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DINE

Flora


Gardiner House, the waterfront boutique hotel by co-owner Howard Cushing, has one of the best sunset views in Rhode Island. Through the property’s wallpapered front hall—which features a printed replica of a 1905 mural by the American painter Howard Gardiner Cushing (the hotelier’s great-grandfather)—up its grand staircase, and inside a green jewel box of a room, a new restaurant by chef Miguel Somoza celebrates coastal Mediterranean cuisine with a Spanish focus and seasonal fare from local purveyors. While the expansive sight of Lee’s Wharf and Newport Harbor may allure you, the food and lively atmosphere at Flora will draw you back. The gambones al ajillo and the tuna carpaccio are not to be missed. Neither is the dessert—we suggest the crema catalana. (gardinerhouse.com) —Gracie Wiener

SHOP

MG&CO. Hardware


Housewares designer Matilda Goad understands how changing a doorknob can transform a room. Now she is doubling down on hardware by opening MG&Co. in London’s Notting Hill. With lacquered knobs, charming handles, all kinds of hooks, lampshades, backplates, and scores of new lighting in stock, the hardware store is paradise for the D.I.Y. set. For those who consider themselves less than handy, the shop will host workshops that teach drilling, knife sharpening, plastic recycling, and paint-color selection. There’s also an in-house electrician to perform lamp surgery—a godsend for those who just can’t resist an antique chandelier. (from $19, matildagoad.com) —Ashley Baker

READ

A Steinway on the Beach


Roger Rosenblatt has long been one of America’s finest essayists, and in A Steinway on the Beach, his 22nd book, he has created a kaleidoscope of musings and memories and reporting that invite you to view the world in ways you’ve never imagined. And what more can a reader ask of a book? Accompanied by Fred Newman’s excellent illustrations, Rosenblatt shows you that wounds are inevitable, that blessings are embedded within those wounds, and that to love and be loved are the finest of goals. Be open always to the world around you, and the sighting of a fox, say, or a Mozart sonata overheard on a neighbor’s radio, will be reason enough to revel. ($20.00, amazon.com) —Jim Kelly

WEAR

Petit Sézane


Parents of young children, it might be time to take on a second job: Petit Sézane has arrived in stores, and it’s coming for your wallet. The children’s-wear version of Morgane Sézalory’s hotly coveted French brand, Sézane, includes 135 styles for ages ranging from six months to 12 years. And much of it is irresistible: quilted jackets, pleated skirts, plaid peacoats, fur-trimmed suede clogs, and a bounty of “mommy and me” styles that, for once, we are actually tempted to try. Some of the pieces will be available at Le Bon Marché, in Paris, but true aficionados know that the Sézane stores and Web sites are the first stops—unless, that is, things sell out, as they tend to do. But fret not—stock will be replenished! (from $70, sezane.com) —Ashley Baker

WATCH

Goodbye, Dragon Inn


Any fan of Chantal Akerman, Jacques Tati, or Wong Kar-wai’s directorial work will adore Tsai Ming-liang’s 2003 masterpiece, Goodbye, Dragon Inn. The mesmerizing picture is a movie within a movie that takes place at an old Taipei cinema as it screens its final film, 1967’s wuxia classic Dragon Inn, in more or less real time. The director uses painterly framing and meditatively long takes as we follow the theater’s ticket woman, projectionist, and various audience members (including some gentlemen using the space as a cruising spot). Dreamlike, funny, deliberately slow, and melancholic in equal measure, Goodbye Dragon Inn’s evocative pleasures are immense. “Now all the more poignant for being streamed,” as the American film critic J. Hoberman said of its 2020 restoration, Ming-liang’s film is “a love letter to cinema and also cinemas.” ($12.99, amazon.com) —Spike Carter

READ

Hey Kids, Watch This!


It’s hard to believe that, in the age of streaming, children have as much trouble finding movies to watch as adults do. Wasn’t it so much simpler when you could drag your kid through the aisles of Blockbuster? Thankfully, A24—now as much a publisher of film books as it is a production company—has released a captivating, colorful volume that collects the best films for youngsters. In addition to synopses of movies, which range from obvious choices such as The Land Before Time to deep cuts like Jacques Tati’s School for Postmen, it contains games (come for the Oscar-acceptance speech Mad Libs; stay for the film-themed I spy) and fun interludes that teach your whippersnapper how to think critically about what he or she is watching. And while A24 can’t guarantee you’ll end up with the next Pauline Kael under your roof, they’ve made a book so thoroughly engaging that it will inspire your mini-me to do something that’s nearly as obsolete as visiting the local video store: reading. ($38, a24films.com) —Nathan King

Issue No. 269
September 7, 2024
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Issue No. 269
September 7, 2024