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Dine

Straker’s


In West London, there is really only one new restaurant that everyone is talking about. It’s Straker’s, people, and if you plan to visit Notting Hill anytime soon, be prepared to have a conversation about it with friends and strangers alike. Located on a painfully hip stretch of Golborne Road, it’s the first restaurant from TikTok phenomenon Thomas Straker, and the small, vegetable-heavy menu is a thing of glory that is designed to be shared. But we’re not here to talk about the food. This spot is all about the scene. Yes, it’s noisy. Yes, it’s the place to wear something skin-baring from Jacquemus. Yes, it’s the place to pick up a (very hot) date. (The crowd is remarkably good-looking.) And, yes, it’s the place to brag about all over your socials—that is, if you can get a table. Good luck sweet-talking the host, but the Notify button on Resy will occasionally deliver. (strakers.london) —Ashley Baker

Dine

Langosteria Saint-Moritz


If you’ve visited Milan, you’ve probably stopped by at least one of three locations of Langosteria, Enrico Buonocore’s series of sleek, brasserie-style fish restaurants. Dark lighting and tightly packed tables play host to crudi, Sicilian shrimp, and several types of pasta, paired with dirty martinis in chilled glasses. In 2018, Archive, the holding company owned by Moncler’s Remo Ruffini, bought a 40 percent stake in the business, and three years later opened an outpost on the top floor of Paris’s Cheval Blanc. Buonocore has just flung open the doors to a large dining room and terrace on the slopes of Saint-Moritz, just across from the après-ski lunch destination Salastrains. On its first day, the restaurant raised its branded flags (along with Moncler’s) out front as patrons tucked in by fireplaces in the dining area. Alpine specials include white-corn polenta and king-crab fregola as well as caviar and potatoes by Caviar Kaspia. The décor is sumptuous, and the waitstaff is dressed in top-to-bottom Moncler. (langosteria.com) —Elena Clavarino

Pamper

Costa Brazil


Since launching four years ago, Costa Brazil—the sustainable beauty brand founded by Francisco Costa, the former creative director of Calvin Klein—has infused the homes of aesthetes the world round with its signature jungle-inspired scent, found in silver-jarred candles and skin-firming oils alike. As of this month, the Amazonian aroma can travel with you wherever you may go, thanks to a new T.S.A.-approved, five-piece set. Inside, the fan-favorite bodywash and bath salts are joined by an ultra-nourishing shampoo, conditioner, and lotion, which could—until now—be found only at hotels such as Fasano in Brazil and Grand Cayman’s Palm Heights. Consider the indulgent collection an excuse to pack your bags. ($65, livecostabrazil.com) —Zoe Ruffner

Watch

Happy Valley: Season Three


The BBC One crime drama Happy Valley has been much discussed in the U.K. since its first season aired, in 2014. But now, as its third season comes to a close, it has achieved critical mass; its popularity (at least among certain circles) dwarfs the enthusiasm for—dare we say it?—Love Island. Our protagonist is seen-it-all police sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), who is contending with familial drama (criminal son-in-law, troubled grandson, confusing ex-husband) while simultaneously snuffing out all sorts of insidiousness in her bucolic corner of Yorkshire. In the U.S., the series will soon be available for streaming on AMC+. (bbc.co.uk) —Ashley Baker

Listen

Nastaran Tavakoli-Far


Nastaran Tavakoli-Far made a name for herself in 2020 with her podcast The Orgasm Cult. In it, she unabashedly investigates the “orgasmic meditation” start-up One Taste. Now Tavakoli-Far is back with two new series. The first, The Cost of Happiness, tells the story of Tony Hsieh, the maverick tech billionaire behind the online shoe company Zappos. Obsessed with happiness, Hsieh spent $350 million to create a community-regeneration project in Las Vegas. The story reveals Silicon Valley’s obsession with disruption. Tavakoli-Far’s other new series, Teamistry: The Untold Story of Concorde, is a fast-paced romp that takes listeners behind the scenes of the ill-fated plane that flew twice as fast as the speed of sound. There were protest movements, subterfuge, and spiraling costs, and ultimately it was not meant to be. But we did get a few good Hollywood films, and now a podcast, out of the whole affair. (apple.com, apple.com) —Bridget Arsenault

Look

Bodyscapes


The juxtaposing curation of Alex Moore’s Polaroids in his latest photography book, Bodyscapes, can feel like a puzzle. On the first page, within the compact borders of the Polaroid’s white square frame, two nude models lean into each other. One of them is taller, and the other has unruly hair that looks like it was suddenly blown furiously into her face by the wind. On the next page, another Polaroid, this one of two palm trees leaning toward each other. One of them is taller, and the other’s fronds are blowing in a turbulent wind. Moore calls sets of Polaroids such as this one “soulmates” because of their aesthetic similarities despite their obvious differences. If this photography book were a puzzle, the only way to put all the pieces together would be to understand how bodies can candidly and artfully resemble landscapes; how legs, if folded a certain way, can resemble mountain ranges; how flowers can look like a girl jumping in midair; or how nude models can mirror palm trees, reaching for each other despite the strong wind pulling them apart. ($100, moorepolaroids.com) —Carolina de Armas

Issue No. 186
February 4, 2023
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Issue No. 186
February 4, 2023