Get Cultured — January 1, 2022 at 10:00 am

2021 Year in Review: My Favorites

Back in 2018, I started doing yearly recap posts of my favorite things of the year. Somehow I forgot to do it last year…or was it just that there wasn’t that much to even write about last year?? Anyway, without further ado, and because we can all use a silver lining these days, here are favorites of the year:

Favorite Manhattan with a Twist post of 2021: I can’t take credit for picking this, all credit goes to you wonderful readers! Our most clicked article this year was all about my love for Safe + Fair and some homemade recipes using my favorite granola.

Creative in the Kitchen with Safe + Fair Birthday Cake Granola

And since technically I wrote this piece in 2020, here’s our top post actually written in 2021:

Crackle Debuts Documentary After the Murder of Albert Lima

Favorite workout: If you follow me on Instagram (@ManhattanTwist), then you know I’m serious about working out. I have only recently begun venturing back into the world of gyms and for the most part work out from home and utilize YouTube workout videos to get my sweat on. My friend Nathalie occasionally does free Zoom pilates classes that I love. I also tried Rumble for the first time and loved it, and have gotten a few workouts in at Structure Personal Fitness – it feels great to lift heavy weights again. I also got to check out a new climbing gym in Harlem called The Cliffs and that was a really fun experience, as well.

Favorite travels: Obviously my travels were minimal this year due to the pandemic, but luckily I was able to do some of it, unlike last year. I take my safety, and others’, very seriously so I did mostly local road trips and didn’t leave the country at all. My first major trip (and first time flying) since the pandemic began was to New Orleans with some of my friends. I spent an entire week down there and had so much fun. You can search the hashtag #MWATinNoLa to see some posts from my trip, or check out the Nola highlights on my Instagram for more. As always, you can reach out to me for any questions or recommendations!

For work, I was also lucky to be able to travel to Cape Cod, Ithaca, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and went on a mini cruise to nowhere with Celebrity Cruises. The Four Seasons Philly was one of the most incredible hotels I’ve ever stayed in in my life, and the Celebrity Apex ship was to die for. If you are able to safely travel, they are worth it!

I can’t end this without mentioning one of my favorite getaways at the most charming place outside of Albany, New York called June Farms. I discovered it on AirBnB and went with a friend and had an incredible time. The owner was amazing and treated us to a lovely stay, complete with a tractor tour of the farm and all its amazing heritage breed animals, drinks by the fireplace, homemade pot pies, and the dreamiest cabin ever. I cannot wait to go back.

Favorite books: Sadly, this was a slow reading year for me. Between a worldwide pandemic, grad school, and real life, I just didn’t have the time or the brain power to do that much reading. That said, I did read a handful of great books. My favorites of the year included the funny and quirky novel The Pisces by Melissa Broder, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, the thrillers The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn and The Collective by Alison Gaylin, Uncaged by Paul DeGelder, and A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers. You can click the links to shop them on Amazon or Kindle, or head here to Bookshop.org to purchase from independent bookstores. Below are all the books I read this year.

Favorite freelance articles: Apart from my regular pieces for Bella Magazine and Horse & Style Magazine, I didn’t have time to pitch out any articles this year. Last year, however, I did get a few under my belt, including this one for Smart Mouth’s newsletter on bermet: Croatia’s Secret Aperitif,
as well as a really fun piece for Tor.com on Horror Novel Driven by Maternal Instinct, which got picked up by quite a few other outlets.

Favorite restaurants: Because of the pandemic, I didn’t get out as much as usual, but I still was able to try a lot of great spots. I wanted to support the businesses in Chinatown that were struggling earlier this year, so celebrated my birthday with my parents at Dr. Clark House, a Hokkaido restaurant with outdoor heated kotatsu tables, that made outdoor dining fun. Everything we had was delicious. (You can also check out my TikTok all about it.) One of the best dining experiences I had this year was at Vestry, a new restaurant in Soho. It’s definitely a special occasion spot and worth every penny.

If you like Thai food, make sure to check out Soothr, a Michelin-star restaurant in the East Village. The food is delicious, the cocktails are fun, and the ambiance is vibrant. Another delicious spot I tried was Benoit, a French restaurant in Midtown, that wowed me with their service and their menu. I’ve already been twice!

I can’t round up my favorite NYC restaurants of the year, without mentioning some of my favorite spots I got to enjoy high tea and brunch at – Angelina Paris, The Crosby Hotel, and Baccarat Hotel. The latter is a must-do experience and absolutely stunning.

Favorite beauty products: