Discussed in this issue:
📝 From My Desk — College drop-off has changed, A LOT.
🍽️ Eating This Week — Dropping students in NC, NOLA, Miami or ATL? We’ve got you covered on where to grab a quick bite after unpacking.
🎥 The List — Netflix has a can’t-miss new movie coming out soon.
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From Jamie’s Desk:
It’s that time of year again for some of you: college drop-off. I’m sure many tears are being shed this month: from parents, students, and maybe even some siblings. Many of you are packing bags or setting up dorm rooms as this email is coming out. As someone who has now done this twice, I am what you would call an expert (contrary to my family's thoughts).
I have fond memories of my college days at Emory, but I’m trying to recall my college move-in. I’m not even sure which parent took me – I’m going to assume my mother, but it wasn’t a big event back then so I honestly don’t remember (and my father doesn’t remember either). Back then, there weren’t social media accounts of parents dropping off kids – using Tik Tok or Instagram to show off elaborate dorm rooms. No packages were sent in advance. I’m pretty sure you brought some bedding, some clothes, and you were good to go.
Now, it takes over everyone’s life for weeks leading up to the drop-off. There are influencers, there are websites, and there are even people I heard of who will come in and decorate your room for you (I haven’t actually seen this, but I believe it). With all of that being said, college move-in is a very special time. For families lucky enough to be able to send their kids to live away at school, it is one of the greatest gifts in the world. Giving them a chance to experience a new city, a new culture, or even just having the opportunity to live on their own outside of the family home is a milestone moment in life that helps expand their minds and shape them into well-rounded people.
College is a time to try new things, study new subjects, meet new people and begin to get a better sense of who you are – the latter of which doesn’t only apply to the children. For parents, when the kids leave the house, the dynamic is completely turned on its head, leaving a void that needs to be filled. It becomes time to be more intentional about how you spend your time – whether with your spouse or partner, at work, or with your friends. I just saw an Instagram post from @simply2moms that said “do not underestimate the shift from being the director of your children’s life to becoming a member of the audience, it will be your greatest transition.”
And that’s one of the best parts about this phase of life. When you visit your kids at college, you can make amazing memories – meet their friends, hit the college bars, check out sporting events, or even just hang out with your kid in their natural environment.
Try and visit as much as you can – try new local restaurants and experience new things. I’ve been beyond fortunate to have one kid in Chapel Hill and now another in New Orleans, two amazing places I now have great excuses to visit. Go Heels, Roll Wave – and best of luck at drop-off, parents.
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Photo Credit: New Orleans Tourism
📍New Orleans: Brigtsen’s
Cuisine: Creole
Crew: James Ponsoldt, Condé Nast Traveler, Eater, Goop, The Infatuation
Good For: Small Groups, Business Dinner, Date Night
Pro Tip: This is an institution — make sure to talk to your servers and ask for their stories.
What to Order: The Shell Beach Diet, Gumbo, Pecan Pie
Notes: Brigtsen’s is as classic New Orleans as one can get. Owned by Frank and Marna Brigtsen, they opened in 1986, after Frank worked at Commander’s Palace and K-Pauls. The restaurant is in a charming uptown house (just a few blocks from Tulane). The tables are set up as if you’re just having dinner at the Brigtsen’s house — which is exactly the feeling you get while eating there. One of my favorite things about New Orleans is how in the past 10 years the options for cuisines have grown so drastically that now it is just as likely I will be eating Israeli or Nigerian or Indian food as it is Creole, but that doesn’t mean you should skip the old-school regionally-specific joints. I’m not sure you can call yourself a true New Orleans regular until you have stopped at Brigtsen’s. I was embarrassed to admit that even after all of my times in this city, my first time visiting was recently. This is a very special place that New Orleans is lucky to have.
Photo Credit: Raleigh News & Observer
📍Durham: Nanas
Cuisine: New American
Crew: Eater, Michelin Guide
Good For: Date Night, Business Dinner, Small Groups, Large Groups, Good Drinks
Pro Tip: Make sure to order the chocolate soufflé as soon as you sit down so they don’t run out!
What to Order: Steak Tartare, Buttermilk Dinner Rolls, Peach and Okra Salad, Spaghetti Nero with NC Shrimp, Steak, Pork Chop, Mashed Potatoes, Bok Choy, Peach Cobbler, Chocolate Soufflé
Notes: Wow. This place is just great. Originally opening in 1992, Nanas changed ownership and was reimagined with the same name in 2023. It’s great if you are in the triangle for anything: a UNC Field Hockey Game, a business meeting, a Hurricanes game or even if you are stuck being at Duke for anything. It’s now owned by Matt Kelly, one of the most prolific restaurateurs in NC, and this place is special. There’s a very classy front bar that works for dinner, but if you want something more formal there’s a chic dining room. One of the great things about this restaurant is the menu, something for everyone, focusing on local fresh ingredients. My only critique is he needs to expand the empire outside Durham, as it is a bit too close to Duke for me, but I’ll make an exception for cooking this good.
Photo Credit: Cafe Avanti
📍Miami: Cafe Avanti (reviewed by Karim Sabet)
Cuisine: Italian
Crew: Jamie Patricof, Miami New Times
Good For: Solo Dining, No Reservations, Good Drinks, Small Groups, Date Night, Take Out
Pro Tip: Ask for the “special seasoned oil” with your bread service. They won’t offer it unless you know to ask — but once you try it, you’ll never forget it.
What to Order: Dirty Martini (ordered at the bar) with Blue Cheese Olives, Baked Clams, Carciofi (whole stuffed artichoke with seasoned breadcrumbs), Off-Menu Must-Haves: Pork Chop Parm’ (pounded thin) with Spaghetti Aglio Olio, Baked Eggplant with Ricotta & Marinara, Shrimp Francese, Cannellini Beans sautéed in olive oil with red pepper & onion, stewed for hours
Notes: Family-owned by the Fuentes family since 1989, Café Avanti is a true Miami Beach classic — the kind of restaurant woven into the neighborhood’s DNA. It’s also delightfully unexpected: a beloved Italian institution on 41st Street (a historically Orthodox Jewish corridor), owned by a Cuban-American family with deep hospitality roots. You’ll often find Louis Fuentes, the founder, warmly greeting guests, or his daughter Jessica, now a hospitality force in her own right and owner of Churchill’s and several other Miami venues. Café Avanti is perfect for a solo martini at the bar or a last-minute family dinner without a reservation. On any given night, you might see half of Miami Beach — the mayor, a couple of developers, your kid’s teacher, and a handful of OG realtors.
Photo Credit: Mary Mac’s
📍Atlanta: Mary Mac’s (reviewed by Mike Hsu)
Cuisine: Southern
Crew: Eli Meyer, James Ponsoldt, Eater, The Infatuation
Good For: No Reservations, Take Out, Small Groups, Solo Dining
Pro Tip: Walk in only. They have a full bar which is unusual since back then you couldn’t get alcohol just anywhere in the Bible Belt.
What to Order: Fried Chicken, Fried Green Tomatoes, Chicken & Dumplings, Shrimp & Grits, Collard Greens, Cornbread, Mac-n-Cheese
Notes: One of the most historical restaurants in Atlanta. A little trivia is that in the South back then, it was not “ladylike” to operate restaurants, so they called it a “tea room” to sound more civilized. Pretty much all Presidents or presidential candidates running for office stop by here.
When a police raid shatters her life, concert pianist Lucy (Léa Seydoux) must protect her son and confront how little she knows her husband after he is accused of an unspeakable crime. GENTLE MONSTER asks what we do when someone we love turns out to be someone we never really knew.
Starring Léa Seydoux, Jella Haase, Laurence Rupp
and Academy Award® Nominee Catherine Deneuve
In select theaters October 30
On Netflix November 18
____
“Léa Seydoux delivers a performance that’s
all raw nerves.”
- The Hollywood Reporter
"An icily gripping drama.”
- The Telegraph
____
🎂 Happy birthday to Jon Weinbach, Marc Rose, Jeremy Kipp Walker, Alex Vouvalides, and Max Winkler!!
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