Our favorite stationery stores in NYC
Plus the coolest new design shops, and 3 weeknight events worth leaving your house for
This week we’re sharing our Best Stationery Store in NYC list, highlighting cool dinner parties & shopping pop-ups, and introducing you to our cool new friend: Dexter Zimet of COQODAQ.
Million Goods
One thing we always love over here at coolstuff HQ is a combined retail and beverage concept, and a new favorite is Million Goods in Greenpoint. Million Goods fuses together a tight edit of menswear with a wine bar and hi-fi listening lounge. They will feature a rotating roster of notable DJ’s and…oh yeah…they have a fantastic backyard. Swing by for a glass of chilled red on tap and settle in for the evening.
Vowels
New to the Bowery is Vowels – a hybrid shop and research library by the Japanese brand of the same name. Known for their elevated and considered streetwear, this extension of the brand into a physical space is true to their principle of honing a creative practice by offering a curated selection of books from creative legends like Tadao Ando and Kyösti Varis. Currently open Monday-Friday from 11a–7p at 76 Bowery.
Oh Mercy
Speaking of Greenpoint, those in the know were likely sad to see brown paper covering the windows of beloved Littleneck Outpost the last few months. WELL we have great news for you: Littleneck’s original chef (and the culinary brain behind Stowaway) has opened OH MERCY in the same space. Currently open from 8a-4p for great coffee, breakfast, and lunch, OH MERCY plans to open up for dinner service beginning next week. It’s all happening at 128 Franklin St.
Mark your calendars…it’s time for another coolstuff curated market!
Hester Street Fair is hosting their 9th annual "Girl Power" market on June 1st, which highlights female makers, chefs & small-business owners in NYC…and we're lucky enough to be curating a section of the market!
Right in the center of the market, the coolstuff section will house 11 female vendors selling everything from ceramics to food to clothing. Some of the makers and small business owners that will be selling their wares in our section are also past cool friends! You can shop from cool friends Alice Mushrooms, Jordan Sonder, Ordinary Habit, Bowl Cut, Hansel Clothing PLUS new friends that we can’t wait for you to meet.
Stop by on June 1st from 11a-7p in Seaport at 89 South St for allll the shopping and hangs with the coolstuff team.
New York is a town full of bookish and creative-minded people – many of us are both. One of the biggest overlaps for these two archetypes is the need for beautiful stationery. We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite spots to shop paper goods across the city that range from Japanese specialties to fun greeting cards and everything in between.
Meet Dexter, the director of project management for Gracious Hospitality. Dexter started at the company as the president of absolute hotspot COQODAQ – the new Korean restaurant which is dedicated to fried chicken and champagne – and continues his work focusing on new projects as well as the construction, build, and operations of COQODAQ. We caught up with Dexter to dive into his long family history in the restaurant business and to see what’s next for COQODAQ.
What led to your interest in the restaurant industry?
My family. My parents founded a catering company in the West Village in 1986, and they still run it to this day. They’d return home from an event, too tired to cook, too wired to order something in. So we’d go out to restaurants. A lot. About 3-4 nights per week for as long as I can remember. Otherwise, they’d cook. And they’re damn good cooks. From an early age, I was surrounded by the industry, so when I received the opportunity to officially be part of it, there was a serendipitous feeling.
Tell us about what the process of bringing COQODAQ to life was like.
Terrifying, thrilling…but most of all, fulfilling. This was my first time being a part of this magnitude of a project. To build a restaurant while molding the concept, with so many interdependent variables…it almost felt like I was feeling around in the dark, discovering as I went about the process. However, to witness so many brilliant individuals, both from my team and our partners, invest creativity and grit to form this living breathing thing, it's the greatest gift I’ve been able to be a part of.
What’s your favorite part about the New York restaurant community?
The comradery. Blind love and respect for each other.
Any big plans for the continued growth of COQODAQ?
We just opened up our patio to the world, so you can walk-in and enjoy our fried chicken and champagne outside. This is something we've been looking forward to since first seeing the space. We designed these incredible garage style doors that open up so you get this indoor/outdoor effect and I am so excited to see how it resonates with our guests. We have many other fun exciting things too that I can't wait to bring to life and I know our diners will be excited about!
What's your favorite item on the menu?!
Cold perilla noodles. On the last day of our R&D trip to Seoul, we ventured outside of the city in search of the ultimate Chogye guksu. We were heading to our final stop, slightly underwhelmed by the previous ones, when the driver asked if he could bring us somewhere else, somewhere better. We obliged, ended up down a dirt road, and landed at a small restaurant. Behind was a small plot - covered with fresh perilla. Everything on the menu blew us away. The unanimous shining star was a version of what’s become our cold perilla noodles. Despite feeling overly stuffed from the day, we all ordered a second portion and vowed to recreate the dish for COQODAQ.
Follow along:
coqodaq.com
@coqodaq & @dexterlovelacezimet
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