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Eat

Fine & Raw


In 2007, Daniel Sklaar, a financial analyst, started making chocolate in a small loft in Brooklyn and hand-delivering his truffles to friends. Lucky for us, he hated finance and turned to chocolate-making full-time. Production has moved to a small factory in Bushwick, where, by hand, Fine & Raw employees sort bags of Ecuadorian cacao beans underneath disco balls. They use coconut sugar instead of cane sugar (for notes of caramel), organic ingredients, and raw cacao beans (which are purer and have a deeper flavor than roasted). For Easter, they’ve made glossy, three-inch tall chocolate eggs dyed with turmeric and matcha. Crack them open and find a small, fudgy chocolate truffle inside. ($20, fineandraw.com) —Jensen Davis

L’Artusi
Reserve

@nycresx


Not good at booking reservations in advance? Always canceling yours at the last minute? The Instagram account @nycresx has you covered. The profile works like a reservation-exchange system. If you can’t make your nine p.m. dinner at Carbone, send your reservation details to the account via direct message and @nycresx will post it on their Instagram Story. To grab a table, just respond to a Story. They often have spots for restaurants that are nearly impossible to get into—such as L’Artusi, I Sodi, and Misi. (instagram.com) —Elena Clavarino

BEN WHISHAW and AMBIKA MOD in THIS IS GOING TO HURT (2022), directed by LUCY FORBES and TOM KINGSLEY
Watch

This Is Going to Hurt


Since Adam Kay, a former National Health Services doctor, published his memoir, This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, in 2017, the book has sold more than 2.5 million copies. Naturally, the wildly popular, uncensored account of life in the obstetrics-and-gynecology ward of a London hospital was adapted for TV. Starring Ben Whishaw, this seven-part series offers an unflinching portrayal of the exhaustion, trials, and pressures of working in an emergency room. Even with accounts of prolapsed umbilical cords and preeclampsia, the show’s writers manage to insert humor, wit, and even a bit of romance. Currently available in the U.K., with U.S. streaming to follow. (tv.apple.com) —Bridget Arsenault

Learn

Idlewild Language Classes


As Air Mail’s advertising director, I spend much of my time on Zoom meetings or WhatsApp calls conversing (in English) with our French and Italian partners. With our clients—and my dreams of a summer holiday in Ponza—in mind, I decided to brush up on my Italian with classes at Idlewild, a travel bookstore and language school in the West Village. The weekly 90-minute sessions, which are small, interactive, and conversational, are taught by native speakers. Idlewild offers French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and German classes for everyone from beginners to nearly fluent speakers. In-person classes are held at the school’s West Village and Cobble Hill locations, and online courses meet via Zoom. (Starting at $295, idlewildbooks.com) —Michael Pescuma

Strut

Le Monde Béryl


We’ve been wearing Le Monde Béryl’s take on the Venetian gondolier slipper since the brand’s inception, in 2016. Designers Lily Atherton Hanbury and Katya Shyfrin have since gone on to master loafers, bags, and now environmentally friendly heels. For the spring ’22 season, the house collaborated with the fabric studio Cloth Collective, which produces 100 percent compostable textiles, to create plant-dyed natural linens in beautifully saturated shades. They use them to make both slippers and sandals. It’s the latter that we love best, especially these knotted stilettos, which slip on easily but stay put. The heel height is ideal for walking (relatively short) distances around town when the occasion requires something a bit more serious. ($561, matchesfashion.com) —Ashley Baker

Carry

Giuliva Heritage


Our retirement savings would be so much more robust if we didn’t have a weakness for Giuliva Heritage. Designers (and life partners) Margherita Cardelli and Gerardo Cavaliere are based in Rome, but their aesthetic is an homage to old-fashioned Neapolitan tailoring. While the fit of the pants occasionally gives us problems, the jackets and shirting are always virtuous. And the leather goods? A slice of heaven—especially the new Cosima bag, which is made of smooth leather and brass and finished with aged gold. The silhouette is as tailored and pristine as can be. It’s the kind of thing that Monica Vitti may have worn on a busy day. Bonus points for the Air Mail color scheme. ($1,100; giulivaheritage.com) —Ashley Baker

Issue No. 143
April 9, 2022
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Issue No. 143
April 9, 2022