Happy Friday. Lexi here.

We shared some very important news this week. Big shifts are coming and our newsletter is shifting with them. More on that in the weeks ahead.

For now, I’m reeling from the summer fake-out and reminding myself I moved back to the northeast for my friends and family. Not the weather.

Read on for this week’s recommendations…

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

(S)eeing | The Freida McFadden thriller that finally got me out of my reading rut.

I'm usually a sucker for romance and I’ll admit, romantasy too. Nothing can pull me out of a reading slump quite like a thriller though. This one is about newlyweds trapped in a remote manor once owned by a psychiatrist who's vanished during a winter storm. I've been gripping my Kindle under the covers, eager to find out what's next.

(C)onsuming | This controversial $40 half-chicken is 100% worth it.

The internet went mad when Gigi’s opened because the cost for half a chicken felt steep. We’ve had it twice now and the chicken (sourced from upstate) tastes as if it were massaged and fed the most nourishing diet. It’s juicy, flavorful, and puts chicken on par with other rich meats like steak, dare we say. The real standout, though? The maitake mushrooms.

(O)n The Way Out | I’m replacing my Apple Watch with this.

I’ve cycled through many fitness wearables: a Fitbit in college, an Oura ring in my mid-20s, and an Apple Watch ever since. But as an overstimulated mom, I’m done being constantly accessible. The notifications were too much, and I’m sick of fiddling with a tiny touch screen. I’m trading up for the Garmin Forerunner 570, a running watch that thankfully doesn’t ping me every time I get a text. Count me in.

(U)nearthing | An Ikea pendant lamp pretty enough to be from Design Within Reach.

Dominique piping in. I live in an apartment where our dining table lives in the middle of our kitchen. To anchor the space, I hung this pendant lamp that looks more expensive than it is. I also made it renter-friendly by using a rechargeable light bulb instead of hard wiring it into the ceiling.

(T)rying | Each morning I dream of getting back into these sheets.

I (Lexi) am currently back in my childhood home. Gone are the bright blue walls. The floral duvet of my childhood. I'm on a mission to make the room feel like mine again, and these lived-in organic cotton sheets are the perfect springboard for a summer makeover. My mom is asking when she gets her guest room back. Maybe never.

📍 Catch Up

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

Dominique’s Update

It is with much joy and hesitation I share I’m pregnant. Like very pregnant—due any day now, I’ve kept this secret from you for 9 months if you don’t know about it already, level pregnant.

Pregnancy has made me more private and protective over my personal life. I also found when you tell someone you’re pregnant, they can’t talk about anything else and it’s as if any concept of you before no longer exists. So in some ways I tried to preserve the part of my identity that wasn’t singularly tied to becoming a mom.

But a mother, I soon will be.

The ability to carry life is an honor no one fully understands except a woman. I have never felt more powerful, more tethered to the magic of being alive.

MOTHA feels like a more fitting spelling because mother doesn’t quite capture what it means to be the passage between realms.

I’m letting you in because all of this has expanded my taste, shifting the way I scout, what I recommend and why.

I find pregnancy to be an endurance event. One that requires resources and having the right team around you. I want to share so much of how I arrived here from choosing my prenatal vitamins to my care team to my preferred body oil & moisturizer combo.

Along the way, I’ve realized my style of parenting is what Reddit affectionately defines as Moderately Granola.

It’s shaped decisions like choosing Poppylist over Babylist for my registry, skipping the Nanit (wifi baby monitors are known for getting hacked), starting with a bassinet and foregoing a crib entirely.

This aspect of my taste is still forming. But you’ll see how it shows up here and what it’s actually like to apply discernment to the most overwhelming consumer moment of your adult life.

In the meantime, I’ll be stepping back from We Scouted and returning in September. Lexi and I so brilliantly planned to have babies five months apart so she’ll be stepping in fully while I’m away.

Subscribe now

Lexi’s Update

Greetings, friends. I’m writing to you from my childhood bedroom, which is somehow exactly where I need to be right now, and not at all where I thought I’d be.

The last few years have moved fast. I got married and left my corporate job. I got pregnant and left NYC for warmer weather. I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl, Kaia, and simultaneously turned 30.

For a while there, it felt like life was happening to me. One big thing after another. I was just trying to keep up.

So as our Florida lease renewal approached, my husband, Julien, and I decided this summer we needed to return to where our people are. So back to the Northeast we came.

Which is where the bigger question starts. Do we stay here for good, in the place that knows us? Do we try out California, where the sun always shines but we’re 3,000 miles from our people? The jury is still out.

Some days I’m ready to pack up the car and chase the version of my life that lives across the country. Other days, I want to plant roots so deep nothing could move us. But for the first time in a while, the not-knowing feels like a challenge: something to solve rather than fear.

Five months postpartum I know I will never be who I was before, and that’s okay.

My taste is shifting, recalibrating.

I care less about dining at the coolest restaurant and more about the conversation happening at the dinner table. I care less about making sure my home is pristinely clean and more about having a space that’s a revolving door for loved ones—knowing that my nearest and dearest get to watch my daughter grow up by my side. I care less about romanticizing a perfect life and more about actually living it.

And so here I am—running again for the first time since Kaia, reading a book in sync with a friend who I don’t get to see nearly enough, and taking the hobbies I’ve been circling for years seriously. Hello, interior design course.

This summer will be shaped by this new season of life, and I’ll be writing through this holding pattern with honesty. If you’ve ever been there, you’re in good company.

That’s all for now.

With Love,
Dominique & Lexi

Subscribe now

Welcome back.

The last seven days have been filled with many firsts for me (Lexi): first Mother’s Day, first viral post, first time browning butter for these cookies. Turns out, life is filled with plenty of firsts if you’re paying attention.

Now onto this week’s recommendations…

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

(S)eeing | Come gallery hopping with us tonight in Tribeca.

One of our favorite things about NYC is that things are open late: museums, restaurants, the nail salon, you name it. Tonight, over 80 art galleries plan to keep their doors open for late night indulging. Begin on Canal St. Weave down Walker, White, and Franklin, all the way to Leonard. When you’re done, we recommend dinner at Farra and a nightcap at Primo’s.

(C)onsuming | I’m still dreaming about this hummus.

Last year while shopping in Costco, I (Lexi) stumbled upon a holy grail: the Ithaca hummus x Graza collab. Let me tell you, it was divine. My go-to chip dip. The perfect top off on a midday sandwich. I’ve been looking for it in stores ever since, and finally this past week, I found the next best thing: Ithaca’s new Olive Oil Sea Salt flavor. I’ll report back.

(O)n The Way Out | I stopped using AI like it was Google search.

The topic of AI is controversial, but I (Dominique) do find it integral in my day to day life. I was using it as a search engine until I read this article about Claude. It helped me match models to specific tasks, build a We Scouted AI Agent (we use AI as an editorial strategist, all the writing is ours), and create a useful prompt to handover conversations to new AI Agents. Next on my list is to build a house manager to meal plan and order our groceries.

(U)nearthing | The email trick that helped me land the perfect gift for Taurus season.

I (Dominique) court my friends like lovers by keeping a mental list of the things they want, but never buy themselves. When I find the right gift, I schedule an email with the link to land in my inbox three weeks before their birthday. Case in point, a friend mentioned she wished she had more snack bowls, so back in January I found these engravable ones for her May birthday and queued the email. I’m pairing them with a few goodies from Big Night to finish the gift off.

(T)rying | I’m commissioning a personality portrait of my husband for Father’s Day.

Julien, if you’re reading this… keep scrolling. Ever since we recommended Portrai Me in A Guide to Quietly Excellent Gifts, I (Lexi) have been looking for an excuse to gift one to someone I love. The piece is filled with motifs of everything that makes him, him: coffee, biking, wine, the whole list. The attention to detail is bar none and the customer service feels like a dear friend on the other end. They gave us a code for readers: WESCOUTED10 for 10% off your first purchase in the next year.

📍 Catch Up

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

Happy Friday!

One of us spent the week moving from FL to NYC and one of us spent the week hopping from appointment to appointment as an impending due date fast approaches.

More to come on both fronts in a Letter From The Editors, which should be landing in your inbox this weekend (or whenever we get around to it).

If you’re looking for ways to fill your May social calendar, we’d love to point you to two events:

• A cheese warehouse sale hosted by C.Hesse Cheese, our latest spotlight feature.

• A flower arranging workshop hosted by Tastemaker: Molly Ford and our favorite home design store, Porta.

Now onto our recommendations for the week…

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

(S)eeing | The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a must if your childhood dream was to work at a fashion magazine. The first one is one of my (Dominique's) favorite films, we didn’t need a sequel but I was sat for opening weekend regardless. It’s a glossy, feverish return to the world of print media with pithy one-liners and an ironic billionaire savior complex. It’s silly, pure ooey gooey fun, and worth seeing in theaters.

(C)onsuming | Bliss balls that taste like brown sugar Pop-Tarts. Like most kids growing up, I (Lexi) loved Pop-Tarts. I liked the strawberry, hated the blueberry, and daydreamed of the brown sugar cinnamon. Tastemaker Samantha Demarkles put me onto these, and when I saw this month's flavor was a riff on my childhood obsession, I had to snag them. Oh and they’re organic and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar.

(O)n The Way Out | I traded my foundation for this skin tint. It’s the secret behind all my (Dominique’s) skincare compliments. I wear Shade 7 and warm it up on the back of my hand before dabbing it into my skin with a brush. It creates the perfect no-make up, makeup look and makes me appear hydrated inside and out.

(U)nearthing | A very kind human mapped all the OpenTable restaurants with Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) benefits. With the CSR, you’re given a $300 dining credit and primetime reservations. This list maps all 395 restaurants with the perk across the US. We can’t tell you how many times it’s helped us book a decent meal for that friend who requests to hang out last minute on Friday at 7pm.

(T)rying | My hands have never smelled this good. I (Lexi) was scrolling Shopbop for 'western chic' outfits for a friend’s bachelorette party when I went off course and stumbled down a hand soap rabbit hole… with this one catching my eye. The ingredients are clean, the packaging is sleek, and it smells divine—rose, mandarin, and oud notes.

📍 Catch Up

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

We found a cheese plug.

Meet Caroline Hesse, an artisan cheese wholesaler and the woman behind C. Hesse Cheese. (The fact that her first initial combined with her last name almost spells 'cheese' feels like kismet.)

If you’ve lingered over the fromage at Frenchette, opted for charcuterie & cheese at Gjelina, or indulged in the #2 from Zingerman’s, there’s a good chance Caroline is the reason it ended up on your plate. Ten years deep in the cheese world, she’s become the person discerning chefs call first.

She also teaches classes. And she’ll sell you a pound of something extraordinary out of a warehouse in East Williamsburg. We sat down with her to find out what knowing the best cheese in the room actually teaches you.

WS: You supply Frenchette, Gjelina, and Zingerman's. Wholesale is clearly working, but once a month you open the warehouse to anyone who walks in, why?

C: This is a sensational question! While the wholesale business is working, I believe multiple revenue streams helps build a healthy business. I love love love working with chefs, and that is very much still the cornerstone of C. Hesse Cheese.

However, business-to-business sales (B2B) are a precarious thing. If you rely on B2B too heavily, your business will only do as well as that of your customers, and that’s just not something I’m wholly comfortable with. Direct-to-Consumer sales like my warehouse sales and the online store, as well as event programming like the cheese classes and private tastings, help keep cash flow moving regardless of how the B2B stream is moving.

WS: You did a raw milk apprenticeship, worked the counter at Lucy’s Whey, mastered affinage at Crown Finish Caves. What were you trying to learn that you couldn’t skip?

C: In hindsight it all seems very deliberate, but please believe me when I say that it absolutely was not.

I try very, very hard to never know too many steps ahead. It keeps life exciting.

However, for anyone aspiring to have a career in cheese, you absolutely at one point need to be a cheesemonger. It is the best way to get an education on the vast world of cheese, and it also teaches you the importance of customer service and humility.

WS: Your classes promise to make people the smartest person at the cocktail party. What do most people misunderstand about cheese?

C: They think the entire process of how cheese is made is completely mystifying. I try to make the 101 class a good mix of science, anthropology, and fun anecdotal facts, so that the people in attendance can take from it the knowledge they want. But the science, for me, is key. Cheese is a fermented dairy product, and the different molds, cultures, and techniques that are required to get such a wide variety of flavors, textures, and styles is just absolutely mind-blowing to me.

Book tickets to the next warehouse sale with C. Hesse Cheese and be sure to follow them on Instagram.

Know a brand worth spotlighting or want to be featured? Enlighten us here. 💌

Subscribe now

Happy Friday and a huge hello to all our new subscribers who discovered us by way of Tastemaker, Samantha Demarkles.

It feels like the right time to reintroduce ourselves. We Scouted is a lifestyle and culture newsletter delivering quality recommendations for artful living.

The “We” explained: We’re Lexi & Dominique, childhood friends and brand experts. We share where to go, what to buy, and how to notice what others miss.

Who is this for? If you’re the kind of person who goes down rabbit holes to find the perfect restaurant, gift or travel itinerary, consider We Scouted your shortcut. In the debrief below, we share our quality recommendations for the week.

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

(S)eeing | We picked up the divorce memoir everyone is obsessing over. It’s shocking how a woman from the Vanderbilt line could lose her fortune in the face of divorce, even with a prenup. If it can happen to her, it can happen to any of us. A must-read and a reminder that marriage is a business transaction more than a fairytale.

(C)onsuming | I found a protein powder that checks every box. No natural flavors, no xanthan gum, no nonsense I (Dominique) can’t pronounce. I’ve been having this each morning blended with Almond Malk, starting my day with 20g of protein. It tastes like real vanilla, straight from the plant, none of that imitation-vanilla BS.

(O)n The Way Out | I stopped blowing out candles the day my 5-month old started rolling. While I (Lexi) love a lit candle, blowing them out sends embers floating and leaves ash behind. Obviously not baby-friendly. So I’ve invested in this safe and chic alternative.

(U)nearthing | As a proud petite, it took me 30 years to learn you can hem your sleeves. Extra long sleeves may only haunt those of us under 5'4, but it's my (Lexi's) duty to share this hack. I now do a monthly pilgrimage to my favorite tailor in NY or Florida to get fixed up. I'm finally getting real use out of my closet.

(T)rying | After reading Dopp Kit Diaries, I took a chance on these cleansing pads. In college I (Lexi) developed an allergy to a certain baby blue drugstore makeup wipe and have been scared of makeup remover ever since, resorting to microfiber cloths and water (effective, but I've lost too many eyelashes from rubbing so hard). So far I love that they remove every barrier piled up on my skin: sweat and salt from the Florida heat, any remaining tinted sunscreen, and my morning vitamin C serum.

📍 Catch Up

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

I (Lexi) have followed Samantha Demarkles for years, long before I thought of her as a “tastemaker.” Before We Scouted even existed. She was just someone whose posts I never scrolled past.

She now runs Box Hill Grocer from a farm outside St. Louis, where she’s built a life around agriculture and nature, creativity, and kindness.

Here’s what’s in my house because of her: a Handle With Care hat I wear too often, and bliss balls from Meet the Source (which we’ve recommended here — I found them through her).

Samantha isn’t selling a lifestyle, she’s living one. Messy. Tender. Hardworking. And truly kind to herself, which is the rarest thing to watch someone model on the internet.

Here’s a peek into what she’s scouting.

👀 S.C.O.U.T—Samantha’s Take

Seeing | Books, Nigella, and Sandra Bullock—A few books I devoured recently: Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton, The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich, and A Philosophy of Walking by Frédérick Gros. Not much time for television or movies, but I love watching Nigella Lawson on YouTube, or anything with Sandra Bullock. And of course, classics with the kids on weekend nights and in summertime.

Consuming | Restaurant Olivia, Denver—On a recent trip, we ate at Restaurant Olivia in Denver, CO. Every bite was exquisite and the dining was very memorable.

On The Way Out | Overthinking < Action—Indecision of any kind equates to more loss, especially in time, than what may be imperfect. Doesn’t matter what it is — tending to a task, chore, or movement in these moments encourages all momentum.

Unearthing | Realistic and Hopeful—Something I’m working hard to unwind is my own ability to be blinded by positivity. I don’t believe in expecting the worst, but I do think we can merge being realistic about situations and hopeful at the same time. Acceptance is always the root of all good things that bloom.

Trying | Olive Oil, Lemon, and Japanese Wellness—A shot of olive oil and lemon juice every day, and stretching in the mornings. I’m also fascinated by Japanese traditions and wellness practices right now. I enjoy trying homemade tweaks for anything digestion, sleep, or body related — a good way to not be bored in routine. Experiments are fun.

Subscribe now

❤️‍🔥 Q&A with Samantha Demarkles

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m Samantha — born and raised just outside Boston, with dear memories of the people who shaped me there.

College took me to New York for art school, then to the University of Missouri for photography. Between then and 2020, I became a single mother to three sons in St. Louis, piecing together a life in writing, photo and video, the occasional recipe, and a deep love for the city’s restaurants and community.

A few years ago I met my partner and moved into his country home. Now we thrive in nature as a blended, artistic family — bonded by seasonality, agriculture, building, cooking, and business.

Your taste, in three words?

Uncomplicated. Unprocessed. Vibrant.

You run Box Hill Grocer just outside St. Louis. What was the vision?

My partner Matt is a restaurateur, and the shop grew naturally out of expanding one of his restaurants. The idea: bring the sensibility of the country to the city.

I’m the visual representation of that — I live on the farm full time. Matt runs day-to-day operations, and his spaces always carry a presence of art, care, and inclusivity. Home included.

Our partnership, personal and professional, lets me document how our blended family lives with the seasons. At Box Hill, that shows up as quality ingredients, classic meals made simply, thoughtful photography, and a cheerful energy of togetherness.

A few brands you stock that everyone should know about?

Meet The Source — Plant-based treats made by a mom-and-dad team in Southern California. I found them on Instagram, then tracked down their bliss balls at a coffee shop on a 2017 family trip. Nothing else tastes like them — clean label, decadent, fun. We carry their two-packs now. Their cakes and farmers market desserts are unreal. But my favorite part of any brand is the people, and theirs are wonderful.

Rancho Meladuco Dates — Also Southern California, also found through social media. A date so good you could see the difference through a screen. I bought my first box in 2019 at Fermentation Farm in Costa Mesa. It sealed my love for small producers who honor what nature actually offers.

Grace McGuire Ceramics — Matt’s daughter Grace is a ceramicist, and we have her pieces all over the house — salt cellars, vases, perfectly sized espresso cups. Her work draws from her farm upbringing, personal turmoils, nature, and the history of pottery itself. It radiates who she is: sharp, hilarious, kind, and fiercely protective of the people she loves.

What are your personal signatures?

I don’t speak in my videos. No music. No voiceovers. (Except one no-knead bread and jammy egg tutorial that got requested too many times to ignore.) It doesn’t come naturally, but I love the real sounds.

Your content is pared back, nearly silent, mesmerizing. What shaped that style?

Aww — thank you, that’s very nice.

Honestly, nothing shaped it. I’ve tried voiceovers a handful of times. Early on I used music. But it felt like an added step that didn’t match what I was doing. I’m lucky if I have time to film and edit in the same day.

I also want what I share to make people get up and make something. When I get stuck scrolling, I start comparing my life to what isn’t enough — but I guess that’s the whole point of the scroll. I don’t want to keep you.

How has single motherhood over the last four years reshaped what matters?

People think the baby years are the hard part. They’re new and impossible to fully prepare for — every baby is their own person. But what comes after is harder.

All that matters is time. How you behave in it. How full you make your children feel — nutritionally, emotionally, by being present.

Everything you do, cook, or breathe becomes the reason they do — or don’t — come home when they’re older.

How do you balance the business, content, Substack, and three boys? Or is “balance” the wrong word?

No balance.

Knowing when to break routine for rest. Knowing what’s arbitrary and what’s structural. Saying no to things that don’t work for the family as a whole.

Pausing before responding. Diving into messes. Not looking away when it gets hard.

Sharp focus on consistency — because you can’t afford to lose people, ideas, relationships, or opportunities when you’re actively working toward something genuinely good.

What do you hope your boys are learning?

High, genuine standards — for kindness, friendship, health, partnership, morals, consumption, dedication, consistency.

Matt and I have a wonderful relationship. The kids have never felt tension at home. His children accepted and loved us from the start — which takes grace, because we are a lot of energy and personality.

They set wonderful examples for my boys. Our time all together is spirited and eventful. I hope these years become something they cherish, and pull from when they need it.

Last tab open in your browser?

Pinterest. My favorite escape after the books around the house. No noise, and a search bar for flavor pairings, organization, projects, repurposing — whatever I’m chasing.

A controversial hot take?

Maybe one.

With technology constantly exploding, I stand firm in my love for nature and everything it provides — in fruitfulness and in thoughtfulness. Some advancements are helpful. Some are necessary. But we’ve become too reliant, too dumb, and too greedy with what actually allows us to exist.

We don’t need more things. We need manners. And a reinvention of respect for what isn’t instantaneous.

Your favorite tastemaker?

Samah Dada!! I love her. We’ve met up many times and her friendship and spirit is something I’m grateful to know.

To keep up with Samantha’s musings, subscribe to The River House and follow her on IG.

Know a tastemaker worth spotlighting or want to be featured yourself? Enlighten us here. 💌

My ideal vacation is one where people have to look up the destination. I don’t want to run into another American tourist, and I’d like to see small glimmers of humanity at my discretion. I have an allergy to the enormity of resorts. I prefer to be known by name, not room number.

Last summer, Lexi and I each took separate trips. I went to Menorca, Spain she went to Mallorca, Spain. This guide is from my perspective (Dominique). Stay tuned for Lexi’s take on Mallorca in the coming months.

Read on for:

• Why Menorca wins the families who could afford Mallorca, but choose otherwise

• The one car rental rule that will save you money and a headache

• The 14-room farmhouse where the air is cooled by a volcanic cave

• Behind the paywall: the restaurant where the water alone is worth the reservation, the red sand beach worth a mile hike, and the three beloved “must-dos” our concierge begged us to skip

  Subscribe now

Menorca Not Mallorca

Menorca and Mallorca are easily conflated due to name and proximity, but the experience on each island can be very different.

Mallorca is the big sister offering larger cities and a robust vacation culture. Direct flights draw German and American tourists in volume. It works if you want more established infrastructure and a scene.

Menorca, the more quaint and smaller of the two islands, captivates Spanish & French families with hidden beaches and extraordinary local food. It's about going off the beaten path.

Taste Profile: Intimate | Mediterranean-Rustic | Laid Back Luxury

Who Is Menorca For

Menorca is about hiding out. It’s where the locals go. Specifically:

• Couples who want to unplug—no party scene, more beaches and wine

• Families (the island is deeply considerate of children; there were playpens at baggage claim so parents could grab their luggage)

• Groups who want to cook, drink, and relax (rent a villa, hire a cook, don’t leave for three days)

• Anyone searching for an under-the-radar destination with a slow-travel philosophy

If you recognize yourself in this list keep reading. If you’re looking for nightlife and a DJ set by the pool, Ibiza might be more your speed.

Getting There

• The Flight—I flew Delta and had a brief layover in Barcelona. It’s worth spending a day in the city, but skip it guilt-free if you want to head to the beach immediately. The island is flanked by Ciutadella on one end, Maó on the other. We flew into Maó and worked our way across over six days.

• On The Island—Yes, you must rent a car. Avoid American car rental companies, the cars are always more expensive and lower quality. Go with Europcar and choose an automatic with A/C. I swear by this rule.

Where I Stayed

I discovered Menorca via a hotel in Portugal. Casa Mae in Lagos set my template for what a stay should feel like:

• 34 rooms or fewer

• A slow-living philosophy backed by an on-site farm or deeply local sourcing

• Laid-back luxury shaped by service that attends but doesn’t hover

• A design story informed by the terrain and local artisans

• On-property experiences that teach you something — yoga, a cooking class, a walk through the garden with the person who planted it

I used Casa Mae as a filter, prompting Claude to find me hotels across Europe that share its DNA. That’s how I landed on Son Blanc Farmhouse.

• Son Blanc Farmhouse—Down a narrow limestone road you’ll find a self-sustaining farmstead where luxury is measured in unhurried time. Cool air is pumped into your room from an underground volcanic cave. Breakfast is served Mezze-style straight from the fruits and vegetables grown on-site. With just 14 rooms, stay here to be tucked away and live out your farm life fantasies.

  
  Taste Profile: Agrarian | Quiet | Design-Forward This is for you if Casa Mae or Ett Hem are starred on your Google Maps.
  

• Vestige Son Vell—Down another narrow limestone road, you’ll find an extensive Spanish estate for those who want all the trappings of high-touch luxury: concierge service, multiple dining options, spacious rooms anchored by sprawling outdoor patios. Two pools and manicured grounds might tempt you to skip the beach entirely, but resist. The property offers bikes so you can cycle to a pristine sandbar that feels otherworldly.
  
  Taste Profile: Estate Living | High-Touch | Classic This is for you if you want the service of a grand hotel without the scale.

  Subscribe now

Two Places I’d Go Back For

• Es Bec D’Aguila—A private villa for up to 22 guests. I’d book this with friends & family. A dedicated cook prepares mediterranean meals straight from the farm on property. Concierge services handles babysitting, tennis lessons, boat rentals—you name it. The kind of trip where you don’t need to plan once you arrive.

• Torre Vella—The grown up cousin to Son Blanc. Same bucolic setting, but built around an old watchtower surrounded by acres of olive trees. It has a spa, part of the reason I’d spring for it, but retains a laid-back bohemian feel.

The rest of this guide is for paid subscribers. Below the paywall you’ll find:

• The slow-food restaurant where the water alone is worth the reservation and why you’ll need your concierge to book it

• The Ciutadella spot where two brothers cook dishes I still can’t name, but can’t stop thinking about

• The vineyard dinner that looks like a Nancy Meyers set

• The red sand beach worth hike and why your hotel should pack you a beach lunch

• Three beloved Menorca “must-dos” I’m telling you to skip, including the €30 sunset cocktail

Read more

Welcome back!

We’re thinking about killing a section, but we want your permission first.

Media Diet, the link roundup at the bottom, has felt generic and we’d like to share a more fruitful POV. What should we replace it with? Tell us in the poll below or drop a comment. Share your honest thoughts.

Let’s get into it.

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

Seeing | Proof On Broadway—Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle star in this revival about a daughter of a mathematics professor who discovers a revelatory proof after her father’s death. Ayo is the undisputed star carrying the entire first act. It’s a must-see and worth the trek to midtown.

Consuming | Masa Tortilla Chips—These are the best tortilla chips. Good enough for indulging without dip. They’re cooked in grass-fed tallow leading to the ideal ratio of salty yet crisp. Keep these to yourself, they’re too good for sharing.

On The Way Out | Typing Long Texts—I (Dominique) had a friend who sent me 7 texts in a row last week; it was a small novella. While I don’t mind reading them I can’t always respond in the same capacity. I love a good ole fashion phone call, but when that feels out of reach I spring for a lengthy voice note or talk-to-text.

Unearthing | Monthly Ice Cream Delivery—With a Chase Sapphire card, you get $10 of monthly credit on non-restaurant orders. We’ve never known what to do with it, but we’ve found the unlock: once a month, place an order for Phish Food (or whatever your fave flavor is) and stock up your freezer. Who doesn’t love free ice cream?

Trying | Nudient Phone Case—I (Lexi) am a recovering phone case fanatic. Gone are the days where my case matches my outfit—it’s bad for the environment, my wallet, and quite frankly, my nails. So when I came across this beautiful case in the perfect greige color, I had to snag it. Luckily, it’s currently 20% off.

📍 Recents

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

We’re baaaack! And not just with a debrief. Finally, after a long six months, we’ve reunited IRL. We aren’t taking our time together for granted. We hope you spend some time filling up your cup with loved ones this weekend.

In case you missed it, the debrief is getting shorter. Instead, we’ve introduced a new vertical: Spotlights. Catch up on our first installment below.

In today’s debrief: we’re sharing our tried-and-true cleansing routine, a decadent perfume oil from Flamingo Estate, and the new reservations-only hidden bar in Bed Stuy.

Let’s get into it.

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

Seeing | The Drama—We need you to see this movie because we need people to talk about it with. A seeming romantic comedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson comes from A24 (so you know it’s good) and has the most mind-boggling twist we’ve seen in cinema in ages. It’s a film about secrets and morals and makes you question who really is the villain.

Consuming | Sweet Rehab—After visiting The Met, a friend introduced me (Dominique) to this Parisian patisserie where the dessert tastes as good as it looks. I devoured a dark chocolate eclair and picked up a honeycomb pistachio mille feuille for a dinner party. Anything you order the pastry chef makes in real time. Oh, and if you have a sweet tooth, they’re open until midnight.

On The Way Out | 30-Second Face Wash—We used to rush through cleansing, but slowing down to a full two minutes changed everything. When using Tatcha’s Rice Powder (or Vanicream Face Wash, a tried-and-true) our skin actually glows, products absorb more deeply, and we can tell we’re hydrated from the inside out rather than just cleansed on the surface. It’s the one step worth being precious about.

Unearthing | Probiotics—Supplements can be tricky, but there are a few we trust. Probiotics have made a return to our routines. Seed for Dominique, and Pink Stork’s Lactation Probiotic for Lexi. We forgot how effective they are at removing bloat and rebalancing the gut.

Trying | Prinsesstårta Perfume Oil—I (Lexi) got my hands on this perfume oil at the Flamingo Estate x Living With Ivey pop-up in Palm Beach. At first sniff, you’re hit with sweetness on the nose, but subtle layering weaves in earthy Oakmoss, creamy Heliotrope Flowers, and a musky Amber. It’s the kind of scent that reminds you of being curled up on your couch with a cup of cinnamon spiced tea watching the Great British Bake Off, and you don’t want to leave.

😎 Media Diet

The cultural news we’re reading this week.

Food & Drink

• There is a new reservations-only hidden bar in Bed Stuy tucked in a residential building.

• Tastemaker Abena Anim-Somuah put us onto Dean’s, an ode to the British pub.

Arts & Entertainment

• After a 4-year hiatus, Euphoria returns Sunday.

Fashion & Beauty

• Anna Wintour making her Vogue cover debut alongside Meryl Streep feels oh so wrong and yet so right.

• WSJ dragged Emma Grede for being a three-hour mom, we disagree.

Travel

• Turning you on to sudoku packing, you’re welcome.

• United will now let you lay flat in economy.

• Here is a TSA wait time tracker ahead of your summer travels.

Design & Brand Moves

• Amazon opened a bookstore with no books.

• Bink, our preferred water bottle, debuted an insulated option for those who like it hot or icy.

• A Forma Pilates retreat in Hawaii… yeah we can fit that in the schedule.

📍 Recents

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

Blue Nomad landed in our inbox and invited us for a complimentary facial at their skin health studio in yes, you guessed it… NoMad.

Before, sharing our firsthand review we must say we don’t recommend everything that comes our way. We test it and dive into the backstory. Some make the cut and some don’t.

Today’s Spotlight: comes from Dominique’s POV as Lexi was unfortunately out of town, but she’ll experience the greatness of Blue Nomad soon enough.

Let’s get into it.

My facial at Blue Nomad took my breath away and left me poreless.

Esthetician and founder, Onyedikachi Achilike, realized my glass skin dreams with a hydrating facial including red light therapy and the kind of girl talk that made me wonder if she was my sister in another lifetime.

The jewel box of a studio is grounded by blues, greens, and volcanic cantera stone. It’s refreshing in a world where wellness spaces are usually bright white and wood filled.

What makes it special isn’t just the boutique feel, but the curation of under the radar skincare products you’d never find at Sephora. You also won’t find Biologique Recherché here either.

Onyedikachi travels far and wide to source brands like the Amoln 1945 candle she was burning upon my arrival and the Woods Lip Repair she applied as the final touch to my facial.

Subscribe now

Other products she shared and I’m currently rotating through include:

• Lesse Ritual Serum—an organic botanical Vitamin C serum designed for barrier repair, and calming inflammation. I’m swapping my Skinceuticals Vitamin C with this.

• Arami Glow Oil in the scent Oud of Eden—a face and body oil focused on targeting dryness, hyperpigmentation, and stretch marks. It smells so good, my husband asked if we could just cuddle the rest of the day.

What Onyedikachi is building sits at the edge of a bigger shift happening in wellness. For too long, the industry has sold aspiration dressed up as efficacy, charging hundreds of dollars for ingredients that cost pennies.

We sat down with Onyedikachi to learn more.

WS: Walk us through how you decide whether a brand makes it into Blue Nomad. What does a product have to prove to you?

I always come back to three things: formulation integrity, story, and authorship.

• Formulation Integrity—the formulation needs to feel thoughtful rather than trend-driven. I tend to prefer brands that formulate in-house rather than outsource, as they maintain greater control over quality and product vision.

• Story—I’m drawn to brands that carry real cultural or personal depth rather than narratives constructed purely for marketing. People connect to honesty.

• Authorship and possibly most important—I’m drawn to founder-led brands where the creator remains closely connected to the work itself. The most interesting brands often come from someone who had a profound personal experience that compelled them to build something meaningful, not just fill a market gap.

WS: You’ve said the wellness industry is missing the mark on who it’s for. What does a more globally inspired version of wellness actually look like in practice?

Most cultures already had sophisticated wellness systems long before the word wellness existed. They just weren’t packaged, branded, or written about, so they didn’t register. A more globally inspired version of wellness doesn’t invent anything new. It simply pays attention to what already exists and takes it seriously on its own terms.

In practice that looks like daily rituals, small consistent acts drawn from anywhere and everywhere that bring you back to yourself.

The point isn’t to replace one narrow definition with another. It’s to expand what we recognize as wellness in the first place, so people can design something that actually fits their life.

WS: You studied biology, worked as a VC investor and cross-continent business builder, all while being a skin therapist. What did that shift teach you that investing never could?

I don’t think there was ever a dramatic pivot. I’ve mostly followed curiosity and steered away from things I no longer enjoyed. It wasn’t always straightforward, but curiosity has been a reliable compass.

What practicing as a skin therapist taught me was how to actually see people. Investing often happens at a distance, through data and projections. It’s very top-down, and you can wait seven to ten years to find out if your work even mattered, and even then your role in the outcome is never entirely clear.

Subscribe now

Working hands-on with clients removes all of that abstraction. You see how people actually live, how stress shows up physically, and how environment, routine, and emotion manifest through the skin, the body’s largest organ. The feedback loop is immediate, and the impact is real.

Transformation rarely comes from a single breakthrough product; it comes from consistency, trust, and care over time.

Book a treatment with Blue Nomad and be sure to follow them on Instagram.

Know a brand worth spotlighting or want to be featured? Enlighten us here. 💌

The Debrief is shorter today and moving forward.
You’ll notice we removed the In The Spotlight section where we feature small businesses and services catching our eye.

Wait, why though?
This section was always intended to be short, but we struggled to balance substance and brevity.

Our solution is to spin off In The Spotlight into a separate email which you’ll receive on Wednesdays twice a month. This will allow us to bring you more depth and also keep The Debrief short as it was always intended.

From time to time, we’ll have an In The Spotlight feature in the debrief, but ONLY if we can keep it brief.

It’s easier on the eyes.
We know by Friday we’re all a bit tired and glazed over, so we want to make this newsletter feel skimmable and digestible.

Let’s get into it…

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

Seeing | Lost Lambs—If you’d like to be charmed by witty prose and catch yourself giggling, then feast your eyes on this family saga. Centered on the dysfunctional Flynn Family, their open marriage spirals into chaos as their daughters navigate their own issues, while the youngest uncovers a sinister conspiracy involving a local billionaire. The audiobook also makes for a pleasurable listen.

Consuming | Lexington Bakes Cookies—These award-winning cookies are the perfect grab and go treat when you’re craving something sweet. They may be packaged, but they’re made from real ingredients. Choc Chip No. 5 is our fave: buttery, salty-sweet, and pairs perfectly with an espresso or ice cream.

On The Way Out | Standing in Lines—A pandemic hangover that’s become the status quo. Few places warrant a line if it’s not a concert venue or mass transit hub. Everlane is not worthy of a line, nor is anywhere with a baked good. Lines scream over-popularity. We’d much rather frequent venues that require a referral or a flight of stairs. That’s where the good stuff is.

Unearthing | The Hotel Bathroom Trick—When you’re stranded in NYC, desperate for a bathroom, skip the Starbucks. Instead, walk into any hotel that’s $300+/night. You’ll find genuine hospitality and a spotless bathroom, no questions asked. Some of our favorite WC oases include The Fifth Avenue Hotel and The Arlo.

Trying | Fulton Slippers & Insoles—Dominique here. I’m exploring the sexy world of orthotics to improve my posture and lower back pain. (This is what being in your 30s looks like.) I discovered Fulton at a pop-up event years ago and remembered their cork-based cushion molds to your foot providing better support than Dr. Scholls. I am waiting for their insoles and slippers to arrive. Here’s to ballet-level posture.

😎 Media Diet

The cultural news we’re reading this week.

Food & Drink

• Dorsia is a members-only platform with access to coveted reservations at the most in-demand restaurants—you just need to fork over $5k.

Arts & Entertainment

• The proliferation of the lip-filler accent.

• Jay-Z continues to artfully control the narrative getting his friends to talk him up.

• What’s between a cocktail party and a dinner party: meet the apéritif dînatoire.

Fashion & Beauty

• This April Fool’s really got us!

• Staying invisible costs more than being cringe.

Travel

• A traditional Japanese Ryokan is coming to upstate NY in 2028.

• Would you pay for an international trip that only last 24-72 hours?

Design & Brand Moves

• Kelly Wearstler's collab with H&M (she's the designer behind The Proper Hotels) is an immediate add to cart.

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

Rachel is the epitome of a multi-hyphenate creative.

She turned a rainy Yosemite weekend puzzle obsession into a multimillion-dollar business—hello Piecework, her “colorful, creative playpen for ideas” then circled back to her first love of fiction to publish Lady Tremaine, a breathtaking reimagining of Cinderella, as told through the eyes of its iconic “evil” stepmother. It’s also a New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club's pick of the month.

She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her two daughters, a very fluffy cat, and a husband who is extremely outnumbered.

In our Q&A, we unpack:

• Rachel’s taste shaped by maximalist aesthetics and hyper-saturation

• The Piecework origin story and the visual language behind its iconic look

• How motherhood became the unlikely muse behind her debut novel

👀 S.C.O.U.T—Rachel’s Take

Seeing | The Rest is History—I’ve been listening to this podcast, created by historians Tom Holland (not the actor) & Dominic Sandbrook. They have informal and often hilarious chats about just about everything—ranging from the fall of the Incas to Joan of Arc to Jack the Ripper. It’s a delightfully entertaining way to learn about things I previously knew very little about.

Consuming | Manuela—I just had their biscuits and thought I had died and gone to butter heaven. On a more healthy-to-consume-on-a-daily-basis note, I also recommend Trader Joe’s protein pancakes. If you, like everyone else, are repeatedly instructed to eat more protein, they are an easy, delicious way to do just that. Find them in the egg case.

On The Way Out | Being Fashionably Late—I like to be on time and I like it when other people are too. All of this is in service of going to bed as early as possible, my ultimate luxury. That said, at a minimum, please allow me to come to your dinner party at the exact moment—on the dot, really—you invited me.

Unearthing | Alone Time—I have one lovely husband, two young kids, a cat that thinks she’s a dog, two businesses, countless wonderful friendships and, I recently realized, almost no time by myself.

I’ve started engineering moments where I can be alone in my own house. (It feels like a deep breath.) Alternatively, I’ll try to wind down at the end of the night working on a puzzle alone, maybe with a show on and a mini glass of wine.

Trying | Something New—I am always so attracted to trying something new. I just attempted a bootleg at home upholstery project. I picked up an advanced copy of Into the Blue, with no context and was totally drawn in. I’m determined to sign up for beginner—extremely beginner, think baby—tennis lessons this summer.

Subscribe now

❤️‍🔥 In The Spotlight with Rachel Hochhauser

How do you describe your taste in three words?

Collected. Expressive. Textured.

Subscribe now

What are some of your personal signatures, the details that make you distinctly you?

I don’t think my style lives in just one camp. I tend to think more in terms of worlds and atmosphere, and those can shift depending on the circumstance.

Bold pops of color are a constant—I wear this red Nikki Chasin sweater all the time. I love a bright shoe—cobalt blue, chartreuse, something almost alarmingly yellow.

A considered shoe—I like to buy less and then when I do get something I will wear it to the ground. I’ve nearly worn the soles off a pair of Nomasei boots, and for my book tour—a celebratory splurge—I bought a pair of Margiela tabi pumps. They’re shockingly comfortable.

Clashing patterns—I enjoy putting things together that technically shouldn’t work and making them work anyway. I’ve been known to wear plaid with plaid. There’s a Rachel Comey piece I have my eye on but haven’t found reason to justify.

Piecework has a maximalist, hyper-saturated aesthetic who inspires the visual language and how do you decide what makes something “Piecework”?

The Piecework “look” was really important to us from the very beginning. When we launched in 2019, we were still in a moment when a very minimalist, modern aesthetic dominated most brands.

I was itching to go in the other direction. I wanted to do something classic and timeless, but also a little continental. Think an eccentric, glamorous elder relative.

We had mood boards and muses like Iris Apfel, Tom Wolfe, and Diane Keaton, and we were very clear about the voice and vision for the brand’s aesthetic.

Now the brand feels like a living, breathing thing—a personality, if you will—and it’s fairly easy for us to know when something is a good fit.

Your debut novel Lady Tremaine reframes Cinderella’s “wicked stepmother” as a complex woman protecting her daughters. Why tell Cinderella’s story through the stepmother’s eyes?

In a particularly challenging season of my own parenting journey, I came across a depiction of Cinderella’s evil stepmother. At that precise moment in time, I really felt like I was holding our family together with spit and bubblegum.

I suddenly saw the stepmother character in a new light: she wasn’t a traditional villain, motivated by harm or self-interest. She was a mother, looking out for her children.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Within months, I had started working on the book.

Your novel explores how women are villainized for protecting their own. What do you hope readers reconsider after reading Lady Tremaine?

There’s an inherent tension at the heart of Cinderella: women are told exactly how to be good mothers. And yet, in doing precisely what is required of her—devoting herself to her own children—Lady Tremaine is cast as the villain.

The story offers a useful lens for examining the competing, and often contradictory, expectations placed on women. The standards imposed on mothers in particular are nearly impossible to reconcile, and I think it’s worth taking a more critical look at how those judgments are formed.

You’re a puzzle entrepreneur, a debut novelist, and a mother of two. Do you view these as separate creative pursuits or do they inform each other?

They’re all impossibly intertwined.

On the most basic level, they all contribute to who I am, so it’s hard to separate them. But they also inform one another in more creative ways.

I’m a mother, and my book is very much about motherhood. My puzzles often have names that sound like books, and they build little worlds the way a novel does. And when I’m working on a story, I often think about it as assembling pieces and slowly revealing the bigger picture.

Subscribe now

What’s the last tab open in your browser right now?

I laugh at the idea of “last tab.” I easily have about 40 tabs open at any given moment. A smattering right now:

A New Yorker article about fairytales.
A number of sconces I am considering for my bathroom.
A draft post for my baby Substack, Great Fanfare.

Do you have any controversial hot takes of the moment?

I enjoyed the 2026 Wuthering Heights movie more than the 1847 book.

The book is layered and complicated and heart-wrenching and upsetting, while the movie was a visual feast. I think in 2026, given everything happening in the world, I need a lot more feasts and a lot less heartbreak.

And lastly, who is your favorite tastemaker?

My grandmother. She’s eccentric and an artist and is unabashedly, even at 97, willing to stand out.

To keep up with Rachel, be sure to follow her on Instagram.

Know a tastemaker worth spotlighting or want to be featured yourself? Enlighten us here. 💌

Getting right to it…

In today’s debrief we chatted with the founder of Old Friend Photobooth. We also have the scoop on a cheese warehouse sale in Bushwick and why you should be adding “French Pharmacy” to your Google searches.

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

Seeing | This is TASTE: Flynn McGarry—We just listened to this podcast about the 27-year-old chef behind Cove and Gem Home. He’s been cooking seriously since he was nine and landed on the cover of NYT Magazine before he could drive. The conversation about growing up entirely in public and how that shapes his cooking is fascinating.

Consuming | Cheese Warehouse Sale—We’ve got the plug on a cheese dealer in Bushwick selling cheese out of their warehouse. You can sample all you’d like and be sure to stock up, all cheese is priced to sell at $25/lb. Wine from Irving Bottle is included with your tasting. Next one’s April 18, 11am-4pm. Mark your calendar.

On The Way Out | 5AM Wakeups—It’s a glorification not worth chasing. Great sleep hygiene is the real prize, and yes, I’m (Dominique) actively working on it. Even though my bedtime varies somewhere between 10pm and midnight I’m fetishizing 8+ hours of sleep and a consistent schedule because when it does happen, I’m genuinely a better, happier human.

Unearthing | Shop The French Pharmacy—I (Lexi) have been on the hunt for a body moisturizer with SPF but with certain parameters: clean ingredients, not sticky or oily, and doesn’t smell like ‘vacation in a bottle’. The brief was clear and yet, every Google search came up short. I asked Dominique her thoughts: if you add ‘French pharmacy’ at the end of your Google search when looking for skincare products, you get better recommendations than just popular IG skincare nonsense. And voilà, my new sunscreen has been ordered.

Trying | Baby Knot Earrings—Heaven Mayhem is new to us, even though it’s been all over influencer circles. Their knot earrings come in various sizes from micro to double XL. We sprung for the baby size and they’re an ideal everyday earring, more elevated than a classic stud, but subtle enough to wear on repeat.

In The Spotlight—Old Friend Photobooth

A year ago, we needed a way to document our lifelong friendship for We Scouted. A quick search led us to Old Friend Photobooth, a 1970s analog booth on the Lower East Side run by Zoe and Brandon.

We loved the idea of two old friends using an old photobooth to mark something new. But what really stuck with us was the story behind it. Zoe and Brandon fell in love with analog photobooths while traveling the world, and kept coming back to the question, “Why was this not an option in New York City, of all places, the birthplace of the photobooth?”

A brief Q&A with the founders:

How did you find your first booth and what condition was it in? We found it via our now friends operating Photobooth.net. Tim sold us his last photobooth in St. Louis Missouri. It was in great condition. We drove and picked up our first photobooth!

Why Allen & Berry street? When the idea fell into us, we instantly asked where should this first be? And it was the Lower East Side without a question. Our love for photography and art and the culture of NYC is very prominent there. Williamsburg made such a sweet next home for Old Friend.

What kinds of people show up to use the booth? Anyone and everyone! The concept of having our booth street accessible is so that any singular person can stop by to use it. We wanted it to be accessible with our restrictions on age limits, hours, or business operations. It’s for YOU!

What’s the most memorable thing you’ve witnessed happen in or around the booth? We get so many people celebrating moments of all sorts! There is never a dull story on why someone is visiting Old Friend. However, the other day we met a couple that came to Old Friend with their divorce papers to document that moment. It really put into perspective how life can take so many different turns, and anything could be meaningful to somebody to document it.

What’s next for Old Friend? We have some really fun and different ideas in the works right now. Without sharing too much we do plan on placing a few more booths (fingers crossed) this year throughout the city and Brooklyn. We are so excited to see what’s born next!

If you’re looking to test out Old Friend Photobooth for yourself, head to Allen or Berry St. To keep up with what’s next, follow Old Friend on IG.

😎 Media Diet

The cultural news we’re reading this week.

Food & Drink

• Tribeca grocery store, Meadow Lane, is more lucrative than you might imagine.

Arts & Entertainment

• Banksy’s identity has been revealed…

• We’re mystified by this stagecraft.

• Zendaya’s media training is top tier.

Fashion & Beauty

• ALD is coming for all the girls.

• Dr. Barbara Sturm’s anti-aging recipe: no retinol, lots of sunlight.

Travel

• The legendary founder of Aman debuts Azuma Farm.

Design & Brand Moves

• Inspiration for those not allergic to color and layers of print.

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

Welcome back! We hope you enjoyed a taste of feral spring in NYC. We’re in for another temperature dip before we can fully embrace sidewalk café culture, but we’re almost through. For those of you in warmer climates, never forget how good you’ve got it.

In today’s debrief we’re sharing our POV on Momofuku’s new Caribbean hotspot, the robe we’ve been living in, and the perks of working with a travel advisor.

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

Seeing | Drops of God—The long-awaited second season of this hit AppleTV show is finally here. The plot follows two sommeliers in a high-stakes, international competition to inherit a legendary, multi-million dollar wine collection. If you liked Succession and Queen’s Gambit, this one is for you.

Consuming | Kabawa—We finally scored a res at Momofuku’s newest Caribbean hotspot. Here, Caribbean cuisine gets the fine dining treatment and it tastes home-cooked but elevated. As if your auntie made time for culinary school. The $145 prix-fixe menu doesn’t feel far from its origins (legumes, curry goat, and jerk duck sausage). Every course comes with additional accoutrements so arrive on the edge of hangry and leave room for a post-dinner walk.

On The Way Out | Saving Everything To Read Later—We have this preconceived notion there will be time and expansiveness "later”—that we'll want to read that newsletter, respond to that text, dive into that design inspo. But later, we're usually just as tired. So we're practicing applying a new filter: do I have 5 minutes now? If yes, we do it. If not, we let it go. What matters comes back around.

Unearthing | Here’s Where To Spend Your $150 CSR Dining Credit—No more hiding away, curled up in our apartments, ordering the same Thai takeout on Doordash. This completely underrated list (that should be behind a paywall but isn’t) must be your go-to if you’re a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder living in NYC. We’re privy to Ci Siamo.

Trying | Hommey Robe—I (Dominique) am not one to lounge in a robe, but this changed my mind. It arrived as a holiday gift from a client, easily the best swag I've ever received. It's 100% cotton, fits perfectly (not too long or too short), and mine is personalized with my name on the collar. Doesn't stop my husband from stealing it though.

❤️‍🔥 In The Spotlight—Travel Advisor, Julien Advaney

The people, places, and things we’ve got our eye on.

About a year ago, my husband Julien and I (Lexi) escaped the tundra of NYC to Anguilla for a long weekend. The mission was simple: find a humid ocean breeze, good food, and time to both disconnect and reconnect.

Julien is incapable of not finding the best deal. He has Google Alerts for airfare, is constantly scrolling to find the best points redemption, and has virtually made it his life mission to find the nicest hotel at a reasonable cost.

So naturally, one research rabbit hole led to another and he landed on r/FATTravel: a subreddit for people who spend excessive amounts on travel, run by a team of travel advisors. We worked with one of the advisors for our trip and arrived to a double upgrade, free breakfast, and a chilled bottle of wine in the room. Julien was so fired up he decided to join the team of travel advisors himself.

Q: When is the right time to use a travel advisor?

A: Literally, any time you’re traveling. I’ve helped clients who know exactly where they want to go and just want perks added and have planned everything from one-night staycations in cities to three-week long Thai honeymoons.

Q: Do travel advisors always make sense?

A: Yes, it’s a win-win situation for you. If all goes right, you get some extra perks and have a great hotel recommendation that fits all your needs. If something goes wrong, you have someone who has a direct line to the management team at the hotel and has the sway to get it sorted.

Q: Why book through you instead of someone else?

A: Our team has spent years traveling to these properties and cultivating relationships with hoteliers. Hospitality is a world where connections truly matter allowing us to pull significant strings for our clients. We also understand that luxury is extremely personal. We’re not automating anything; there’s still a human touch. So when you say you care about great food and a nice gym, we hear you and will point you in the right direction rather than just suggesting the same hotel as everyone else.

Q: Are travel advisors expensive?

A: Some are, but my team is not. We operate on a no-fee model (transparently, the hotels pay us). It’s a way for you to get free VIP perks, like upgrades, breakfast credit, & more at hotels that offer them.

Q: Can we try it out on a booking we already have?

A: Yes! We can almost always add perks to existing bookings as long as they were made directly with the hotel. This is one of the easiest ways to try working with us and see if it adds value to you. All it takes is forwarding your confirmation email along and I’ll do my very best to add perks for you.

If you’re looking to book a trip, forward a confirmation, or just have questions, you can find Julien Advaney at julien@sarahwlee.com or on IG.

😎 Media Diet

The cultural news we’re reading this week.

Food & Drink

• Noma needs both HR & PR.

Arts & Entertainment

• The Broadway classic, Cats is getting a Harlem Ballroom Makeover. Previews begin next week.

• Movies we’d watch before the Oscars this weekend: Sinners, One Battle After Another, Bugonia.

• ACOTAR fans unite: we’re getting two more books.

• Recommending this as your next book club read.

Fashion & Beauty

• A breakdown of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s capsule wardrobe and how to replicate.

• The Chanel show at PFW was the jewel of the season, but the real action was off the runway.

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

Welcome back!

Spring is sticking her leg out this weekend. Plan accordingly.

In today’s debrief: we’re sharing the rideshare hack hiding in plain sight, how to think like an economist without the math, and Founder, Claire Chan’s approach to curating The Elk Café and Mr. Melo Bar.

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

Seeing | An Evening with NPR’s Planet Money and Emily Oster—I (Lexi) am an obsessive researcher, but don’t love unpacking statistics. Emily Oster, an economics professor, analyzes complex data so you can make better life (and parenting) decisions. She’s coming to the 92Y to chat with NPR’s Planet Money about how thinking like an economist can help you all across the board. If you’re around, don’t miss this.

Consuming | Almave, Non-Alcoholic Tequila—We had friends visiting this weekend who aren’t drinking, but we wanted to make margaritas. We recently discovered Lewis Hamilton’s non-alcoholic tequila, so we put it to the test with this margarita recipe. It’s the perfect blend of sweet, acidic, and herbaceous.

On The Way Out | Solely Working From Home—Working from home has its perks, especially in the winter, but it can also mean we’re not as creative or inspired. To mix things up we like to head to our favorite spots: for Lexi, that’s Mane Coffee in Boca, and for Dominique that’s The Malin.

Unearthing | Obi—This comparative rideshare app popped up in the group chat. The prices between Uber and Lyft can be so variable. The real hack is knowing when to choose one over the other. Obi provides real-time pricing of all major rideshares worldwide. So you can go global with it.

Trying | Dina Travel Tote Bag—12 weeks post-baby, and I (Lexi) am turning my eyes back to travel. I needed a new personal item, so I took it to our chat. Tastemaker Rachel Roth recommended this tote, which I’ve already taken for a spin as my work bag. Initial thoughts: lightweight, roomy, & obsessed.

Subscribe now

❤️‍🔥 In The Spotlight—The Elk & Mr. Melo Bar

The people, places, and things we’ve got our eye on.

On a Saturday morning, you’ll find a line outside the door at The Elk on Charles Street, with people queueing for a crisp iced matcha and a healthy breakfast burrito. It’s got your neighborhood charm and maintains superior quality.

Before opening The Elk and Mr. Melo Bar, Claire Chan spent years in fashion. The lesson she carried over: edit ruthlessly and stay true to your POV.

It’s the filter that shapes everything: the lighting, the materials, the music volume, how a drink is handed across the bar and it’s why guests feel enveloped in the space. Claire calls it emotional design. Yes, the product matters, but the energy you transmit matters more.

When adding a new product to the meticulously curated shop at the Elk or considering a new cocktail at Mr. Melo, Claire follows a simple framework:

• Would we personally use it or order it?

• Do we genuinely believe in it enough to stand behind it?

• Would it resonate with our customer?

• Do we feel connected to the brand or product values?

It’s a framework you can leverage to be more ruthless about curating your own life.

“I say no to things like expanding too quickly and opportunities that don’t feel aligned or authentic,” she explains. “There’s always pressure to add more. It’s important to find clarity in all of it.” This results in spaces that feel intentional without being precious.

Let The Elk and Mr. Melo bookend your Saturday: start with breakfast and end with a nightcap.

You can find The Elk on Charles St and Mott St, open as early as 8 AM. Mr. Melo opens at 5 PM on Withers St. To keep up with Claire, follow her on IG.

😎 Media Diet

The cultural news we’re reading this week.

Food & Drink

• Philly’s Double Knot lands in NYC with a Japanese tapas-inspired multiplex.

Arts & Entertainment

• The live concert to Netflix pipeline is getting shorter and shorter.

Fashion & Beauty

• Revolve enters its private label era.

• Miss Sixty reemerges with Y2K nostalgia and Bella Hadid at the helm.

• Kith and OnRunning get in bed together. But is this a good thing?

Travel, Design, & Brand Moves

• 27-year-olds are bringing back 90s bedrooms, boomboxes et al.

• Designer camp gear at the Moma Design Store, we’ll take it.

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

Tomorrow marks 1 year since beginning We Scouted. What an occasion to celebrate.

4 years ago, we talked about starting a wellness brand. 3 years ago, we explored the idea of an event planning business. Last year, we thought we might go into hospitality.

This newsletter challenged us to commit to consistency.

Here we are: 58 issues later.

What started out as a weekly list of recommendations pulled from our DMs has expanded to food & travel guides, tastemaker interviews, and spotlighting small businesses who embrace artful living.

No debrief today, instead let’s take a trip down memory lane:

• This debrief got the most love.

• This is the tastemaker you couldn’t get enough of.

• This is your favorite guide.

• This is the item you shopped most.

• This is the most popular link from last week.

  Subscribe now

Here are three things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

Welcome back!

Can we take a minute to sound like YouTubers? If you’re a fan of We Scouted don’t forget to hit the heart button on our weekly newsletters. It allows them to travel further in the Substack universe.

In today’s debrief: we’re sharing what’s in our analog bag, the french toast we’d book a flight for, and our conversation with the co-founders of NYC’s newest bathing club.

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

Seeing | Shrinking—This is our comfort show. It’s capable of making us smile, laugh, and cry all in one sitting. On the surface it might be a story about therapy, but when you dig deeper it reveals how family is shaped by friendship. It also might leave you wondering why it never rains in Pasadena.

Consuming | Destroyer—We wish this cafe was in NY, but for now it serves the most unexpected breakfast and lunch out of an office park in Culver City, LA. French toast might be on the menu, but what arrives is custard-like sourdough infused with persimmon accompanied by papaya jam and vanilla-tonka maple syrup. See why we’re craving this all the way from NYC?

On The Way Out | Doomscrolling—To avoid getting lost in our phones, we tap into a toolbox of items to keep us creatively engaged. Our analog bag includes the latest issue of New York Magazine, a disposable camera, and playing cards.

Unearthing | Travel Toiletry Duplicates—Peeking into how others pack is a favorite rabbit hole of mine (Lexi). Yolo Journal’s Dopp Kit Diaries reminded me of my best travel hack: buy doubles of your favorite toiletries. No more fiddling with caps and bottles trying to decant your beauty products. Just grab your pre-packed kit and go.

Trying | Paume Hand Mask—Constant hand-washing and dry air is aging my hands (Dominique) in real-time. I’ve adopted a hand routine as serious as my face routine. Before bed I apply cuticle oil, this hand mask, and I’m adding overnight hydration gloves to the mix.

Subscribe now

❤️‍🔥 In The Spotlight—Lore

The people, places, and things we’ve got our eye on.

The hottest place to hang out without your phone is Lore.

A new NYC bathing club is eyeing a spot on your weekly calendar. Science says sauna and cold water immersion two or more times a week will help you live longer, but longevity feels secondary here.

“One of the most powerful elements is simply having 75 minutes without a phone,” says co-founder James O’Reilly. “Whether you’re alone or with someone else, that absence of distraction changes the quality of the experience.”

It’s not a spa. The membership model makes frequent visits realistic. “It’s less about escape and more about integration,” co-founder Adam Elzer explains. The hope is Lore becomes equivalent to attending book club or run club.

The Nordic-inspired space supports two modes: come alone to disconnect or bring a friend to decompress without distraction.

“Time without a phone, especially with a friend, becomes rare and meaningful,”James says. “It’s a different kind of presence than most places offer.”

There is no wellness theater here—no one spewing posi-vibes, while waving a towel.

“We encourage people to follow feeling rather than the clock. Maybe today it’s just putting your feet in the cold. Maybe it’s 30 seconds. Removing performance and expectation takes the pressure off.”

If you’re looking for somewhere to be on permanent DND. We’ve found the spot.

Lore is currently in soft opening at 676 Broadway in NoHo. Mon–Fri: 3:30–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 11 AM–7 PM. Book at lorebathingclub.com

😎 Media Diet

The cultural news we’re reading this week.

Food & Drink

• Ambassador Clubhouse feels like the destination for power lunches & dinners.

• The follow-up to Ha’s Snack Bar is even more delicious.

Arts & Entertainment

• Goodreads is finally creating a Did Not Finish shelf.

• Robert Pattinson & Zendaya give their first interview about making The Drama and it’s dizzying and deeply endearing.

Fashion & Beauty

• Tyra, I blame everyone but me, Banks.

• This is how a power couple lines their pockets: Rhode x Coachella x Skylrk

• Chloe Malle’s newsletter destroys Vogue’s aspirational mystique.

• Reformation makes Lauren Wasser, divorce lawyer to the stars, the face of their latest campaign.

Travel, Design, & Brand Moves

• Six Senses is laying down roots in the Hudson Valley.

• Six Bells Countryside Inn doubles down on their storybook spirit with Murder-Mystery weekends.

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

Welcome back!

Earlier this week we dropped a piece on how to court your friends like lovers. When we treat romantic relationships as the main event, we downgrade every other kind of love. Message a friend “just because” this weekend.

In today’s debrief: why we need to stop making plans 6 weeks out, the all-weather sneaker we’re wearing on repeat, and a conversation with Garden Apartment, the Brooklyn plant curator who refuses to sell you a fiddle leaf fig.

Subscribe now

👀 S.C.O.U.T

We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.

Seeing | The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo—We tore through this Taylor Jenkins Reid romance novel in a weekend. It follows actress Evelyn Hugo, as she recounts her life story filled with scandal, forbidden love, and serious ambition. The kind of book where you look up and realize it’s 2am and you’ve read 200 pages. An ideal pick if you’re in a reading rut.

Consuming | Slowly Braised Short Rib Ragu—The weather is yet to thaw, so this recipe is sure to keep you warm while the winter drags on. It’s simple: delectably tender short ribs braised in veggies, fresh herbs, tomatoes, and red wine. Serve over fresh pappardelle with a glass of Bordeaux.

On The Way Out | Making Plans 6 Weeks Out—We’re single handedly killing spontaneity with our need to over-schedule. The other weekend, I (Dominique) smooshed two separate friend hangs into one impromptu tea party. It was low-pressure and reminiscent of the way we used to hangout in college. Leave room for serendipity.

Unearthing | The All Weather Sneaker—Chunky sneakers usually overwhelm our 5’1 frames, but the proportions work with wide-leg pants. The Salomon XT-6 GTX Sneaker strikes the balance: Gore-Tex means they survive New York slush without looking destroyed, and the silhouette is actually flattering. Comfortable enough for long walks, neutral enough to wear on repeat.

Trying | Curaprox Toothbrush—We discovered this Swiss made manual toothbrush through Yolo Journal’s Dopp Kit Diaries. It has the softest bristles (not traditional nylon) and has been dentist-recommended for 40+ years.We refuse to add another device to our nightly charging routine. This is just a really good toothbrush.

Subscribe now

❤️‍🔥 In The Spotlight—Garden Apartment

The people, places, and things we’ve got our eye on.

Garden Apartment is an interior plant design studio for New Yorkers. It came onto our radar via We Scouted Tastemaker Rachel Roth. Founded by Briar Elyse, we were mesmerized by the way she pairs pot + plant and her refusal to sell plants that won’t thrive in your apartment.

What emerges from our conversation is a philosophy of curation over collection: start with your actual space, not the trendy plant; embrace wonky growth over Instagram perfection; and know what to refuse.

Tell us about Garden Apartment. Where did the idea stem from?

I opened a retail shop in 2015 in Bushwick: Other Times Vintage. I moved my houseplants there as decor, and people were more interested in the plants than the furniture. This sparked something, and we started sourcing interesting plants while teaching ourselves how to keep them alive.

Sourcing vintage furniture is like a treasure hunt, and I’ve treated sourcing plants the same: I go in person, sometimes quite far, and dig around in corners that often get overlooked.

The shop closed in 2024. I found a 550-square-foot space in Greenpoint and built it out to execute projects and display specimen plants for people who want to shop some curiosities.

What’s something you intentionally choose not to sell?

Through experience, I’ve learned what plants are difficult to keep alive in this city. For my own sake (and everyone else’s) I don’t sell them unless specifically requested. Certain ferns, calathea, ficus lyrata (fiddle leaf fig), and olive trees don’t want to be in our New York apartments. I can only do so much. Replicating the ecosystem of a forest floor is too much to ask.

We love the way you pair pot + plant. What do you look for in a successful pairing?

The intention comes after I bring everything back to Brooklyn. So much pruning goes into the final product—carnage, it’s like a crime scene.

I don’t know until I’m back at the studio playing with shapes and colors what the final match will be. I like warm tones and glazes that bring out a certain pink or mauve in a plant. I love terracotta and the subtle colors in natural earth pottery. It’s like the plants are meant to be potted back in the earth. The clay brings something out in them, and they bring something out in each other.

What does a Garden Apartment commission typically look like?

Residential projects are the most exciting because clients are drawn to my proclivity for freaks of nature and want to bring that into their homes. Sometimes I’m working with an interior designer, sometimes directly with a client sourcing statement plants.

We work on commercial projects too, offices tend to be more lush and less eccentric, but I’m looking forward to curating an obscure corporate indoor jungle any day now. Rainforest Cafe Headquarters, hit me up!

What plant species are you most drawn to?

Geraniums. I don’t even sell them, but they’re like our family crest. I grew up in a 100-year-old Victorian house with red geranium wallpaper from the ‘50s in our kitchen. I have a piece hanging in my kitchen now.

My dry cleaner had a 40-year-old red geranium that was so old it turned woody like a tree. That’s aspirational. Dry cleaners have the best plants.

What’s next?

I’ll be in Florida at the end of February visiting growers. There’s a huge gap in the market for interesting plants in NYC. The nurseries here have been bringing the same boring inventory for 40+ years.

My job is getting fragile living things from point A to B, but you need a greenhouse to offer variety and scale. I’ve cultivated strong relationships with nursery owners over the past 10 years, so big things to come. Literally.

You can find Garden Apartment on @gardenapartment.nyc, or visit the studio by appointment. For design consultations or commissions, email briar@gardenapartment.nyc

😎 Media Diet

The cultural news we’re reading this week.

Food & Drink

• NY nightclubs are dying, but luxury grocery stores are thriving.

• Girl dinner meet boy kibble.

Arts & Entertainment

• Charli XCX is keeping her IMDb page updated—she’s dropping 3 films this year.

• Being Brick’d is becoming a status symbol.

Fashion & Beauty

• This 5-minute interview changed our thoughts on Chloe Malle.

• J.Crew is stepping on necks promoting their roll neck sweater remix.

• Kinn Studio’s NY Flagship opens this weekend.

• Kotn created a free hotel for creatives.

Design & Brand Moves

• Peeling back the page on Super Bowl Bad Bunny’s set design. Human bush et al.

Here are 3 things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌

We’re romantics, not in the chocolates and flowers sense.

Romantic in the way we love a handwritten card. Or when someone remembers one of our quirks, like a gluten sensitivity or preferring sparkling over still. Keeping our preferences top of mind shows you care in a way two dozen roses never could.

Somewhere along the way we narrowed romance to one category of relationship. We tethered it exclusively to dating, partnership, sex. In doing so, we forgot how naturally it extends to friendship and even to the relationship we cultivate with ourselves.

Friendship is one of the most romantic relationships we experience in a lifetime. It can be defined by longevity or a single life-altering season, by shared rituals or catastrophes.

Yet friendships are romantically overlooked. When we treat our romantic relationships as the main event we downgrade every other kind of love.

We should court our friends like lovers. Intimacy doesn’t have to be defined by grand gestures.

It’s the little things:

• Send the “just because” message—a voice note, a blurry photo from 2017, or a “thinking of you” text that doesn’t require a reply.

• Plan dates, not just hangouts—choose the restaurant or activity. Tell them what time to meet you. Take the mental load off the “where should we go” loop.

• Remember the small details— like the first day of their new job, their affection for Italian reds, or their need to order hot water with lemon at every restaurant.

• Write them letters—send handwritten cards in the mail for birthdays. This becomes more meaningful as we get older.

• Gift spontaneously—Pick up their favorite gummy bears from the candy store they like, get them a recipe book for their budding baking hobby.

• Mark anniversaries only you two care about—the day you started a newsletter together, the weekend you stayed up talking until 4am, the time you went to the Beyoncé concert.

• Show up in ways that cost you nothing—leave work early to catch their panel talk. Stand in the cold for the pop-up they’ve been dying to go to.

• Make your own rituals—a yearly trip, Sunday afternoon phone calls, a monthly dinner that doesn’t get canceled unless someone’s sick.

• Introduce them to people they’ll love—weave them into your world the way you would a partner. Invite them to meet other friends and introduce them to your colleagues.

• Listen without fixing—when they’re going through it, sit in the discomfort with them. Make the tea. Hear them out.

• Document them beautifully—take photos when they’re not posing. Save screenshots of their funniest texts.

• Remember their mom’s name—and instead of saying “how’s your mom?” ask about Val, ask about Daphne.

  Subscribe now

Here are three things you can do to support We Scouted:

1. Tell a dear friend about it.

2. Shop through our affiliate links.

3. Become a paid subscriber.

xx, Dominique and Lexi 💌