The man responsible for the full Palm Sunday mass in Greenwich Village.
"The youngest mass I’ve ever been to. And I’m Irish so that’s saying something!”
Good afternoon, everyone.
There are two sure signs of spring: the tiny purple and yellow crocuses that burst out of the cold, hard dirt in Prospect Park, and the bright green peas that end up on every dish in New York.
Last night, my friend Paris Starn made a fantastic Sunday roast (that she veiled in prosciutto and edible flowers). She also served a magenta and green salad covered with tiny peas. On Saturday evening, I ate at Jupiter, where outside, skaters took advantage of the last few days of the 30 Rockefeller Center rink still being open. The Jupiter team was hosting a special dinner with their sister restaurant, King. One of the courses was porchetta, sprinkled with, yes, tiny green peas. And on Friday, I got dinner with my friends at Theodora where we ordered a roast chicken that also came with peas. So you can look at the weather app, or listen to Punxsutawney Phil, or look at what’s happening on the legs of Gen Z women drinking at Bar Oliver to decipher what season it is. Or you can just look for the peas on the menu.
Today’s newsletter includes: A $300k editing job at a magazine nobody has ever heard of, the most important priest in New York City, and a question for the copywriters working at Compass comparing a Nolita apartment to Lake Como.
For a special edition of Guest Lecture today, I interviewed Sourmilk’s Kiki Couchman on Substack Live. We discussed everything from “building in public” to packaging design.
Guest Lecture: Sourmilk's Kiki Couchman
This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Lina Khan, Andrew Ross Sorkin
Ten nice London hotel recommendations.
A few weeks ago, I asked you all for recs for London hotels — I’m spending a week there next month. What came back was a set of organized, varied suggestions. These weren’t tips from travel editors or influencers who were comped a stay at a new property, but rather my in-the-know readers sharing the go-to’s they would give to their friends. The list of ten is good, printed and attributed mostly in full here. I think I’m gonna start doing this more, so we can build out a nice resource for everyone.
“The Rosewood! Perfect hybrid of old school British charm and modern comfort. Gorgeous lobby, kind staff and they have a restaurant devoted to pot pie, so… (Second runner up: my house. Staffed by cats. Only have yogurt in fridge. But great color story.)” - Lena Dunham
“Ham Yard. A Firmdale Hotel (Whitby, Crosby Street). In its own courtyard. Bowling alley and great gym. In the West End. Almost everything a short or reasonable walk.” - David Roberts
“The Marylebone. Fantastic location, access to on-site health club (I didn’t have time to test it out while I was there, but I will next time!), great hotel restaurant, and the interiors feel modern without veering too clinical.” - Jalil Johnson
“When we felt spendy, it was the Chiltern Firehouse, RIP. [Emily note: The Chiltern suffered a major fire in February 2025 and is due to open again in spring 2027] I like The Laslett for its location next to Notting Hill, proximity to the tube, and price. My favorite is Durrant’s. It is family owned and therefore inherently British in the best way, petite in scale, thoughtful in its service, excellent location in Marylebone (my fave hood) and right next to the world class Wallace Collection. Always well-priced. As much as the word “chic” is overused, I think Durrant’s is actually chic. It is understated and lovely.” - Brooks Reitz