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Frank Bruni


Restaurant Critic, The New York Times


1. The small baguettes with butter and raspberry jam at Levain Bakery. "I never eat a big breakfast because there's so much food on my agenda for the rest of the day. But at least two or three times a week, I walk half a block from my apartment to Levain Bakery near the corner of West 74th Street and Amsterdam for one of these. So many of my meals involve such intricately composed dishes that it's wonderful to be reminded of how something so simple can be so delicious. Bread that's crunchy and fresh, a thick coat of rich butter, the sweet zip of raspberry jam: totally divine. I demolish it in four or five bites, squeezing it so tight the jam drips from the edges, and I sometimes have to change my shirt afterward because of the jam stains."

2. Travis, The Man Who. "While I buy new music all the time, I always seem to become fixated on something I've owned but haven't listened to in years. That's the case with this disc. It's sunny but not silly, crazily hummable, and I've been playing it so often at such loud volumes that I'm shocked my neighbors haven't taken out a restraining order against me and it."

3. Illume Balsam and Cedar candles. "I've long been a sucker for overpriced candles, and I like Illume the best. This scent smells like the essence of Christmas. I bought it for the first time about a week ago and it hadn't been burning for an hour when I was back out the door to stock up on more. I'm always convinced that things I fall in love with will disappear when I least expect it. Better to stock up."

4. The Presidential election. "Is this a great one or what? The stakes are high, the candidates are feisty, their spouses are unpredictable, there's the possibility of history (a first woman president, a first black president) in the making. I watched the CNN-You Tube Republican debate the other night and was riveted. Could the glances between Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney have been icier? Broadway can't match theater like this.

5. The New England Patriots. "I'm a huge professional football fan, and I don't think I've ever seen a football team show such dominance. It's not just that the Patriots are undefeated 11 games into a 16-game season. They flat-out demolish most of the teams they play. Have they made some kind of deal with the devil or what?"

Frank Bruni is the restaurant critic at The New York Times.

Recent Hot Fors Next »

  • Chris Benz


    Designer

    July 17, 2008

    Greek rosé wine.
    "I was ready for summer '08 to be all about Domaine Ott rosé, like last summer, but my friends and I discovered a new Greek variation while in Athens, Veriki Gran Rosé, that is a terrific compliment to hot summer nights and rivals any of its French counterparts!"

    Vintage Italian grocery store sunglasses.
    "I've been buying up all the inexpensive vintage sunglasses I can find, especially those with the Made in Italy stamp, but clearly dime-store knockoffs from the '50s, '60s, and '70s."

  • Jason Hammel


    Musician, Mates of State

    May 27, 2008


    1. The HBO series, Rome. "It's smart. It's sexy. It's sad. It's hopeful. We watch an episode every night. We were not the first civilization, and we will not be the last."

    2. Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan. "This is everything you want to know about our industrial food system. I hope you like corn. I'm continually in the process of changing my eating habits."

  • John Whitledge


    Designer, Trovata

    May 22, 2008

  • Skye Parrott & Katherine Krause


    Co-founders, Dossier

    May 7, 2008


    1. Pamela Love Jewelry. "Our friend Pam makes the most beautiful, well-crafted jewelry. Skye likes the gold eagle talon cuffs. Katherine likes the bird skull necklace."

    2. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion (Katherine). "This book made me move to California a couple of years ago..."

  • The Dodos


    Musicians

    April 22, 2008


    1. Tiger Balm. Logan Kroeber (drummer): "Tiger Balm is a Chinese Herbal Internal Pain Reliever. When I'm playing drums on tour, after awhile my body, especially my arms, hurt like hell. This stuff makes me feel real good...

    2. Cracker Barrel.: Meric Long (singer, guitarist): "No matter where you go around the right side of the country, you'll find one of these restaurants...

  • Erin Fetherston

    April 10, 2008


    1. My GHD hair straightening iron. "It's hot pink! I love it when an everyday appliance becomes part of my décor."

    2. Chinoiserie. "I'm totally into this at the moment. I want to cover the walls of my new New York apartment with it! De Gournay has the most beautiful versions…"

  • Isabel Marant


    Designer

    March 31, 2008


    1. My own soundtrack. "I'm obsessed with the music from my last runway show in Paris, which was a combination of Sol Peppy and Patrick Watson."

    2. Art Books. "I love the extremely beautiful book on photographer-artist Jan Saudek published by Taschen. The images are always inspiring..."

  • Scott Schuman, aka: The Sartorialist

    March 24, 2008


    1. Aspesi. "I keep buying stuff in Milan from Aspesi, this really great store. I love it. Like little nylon jackets that mix techno fabrics and cashmere."

    2. My first cover of Vogue Paris. "They're doing a model supplement for April, so I shot a lot of the top models, like for their personal style. It came out really good so I got the cover...

  • Michael Pitt


    Actor

    March 12, 2008


    1. Extra-curricular activities.. "I've been working on a screenplay lately, but I don't want to talk too much about it—I'm a little superstitious. And I'm also doing my own music...I play guitar. I'm into listening to African and Arabic musicians lately, but I can't pronounce any of their names."

    2. Patti Smith. "My girlfriend [Jamie] and I went to London to see her perform with Phillip Glass for an Allen Ginsberg tribute. It was really amazing just to hear her talk—her poems are incredible. She had seen Last Days and liked it...

  • Coco Rocha


    Model

    March 3, 2008


    1. Nesting. "I'm actually designing my new apartment in Manhattan close to Gramercy Park, and I'm working with an interior designer named Raphael de Cardenas...[model] Jessica Stam used him. She just got some great pictures of her place, and I have never seen anything like it! It's amazing...!
    2. Favorite Shows.. "I love walking in Gaultier and Dior, it's so fun...and I'm excited for Galliano because we get to do a little performing. It's the last one out of all of them, and we do hundreds of shows, so at the end you finally get to do something that feels a little out of the blue...I love it."

Next »
 

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