Daniel Boulud was 14 years old when he left his family’s farm, outside of Lyon. Even though he had never been to a restaurant—at the farm, his grandmother cooked every meal from scratch—he decided he wanted to be a chef. A wealthy neighbor made a few calls and got him his first stagiere at a small one-Michelin-starred restaurant near the city. The rest, as one might say, is history. And now, Boulud has brought his history—and the incredible tastes and flavors of those early days eating grand-mère’s cooking—to life at Le Gratin, his new restaurant in New York. It’s a spin on a classic Lyonnais bistro: casual, relaxed, and serving favorites such as crab salad, steak frites, oysters, and duck breast. Spend a night there, and you’ll not only feel you’ve been transported to an intimate restaurant in France but that, somewhere in the back, an old grandmother has cooked just for you. (legratinnyc.com) —Michael Hainey

The 1940s are a sartorial period worth revisiting. Hence our abiding interest in the Brigitte silk-crêpe midi dress from D’Ascoli. Based in India, this house uses techniques both old and modern to create its caftans, dresses, and blouses. We have generally relied on D’Ascoli for casual summer clothing, but the more formal dresses are looking better all the time—especially this floral-print style with draped sleeves, fluttering hemline, and ever so slightly contrasting tie. ($585, matchesfashion.com) —Ashley Baker

In the middle of SoHo, three floors above the congested street that’s home to the Nike store, there’s a modest and relaxing women-only spa. Started by Helen Benham in 1996, Soho Sanctuary offers a variety of services, from herbal scrubs and mud wraps to facials and manicures. I go for the massages, which are among the best I’ve had. The staff is kind and efficient, and the masseuses will release knots you didn’t know you had. Choose between deep tissue, aromatherapy, hot stone, and their signature, among others. (Starting at $155, sohosanctuary.com) —Jensen Davis

In High Rollers, the second season of the podcast Chameleon, no one is a hero. The investigative series revisits the bizarre saga of Operation Botox, a failed F.B.I. money-laundering sting. Set in Las Vegas, the story has a cast of characters that includes a diet-clinic tycoon, an undercover agent with a penchant for strippers, and a young woman who is ultimately arrested while on the toilet, just to name a few. Hosted by the journalist Trevor Aaronson, the meticulously researched story unfolds like a John Grisham novel. Beyond the expert narration and sordid personalities involved, there are loads of undercover F.B.I. recordings that makes the drama gripping. It never lets go. (campsidemedia.com) —Bridget Arsenault

If the very look of a boater hat makes you giggle, we can hardly blame you. It took us some time to come around, too. There’s a rather long story behind the vintage one that recently came into your AIR MAIL style correspondent’s possession; we’ll spare you the details. But hear us out—it may be the perfect summer hat. There’s something about the streamlined shape, the protective (but not floppy) brim, and the hint of jauntiness that make the kicky boater a more elegant alternative than the straight-out-of-Coachella fedoras we’ve been seeing around town. This Gucci style is by far our favorite. It’s slightly larger than average, so it doesn’t look too twee, and the modern color blocking makes it clear that this is not a prop from The Music Man. ($620, net-a-porter.com) —Ashley Baker

In search of a sunscreen that didn’t feel goopy and thick like Vaseline, I tried the Essential SPF 30 from Kari Gran. The oil-based moisturizer feels more like a serum than a lotion; the solution, light and liquidy, comes in a pump bottle. In addition to blocking UVA rays, the sunscreen is lightly tinted to even out your complexion. As with all of Kari Gran’s products, the ingredients are organic. The carcinogen that lead Johnson & Johnson and other companies to recall some their sunscreens last summer is not included. (karigran.com) —Jensen Davis