mindholiday: october edit

What to wear on a long-haul flight to maximize coziness, my favorite croissants in NYC, new buzzy restaurant openings, and a Chase points transfer bonus you should be aware of!!

Nov 02, 2024

Hello, and happy November! Welcome back to the the monthly MindHoliday edit, the corner of the internet where I share my newest finds and current favorites, places I’m dying to try, and travels I’ve booked.

October was an incredible month. Highlights included attending my best friend’s wedding in Charleston, walking several half marathons around the city in an attempt to find the best fall foliage (top spots were Prospect Park and The New York Botanical Garden, which has incredible branding and a great gift shop??), taking an edible and looking at impressionist paintings at the MET, and trick-or-treating with my son in our neighborhood, which is arguably the best neighborhood in Brooklyn to experience Halloween.

Today I’m chatting about my favorite croissants in New York, the PJs and not-so-PJs I wear on long haul flights, and how I didn’t pay a single cent to plan a trip to Miami for New Year’s Eve.

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SORBARA’S - My favorite vintage store in Williamsburg, Chickees, recently moved, expanded, and went through a name change! The new space is beautiful, with so many unbelievable vintage finds. I recently stopped in and got a mint condition Gucci top for less than $300!

Clemente Bar — Clemente Bar is the creative product of chef Daniel Humm and artist Francesco Clemente, situated above Eleven Madison Park in NYC. It combines Humm’s plant-based culinary expertise with Clemente’s vibrant art, making it an artistic and culinary fusion rather than a typical bar. The vibes here are A++, as are the mocktails and cocktails. Clemente’s art is breathtaking, the branding tickles my brain, and this is about to be the hottest ticket in town. I’ll be writing a Guest Check on this place soon.

Elbow Bread — This buzzy spot is finally open! Dying to try one of their sweet potato pretzel hugs. Can’t wait to see if the hype is real.

Chrissy’s Pizza — After plenty of successful popups around the city, Chrissy’s finally has a permanent location in Greenpoint. I want to go with a bunch of friends and split several pies (note: they don’t do slices).

Time and Tide — I’ve been hearing so much chatter about this spot recently… people have been absolutely yapping about the giant goldfish appetizer. I’m always extremely dubious about instagrammable menu items, but will be sampling soon for research purposes.

Xanadu — As a self-proclaimed club rat/dancing enthusiast, I’m currently on a mission to visit all of the house music dance venues in Brooklyn to crown a winner. I desperately want to boogie at Xanadu, which is a roller rink/dance club!

My favorite croissants in NYC

Over the past seven years of living here, finding the best croissants in NYC has been a personal mission of mine. These are some of my tried and true favorites from around the city!

The pain au chocolate at La Cabra in Soho
The za’atar croissant at Nick + Sons in Williamsburg (the best savory croissant I’ve tried)
The kataifi croissant at Thea in Fort Greene (this one is a regular croissant, twice baked, then split and filled with cream/topped with shredded phyllo, and it’s heavenly)
The classic croissant at Radio Bakery in Greenpoint

What I wear on long-haul flights

I have a tried and true method of getting dressed for long haul flights and red eyes. While I’ve always aimed for maximizing comfort, I recently decided to upgrade my flight wear so I don’t look like a massive slob when I land.

My guidelines for a long haul flight outfit:

Must be comfortable enough for sleeping in, whether it’s for 8 hours or 2 hours
Must have some layering component for hot/freezing plane situations so I can strip down or bundle as necessary
Must be composed of individual elements I’ll use on the trip so I don’t lug around extra stuff

Here are some of my most coveted long-haul items that have replaced my extremely baggy, stained sweats:

Barefoot dreams set - this cardigan, these pants, and this cami for when you want to be cute/coordinated/comfy and feel the kiss of angels against your skin
Beyond Yoga leggings and matching tank, which are buttery smooth and provide nice compression so ankles don’t swell
Rag & Bone sweatpant jeans, which I have managed to fool a handful of people with and have been wearing everywhere
This Free People crewneck for when I want to be absolutely enveloped in fabric
Freda Salvador loafers for a comfortable slide-on shoe that isn’t a sneaker (20% off rn through tomorrow!)
Rothy’s mary janes are perfect for traveling in and pack down to nothing in a suitcase
Cute colored compression socks to pair with loafers, flats, sneakers, etc

In Flight Entertainment

Here’s what I consumed on the tarmac and at 37,000 feet last month.

Reading

Bel Canto — a novel by Ann Patchett about an unexpected bond that forms between hostages and captors during a prolonged hostage situation at a South American vice president’s home, where a famous opera singer becomes the center of an unlikely community.

Listening

Inhale/Exhale, RUFUS DU SOL — This is getting me very excited for their world tour next year. I’ve seen them live three times, and they never disappoint. We grabbed tickets to their London show!
All My Fault, Swimming Paul — This is his debut album, which doesn’t have a single miss on it. Mark my words, he might be the next big thing!
Paradise, Purple Disco Machine — Their latest album, which makes me want to roller skate the night away, despite my weak ankles and inability to balance.

Watching

Am I OK? — a comedy-drama about a woman in her 30s (played by Dakota Johnson) who, while navigating her close friendship and love life, realizes she's queer and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.

Travel I’ve Booked

Miami EDITION - We’ve decided to jet down to Miami for a couple of days to spend NYE with friends. Through Nov 15, you can transfer Chase points to Marriott with a 50% bonus, so we got our room for free! Normally we don’t stay at Marriott properties, but Miami during NYE isn’t even close to being in the realm of affordability, so I’m happy we jumped on this. We thankfully booked flights on points too.

Belmond Maroma - This has been on my bucket list for awhile! I’m deep in the process of planning my first MindHoliday experiential event trip for friends/family/clients in Tulum, so we decided we’d go to Mexico a few days early to check out this spot.

1 Hotel Mayfair - Booked this for a client who will be spending the holidays in London with her family. I’ve heard great things, so I’m excited to hear all about her experience.

xx,

Bella Darden