Hearth is one of New York's Hottest Restaurants

Plus Steamed Chicken, La Cabra, & my DMs are closed (unless you are a brand or an invitation)

hello party girls

I don't check Hot Literati's DMs very much because I've been prioritizing engaging with members on the website-- members who post, come to book club, and more.

But I did check them briefly today.

Being a niche-internet celebrity is sometimes fun

and sometimes very confusing. I will occasionally receive DMs of people who saw me in target and think I'm shorter than they expected, or people who had dreams about me, or people are trying to set me up with their friend, or so on so forth.

I'm actually quite timid by nature with a very recallable ability to turn it off, if that makes sense.

I dated a fan once and it didn't work out well.

I think in some cases when things start para-socially, one person has lop-sided information about the other and a sense of who they are that isn't realistic.

I remind you all that I am human.

I am flawed. I jump to conclusions. I cry a lot. I try to have a good time even more. I am not perfect and no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to completely articulate who I am in a social media post, a blog post, or even a book. Don't make an idol out of me <3

And more importantly, even though I appreciate the kind words, I have a partner! Who treats me very well and makes sure that I'm well fed.

I am happy.

So here are some restaurants that we ate at in New York this past weekend and more:

Hearth

Hearth is an Italian restaurant in the East Village. AC was blasting. Great playlist (lot's of 80s!). It reminded me a little bit of Raf's or Il Buco. The staff was really knowledgable and also seemed to have a very good time together.

What we ordered:

• The burger

• Sautéed Greens

• Chai Tea

• Americano

They had a cute little box for your phones for presence. I broke the rule once :(

The burger was so yummy. And they don't use seed oils in anything (and also didn't get annoyed with us for asking <3).

Eim Khao Mun Kai East Village

During an afternoon, we headed to Eim Khao Mun Kai in the East Village to have some steamed chicken.

What we ordered:

• Roasted chicken plate (came with soup, rice, and cucumbers)

• Steamed chicken

• Coconut Juice

The chicken was really lovely. The sauces were all pretty oil heavy and a lot of the drinks had sugar mixed into them.

These are not inherently bad things!! But in the U.S., where the food system prioritizes profit over regulation, it's smart to educate yourself about what sorts of things you want to put in your body and what you don't.

La Cabra

We went to La Cabra in the East Village. La Cabra was born in Denmark. It's very scene-y but very very good. Great music, long line, but we were lucky enough to snag a seat as a couple left.

What we ordered:

• Hot Americano

• Cherry Entrement

• Canelé

The coffee was on the acidic side for me, but my bf approved. The Entrement was delicious and so interesting. The crust was crunchy, very sweet yet salty, and the mousse on top was cold and not too sweet.

The Canelé was great with this delightful burnt flavor, surrounding the custard center.

In Sum,

I am happy. I am full. I am eating well and I have a very big crush!

Don't forget to join Hot Literati to get more of that Hot Literati je ne sais quoi in your life.

It is a way of life after all.

all my love,

hailo

♡

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