Weekly A to Z, December 28th.

The liminal space one. 🗓️🎆🍾

What day of the week is it? What time is it? What month is it? I honestly don’t know, but I’m more than ready to know and get on a schedule again. Does anyone else feel this way? 🤔

While we intended to visit for lunch, we ultimately ended up at a holiday brunch at The Spaniel, located in Bluewaters. There’s a lot of British fare available, and I loved the welcome cocktail (fulfilling all my egg nog wishes for 2024). #invited

On Sunday, I wanted to introduce my parents to Talea*, and Chef Luigi delivered in style. In addition to a special take-home Pannetone, we also got to tour the kitchen garden, which I was super impressed with. If you’ve not been yet, make plans to visit this fantastic restaurant while you’re in the capital. #invited

On Friday, Maison Revka was the perfect spot for post-Christmas lunch. A trendy Bluewaters spot now opened at the Delano, and the Rikas Group is doing what they do best. Favorite dishes? I strongly encourage you to order the Rosti potato with cream cheese and caviar, and the out-of-this-world chocolate mousse could easily feed 6 people (I’m not kidding). #invited

Just a few (!) deliveries… Mint Leaf of London sent through the yummiest care package, packed full of holiday treats. Jack Daniels sent through the perfect holiday jumper, which Hubs immediately confiscated. The One & Only Za’abeel and The Link sent over a beautiful hamper filled with plenty of items to spoil everyone. #gifted

The week that was (6).

Links, please.

• Devina Divecha
  has a great round-up of Dubai chef’s holiday favorites. Michelin

• The haters guide to the Williams Sonoma holiday guide. Defector

• Can food determine your social class? NYT

• ICYMI, the podcast from

  Liam Collens
  , James, and myself. Substack

• Can you tell the Michelin restaurant by the photo? Daily Mail

• The most difficult reservation in Paris is…at Disneyland Paris. Bloomberg

• How to make the Carbone rainbow cookie. Town and Country

• Sure, Tesla made a mezcal. Robb Report

• What are the best holiday appetizers? Reddit

• Was meat-in-dough across cultures developed radially or in parallel? Reddit

• Been saying this forever. NRN

• This Chrimaspolitan is trying too hard. Food52

• Would you try banana jam? Eater

• Looking ahead to make some healthy changes. Camille Styles

• Someone get me this subscription. Roe Caviar

• News you can use: how to make the most out of flying business class. T&L

• Just, no. The Takeout

• Would you take a surprise vacation? Hotels Above Par

• What is the best martini glass? Wine Enthusiast

• Needed. Amazon

• How cute are these spoons? Walmart

• The push to make grocery stores city-owned. NYT

• Adapting Christmas trees to make them climate tolerant. Ambrook

• How to track your inbound plane. OMAAT

• How to be honest. The Good Trade

• KFC has a new restaurant. Eater

• Why do chefs hate brunch? Food Beast

• Wait, risotto has a secret history? New Yorker

• Should restaurants always have vegetarian options? Eater

Favorite dishes for December? The month saw me out of the year in style. My top 3 are the grilled Maldivian lobster from the Four Seasons, the crab Torricado from Tasca*, and Chef Luigi’s zucchini fettuccine. There were plenty of yummy home made treats across the month, and I’m ready for a bit of a reset in January.

This weekend? A low-key BBQ with friends, and taking my parents to 11 Woodfire*.

Next week? As always, it’s been (too) quick a trip, but it’s time to say goodbye to my parents (and 2024). I think we’ll be keeping close to home for NYE. How about you? Any fun plans?

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C.

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