If last weekend's edition was Small Business Saturday, today’s is a Big Municipal one. I think by now everyone here knows I’m a lover of offbeat or unique New York City merch, especially if it’s related to the subway or a public institution. Well, luckily for me, this High Praise rec is both. The MTA and the American Museum of Natural History have teamed up again to turn their previous 81st Street Subway station collaboration into a limited edition collection of clothes, bags, and tchotchkes. Everyone has at least one snail lover in their life, so here’s the perfect tote for them. And who doesn’t want a cool caterpillar hat or sweatshirt? On the more affordable end, there’s some cute mosaic animal cards ripped from the subway walls, including this one that would be great if you know someone with an 81st birthday coming up.
-DW
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I first heard this musician while sipping a macadamia nut cappuccino at Jamieri, a relatively new Georgian design showroom and cafe a couple blocks over from me in Red Hook, so consider this recommendation a twofer. Swing by Jamieri the next time you’re in the area to peruse the wares, pick up a gift (like one of their studio-made beeswax candles or holders), and have a snack or housemade coffee. In the meantime, add Post Industrial Boys to your new music playlist. (Try 1971 to start, that’s what got me.) Last week, David cited 42,803 as one of the lowest monthly listener counts on Spotify he’d seen. Post Industrial Boys have 2,712. But if you like synth pop, airy arrangements, and ironic nods to the Pet Shop Boys, you’ll soon be one of them.
-VvP
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Within about 10 seconds of seeing the first episode of this new YouTube show, I was equally as impressed as I was amazed nobody had done this idea before. A pitch-perfect parody of genealogy shows like Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are?, Spilling Your Seed with Chloe Troast is clever, crass, and very funny. Troast, who I’ll admit I did not give much attention to during her short stint on Saturday Night Live, proves in each of these eight-minute episodes that someone can be a genuine talent with something to say but still get overlooked in the difficult-to-navigate SNL system. And speaking of SNL, start with the Ben Marshall episode and go from there.
-DW
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Our current batch of Off Duty is expiring on December 23rd, so it’s now 50% off while supplies last. Though I can’t tell you it’s safe to consume beyond that expiration date, I can tell you that I just ordered several more boxes to my house that I plan on sharing with family and sipping well through the holidays. It makes a great cocktail alternative, especially for the month of December. (Or for at least the first 23 days of December.)
-VvP
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I had not planned to recommend two YouTube shows this week, but I just became aware of the fact that Alton Brown is back with something new. If you were a fan of Good Eats and the subsequent Good Eats: Reloaded, you’ll no doubt enjoy Alton Brown Cooks Food. It’s Alton being Alton: throwing helpful techniques and fun facts at you in a fast, somewhat aggressive manner that’s hard not to love. The first two episodes are Thanksgiving themed so they might not be all that relevant this week, but I have high hopes for the future.
-DW
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I am increasingly convinced that the sea salt focaccia (perhaps technically a fougasse) from Caputo Bakery in Carroll Gardens is one of the best breads in the city, especially when you consider the fact that it costs $4 (cash only) and the only line to contend with is from neighborhood locals on a sunny Saturday or Sunday morning. It’s perfectly salty, not too oily, and has just enough of a crumb to be satisfying without being crusty. I promise you it goes with everything, but you could also just serve the loaf by itself on a platter and let guests tear into it on their own. The best part? A search for it on TikTok returns absolutely nothing.
-VvP
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