PicoBlog

“I see you’ve been bitten by the bug of good taste,” the associate at Tourneau told me - in an attempt to get me to purchase a $4,500 two-tone Tudor Black Bay. This was back in 2020 when I had 3 watches - two cheap quartz pieces and an old Seiko 5. While yes, I do consider myself a man of taste, it pains me to refer to myself with such bravado.

This week, the ramen story takes us across the Pacific to the USA... Long-time Ramen Beast friends and fans will know that the Beast himself, Abram Plaut, is the cofounder of Mensho Tokyo SF, the Northern California ramen shop helmed by famed Japanese chef Tomoharu Shono. Prior to the pandemic, Mensho’s business on San Francisco’s Geary Street was booming. A line stretched down the block during all hours of operation and Abram and Shono-san were poised for bold expansion — a new location in the Twitter Building in downtown SF, an outpost in San Rafael and an ambitious experiment in South Asia.

The following are a series of three op-eds published at the end of 2022 in The Jewish Press by Avi Ciment. They provide a candid look at some of the serious problems that the MODOX community is facing and suggestions for improvement. I do not intend to goad, and it is refreshing and reassuring that there are some serious-minded people in that camp how have the maturity to take the bull by the horns and not just try to reassure themselves by pointing out all the (relatively insignificant) shortcomings of others.

Here feel we but the penalty of Adam, The seasons’ difference, as the icy fang And churlish chiding of the winter’s wind, Which when it bites and blows upon my body Even till I shrink with cold, I smile and say “This is no flattery. These are counselors That feelingly persuade me what I am.” Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.

I like to play the New York Times Wordle and Mini Crossword. Usually, for a few minutes a night before bed, I play them both and send my scores to a few friends. In general, these games are a fun but largely inconsequential part of my day.  I would never have guessed that the NYT Wordle and Mini Crossword could have sparked such a large epiphany: on February 13th, 2024 around 2149 PST, after playing two daily NYT games, my life changed forever - I realized I was no longer a nuke.

I first met Ayesha Khan while doing the whirlwind circuit with a friend of WITI (and bon vivant) Ricky Engelberg at SXSW long ago. She had come back stateside after being in the wilds of street culture with Nike. It was a very fortunate meeting and I remember the conversation being wide-ranging and fun. She’s now based in Portland, and here she shares what she’s paying attention to in media and culture.

Lauren Sherman (LS) is a friend of WITI and the best reporter around on the fashion beat. We’re happy to have her with us. Have a great week. -Colin (CJN) Tell us about yourself. I’m a reporter. I write a twice-weekly private email called Line Sheet for Puck, a newfangled media biz made up of people like me—journalists who are also experts in the industry they cover. I’ve been writing about the fashion industry for almost 20 years, and I’m very lucky that the business became a real business just as I was starting out.

Scout Dixon West (SDW) is a perfume + scent obsessive that does amazing (and deep) reviews on TT. She’s also in a band called Low Pony. We’re happy to have her this week. -Colin (CJN) Tell us about yourself. I grew up in a small town called Shingle Springs in Northern California, and I have been living in Los Angeles for the last 12 years. I recently left my day job as a screenwriting assistant to work on my own projects, and I talk about my love of perfume on the internet.

Zachary Weiss (ZW) is a brand consultant and writer. He’s also a man on the move. Thanks to WITI contributor Robert Spangle for the introduction. Have a great week. -Colin (CJN) Tell us about yourself. Zachary Weiss here! I’m a brand consultant and writer based in Manhattan. During the day, I work with two longtime friends on a men’s sock, underwear, and loungewear brand called Nice Laundry, and a warehousing & logistics provider for omnichannel brands called Outerspace.