteria. My favorite place for my thirty minute lunch break. A midtown third space oasis.
You’ve got it all—your tour groups, your business men, Bad Roman, bad public art. A place I’m strangely nostalgic for, as it was one of the first places I visited on my first trip to New York (in 2015, on a high school band field trip).
One day I may have to write a Benjaminian Arcades Project-esque ode to this particular commercial complex.
You’ve got it all—your tour groups, your business men, Bad Roman, bad public art. A place I’m strangely nostalgic for, as it was one of the first places I visited on my first trip to New York (in 2015, on a high school band field trip).
One day I may have to write a Benjaminian Arcades Project-esque ode to this particular commercial complex.
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Sure, there’s a thrill in spending days trying to get a reservation at the newest spot, spending hours going through Infatuation articles and TikTok reviews to find the perfect menu that would please everyone BUT sometimes you just have to embrace tradition and reject modernity. Chilis, Cheesecake Factory, Benihana, and if I’m feeling fancy Houstons/Hillstone.
Jul 14, 2025
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🥪My office used to be above Barneys at 660 Madison Avenue. I used to have lunch at Viand 2-3 times a week at least. I love all Diners, especially ones in New York, but Viand is different. It’s from a long fading tradition of NYC coffee shops - super narrow, with a bar on one side and 2 seater booths on the other. There’s no bathroom which is shocking to the hordes of tourists who find their way to it after seeing the windows at Bergdorf Goodman or going ice skating in Central Park. It’s also cash only, and their ATM has a $3.00 fee. The thing that separates Viand from other diners is the food. Their versions of everything you know are the best. They’re known for their full turkey dinner, which I’ve gotten on Christmas Day before going to Grace Church downtown for their Candlelit Eucharist. Their cheeseburger deluxe is perfect, tuna melt - perfect, Chef Salad - Perfect, BLT - perfect, blueberry muffin on the grill - perfect. It’s also amazingly expensive and I gasp every time I get the bill because it usually means that I have to get more money out at the expensive ATM. The prices keep all the riff raff out, which means that you can always find a seat, and what’s $25 for a perfect sandwich and a coke?
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This will fix you, I promise. But actually, it’s something I have to do for American Style all the time and I think it keeps your heart and mind elasticated.
2d ago
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This changed my life. It makes you feel less like you’ve washed up on the shores of God knows where. Your own slippers and robe far away from home bring comfort and a little glamour — suddenly your suitcase is no longer a plastic-shelled roller bag but a trunk carrying the contents of your life. Complete with an eye mask (as decorative or functional as you need) and whatever knocks you out at night.
2d ago