Novis Newsletter - June Edition
Being a tourist in London and abroad, a questionable diet that is bringing me joy and an obscene amount of restaurant recommendations
Bring back field trips!!!
This was one of the most wholesome things I did this month, would highly recommend if anyone needs a serotonin boost. As much as I love a casual hang, and especially in the summer, I’m a big advocate for seeing where the night takes you (‘tis the season for serendipity!!), there’s something to be said about planning a full day out (I am aware that’s basically a date). My friend Zee had the day off, and whilst we usually meet to work from a café, she had mentioned the previous weekend that she never goes East, so I suggested a field trip. After sending off our emails and job applications for the day, we followed the itinerary I had sent her the night before, starting off with coffee and pastries at Pophams before heading over to London Fields. Dinner was Dough Hands Pizza at the Spurstowe Arms (I had eyed the pizza the week before but didn’t get a chance to try it, so this was also an elaborate scheme to go back for the food). Because we still had loads to talk about, we headed back to Alice House in West Hampstead (immaculate fries, heartburn be damned!) for a nightcap before going our separate ways.
What I Ate and What I Saw - Italy Edition
With my mom spending a couple of weeks in Bologna to study Italian, I figured I could also brush up on my skills and join her and my brother for a week (with some day trips sprinkled in).
In Bologna I fully embraced the dolce far niente, waking up late, [loosely] planning my days around meals and replenishing all the fluids I lost in the heat via Cappuccinos in the mornings and Negronis in the afternoons. On the culinary front, I became obsessed with the Crescentine (basically a fried dough with your filling of choice, I’m a fan of the classic stracciatella and mortadella combo) and fried tortellini from Indegno. The best thing I ate that week was the fried Calamaretti from Osteria Bartolini (where we went for my brother’s birthday dinner — he turned 26 on the 26th), with the Gran Fritto di Pesce being a close second. For a casual (but no less delicious) affair, we hit up Trattoria Bolognese for lunch multiple times (the Frittura di Gamberi i Calamari was a highlight, I ate enough fried food for my arteries to colapse as we speak but I have no regrets), and managed to snag a table at Osteria dell’Orsa on our last night.
We ended up in Venice on the first day of the Bezos-Sanchéz wedding festivities. We were expecting chaos, but the city was surprisingly quiet (barring all the protesters). I was happy to tick this destination off my bucket list (the Venetian room at the Wallace Collection is my favourite) as I was genuinely worried the city would sink before I managed to see it.
In Modena, I reenacted a scene from David and Goliath as I attempted to tackle a pizza the size of a small child, and in Parma, we escaped the heat by visiting the National Gallery in the gargantuan Pilotta Palace.
Julia’s June Recommendations - To Read, To Watch and To Eat
To Read - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I’ve been feeling nostalgic this summer and have been revisiting some old favourites (see exhibit B in my film recommendation for the month). As I wrote about the wildest things we’ve all done when we had a crush (blasting party 4 u in the background), I was called to revisit one of the formative texts of my romantic identity. I still have the same beat-up copy from my High School Literature class, so an added bonus was reading the margin notes left behind by my 16-year-old self.
To Watch - Annie Hall by Woody Allen
Whilst filling out my ballot for the NYT list of Best Films of the 21st Century, I realised almost all of my favourites came out before I was born. Something’s Gotta Give (2003) made the cut, and as a lifelong defender of the Diane Keaton supremacy, I had to give an old favourite a re-watch (don’t be surprised if you catch me wearing lots of tailored vests or dating slightly neurotic comedians in the coming weeks).
To Eat - All the Pizza
Pizza has become its very own food group for me this month. With the heat wave, I rarely cooked (my kitchen gets direct sunlight in the morning and becomes an oven all on its own), so I’ve been living off strawberries, cubes of cheese, an obscene amount of baba ghanoush and pizza whenever I leave the house. I’ll leave you with my top (London-based) recommendations here:
My brother’s favourite is ICCO (the one on Charlotte Street, great for a very casual bite), and my personal favourite is Santa Maria (I always get the San Rocco) — both good options for impromptu picnics in Regent’s Park. If you’re in Hampstead, L’Antica Pizzeria is worth a visit, and if you’re feeding a crowd, I recommend the 18” pizzas from Yard Sale. Finally, a recent discovery which was worth the 50-minute trek for me was Dough Hands (anything with hot honey is an immediate yes from me). I also went to Pizzeria da Michele (made famous by a feature on Eat, Pray, Love) whilst on holiday and recently learned they have a location in London (but I haven’t gone yet, so take this rec with a grain of salt).
Honourable mentions this month: on the literary front, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams (I’m slowly making my way through this series, its was an excellent palate cleanser in between heavy reads), On Writing by Stephen King (recommended by Caroline Beuley on this post, I have since passed it on to Maria Gil who’s loving it so far) and Outline by Rachel Cusk (devoured over a single afternoon in a crammed lounge at Heathrow after my flight was delayed). On the culinary front, my chef friend Laura Masson is finally back in the UK, and her cooking is unmatched (this puts a damper on my plans for a hot summer bod, but it's worth it). Hit her up for your catering needs!!
What I Wrote This Month
I considered the similarities between dating and job hunting (I’m becoming a bit of an expert on both). As a wholesome break during a hectic week, I professed my love to all my friends. In an attempt to write less about my personal life, I considered the general repercussions of writing about your personal life, and finally, I took to the masses and asked the age-old question: what’s the most unhinged thing you’ve done for a crush?
Ah Julia! I'm so glad you liked my book recommendations!! On Writing really is so so good!
I loved the section on how you were afraid Venezia would sink before you got to visit it, cuz I fear the same thing! lol, what if when it’s finally my turn, there’s nothing to see but the pointy rooftops?