What are you doing New Years Eve?
All the best spots to dine when the ball drops, plus a few new openings to round out the year.
This week we’re featuring the coolest spots to dine on New Years Eve, sharing our monthly Q&A column, highlighting two cool new BK spots and introducing you to our cool new friend: Dana Hasson.
Welcome Home
In what might be the last new opening of the year, Bed-Stuy welcomed Welcome Home – a new bakery from former L’Appartement 4F bakers. Welcome Home opened their doors this past weekend merging traditional European techniques with homestyle flavors (think classic sourdoughs and croissants alongside poptarts and croissant pizza rolls!) The new space at 1047 Bedford is open Thursdays–Mondays from 8a-4p!
Take Me With You
Just in time for the last minute gift buyers, Take Me With You, a travel-forward concept shop, has just recently opened in downtown Brooklyn! The shop highlights a selection of local makers, artist-driven collabs, and is connected to the Ace Hotel Brooklyn! The space on 63 Bond features design touches by cool friend Sarah Nsikak and a healthy dollop of Yves Klein blue. Stop by daily from 10a-7p!
A bacon, egg, and cheese you can…drink ?? Meet the ‘Pebble, Egg and Cheese’ crafted by Tim Sweeney head bartender and partner of Pebble Bar NYC. This imaginative cocktail features ingredients like VitalFarms egg white and a one-of-a-kind spirit made from surplus Black Seed Bagels, along with bacon-infused bourbon and more familiar breakfast flavors. Swing by Pebble Bar until New Year's Eve to grab one for yourself!
It’s been a big year for coolstuff.nyc
Crazy to think that 2024 is already coming to a close. This time last year we had just nervously made the switch to Substack after four years as a direct-to-email newsletter, and now we couldn’t imagine sharing our weekly roundups to any other community!
Sending lots of holiday gratitude to every single reader of this newsletter – we wouldn’t be here without you. The motivation to keep bringing the best picks each week comes from hearing your stories about finding your new favorite restaurant, discovering a new artist to love, and visiting events we’ve recommended. It even got back to us that a few of you got together and visited EVERY holiday market mentioned in coolstuff newsletters!!
We’ll end it there before we get too sappy, but thank you, thank you, thank you.
– Anna, Garrett, and Margot 🐾
Ask us a question, recommendation, or well…anything in the comments section of the newsletter & we’ll reply within 24 hours. This is your chance for personalized NYC recommendations - from a date night spot in the West Village to the coolest shops in Cobble Hill - we’ve got you covered! All you have to do is click the comment icon at the top or bottom of this week’s newsletter to get your questions over to us :)
See you in the comments?
Motel Morris
Where: Chelsea
Offering: For NYE, Motel Morris will be hosting a disco-themed evening including bubbles and holiday cocktails like the Jiminy Cricket (inspired by peppermint bark.) The dinner menu will include a caviar service as well as other specials alongside the full normal menu & tons of Studio 54-inspired decor!
Book here on the Motel Morris website.
Corima
Where: Chinatown
Offering: The newly-Michelin starred Mexican spot will have a special seven-course tasting menu to ring in 2025. At $180pp the courses will flex between classic and lavish including caviar, uni, and wagyu!
Book on Resy
elNico
Where: Williamsburg
Offering: The rooftop restaurant above the Penny Hotel, elNico, will have a Mexican-inspired menu, an open bar from 8p-2a, and live DJ performances to transform the space into a high energy dance floor. You can even elevate the night by booking a private terrace with VIP seating, bottle service options, and amazing views of the city skyline.
Get your tickets here starting at $80.
Celestine
Where: DUMBO
Offering: End the year with a romantic, Mediterranean-inspired, waterside meal by chef Angie Ampil. The special NYE four course menu has tons of highlights like options to order oysters with a Champagne mignonette or Wagyu strip steak. For an early seating you can book for $160pp or if you want to ring in at midnight, you can have a table reserved from 9:15 onwards (plus a midnight champagne toast) for $190pp!
Book your seating here!
Threes Brewing Greenpoint
Where: Greenpoint
Offering: Don’t want to mess around with the typical pomp and circumstance of New Year’s Eve? Stop by the Greenpoint location of Threes Brewing for free entry to a fun place to celebrate – complete with a complimentary beer toast at midnight!
No reservations needed!
The Noortwyck
Where: West Village
Offering: One of the best restaurants in the West Village, the Noortwyck, is offering a four-course prix-fixe menu for $135pp. The menu has a handful of highlights like a foie gras terrine, lobster tempura, and beef wellington to name a few! The Noortwyck is also offering a New Year’s Day brunch!
Book New Year Eve here and New Year’s Day here!
Sereneco
Where: Greenpoint
Offering: Want some entertainment alongside your meal? From 7:30-10:30, Sereneco’s live jazz trio will be setting the musical backdrop alongside some NYE specials! The airy Greenpoint space will also be open the next morning for New Year’s Day brunch to fend off the night before.
Reserve via OpenTable.
Park Lane New York
Where: Midtown
Offering: For a little New York magic, ring in 2025 at Darling, the new rooftop at the luxe Park Lane Hotel – perched 47 stories high, right on Central Park South. The event (starting at $299pp) includes a 4-hour open bar and a live DJ to pair alongside a fun champagne toast.
Snag your ticket here.
Blackbird Beer Club
Blackbird, the restaurant loyalty app from NYC food industry legend Ben Leventhal, just debuted the Blackbird Beer Club. For $25 per month you can get a beer on the house *every day* at a curated list of top bars & breweries in the Blackbird network! Plus limited edition beers & merch, a subscription to Canned (a weekly beer-focused newsletter) and 2,500 $FLY reward on your next tap-in.
Meet Dana, an NYC-based beauty content creator turned self-taught baker/entrepreneur known for her engaging baking tutorials and recipes with a touch of glamour. Her debut Homemade ish Cookie Starter Kit combines premium, all-kosher ingredients for a dazzling yet effortless baking experience. Think edible glitter (a Hasson signature), regeneratively farmed wheat and pure ground Madagascar vanilla powder, for endless creations -- from classic chocolate chip and cinnamon snickerdoodles to decorative sugar cookies. Dana’s culinary creations and magnetic personality have inspired her social media audience to explore easy baking at home.
Headshot by Chéri Roohi • Editorial Photos by Heather Willensky
How did your career as a self-taught baker begin? How does this play a part in your content creation?
My journey as a self-taught baker began with a deep love for food and a fascination with trying new things. From a young age, I was drawn to the art of baking, experimenting in the kitchen, and often learning through trial and error. Those early attempts weren’t always successful, but they fueled my passion and taught me resilience in perfecting recipes.
Baking and hosting became a natural extension of who I am, but I never considered sharing it on social media until TikTok came into the picture in July 2019. Like many creators, I started experimenting with various types of content to see what resonated. Taking a leap of faith, I shared a baked doughnut recipe, which unexpectedly went viral, earning 4 million views and gaining me 50,000 followers almost overnight.
That moment was pivotal—it showed me the power of combining my love for baking with storytelling and creativity. Since then, I’ve been committed to sharing recipes daily, focusing on creating content that inspires others to bake, try new things, and enjoy the process. My self-taught journey is a constant reminder to my audience that you don’t have to be perfect to start; you just need passion and perseverance.
Tell us about your new cookie starter kit company, Homemade ish!
After over five years of baking consistently, I knew I wanted to share my creations with others without committing to opening a bakery—at least not yet. I wanted to scale my passion for baking and my vision for what I represent as a brand. That’s how Homemade Ish was born—a baking company designed to make baking fun, simple, and approachable.
One common reaction I’d hear when talking to people about baking was, “I wish it wasn’t so precise like cooking!” I realized there was a need for a solution that allowed for creativity without the pressure of perfection. Baking mixes are a go-to for convenience, but so many options on the market are packed with preservatives, gums, and artificial colors that don’t align with what I believe baking should be about—quality ingredients and real creativity.
Homemade Ish solves this by providing an elevated, better-for-you cookie starter mix that acts as a versatile base for endless cookie creations. It’s designed to empower bakers of all levels to have fun, experiment, and create something delicious without the hassle. This brand is my way of bringing effortless luxury and joy back into baking.
What’s your favorite part about the New York content creator community?
I love how everyone knows each other. It's always nice going to events and knowing that I will know at least one person and will be able to catch up with them.
How does creating recipes as content for social media inspire mix ideas for Homemade ish? From the beginning, I envisioned social media as a stepping stone to building something bigger, even before I knew exactly what that would look like. When I started developing Homemade Ish about two years ago, I realized how invaluable social media was as a testing ground. Every recipe I shared became an opportunity to learn what my audience loves, resonates with, and craves the most.
Their reactions—whether it’s excitement about a specific flavor or challenges they face in baking—directly shape the direction of Homemade Ish. Social media is my biggest source of inspiration, helping me refine not only our current offerings but also the vision for where the brand is headed. It’s a constant feedback loop that fuels creativity and innovation as Homemade Ish continues to grow.
Are there any fun cookie flavors on the horizon for the brand?
At Homemade Ish, the ultimate goal is to create a one stop shop baking brand that covers a wide variety of desserts. We started with our hero product, the Cookie Starter Mix, to set the foundation for creativity and versatility.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to introduce new base mixes for other desserts. While I can’t share too many details just yet, I’m already working on our next mix, which is set to launch in 2025. It’s part of a larger vision I have for Homemade Ish to become a go-to brand for anyone looking to make baking both fun and effortless. I can’t wait for everyone to see where we’re headed—it’s going to be delicious!
Follow along:
@homemadeish
www.homemadeish.com
@danahassonn
The packaging for the Homemadish is superb!