Weekly A to Z, March 4th.

The checking off the to do list one.

We spent last weekend getting some holidays and potential trips on the books for 2023. Belgrade, Netherlands, Türkiye (?), KSA (??), and the US. I’m expecting a few more press trips to solidify in the coming months, and am super optimistic about the rest of the year.

On Tuesday, I finally (!), got some updated headshots done with Million Ways Studios. The team is professional and so easy to work with (even when you hate sitting for photos). I find myself getting requests for headshots almost every other week for some reason or another, and it’s so great to have professional images on hand that I love. The session was a gift to me, but I absolutely think it’s worth the investment. (Also, it’s important to support women-led businesses!)

On Thursday, I was over to Milos with the BonBons. The space is large, the team is friendly, the bathroom requires a visit to the lift, and the crab cake costs AED225. Check out my visit here. #invited

A delicious delivery from The Kakao Guy with their March burnt cheesecake, Chai flavored, was very welcome. #gifted

Finally — PR and Marketing teams, I love you, but — can this be the final year of Iftar previews? Unless the food is specifically being donated to those in need or reutilized in some way, these buffets just feel like a lot of food wastage, and I’d love to see the industry move past these events.

Links, please.

• Proud of Laura’s article! Vogue

• I was back on Dubai Eye on Friday. Spotify

• If you’ve got cookbooks lying around — use them! Eat Your Books

• I just learned about this Ukranian restaurant in Dubai. NPR

• How do we feel about restaurants losing stars? The Times

• A new way to beat insomnia. NYT

• Exotic snacks. LA Times

• Finally! Dieline

• A reminder the food is subjective (even dining at Noma). The Times

• Should we stop using ma’am and sir? Lifehacker

• Are you willing to admit your rat snack? Bustle

• Looking for high-quality, royalty-free images and videos? Look no further than Shutterstock. With a vast library of over 350 million assets, Shutterstock has something for every creative project. #sponsored

• Something new to listen to. Spotify

• What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done while traveling? Reddit

• How Resy won the reservation wars. Eater

• The road to becoming ‘enough.’ Longreads

• Are sheet cakes the best cakes? Cup of Jo

• Why we made fewer memories during the pandemic. The Walrus

• I want this Pizza Hut set. Eater

• Things to do with friends (without spending money). The Good Trade

• Similar to above, why don’t we just hang out? Slate

• How to buy caviar. Bustle

• Black chefs in New Orleans are rewriting history. NYT

• Finally, a good airport in the US. The Atlantic

• Honestly, just pack food for the airport. Washington Post

This weekend? A Booker boat trip!

Next week? Off to Rotterdam for the Unilever Food Solutions Future Menus event. Please follow along for all the insights. #invited

Oops! I sort of neglected my best of for February, so here are my top dishes of the month. Although I did my best to stay home, there were a few times I snuck out. In no particular order (and not including all my favorite dishes for the series): the classic mushroom chai at Tresind, the savory mille-feuille at Josette, and finally, not food, but honestly, all the cocktails at Ergo make the list.

If you enjoy this newsletter and want to support me, consider sharing this newsletter on social media, ordering from these restaurants, purchasing my books (or these novels — all free to read on Kindle Unlimited), or buying me coffee. Archives of the Weekly A to Z can be found here.

C.