Barbie Streamhouse, Bar Oliver, Explainable AI, & the New Armani Restaurant
A weekend recap!
Last week was fun and lively and it felt like the weekend started on Wednesday so this week’s recap will start with Wednesday:
WEDNESDAY
BARBIE STREAMHOUSE POWERED BY VERIZON
On Wednesday evening, I took a car over to NoHo to checkout the new Barbie Streamhouse powered by Verizon. It was raining, but stylist Taina Gonzalez had pulled a wonderful look — a sequin mini skirt, a cropped Anna Sui top from Laams on the Lower East Side, and a pink furry coat, so as she says, I was cold but I “had to serve.”
“You’re the best dressed one here!” One of the security guards said. I said thank you and thanked Taina in my head.
I coat checked the coat and the giant book I was carrying around because I need to finish it to return it to the library.
The streamhouse is fun. There’s a pool, a closet curated by Mattel, and more. I got into a conversation about tech and gender with one of the most brilliant people from Verizon. I didn’t get a ton of photos (no plus 1), but DJ Fannie Mae was there along with a very pink bar (I don’t drink during the week), and I floated around until I had to go to:
Neural Reasoning Networks: A Neuro-Symbolic Approach to Explainable AI presented by IBM
I did get a picture here, in the lobby of the capitol one building so you all can see the outfit Taina pulled together. It was very interesting and made me think about the neural networks we create versus the ones we already see the world through. For more I recommend subbing to my other, cerebral newsletter
.Then I had dinner at Motel Morris. The bartender took my book and put it over at the bar, very kindly.
FRIDAY
LUKE ANDREW KELLY RELEASE PARTY
On Friday, I went to Luke’s album release party:
His album is now streaming.
Then, I went to:
CAFE GITANE
Cafe Gitane’s book launch celebration. Gitane always has the most beautiful people and that book! McNally collab with a gorgeous green cloth cover. I went to the bar and asked for the book, then found the book and showed it to the people I was with. And then we went to:
LOMBARDI’S
for content: Lombardi’s, established in 1905 in Little Italy, is America’s first pizzeria. Known for its classic coal-fired, thin-crust pizza, it delivers that iconic charred edge and gooey mozzarella. A New York institution, it’s where pizza history began—simple, timeless, and still worth the visit. 🍕✨
We shared a margherita pizza and then we all went home.
SATURDAY
Sean Forde and I decided that Saturday would be our fake Christmas since we weren’t going to be together for actual Christmas. So that morning we went to Ludlow House:
Fashion for Breakfast: Raul Lopez & Richie Shazam
I wore a pink leather set this woman gave me in Berlin. Some of my favorite people were there including Taina and
.Raul and Richie were gorgeous, reminiscing and laughing and telling us about the importance of resilience and hard work and being yourself and knowing your roots. I had a bloody mary (you all know on Saturdays, I have a bloody mary).
Christmas Dinner
I met two of my favorites at Palace Restaurant for our own version of a Christmas Dinner. On the way there a man told me I looked like a Princess, so I asked him if he’d buy me a pack of gum. He did and made sure to show me the $100 leftover in his wallet after the lotto tickets and my $2 addition to his order.
“Thank you,” I said, crossing the street.
“What’s your name?” he called after me, making no move to follow.
“Hailo!” I called over my shoulder.
At Palace, a woman bought me my own little champagne bottle as she told me about her children and her friend who was seated at the bar with us.
“How long have you known each other?” I asked.
“We met last week,” they told me, “right here.”
Then, my party arrived and we sat, drinking and eating and laughing until it was time to go to our Christmas Cocktail hour.
Christmas Cocktail Hour at the Armani Ristorante
We walked further up to the new Armani Ristorante. I liked the old one, it was like dining in a purse:
But the new one is divine. All luxe green and mirrors and little breadsticks. We walked in and set up shop in the back, giggling amongst ourselves as we exchanged gifts and chatted about the upcoming tasting menu and had one, two, three rounds. I love.
Then, it was time to go home.
On the way home, I ran into one of the summer interns.
“Hailo!” I heard on the crosswalk. She was young and bright and excited. It was so good to see her.
SUNDAY
Bar Oliver
Sundays are private. But, went to Bar Oliver and had a few things. I really liked the peppers.
IN SUM,
Live hard. Try new foods. Tell someone you love them, like the sweet old man in my building calls out to me, whenever we pass in the hall. The world is young and kind if you believe it so.