Miscellaneous

🍻 BABA on Withers, initially Baba Cool, originated in 2014 in Fort Greene and expanded with a Williamsburg location in 2021, transforming into BABA on Withers in November 2024. Owned by Gabriella Mann, with hospitality and bartending roots, BABA on Withers offers a warm, inviting atmosphere both day and night, complete with a back patio. The bar emphasizes natural wines and inventive cocktails, like the "Low Key Romantic," and serves Marseille-inspired French cuisine, such as Duck Leg Confit. Engaging customer experiences include local DJs on second and fourth Thursdays and BABA Afters on Fridays.

🌞 Polypodium leucotomos, a tropical fern extract, was shown to reduce sunburn episodes and skin redness in a US study. Glutathione, a naturally occurring antioxidant, was found to protect against photodamage according to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. White tomato, rich in carotenoids, is proven to fight UV-related skin issues. These three ingredients enhance oral sunscreen supplements, offering additional protection beyond traditional sunscreen.

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🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, spots and reports on F&B trends. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, wrote "Kitchen Dish" for The New York Sun (2005-2008), and has contributed to Manager magazine and Asia Times. Graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University, a Phi Beta Kappa member, and studied at Le Cordon Bleu. His column won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, and he’s a Disciples d’Escoffier member since 2014. Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., Thorn has extensive expertise in food trends, Asian cuisines, and restaurant operations.

💖 Chanel's Rouge Coco Playground pops up at Covent Garden from March 21-30, offering personalised beauty consultations. E&e Jewellery curates Mother & Daughter sets, with a Gift Wrapping Service and Letter to Mum Card. Jo Malone London showcases English Pear & Freesia, Sweet Pea sets in cream and yellow boxes. Glossier provides complimentary engraving on March 29 (12-5pm), and Molton Brown offers calligraphy from March 15-23. Experimental Perfume Club hosts a blending session on March 30. Charlotte Tilbury's Mother’s Day promotion runs from March 18-30, offering a free makeup service or scent trio with qualifying purchases. ELEMIS provides a Pro-Collagen Rose Gift with any facial for two until March 20. Fresh offers a complimentary gift and 25% off selected items. Radley London gifts a keyring with £80 spend on March 20-21. Mulberry gifts UK-grown bouquets on March 23, 250 small and 20 large with purchases. The Ivy Market Grill offers a two-course menu with cocktails and tulips from March 28-30. Cinnamon Bazaar serves Afternoon Tea for £27.50. SUSHISAMBA gifts to mums on Mother’s Day with a Bossa Nova band. HENRI features a £30 Roast Duck from March 16.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, covers food and beverage trends. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast. New York Sun columnist from 2005 to 2008. In Thailand during 1992-1997, he wrote for Manager magazine and Asia Times. Studied at Tufts University, Le Cordon Bleu, Peking University, and Nanjing University. Winner of the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award. Inducted into the Disciples d'Escoffier in 2014. Contact: [email protected] Social: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

🏦 In Seattle, on 18 March 2025, Reside announced that The Beekman Tower and Broadway Plaza won the 2024 “Best of” Wyndham Hotels Award for the third consecutive year. The Beekman Tower in NYC features 170 rooms in a 1920s Art Deco skyscraper, while the 145-room Broadway Plaza in Rochester, Minnesota, connects to the Mayo Clinic. This follows the October 2024 alliance between Reside and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, under the 'Reside, a Wyndham Residence' brand.

🍴 Zach Engel and Andrés Clavero opened Cafe Yaya last week in Lincoln Park, Chicago, adjacent to their restaurant Galit. It's an all-day café offering Middle Eastern favorites and global cuisine, with pastries by Mary Eder-McClure and morning beverages from Sparrow Coffee Roastery and Rare Tea Cellar. Engel, a James Beard Award winner, brings experience from Shaya in New Orleans and Zahav in Philadelphia. Prices range from $10-$15 for dips, $9-$29 for snacks, and $24-$60 for larger plates. The café, designed by Siren Betty Design, features a Parisian and Tel Avivian sidewalk bistro style with natural materials, murals, and artwork by Ilana Engel. Community events and private dining will be held upstairs. The menu includes Middle Eastern-inspired items alongside dishes like pimento cheese and roasted Bulgarian feta. Beverages curated by Scott Stroemer consist of 20 wines, signature cocktails at $14, and a tahini-washed Italian vermouth. Brunch and takeout services are planned for the future.

🛀 Susie Arnett, a leader in hospitality and wellness, highlights a shift in spa culture after a recent visit to Istanbul's Museum of Hammam. Hammam baths, historically communal spaces for socializing and bonding, contrast with the modern, solitary spa experience in the U.S. Dr. Edmund Jacobson, in 1929, connected muscle tension to mental stress, popularizing deliberate relaxation practices, often alone. The term "alone time" appeared in 1978 amidst increasing urbanization and stress. Modern wellness trends may benefit from reintegrating the social aspects of traditional communal spaces, as evidenced by Othership in New York City, which fosters group sauna experiences. Arnett suggests enhancing spa spaces to encourage community and connection, drawing inspiration from ancient practices for a more holistic approach to well-being.