NY Plugs — Michael Robinov
Food, drink, and leisure recs from Farm To People's co-founder and CEO + LINKS
Plugs is The Angel’s recs column. On most Saturdays, you’ll get six picks—a restaurant, a bar, a shop, an ingredient, a person, and a treat—from someone in New York or Los Angeles who knows what they’re talking about, plus a selection of Angel-curated links. Plugs are for paid subscribers of The Angel only; upgrade your subscription to receive all six!
#14 is Michael Robinov, the co-founder and CEO of Farm To People, my favorite (online) grocery store in New York. Through Farm To People, you can buy produce, meat, and dairy from some of the finest local farmers in the broader New York region; bakery items a la She Wolf, Knead Love, and Sobre Masa; and artisanal pantry items like fresh La Trafila pastas and Yesfolk kombucha vinegar alongside thoughtfully sourced ingredients from further afield, including California citrus and Spanish olive oil. I'm very bullish on what Michael and his team are building, particularly because the curation is top-notch—they've put me onto some of my current favorite groceries, from FLX Farm Fresh organic rolled oats to Pequea Valley Farm grass-fed yogurt. Michael and I are kindred spirits, and here he is with his Plugs.
P.S. If you haven’t tried Farm To People yet, you’re missing out. Use my code EMILYW22 for a free farm box! (I tend to order a la carte, but the farm boxes are a nice way to dip your toes in.)
Restaurant — Stissing House
My partner and co-founder, Anina, and I cook a lot when we're home in Brooklyn… It sort of comes with the territory. But whenever we get the chance, we love to get away and visit her family and farms upstate, and eat out. Stissing House in Pine Plains is our favorite dinner spot and always such a treat. Clare de Boer turned the 1782 house into a destination restaurant, with a wood-burning oven and grill. Get the artichoke, the coal-roasted dayboat scallops, and save room for dessert.
BONUS — Cafe Mutton
This tiny neighborhood restaurant on a sunny corner is our go-to for brunch. While the menu might scare off a few less adventurous eaters on first look: pigs’ ears, blood sausage, offal, etc, everything is made in-house and hits the spot every time. Each visit we adjust our order to try new things, which is easy to do since the menu rotates daily, and we always end our meal with a plate of the crepes! Thank me later.
OFF-MENU BONUS — The steak at Misi
This is my sleeper pick. Misi in Williamsburg is known as a pasta restaurant, but IMHO the off-menu dry-aged steak topped with fennel pollen is the dish to order.
TAKEOUT BONUS — Samurai Mama
I also have to shout out my go-to takeout in Williamsburg. The sushi taco set is the move, plus the seaweed salad, miso soup loaded with mushrooms, and a hamachi roll. It's one of those orders I've been placing for years.
