Social Marathon (RESTO 14)
The introvert has hit a wall.
Hi Friends,
What a week it has been! A huge win for my friends across the sea in Korea; we’ve now lived through two impeachments, though I do miss being in the middle of the chaos for the first one. This week was a busy one on my end, in a lot of ways a social marathon that has left me happy but simultaneously craving peace-and-quiet at the end of it all.
Let’s just start off with a recap:
After finishing out a 5-day work week on Tuesday, I showed the musician around town in the afternoon/evening, through which we had a very quintessential OC day. From Bear Flag to hopping around Fashion Island and South Coast, it was a thorough introduction to my stomping grounds.
Wednesday was a short day off, and I was back at work on Thursday. That evening, I enjoyed a girls’ night at Semitropic with Isabella and Jasmine, where we had a refreshing bottle of orange wine, some pasta from Posse Pasta’s residency at Semi, and a side of olives, before heading over to Mercado Northgate for El Moro churro bites.
My weekend was such a blur! I initially took Friday-Sunday off from work to be in Austin with Judy and Allie, but I had to opt out of that trip to attend a law school ASW (Admitted Students Weekend on Friday) and Saturday. It was socially draining, overwhelming, and a little too much material jam-packed into two days, but I met a handful of cool people and found myself being content with making this campus my home base for the next few years.
I ended ASW by catching up with Isabella, Jasmine, and Landon at Ahba’s OG Laguna location for a good burger, a dirty martini, and mediocre starters.
I’m starting off this week’s post on Sunday, on my Metrolink up from Santa Ana to LA Union, en route to cafe hopping with a couple of friends before getting dinner at the musician’s and meeting his housemates for the first time. There’s something so exciting about getting to use public transit as a real form of transportation again; it feels like a) I’m going into the big city and b) I’ve escaped the functional necessity of a car just for a brief moment.
We ended up hitting two coffee shops this day: Archives of Us and Maru. The first is a newly opened shop serving up coffee, matcha, and caneles!
I got the Einspanner Black (an Iced Americano with a Sweet Creamtop) and a Matcha Canele. Neither was significantly noteworthy, but when paired with the modern interior and breezy outdoor patio seating, it’s a spot I’d return to for a study date or catching up with friends.
I’ve been meaning to check Maru out forever, and I’d say it met my expectations. I got an iced Ethiopia pourover and an iced matcha latte with a side of creamtop, the first of the bunch being my favourite but everything else also enjoyable.
I have more thoughts on my LA stops and much more comprehensive cafe crawling and casual lunch spotting before I can write up a dedicated LA post, so I’ll dogear the in-depth reviews for another day.
After crawling around, I saw the musician again and enjoyed the lovely presence of his roommates over a delicious home-cooked dinner.
And that about wraps up the surface-level overview of my week! It was three plans too many but none lackluster, so I’m satisfied with this mix of new and old friends and worthwhile conversations.
Dealing with Social Exhaustion
Though humans are intrinsically social creatures in a social world (yes I was a soc major), I fall into the category of introversion, which to me means that I need to recharge by myself and prefer to sit in my own thoughts more than sitting around others. I’m what I’d call an extroverted introvert; I have no major problems putting myself out there and making new friends, and I absolutely love the company of many of my friends. At the same time, there are many relationships in my life that are draining, even if I do share a chuckle and a good meal with them.
I’ve found myself struggling to set manageable boundaries in my relationships recently, trying to step back from some whilst making room for others and, most importantly, myself. This very busy week was filled with the latter group, yet seeing myself so exhausted just with this group has made me question how to navigate my relationships with the former. I’ll keep you posted on how this pans out, especially as I head into the last few months of playtime before it’s grind time.
A Quick Note on Culinary Affairs:
The James Beard 2025 Nominees were published last week, and here are my general thoughts on the spots mentioned that I’ve visited:
Outstanding Restaurateur
Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d'Or, and Le Rock, New York, NY - I’ve only been to Frenchette for half a dinner, but I loved it. Need to visit Le Veau d’Or.
Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton
Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York, NY - Yum! Unsurprising, especially given Jungsik’s Michelin 3 star status as of last December.
Emerging Chef presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water
Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia, PA - I went for lunch and enjoyed it, but did not find their food to be mindblowing. Dinner is a different concept and may be more worthwhile, though for a decent-priced lunch (with no wait if you’re lucky like me), I’d return!
Best New Restaurant
Penny, New York, NY - Yes.
Outstanding Bakery
Gusto Bread, Long Beach, CA - I’d categorize as good but not great, but great to see a modern panaderÃa make the list. It’s worth a visit if you’re in LB!
Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
Ignacio "Nacho" Jimenez, Superbueno, New York, NY - There’s a lot of money involved in the World’s 50 Best Bars space, with hospitality groups having a monopoly, as is the case with Superbueno. That being said, I think Superbueno is good but not great, but kudos to Jimenez and the team!
Best Chef: California
Embarrassed I have been to none of these places so here’s just a thought:
Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbecue, San Juan Capistrano, CA - Need to go literally ASAP…… have been meaning to for a while but I need to make it happen now.
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA - Went to the izakaya and love it but didn’t hate it. Relatively good pricing and good vibes, worth lining up for dinner if you live in Philly, but not worth traveling for.
Best Chef: New York State
Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY - No.
There are a few local-ish spots I need to check out from the list, and I’m excited to see who/where moves on to win this year!
Okay it’s RESTO time (can’t believe we’re already at week 14)!
Reading: Sweetbitter
recommended Sweetbitter to me a couple of times throughout the past few weeks, and I now totally get why. It’s a novel that describes the life of a 22-year old gal who moves to New York and begins working at Gramercy Tavern as a backwaiter. The protagonist reminds me a lot of myself, my experiences at Kochi, and the dualities of my life in New York, a sort of lovechild of my two experiences living in the city with very, very different financial situations. I’m about halfway through, so we’ll see if the latter half is as funny, raunchy, and relatable, though Eric isn’t making me very excited:
Eating: West African Food
On Wednesday afternoon, I brought home takeout from Lynda’s African Delicacies, a takeout join in Irvine. It was my mom’s first time trying any form of African cuisine, and I was so relieved to see her enjoy the Jollof Rice with Oxtail as well as the Fufu and Egusi stew. I was mostly in shock that I could find fufu and egusi in Irvine of all places, but I guess this spot being next to Lynda’s Hair Salon explains a lot.
Styling: Chrome Powder Nails, Arc’teryx
I got my nails done! I finally opted for a lighter colour this time around, with some chrome to spice things up. My nail artist let me know that she’s moving to Texas next month, so I’ll cherish these nails even more now. I’ve been tapping into dark vampy nails for the last while, partly due to the winter and partly due to my espresso-stained nails and fingers, but I’ve always loved a neutral nail, as they tend to look cleaner as my nails grow out. I’ll keep you posted on when the espresso stains start to show through.
I also got a very sweet Arc’teryx Atom Hoody (thank you dearly, Jasmine) that I’ve been loving! I never have and never will ascribe to finance bro norms, but I do love how all-purpose this zip-up is. It’s perfect for chilly morning shifts and just to throw on as a cozy layer.
Treating: Banana Bread Cookies
I baked a version of these Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies for my coworkers and community on Tuesday, which were met with overwhelming appreciation. I baked a double batch and still left work empty-handed, so I’m glad I had a few on reserve at home for my family. I particularly appreciated the lack of eggs in this recipe - I’m working on a (regular-requested) PB spin on this one this week as soon as my bananas are ripe enough.
Obsessing: over my next life stage
After ASW, I found myself really picturing what my life is going to look like for the next few years, beyond the social dilemma. I know going to have to lock in, cut back on my social responsibilities, and find a balance of endless schoolwork and decent mental health. At the same time though, I’ve begun to picutre my life going to a local law school. It’s reassuring to know that I can still frequent the cafes and study spaces I enjoy here and see many a familiar face in town, which factors into my decision a lot more than I would have expected.
Anyways, that’s all for now! Catch you all again soon.
With Love,
Anna