15 things Andy consumed this week
The final guest list (I'm back on Sunday!)
This July, I’m having guest writers contribute their own 15 things lists every Friday. Here’s Avi’s, Mallory’s, Charlie’s, Laura’s. The last list is by my brother, Andy. My brother is one of my best friends and has great taste. If you read my Grub Street Diet, you may remember he plays a central role in my consumption. Many of the things I’ve included in my past 15 things lists have come from him, so today we go straight to the source.
This is a July special. To access my weekly 15 things lists the rest of the year, become a paying subscriber. I’ll be back on Sunday with Maybe Baby #107!
Hi Maybe Babies,
I don’t think I’ve written an email to more than 50 (brag) people before…this bully pulpit power... My name is Andy and I am Haley’s older and favorite brother. I suppose I am also here like Avi due to her nepotistic tendencies, but in all fairness this format deeply speaks to me and I deserve to write one. Thanks for having me!
1. Starting off with a roll call of wholly excessive consumption on my birthday last Saturday: For lunch, a pep slice and knots from Upside Pizza and vanilla soft-serve (cup) topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch from Softside, the adjoined walk-up window. For dinner, half the menu from Keens in midtown: martinis (gin, olives), oysters, caesar salad, wedge salad (none for me; I hate blue cheese), mutton chops, porterhouse, and chateaubriand steaks, fries, creamed spinach, crème brûlée, cheesecake, chocolate cake, espressos and Fernet. Followed by an undisclosed number of tequila sodas at MK Karaoke on 32nd…
2. Potentially related to the tequila sodas, an unplanned Uber to Ridgewood well after midnight to see Two Shell, these mysterious lads from London that I have been listening to constantly this summer. I read the next day that they had their friends perform as them while the real Two Shell went live on IG from London at the same time. I feel a little betrayed…but the set was great, who cares!
3. This completely deranged 2013 Bon Appétit interview with famed LA interior designer Kelly Wearstler, wherein she claims she goes to Barry’s Bootcamp at 5:30am seven days a week and doesn’t eat solid food during the day because “juicing is what gives me energy.” Can’t be real.
4. Martha Stewart’s peafowl update, which is baffling in every possible way. Good luck Martha…
5. The greatest hits from Nathan For You, which are all over the internet right now thanks to The Rehearsal discourse. I’ve probably watched the Grandson’s Pee clip like 10 times in the past week. Apparently it’s the most Nathan Fielder has ever broken character, which, obviously! Also, if you haven’t seen the documentary he made about helping the world’s best geriatric Bill Gates impersonator track down his long lost crush from high school, you should.
6. 100+ rounds of Solitaire on my phone. I am full-blown addicted, which feels crazy to type. And I’m not even kidding…it’s my most used app (more than 2x Messages) per the Screen Time report. I play this version called Yukon Solitaire which is a lot harder than your typical fare. I use this app which has so many versions of Solitaire you didn’t even know existed. There is one called Addiction and it is SO hard that I have only won one time (out of 78 tries, and each one takes like 30 minutes…).
7. All those spammy viral Twitter accounts in my feed lately (No Context Brits, Weird Dall-E Mini Generations, Chaotic Nightclub Photos, Shirts with Threatening Auras etc), but only one that’s actually good: crazy ass moments in american politics. They can hardly keep up with the mess of our reality. I smashed that follow button.
8. Chicken biryani. Like a good millennial, I have an Instant Pot, but I only ever use it to cook Indian food from this specific cookbook. 8/10.
9. The movie Bone Tomahawk, after I saw a thread on /r/horror that asked: “To any adults who grew up watching horror movies and are now desensitized to most gore/scary things, what movie can still make you turn away from the screen?” I had never seen it but was aware of it as a Western starring Kurt Russell (my mom’s fave from Overboard). I understand now why it was in the thread. ☺️
10. Horse Crazy by Gary Indiana, recommended by my friend Danny (yeah that Danny). I love books about reckless, self-important, indulgent, fast-paced living in New York City, the greatest city in the world. I am only a few chapters in but it’s already a Recommend for the NYC-art-addict-book heads.
11. This Healing Frequencies playlist my friend Max sent me with only the comment “turn it up really loud.” And oh did I. 💆🏻♂️
12. This Byredo incense, which I recently discovered. (Sorry it’s sold out). I’ve been doing the Tree House this week and it hits a lot better than a candle IMO.
13. A bunch of newsletters I never skip: I <3 Mess (“roundup of all the CrazySexyCool celebrity fashions you missed,” for fans of the OhNoTheyDidn’t comment section); SNAKE (“worthwhile furniture auctions right now,” though I haven’t bid…yet); Sitting Pretty (the Quick Hits are my fave); The Trend Report™ (thank you Kyle for my weekend cultural commentary catch up); and my chaotic picks, Muck Rack Daily and 1440 (daily roundups of global ongoings that are 95% less annoying and patronizing than Morning Brew lol).
14. A “two chip” Levain cookie, which my parents had delivered to my apartment for my bday (thanks M&D)… say no more:
15. This little piggy working so hard to eat the burger… good vibes.
Have a nice day!
Andy
psa. Martha has updated her reel to add to the caption "and by the way i do not have any idea how the marvin gaye music found it's way. to this sad post but when Blue Boy was alive it would have been perfectly appropriate."
Ok but how could a western starring Kurt russel could be bone-chilling......I’m gonna watch w a happy heart