Discussed in this issue:
✍🏼 From My Desk — 25 years ago, America changed forever. This September 11th, let’s remember the victims of that tragic day — and those who were harmed in the aftermath.
🍽️ Eating This Week — Banchan, Banh Mi, and Broccoli Dip. A celebration of the diverse NYC culinary landscape.
🎙️ The Conversation — Sarah Longwell, how Trump happened, and what to make of Trump’s insanely illegal $5,000 bribe.
📋 The List — A few Jamie’s List members have exciting projects coming out this week. Be sure to check them out.
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From Jamie’s Desk:
Photo Credit: Mario Tama (Getty Images)
Last year around this time, I reflected on my personal experience on September 11, 2001. I was on the way to the doctor’s as the first plane hit and ran back to our apartment right as the second plane hit the second tower just three blocks away. It was a day that none of us will ever forget, and as we approach the 25th anniversary, I want to talk about what came after.
One week after the attacks, the EPA came out publicly and said that the air downtown was safe to breathe and New Yorkers could return home. Why wouldn’t we believe that? In the face of uncertainty and terror, we were putting our trust in the government and scientists.
Flash forward to 25 years later. On Monday, the Mamdani administration released 170,000 pages of the city’s own 9/11 records and settled a long-dragged out lawsuit with 9/11 Health Watch. I obviously haven’t read all of the documents, but as Jon Stewart and Mayor Mamdani said in the press conference – the city knew that the air wasn’t safe. Internally, the Giuliani administration was aware of the devastating health implications from the dust and asbestos all around the city. Since 9/11, 600 members of the FDNY have died from illnesses related to that day. More than 145,000 people are enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program, and over 9,000 people have died of 9/11-related illnesses. Tomorrow’s memorial will add a seventh moment of silence at the end of reading the names, for the people who died in the aftermath.
The first responders who sprung into action during 9/11 and the days after will forever be revered as heroes. That goes for first responders during any time of tragedy, no matter the scale. Last year during the LA fires, I had the chance to visit the LAFD Air Ops unit and gained a newfound appreciation for the lengths they go to in order to keep us all safe. They run toward danger, risking their lives. The FDNY, NYPD and Port Authority officers, volunteers, construction crews, iron workers, and everyone who was involved in picking up the pieces from the most devastating terror attack in this country’s history deserve better than a coverup. They shouldn’t have to spend the next quarter of a century fighting for health care and answers.
There is a sliver of good news amongst this massive institutional failure. In February, Congress (in an effort led by Sen. Gillibrand) finally fully funded the World Trade Center Health Program, which had spent the last few years struggling to stay afloat financially. Now those who were affected by the attacks and their aftermath can hopefully get the care they deserve.
Tomorrow, we should all reflect on September 11, 2001. The fear and the uncertainty, the feeling of community, the kindness of strangers, and the selfless bravery of so many. We can only hope that we won’t see another day like that in our lifetime – and it’s worth noting that because of our armed services and intelligence community working to keep us safe, we’ve been able to stop thinking about that threat.
Sit in that moment of silence, remember those who lost their lives in the attacks and the aftermath of the cover-up. Then do what we did in 2001: go outside, look after your neighbors, and eat with your people.
If you are looking to support the work that 9/11 Health Watch is doing, you can donate here.
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Sarah Longwell has spent the better part of a decade in rooms with swing voters, asking one question: how the hell did Donald Trump happen, and how do we make sure it never happens again?
Which brings me to last night. I'm sure most of you saw Trump's blatant attempt to bribe voters with $5,000 at the RNC's Dallas event (aka Trump-a-palooza). I wish we'd taped with Sarah a day later. I'd have loved to hear what her focus groups do with that one.
She started as a Republican operative, and she'll tell you when she stopped being one. She gave me the names of the Democrats she thinks are doing it right, and the Republicans she expects on a 2028 ballot. You might be surprised by some of the names on there. We also, of course, spent a lot of time on the big, orange elephant in the room:
Donald Trump took the Republican Party and he hollowed it out. He made it a cult of personality. He created a turnout machine that exists for him and only him. He has a whole bunch of politicians who ran on just being somebody who was going to support Donald Trump. What are they going to do when Donald Trump's not on the ballot anymore to give them this turnout machine?
You can order her book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time, HERE. Hopefully she can knock Ted Cruz off of the bestseller top spot.
Members can join Lunch With Jamie conversations live, and hear from thought leaders days before the episode is published. Patrons can do that, too — plus shape the conversation and continue it in the WhatsApp community.
Photo Credit: Eater NY
📍NYC: Sunn’s
Cuisine: Korean
Crew: Aaron Stern, Ben Hundreds, Kate Burr, Marc Rose, Martha Patricof, Eater, The New York Times, The Infatuation, Time Out
Good For: Date Night, Solo Dining, Small Groups, Business Dinner, Good Wine List
Pro Tip: Take advantage of Dimes Square! Wander around and get a drink before or after.
What to Order: Banchan, Hwe (raw seafood), Salad, Dak Mandu (dumplings), Mochi Cake
Notes: This is one of those places that just doesn't make sense. It is a tiny spot on a street that you have likely never been on. When you pull back the curtain, it is a tiny place – hard to call it a restaurant since it only has 8 bar seats and 6 small tables. In addition, your kitchen at home has more firepower than Sunny Lee's does. To be precise, it includes an oven, an induction burner and two rice cookers. Yes, you read that right – there is no proper stove. About midway through the meal, when you start looking around to figure out where all of these delicious bites are coming from, you will do as I did and just assume the kitchen is in the back or somewhere else. But no, what you see is what you get. Like most Korean restaurants, the Banchan is great, but that is just the tip of the iceberg here. The menu is always changing, so it is a place you can go back to. This is the type of place that you can only find in Tokyo, Korea or NYC. NYers you are lucky to have Sunny Lee, if you haven't been there – go right now.
Photo Credit: Ben Hundreds
📍NYC: Bánh Anh Em (reviewed by Ben Hundreds)
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Crew: Kate Burr, Condé Nast Traveler, Eater, The Infatuation, Michelin Guide, Time Out
Good For: Date Night, No Reservations, Casual, Small Groups
Pro Tip: They don’t take reservations so be prepared to wait in line – but if you wait with a friend, you can switch off and pop over to Stars Wine Bar.
What to Order: Banh Mi (OG, BBQ Pork, or Crispy Pork), Chicken Pho, Summer Rolls with Shrimp, Spring Rolls
Notes: This is one of the most hyped places in the city right now, and the hardest to get into – especially because they don’t take reservations. My buddy got in line at 4:30, and we were able to be seated right when they opened at 6. We had five people in our party, and ordered pretty much everything on the menu. The banh mi might be the best one I’ve ever had, with fresh-baked bread and perfect filling. The chicken pho was also incredible – the broth was so savory, I finished all of it, and the noodles were almost indescribably great. You can also make your own spring and summer rolls which adds a fun and interactive element to the meal. I don’t consider myself an expert in Vietnamese cuisine, but this was one of the best Vietnamese spots I’ve ever been to, and I’d definitely brave the line to eat here again.
Photo Credit: Kate Burr
📍NYC: Graciela (reviewed by Kate Burr)
Cuisine: Argentinian
Crew: Aaron Stern, Kate Burr, Lloyd Sacks, Eater, The Infatuation, The New York Times
Good For: Date Night, Small Group, Large Group, Great Wine List, Business Dinner
Pro Tip: Go with a group. You're going to want to order the entire menu and the style of food is made for sharing.
What to Order: Salumeria, Broccoli Dip, Faina (chickpea tart), Un tomate, Salchicha de Los Valles Calchaquies (housemade spiral sausage), All the empanadas, one of the Milanesa, Ojo De Bife (16 oz Argentina), Papas Fritas, Ensalada de Hojas Verdes
Notes: I walked into Graciela with no expectations, which is its own kind of luxury these days. I knew Pablo Rivera's cooking mostly by reputation. From the street, the place reads small. It isn't. A server hands you a glass of sparkling lemonade before you've said your name, and then you're led back through room after room until you land in the back, just past the open kitchen. This was my room. I'd go back for this room alone. Every person on staff said hello. It wasn't the practiced kind restaurants trained into people, but the kind that suggests they noticed you walk in. It's become rare enough to be worth mentioning. I won't inventory the menu here. I'll say only that nothing that came to the table missed. The food is unique to New York without straining to prove it, and familiar without leaning on nostalgia to get there. Do not skip Graciela. Rearrange a trip to New York around it.
🎬 The Uprising, produced by Jamie’s List member Jason Blum, is out in theaters tomorrow.
📕 Axios co-founders and Lunch With Jamie alums Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei have a new book out on 9/15 called Simplify, co-written with Roy Schwartz. Pre-order it now!
📺 Season 2 of The Paper, starring community member Alex Edelman, is now streaming on Peacock.
🎨 For all of you art lovers, John Baldessari’s “Sculpture” opens tonight at 8 pm at Sprüth Magers gallery in Los Angeles.
🎂 Happy birthday to Matt Karatz, Doug Heyman, Jack Patricof, Lindsey Albenberg, Nas Jones, and Victoria Patricof!!
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Little Fish with Ashley Sawyer, Jeremy Smith, Michaela Sullivan, and Paige Prevost; San Vicente Bungalows with Jason Hirschhorn; Chainsaw solo; Kyoto Wagyu Tonkatsu Ten no Meshi & Somi Somi with David Nathanson and Matt Karatz; Little Fish with Andrew Fried; and Holbox solo.
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