No. 51—curated by a guest visitor
Mexico City pop-ups, for the love of cookbooks, Sea Ranch, and the perfect grater?!
Frequent Visitors is a weekly newsletter created to share a thoughtful selection of our favourite visits—both online and off—curated by friends, not algorithms.
For today’s issue we have a beloved friend of FV sharing their finds!
Five Faves
by Abena
Abena Anim-Somuah is a community builder, podcast host, and enthusiast for all the good things in life. She’s the James-Beard award winning host of Cherry Bombe’s The Future of Food is You, a show where she gets to chat with emerging talent. She’s also the founder of the Eden place, a community project fostered about gathering people at the table. Abena shared her food musings and recs in her newsletter, Your Friend in Food.
When she’s not working, you can find her trying to chat up chefs at dinner, playing tennis, or soaking up a good book!
Sea Ranch, California
I first heard of Sea Ranch at an SFMOMA exhibit in 2019 and was instantly mesmerized. The beautiful coastal California town was located 2 hours north of San Francisco and was started in the 1960s by intellectuals, artists, designers, and architects who wanted to reimagine living with nature and developing a strong sense of community. I visited there for a weekend trip with some gal pals and it was a much-needed respite from city life.
All the quaint houses are built with this gorgeous redwood of shades of brown and grey blending into untouched bluffs. The hikes are a dream, rotating from breathtaking ocean views to being encased in forest. I loved our little ranch shack and was especially impressed by the Sea Ranch Lodge. The watering hole for Sea Ranchers boasts a cafe, dining room general store, and lots of cozy areas for lounging or catching views of the Pacific Ocean. The decor details are enough to spark inspiration. Noguchi lamps tastefully light rooms with warm energy, the Arflex forest-green tufted chairs are ideal for card games, and the Hans Wegner rocking chairs are perfect for peak cocktail sipping time. The menu is an ode to Sonoma’s seasonal bounty and is tastefully designed by Eric Piacentine, formerly of Big Sur Bakery. Highly recommend the town for a couple’s getaway, a group weekend trip, or for some much-needed solo creative time.
Shall I compare any other kitchen tool to this perfect grater? Pardon my attempt to sound Shakespearean but my Microplane is one of the few tools that makes me feel like I have my life together. I’ve lived in a lot of cities over the last few years which has made it hard to invest in kitchenware. Yet in every kitchen that I’ve had to call home, the Microplane has added a chef-level quality to even the simplest of dishes. Shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano make pasta dishes look like they were made in the back of some famous trattoria, adding garlic to any dish can be done with professional ease. and nutmeg’s fragrance blooms in baked goods when shaved on the sleek stainless steel blade. It’s one of the first things that I recommend to home-cook pals who want to level up their cooking.
Nacar Pop-Up in Mexico City
I’ve been splitting time between New York and Mexico City for the last year and it’s been wonderful for my stomach. As I get more versed with the new guard transforming CDMX’s restaurant culture, I leave all my dining experiences very impressed and inspired to make the most of my cooking. Brandon Arriaga got his start in fine-dining Mexico City spots like Pujol and Maximo Bistrot. He caught the travel bug and soon found himself on Japanese shores working in restaurants while also learning native fishing techniques. He brought these skills to the Pacific coast passing them off to Mexican fishermen. Brandon has an itch to get back into the kitchen and has been hosting a series of pop-ups around town. No tasting menu at Nacar is the same but expect an appreciation of niche Japanese cuisine and an appreciation of local produce. Follow along to find his pop-up dates or perhaps plan your next CDMX trip around it.
Start Here by Sohla El-Waylly
I love consuming as much food literature as I can, especially cookbooks. This year, I’ve limited myself to 10 cookbooks (I’ve also been getting a good amount from publishers which is a blessing) waiting a few weeks to see what is worthy of adding to my collection. I’ve been a huge fan of Sohla’s work since her Bon Appetit and love her approach to cooking and flavours. She has blessed all home cooks, regardless of experience, with her debut cookbook Start Here! This tome is chock full of recipes, techniques, flavour pairings, and a pretty honest and sustainable way to develop a solid repertoire of kitchen items.
Like everyone and their grandma, I stare at my phone too much. Sadly it becomes the first thing I look at it and the last thing in my hand as I doze off in the night. In an attempt to become an offline person for the first few hours, I’ve gotten into the habit of journaling. I also like to buy expensive things when I get into a new hobby because somehow I’m convinced that it will keep me consistent. The Leuchturrum1917 journals are that girl for taking notes, writing thoughts, or doodling. I’ve been using them since college and I love how thick they are, you can choose a variety of colours for different activities, and most importantly the ink doesn’t really bleed through the next page so you can use both sides of the page. Their leather covers don’t scratch up too easily which makes them great to toss into a backpack or a tote. They have multiple sizes too! I currently have an A5 for journalling and an A4+ for my thoughts and checklists!
Thank you for reading and we hope you enjoyed your visit! Abena, thank you for sharing this wonderful list with us 💌
You never cease to inspire me when it comes to food, travel, and what it means to support your friends (the most important things???)
Until our next visit,
Sasha
We love having visitors as much as we love being them, so it would mean the world if you forwarded this newsletter to someone you think might enjoy it!!