The Sunday Digest 119
“Sometimes I think we’re born a thousand men and we die as just one."
Welcome to The Sunday Digest — a free Sunday newsletter featuring long (and some short) reads, original columns, things I’ve saved over the last week, relaxing playlists, episodes releases, exclusive product drops, and more. Yes, you can reply to this email. I’d love to hear from you. Or, if podcasts are more your speed on Sundays, we’ve got that too.
Sunday Read › 5 Top Maître d’s Reveal the Tricks of Their Trade
by Chris Black for W Magazine
I never would’ve fathomed saying this during my stints working in restaurants, but I do kind of miss certain aspects of being a waiter. A slow lunch service with pleasant patrons, a good shift meal using ingredients from last night’s special, the thrill of carrying a tray of martinis without spilling an ounce. But along with the special moments that make life feel picturesque, there’s the duck-paddling that occurs behind the scenes.
I never knew the pull that concierges and maître d's until my wife and I attempted to get an admittedly hard-to-get reservation at Gymkhana in London. While discussing our weekend plans with the concierge, we noted our thirst to go there and he said, “Well what time would you like a reservation?” Thinking he would simply see what he could do, we responded quite open-ended: “I mean, we’d love to do any time between, like, 7 and 9:30?”
He looked at us somewhat seriously — “I’ll call the maître d,” he told us, “I can get you in at any time.”
And thus, my respect for the power of a maître d was born. Here’s an excerpt from this read:
Discretion is of utmost importance—and it’s something in which Gordana Sherriff, the maître d’ at Scott’s for over a decade, is well versed. In the 1990s, Sherriff cut her teeth at the legendary members-only Groucho Club, where the Primrose Hill set let down their hair. Liam Gallagher was thrown out for allegedly smashing a window, and Lily Allen was banned for a month after she got caught doing drugs in the loo. “We were not allowed to speak about what happened in the club and who the members were,” says Sherriff. While some restaurants are full of TikTokers in baggy jeans, at Scott’s there are rules. “We don’t allow people to wander around with their cameras to film other people,” explains Sherriff. At Tower Bar, a favorite of celebrities from Sean Penn to John Mayer, the longtime maître d’, Dimitri Dimitrov, is adept at dealing with big names. “Brad Pitt comes in from the back,” he explains. “Nobody sees him, and I just whisk him toward his table.”
Read in full here.
The Sunday Haiku: Too lazy to fold.
Laundry in dryer,
is it still damp? I don’t care,
give it one more spin.
New Episode › Retail Therapy 104: Flared Jeans and Dainty Shoes
There have been some recent vibe shifts that command some immediate attention. Now branded as "Are we doing...", we go through several recent style and food developments: tote bag heels, flared jeans for guys, dainty sneakers and flats, all-black sneakers, repurposed soles, Irish football jerseys, pasta water ice cubes, and more. We also discuss Walton Goggins's Architectural Digest home tour, Stussy's new NYC store, a release of my Vegas fit pic, and wishlist items.
Listen to Retail Therapy on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube (see above), and anywhere else podcasts are found. And a reminder to follow Retail Therapy on Substack!
Things I Saved This Week
Relaxing Watch: Walton Goggins for Architectural Digest
I mean, have mercy.
Now that we’re nearly 120 editions into this thing, I think you may know by now that any Open Door from Architectural Digest tickles my fancy. But I don’t think any of us really knew how much Walton Goggins had in his bag when it comes to interiors. An old hunting lodge repurposed into the ideal Sunday Scaries Panic Room, it’s an absolute must-watch.
Watch Walton Goggins on Open Door by Architectural Digest here, or listen to us discuss it on Retail Therapy above.
“How can I support Sunday Scaries?”
Buy our zine, Scenes of Note.
Listen to Retail Therapy.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Subscribe to all Washed Media Podcasts.
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