Technically this was me playing football in 1988, but it could just as easily pass for a Halloween costume.
From Jamie’s Desk:
Ok people… we’re just over a week away from the annual Baby2Baby Gala, and I couldn’t be more excited. It is the most important night of the year for the organization, with 60% of their annual funds raised that evening. For those unfamiliar, Baby2Baby is a non-profit that provides children in need across the country with diapers, clothing and basic essentials. Over the past 14 years, they’ve distributed more than 500 million items nationwide, including 250 million diapers. Their disaster relief program has supplied over 100 million items to communities impacted by fires, hurricanes and floods. Most recently, they partnered with the state of New York to provide maternal health kits to 100,000 mothers.
Safe to say, this organization (named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential Companies) is a beyond worthy cause. If you haven't donated yet, now is a great time.
This year’s honoree is Serena Williams. The GOAT. And the musical guest is Ludacris, which I’m fired up for. As someone who went to college in Atlanta, this 404 native takes me right back.
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a firm believer in transparency, so I won’t pretend I’m not most excited about the food. In my opinion, this is the best culinary event in the world. And because I am lucky enough to have some inside information, here’s an exclusive sneak peek at this year’s restaurant lineup (shhh don’t tell anyone). Baby2Baby mainstays like Funke, Kato, Bianco and Kazu Nori are back, joined by some exciting new additions like Saffy’s, Found Oyster, Max & Helen’s and Merci Montecito. There’s something for everyone, so if you’re attending, come hungry.
As always, the menu is curated by Jon & Vinny, with a special shoutout to Randi Okun of Caramelized Productions (she swears there’s no relation to Jordan, though I’m still not convinced).
Here’s the full list of participating restaurants. Stay tuned for a full recap next week on what they served and which dishes stole the show.
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Discussed in this issue: Baby2Baby Gala preview, Halloween movie picks (and snacks), Election Day reminders, this week’s Lunch With Jamie conversation with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, our upcoming phone bank on 11/4.
Have a restaurant rec, cultural gem, can’t-miss event, or a hot sauce that changed your life? Send it my way: [email protected]
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☎️ Tuesday is Election Day. I won’t bore you about why it’s crucial to vote YES on Prop 50 (though if you missed it, you can read here). Now’s the time for one last push: join our phone bank on Tuesday, 11/4 at 9 AM PT to help remind Californians to get out the vote! It’s a great way to make an impact before polls close and there will be a few special guests joining us.
Register Here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/611zjtNWTnSM2oLxqrP9rw
🗳️ In Virginia, it’s all about Abigail Spanberger, and in New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill is in a dog fight—but things are looking up. And then, of course, there’s the situation in NYC which is too heated to even discuss. All I’ll say is: for those threatening to move, the door is always open in LA.
✈️ Many of you shared your favorite airport restaurants in response to last week’s newsletter. A few standouts: Gott’s Roadside at SFO (Terminal 1), La Carreta at MIA (North Terminal, Concourse D), Voodoo Doughnut at DEN (Concourse B), and Salt Lick at AUS (Barbara Jordan Terminal).
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This week, in honor of Halloween, I’m doing something a little different. I reached out to a few Jamie’s List members to share their favorite scary movies, and the answers did not disappoint. The range was wide, to say the least. Which, honestly, isn’t that surprising. I’ve never been much of a horror fan myself, and through this exercise, I think I finally figured out why.
Photo Credit: IMDB
🎬 A Nightmare on Elm Street
In 1984, my brother Mark thought it was a good idea to take an 8 year old and an 11 year old to see Nightmare on Elm Street. We saw it at the Loews Orpheum on 86th Street. I came home from that movie convinced Freddy Krueger was standing outside my bedroom door, and I cried hysterically until my brother Jon convinced me that I wasn’t in any danger. I’m still not sure if that means Nightmare on Elm Street is my favorite Halloween movie or the one movie that ruined scary movies for me, but it’s definitely the most memorable.
As for my number one movie theater snack, it’s popcorn mixed with peanut M&M’s for the perfect salty-sweet mix. I’m also known to travel with my own popcorn seasoning (nacho cheese, to be exact). And yes, I understand this is odd, but I’m proud of it. Don’t worry though—I keep the cheesy popcorn separate from the M&M popcorn. I am also going to say something at risk of angering all of my NY friends and family: I am officially a Red Vines person over Twizzlers. I know, crazy.
Photo Credit: IMDB
🎬 Night of the Living Dead
Recommended by Derek Cianfrance: director and screenwriter from Lakewood, Colorado. (Roofman, Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines and I Know This Much Is True).
It’s somehow the coziest horror movie ever made. Best watched with a bag of Sour Patch Kids.
Photo Credit: IMDB
🎬 Nightmare Before Christmas
Recommended by Anna Boden: director, producer and writer from Newton, Massachusetts. (Freaky Tales, Captain Marvel, Half Nelson and It’s Kind of a Funny Story).
Some would also claim it as a Christmas movie, but I think the iconic imagery alone lands it comfortably in the Halloween category. It came out when I was at an impressionable age—we all dyed our hair and worshipped Tim Burton. I was floored by it: the unique look, the transportive, playful creativity of it—a sublime story about a character caught between worlds, searching for something more than either could offer.
Snack of choice: Raisinets. Always.
Photo Credit: IMDB
🎬 The Exorcist
Recommended by Jonathan Levine: producer, director and writer from New York City. (50/50, Warm Bodies, The Wackness and Nine Perfect Strangers).
When I was little, my babysitter decided to show me The Exorcist II—my first-ever horror movie. (Why we skipped straight to the second film is still a mystery.) We rented it from Video Room on the Upper East Side, and halfway through, my babysitter looked at me and said, “I know how to call the devil, and if you don’t behave, I’ll call him.” Then she picked up the phone to dial. I remember shouting, “No, no, no, please!” Terrifying at the time, hilarious in hindsight.
My go-to movie watching snack? I’d say Sour Patch Kids and AMC’s pretzel nuggets with their cheese dip.
Photo Credit: IMDB
🎬 Poltergeist
Recommended by Rei Green: director and producer from Staten Island. (King Richard, Monsters and Men, Joe Bell and Bob Marley: One Love).
It scared the living beejesus out of me. Terrified.
My go-to are Twizzlers (I only ever eat them at the movies), a large popcorn, and Whoppers—if they’re available.
Photo Credit: IMDB
🎬 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Recommended by Alex Tse: screenwriter and creator from San Francisco. (Watchmen, Gran Turismo and Wu-Tang: An American Saga).
Yes, I understand this is technically neither horror nor a movie but it's the only choice I can make because I don't really fuck with horror movies. With that said, there's nothing that Jason, Michael Myers or Freddie can do that is more terrifying than the lack of adult supervision, the gaslighting of Charlie Brown and the worshipping of false idols such as the Great Pumpkin that exists in the Peanuts MCU.
In keeping with this contrarian theme, I don't really fuck with Halloween candy either, with the exception of a Snickers, an Almond Joy or even a Mounds. I think it's probably the nuts and faux-coconut that tricks (pun!) me into thinking that I'm eating something with a minute degree of nutritional value.
Photo Credit: IMDB
🎬 The Lost Boys
Recommended by James Ponsoldt: director, actor and screenwriter from Athens, Georgia. (The Spectacular Now, The Circle, The End of the Tour and Smashed).
The Lost Boys is such a fun Halloween tradition for me. The movie came out in the summer of 1987, but I was too young to see it then. I didn’t actually watch The Lost Boys until sometime in middle school. During that period, my older sister would have sleepovers with friends and they would rent horror movies. The VHS tapes would be left at our house until my parents returned them sometime the following week, so I would sneak into the playroom late at night and watch the movies by myself—scared and alone and exhilarated.
This is how I first saw films like Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Evil Dead II, and of course, The Lost Boys. For me, The Lost Boys is a perfect horror-comedy. Its beautifully cast ensemble, use of beachy Santa Cruz (“Santa Carla” in the film), killer soundtrack, and general vibe make it a perfect time capsule of 1980s teen genre filmmaking. I love it. And oh yes: Saxophone Guy. IYKYK.
M&M’s are the perfect movie candy. That, to me, is the obvious answer. I’ve dabbled in Sour Patch Kids and Milk Duds and other nonsense, but M&M’s (in a movie-theater box, naturally) are the perfect size to slowly ration out during a two-hour film—alternating, of course, with fistfuls of hot buttered popcorn.
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This week’s Lunch With Jamie was a special one, as we were joined by Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett to talk about Prop 50, the current state of the Democratic Party and the ongoing government shutdown. As always, Jasmine managed to impart plenty of insight and leave us with a sense of hope.
She made it clear: Prop 50 is about putting power back in the hands of voters, not political operatives. For those concerned about this being a slippery slope, she reminded us that this measure doesn’t expand government control—it restores voter control. We also dug into how gerrymandering has weakened voter influence in states like Texas and California, and why this election is so critical for those whose voices are at risk of being diluted.
Of course, we also talked about the current government shutdown, where Congresswoman Crockett’s team continues to work hard to keep the public informed and protect the rights of her constituents in this time of immense distraction
But the biggest takeaway? Civic engagement matters. Congresswoman Crockett urged everyone to stay informed and involved, emphasizing the importance of active participation in protecting democracy and fighting for fairness in representation.
Her insights were clear, concise, bold, and timely; this conversation is critical for everyone who is worried about their voice being heard. Listen to her advice, and get your ballots in.
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Genghis Cohen with Nick Grad and Mark Feuerstein; San Vicente Bungalows with Supervisor Lindsay Horvath; Cookbook with Ilan Goldenberg and Josh Lockman; Howdy’s with Lloyd Sacks and Neal Moritz; Tocaya with Rachel Halilej, Michaela Sullivan, Chris Bender, Daniela Gonzalez, and Anna DiCrisi; Dodger Dogs with Jordan Okun, Ben Hundreds, and Nick Grad; and San Vicente Bungalows with Adam Kassan.
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