Hockey, Harrods & the State of the Union

From Jamie’s Desk:

I am not sure exactly what I was hoping for from the State of the Union. It was sort of like going to see a movie after hating the trailer.

I think a small part of me was still hoping to be surprised by Trump. I’m forever longing for some decorum, some sense of honesty, or some attempt to get back to how the government should be, where people work together regardless of party affiliation. Maybe I’m just naive, but it’s hard to give up hope when it comes to America. 

Something about this year’s State of the Union was different. It felt more like a two-hour chest thump where facts were irrelevant and insults were the goal. I guess at this point, I am just a glutton for punishment and foolish for expecting anything else. Trump’s use of his invited guests, a tradition which began with Reagan, felt different-–primarily because of the U.S. Men’s Hockey team and Trump’s politicization of their historic win. 

Having spent some time in Milan watching the Women’s Hockey Gold Medal Game and the Men’s Semifinal, I was incredibly invested in both teams. While the Men’s win was a historic and incredible moment, the women’s equally (and unbelievably!) dramatic win stamped their status as icons. Since women’s hockey was added as an Olympic sport in 1998, the U.S. women have won medals at every Winter Games–including three golds. They’re one of the most dominant teams in Olympics history, full stop. And yet they were mocked by the President and their male counterparts in a disappointing but not surprising show of misogyny that has since turned into a defining (and embarrassing) moment of the Games. 

Personally, I hope we can put all of this behind us and remember the 2026 Olympics for what they were–an amazing show of the best athletes from the U.S. and around the world. A special shoutout has to go to the women of the 2026 games who brought home 8 of the 12 total gold medals, and 21 of the total 33 medals. To say these games were won by the women is beyond an understatement. The athletic prowess and two weeks of international harmony shouldn’t become another tradition soiled by Donald Trump. 

Discussed in this issue: A New York slice in LA, your stop for a picnic in London, and Jessica Tarlov on her 2028 contenders.

Have a restaurant rec, cultural gem, can’t-miss event, or a hot sauce that changed your life? Send it my way: [email protected]

🎧 Lunch With Jamie is available as a podcast—perfect for easy, on-the-go listening. Follow along on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon Podcasts, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, share, and comment. We want to hear from you!

📍Los Angeles: Sonny’s (written by Matt Karatz)
Cuisine: Pizza
Crew: Ben Hundreds, Jamie Patricof, Marc Rose, The Infatuation, The LA Times
Good For: Take Out, Solo Dining
Pro Tip: Add a drizzle of Rosi's Hot Oil. The locally made chili oil lights up the slice without overpowering it — the rare condiment that improves an already excellent pizza.
What to Order: Cheese and Pepperoni. They usually offer two additional rotating options, but honestly, you come here for the fundamentals.
Notes: In a city overflowing with pizza identity crises — Neapolitan temples, Tokyo-precision dough labs, and Detroit pan specialists — Sonny's arrives with a radical idea: just make a perfect New York slice. And they actually did it. The pies are massive, properly wide triangles that immediately pass the most important test: the fold. Each slice bends cleanly down the center like a real corner-store slice back east, holding structure without collapsing into a greasy mess. The undercarriage is the star — crisp, firm, and evenly blistered, rivaling what you’d find in a good shop in Manhattan. The cheese slice is textbook: balanced sauce, proper mozzarella coverage, and only the slightest sheen of oil. The pepperoni slice is even better — well-spaced coins that cup slightly and release just enough fat to flavor the cheese without drowning it. No grease waterfalls, no soggy tips, no gimmicks. Physically, the experience couldn’t be less romantic. Located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood next to Guitar Center, the shop itself is almost aggressively underwhelming — and you won’t be lingering anyway. Ordering is online only: you’re given a pickup time, you walk in, grab the box, and leave. There are a few stools at a counter for the few who can’t wait to dig in but for the most part, it's a grab n go experience.

And yet none of that matters because the pizza absolutely does. In a pizza city as diverse as Los Angeles, Sonny’s may be the purest execution of New York style currently available. Some gourmands — looking at you, Ben — might call it the best pizza in Hollywood. I’d go further: it’s one of the two or three best pies in the entire city, right alongside Apollonia's Pizzeria. Sonny’s doesn’t try to reinterpret New York pizza. It simply respects it. And in Los Angeles, that turns out to be revolutionary.

📍New York City: Bar Pitti (written by Aaron Stern)
Cuisine: Italian
Crew: Adam Saper, Anthony Jacobson, David Nathanson, Eli Meyer, Lloyd Sacks, Jamie Patricof, Jerrold Son, Marc Rose, Matt Karatz, Eater, The Infatuation, Time Out
Good For: Dinner with Friends, No Reservations, Casual
Pro Tip: Avoid weekend nights. Lunch is great especially when the weather is nice.
What to Order: Meatballs, Rigatoni Pitti, Veal Scallopini, Burrata, Mushrooms, Tartufo
Notes: I've been eating at Bar Pitti for the last twenty plus years, and it remains my favorite restaurant in New York. It’s where you can find me having lunch and dinner on a weekly basis. I like trattoria Italian style food, but what I enjoy even more is knowing the people that work there.  During most meals, I run into at least one person I know and want to talk to. Pitti is one of the few places I can count on to sit next to other creative New Yorkers in Manhattan. I've spent many birthdays and family dinners at Bar Pitti over the years, and it’s where I go when I want a comfort meal. It's where I take anyone who is visiting that has not been before. And the first place I suggest when I'm asked for a recommendation. In the warmer months the outside patio is the best place to sit. Four rows deep of piazza style dining. It’s cash-only, unfussy, and somehow still effortlessly cool. It's no reservations, which is refreshing in the gamified resy-bot world we live in. If you're a regular, the wait is never long. Especially at the place that feels like home.

After my whirlwind trip to Milan, I went to London, where my opinion was solidified that Harrods might be the best eating department store in the world (or at least in North America and Europe). When I brought this up to my friend Iman Dakhil, she agreed, and said this:

“What I love about Harrods is you can go to the pharmacy, go to your safe deposit box, pick up ski gear for your kids, get a blow dry and have an amazing meal, all in one visit, and everything is top, top quality. They used to have an awesome pet store and you could buy a pony there, it was magical". 

For me, it is all about the food–although I do love shopping there after a big meal at Em Sherif. Previously, I have written about Em Sherif, which is one of my favorite restaurants in London, so if you haven't been there, that is your first stop. However, there are a couple other options within Harrods that I want to highlight.

This week, I sat down with Jessica Tarlov, co-host of The Five on Fox News and the podcast Raging Moderates. 

For those of you who don’t watch her on Fox News, I highly recommend it. Not only is it a good place to see differing opinions (although you may get angry at times, fair warning), but watching Jessie lead with facts and logic in the face of charged rhetoric and misinformation is amazing. She said she thinks I would enjoy a dinner with Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld (which I’m not sure I agree with, but I’m down for anything). We spoke about how her relationship with her co-hosts shifted since our last conversation in 2024. She cites the assassination of Charlie Kirk as being a watershed moment for their dynamic, and the country’s ability to debate as a whole. 

Of course, we had to discuss the Olympics drama–and whether or not reporters should be asking athletes political questions in the midst of the games. Her answer might surprise you. 

We also talked about elections. 2026 is on everybody’s mind, and Jessica shared which races she’s tracking closely. While she’s confident about the Democrats’ ability to flip the House, her answer on the Senate was not as confident. But still, there are some candidates she’s excited about, and even donating to–like Roy Cooper in North Carolina, Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and Mary Peltola in Alaska. 

And maybe it’s too early to talk about 2028, but we had to start. Especially given Nate Silver’s draft of potential contenders. She shared her thoughts on a non-politician running (Jon Stewart 2028?) and who she thinks can successfully meet the moment. Overall, this was a great conversation that I’m excited for you all to hear. 

You can listen to the full conversation on Youtube, or as a podcast on Apple, Spotify and Amazon.

Aaron Michaelson, Aaron Stern, Adam Saper, Adam Smith, Alex Tse, Andy Wang, Anthony Jacobson, Ashley Sawyer, Ben Hundreds, Blake Lively, Bobby Kim, Brian McGinn, Chad Colby, Chad Gutstein, Chris Rice, Condé Nast Traveler, David Gelb, David Katzenberg, David Nathanson, Evan Funke, Eater, Eli Meyer, Food & Wine, Goop, Kristina O’Neill, Iman Dakhil, Infatuation, James Beard Award, Jason Spivak, Jerry Greenberg, Jeremy Smith, Jerrold Son, Jessica Alba, Joe Varet, Jon Buscemi, Jon Alagem, Jon Shook, Jordan Okun, James Ponsoldt, Kate Burr, Katie McNeill, Kelly Sawyer Patricof, The LA Times, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lloyd Sacks, Marc Rose, Marc Mezvinsky, Martha Patricof, Matt Haimes, Matt Karatz, Max Chow, Max Shapiro, Max Winkler, Michael Kives, Michelin Guide, Nicole Richie, Neal Moritz, The NY Times, Paul Zucker, Peter Goldwyn, Phil Rosenthal, Phill Ettinger, Rachel Halilej, Riley Patricof, Sawyer Patricof, Shu Chowdhury, Todd Steinman, The Hungry Tourist, The Infatuation, Vinny Dotolo.

Today’s email was brought to you by: Jamie Patricof, Michaela Sullivan and Lauren Malanga