What's New

This week we’re sharing our How to Have a Pizza Dinner Party at Home guide, highlighting which movies to catch at the New York Film Fest, and introducing you to a cool new friend: Crystal Ung of Bowl Cut.

Culture Corner

It’s officially fall, which means the New York Film Festival is just around the corner at Lincoln Center. Instead of watching Don’t Worry Darling, the drama of which is much more compelling than the actual movie, check out some ~cinema~ and don’t forget to grab a bite from the newly revamped Old John’s Diner afterward!

• Cate Blanchett as a harrowing composer in TAR, the closest thing we’ll come to a female version of Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood.

• For all you empaths and animal lovers, EO, the second most sublime film about a donkey.

• The delicately absurd, twistings of creativity, the quotidian, and awkward social interactions in THE NOVELIST’S FILM and by Hong Sang-soo, a name you should get to know.

• Timothee Chalamet as a cannibalistic lover, if that’s your thing, in BONES AND ALL.

• The collision of art & politics in ALL THE BEAUTY AND BLOODSHED, a compellingly fragmented doc about Nan Goldin and the Sackler family.

EAT

SPECIAL FEATURE:
How to Host a Pizza Dinner Party at Home

OMG OMG OMG We partnered with our friends at Ipsa, Big Night, and Graza for our newest guide: How to Throw a Pizza Dinner Party at Home! Ipsa's new frozen, small-batch pizzas make it a cinch to feed your guests with a delicious, crowd-pleasing meal, leaving you with time to focus on all the extras -- music, table setting, and your own special touches.

Head over to our site to read the full guide. OH, and if you’d like to host a P-A-R-T-Y of your own, Ipsa is giving coolstuff.nyc subscribers $20 off with code PIZZAPARTY.

Cool Friends: Crystal Ung

How did you start your Asian American condiment brand, BowlCut?

My journey has come full circle! My saucier days started at a young age when I worked at my dad’s restaurant making chili oil and wontons. I've always admired the intimacy and complexity of flavors and the Eastern notion that food is medicine – it can be healing physically and emotionally. What intrigued me the most was experiencing food as an expression of love and a means to connect with people. 

At the height of the pandemic, we saw a surge of violence against the AAPI community and it was with the belief that food can drive empathy across cultures that I sought to create Bowlcut, a brand of all-natural condiments rooted in heritage– a uniquely Asian American interpretation of traditional flavors that are nutritious and versatile across dishes. Like my love for food, Bowlcut started in my family’s kitchen where we perfected the initial trio of flavors.

What's your favorite part about the New York creative community?

My favorite part about the New York creative community is the endless curiosity driven by a sense of passion and energy unique to the city. This kind of intellectual curiosity energizes and inspires me – it tends to spark more expansive thinking and authentic connections.  

What's inspiring you right now?

I’m in the nesting period of my pregnancy right now and have been fully immersed in decorating and organizing our home. I’ve always been aesthetically driven and design oriented but diving into decorating a home is extra special. There’s something magical about curating a space to be lived in and experienced on a daily basis. I’ve been feeling inspired by architecture, colors, patterns, scents, and the philosophy of feng shui. Ultimately, I’m defining wellness through the lens of space and it has been both invigorating and challenging. 

Follow Along:
www.thebowlcut.com
@thebowlcut_official
@crystal_ung on Instagram