Links we sent our friends #63

Better-than-Sweetgreen salad, two staple t-shirts, and more with Lunch on Friday!

Hello, hello! It’s Aja. On Thursday, Aliza gave me a ride home from dinner. She always parks in front of my house so we can keep talking for a little longer. Sometimes this is my favorite part of the night — sitting in the car, chatting about nothing in particular but neither of us ready to stop, like we’re in high school squeezing out the last minutes before curfew.

Today’s guest is actually someone who came up in one of those car conversations: “Have you been reading her stuff?” “I’m obsessed!”

Angelina Hazzouri

is a NYC fashion merchandiser who writes

Lunch on Friday

, a hilarious and instructional Substack on food, fashion, relationships, New York City, “tasteful partying,” and everything in between. She’s a modern-day Emily Post meets Carrie Bradshaw (if Carrie had twice the self-awareness). You must read “August is not the end,” “We should all talk to strangers,” and the etiquette guide Angelina wrote with her good friend

emily north

— we stan a friend collab, obviously.

Angelina’s Links: 

1. I love the New York City Ballet and I love fashion and I sent this tweet to my best friend as soon as I saw it because I’m freaking out. So good.

2. One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to “become passionate about cooking” (not to be confused with “cook more,” that was not the issue) so the NYT Cooking app has become my 2024 best friend. My most recent favorite recipe is Charlie Bird’s Farro Salad. It’s super easy to make, and it keeps well in the fridge. Bring it to the office and everyone eating Sweetgreen will be jealous. (Tip: When you refrigerate it, keep the farro separate from the arugula until you’re ready to serve.)

3. This painting by Aliya Abs has been on my mind for approximately three weeks and if someone wanted to make a donation to my Substack, just know it would be for a good cause… 

4. On my family vacation last week, I read Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl, and I’m here to confirm it is my new favorite book of all time. She writes so so so beautifully about food and food people and food culture, and that’s something I can appreciate. Side note: I’m including the general links to Thrift Books and bookshop.org because we should not be ordering books from Jeff Bezos’ boutique. Amazon is for cleaning products and niche Halloween costume accessories!!!

5. Every Friday, I update my LoF Radio playlist as if it’s my own little radio show, and I love featuring new music, old music, my friends’ music, and anything I might have Shazamed in the last week. (I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be plugging my Spotify in this, but I love sharing music with my friends and this is often how I do it!!!) (Aja: Spotify plugs always welcome!!)

6. If Angelina Hazzouri was a cartoon character, she’d be wearing this black Mini Short Sleeve T-Shirt from UNIQLO. I also agree with

   Caroline Chambers
   ’s t-shirt rec last week: the Buck Mason Pima Boxy Crew. These are genuinely the only two t-shirts I buy. This is very important.

Aja’s Links:

1. Elle interviewed Taffy Brodesser-Akner — queen of long-form celebrity profiles and the author of Long Island Compromise, which came out recently and is very, very good. “When I was young, I was told that if I worked very hard at something and was successful, I would eventually have money from it. And I don’t think that’s true anymore.”¹

2. If you have artistic talent, consider doodling on your walls. (Aliza: I just ordered a setup for Jude! Will report back…)

3. LOL. Absolutely.

4. The cutest vending machines. Any near you? 

5. Ok, not the sexiest rec, but I spent a solid three minutes telling Aliza and Lacey how useful these tablets are. It’s pretty magical how quickly and easily they’ll clean a thermos, Tupperware… I’ve even used them for my retainer while traveling.

Left: A print vending machine in Brooklyn’s Books Are Magic; Right: A still from The Rescuers Down Under, indisputably one of the greatest children’s movies.

Aliza’s Links:

1. I found the perfect Kamala t-shirt for Jude.² (Aja: Wait, I want one too.)

2. A reminder that reproductive rights are not a women’s issue. 

3. The 100 greatest kids’ movies of all time, according to movie critic dads. 

4. How gorgeous are these stained-glass-inspired custom curtains?! (h/t

   Leslie Stephens
   .) 

5. Currently listening to: new Maren Morris. Five songs is not nearly enough!

Question we asked our friends:

Why do you read newsletters? And/or why are you on Substack? Has your motivation evolved over time? I’ve been thinking about this question — and asking both readers and writers — since I (Aja) read

Emily Sundberg

’s essay.³ I’d love to hear from you… I’ll share my thoughts in the comments, too.

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1. I (Aja) love this quote but also raised an eyebrow at it because… she did just option Long Island Compromise. After Fleischman’s In Trouble was made into a hit TV show. 

2. I (Aliza) am also anxiously waiting for the official Harris/Walz shop to add more youth apparel. Who’s matching me in their fall camo hat??

3. FWIW, I (Aja) think Emily is right that the amount of same-ish content on Substack is increasing — but that’s the nature of a growing platform. And I want people to feel more comfortable creating, not less