Gen Z women are increasingly sober curious.
Free letter today.
Hello everyone. Hope you’re having a nice morning, and that you’re staying dry if you’re in New York. It’s going to be a T-Pain day at the gym.
Tonight, I’m going to Crane Club which New York Magazine dubbed a “big money, big Macher” restaurant in a review morning. If for some reason you’ll also be in this monstrous new Tao Group restaurant, I’ll have some Feed Me keychains on me.
✩ I have a fun request for you guys.✩ If you have news, blind items, rumors, New York gossip, media gossip, or fundraising gossip, I want to hear it. We all do. Since we’re not discussing rumors together while pouring champagne at a Feed Me holiday party, we can do it virtually. The power of the internet.
Text or call the Feed Me gossip hotline and leave a voicemail: (646) 494-3916
Just keep in mind I might be playing it in a recorded newsletter later this week, so if you don’t want your voice used, please note that. The final product will be available to all readers on Friday.
Emma Chamberlain posted a 20-minute podcast last night about becoming sober. She starts the story by recalling her drinking habits during COVID (vodka cocktails at 5pm), and went on to say that this year she became very into wine. “The last few times that I’ve had wine, I’ve gotten horrible nausea,” she says, saying that the past few months she’s been getting overwhelmingly sick every time she drinks even though she’s learned to love the culture of wine. “There is definitely something going on with me and alcohol — it doesn’t not agree with my body.” I don’t usually listen to Emma’s podcast, but the comment section on this one make me think a lot of other young women are also questioning their relationship with alcohol. A few weeks ago, New York-based creator Ella McFadin also made a YouTube video about being sober-curious, saying “I think people should re-think their relationships with alcohol.” I did notice that Crane Club’s cocktail menu marks a lot of drinks as alcohol-optional…
Speaking of alcohol, binge drinking rates are now equivalent among young adults and those in midlife. “That’s because young people, especially young men, are bingeing less — while middle-aged adults are throwing back more alcohol in a single session than they previously did.”
New York real estate gossip from my DMs:
Aritzia opened their new store on Prince and Broadway. I actually passed by this over the weekend, and they were fully treating it like a celebrity sighting — velvet ropes, bouncers, people taking selfies at the entrance of the store. But the gossip is that Lululemon just signed a lease to take over Aritzia’s old store on the corner of Spring and Broadway.
There’s definitely a story to tell about the revitalization of Meatpacking. Chez Margaux is a hit, Delilah is opening, San Vicente Bungalows is the club on everyone’s mouth, and Bagatelle is re-opening (will we also see a return of Brunch…). It’s like 2010 all over again.
Holiday Cocktail Lounge is going to serve coffee now. Did you guys know that this place is owned by Robert Ehrlich, the founder of Pirate Booty?
Violette FR launched a collection of eye and face gems. I hope a lot of people wear these to holiday parties. Remember, Fazit’s sales jumped 2,500% in the hours after Taylor Swift wore their glitter freckles.
Puck’s Dylan Beyers interviewed the founders of Punchbowl News this week on The Grill Room. When I was in D.C. a few weeks ago, Punchbowl was the newsletter everyone was talking about. Punchbowl co-founders Jake Sherman (friend of the letter) and Anna Palmer are incredibly thorough. Sherman’s competitive mentality in regards to the media landscape is appealing to me. He said he tells his staff every day, “We are at war, don’t think we’re not. Do not think that we can pull back for one second.”
And speaking of D.C… Keith McNally is hosting his friends and family dinner at Minetta Tavern in D.C. next week. Will be interesting to who this location’s regulars end up being considering the election results, I guess we’ll know in a few days.
Gen-Xer who stopped drinking in my early 20s (I'm 46 now) and I do not mean to sound preachy or obnoxious, but I look a lot younger than many of my 'wine mom' contemporaries. I am not a wellness junkie or guru AT ALL, but for anyone in their 20s: know that eliminating alcohol will pay dividends down the line. Also I used to work for one of the largest wine & spirits distributors and they know that Gen Z is a problemmmmm for their customers.
Does anyone else feel like this year there aren't enough holiday parties??