Chef’s Kisses: Mermaid May

Lured in

Jun 02, 2026

Every May, with the longer days and warmer weather I begin to long for the beach: the brine, the sand, the sun, slick and salty skin. This month’s In Season newsletter was about pearls in shells. With shells on my mind all month long, the rest of my life got a little tide up in it too ;). The clothes worn were inspired by mermaids, there was a bunch of seafood eaten out and about in NYC, and shell themes appeared simply everywhere this month. Below is all that made up this 'mermaid May': sea-themed activities to do in the city this summer plus outfits to wear while doing them ('Where + Worn'), excellent dishes and other joyful moments ('Best Bit(e)s'), and objects, food, and inspo that scream summertime-by-the-sea ('Spotted + Saved').

Where + Worn!

Special thanks to J.Crew for sponsoring this section

Wore the J.Crew Daisy Scarf Dress + matching Printed Silk Scarf to one of my favorite annual summer destinations: Coney Island. While there, a stop for lunch at Nathan’s Famous (the glizzies are glistening, golden, snappy, and light) and Luna Park for some rides. A cone on the beach to follow, and some pizza on the way home – I love Totonno’s or a square pie from Di Fara (iykyk)!

This sequin Tory Burch skirt turns your lower half into a mermaid’s tail. While sold out in yellow, the green is great if you’re feeling a little more King Triton. It looks like there’s a very similar, slightly less expensive one in pink also from Tory Burch (with a matching tank!). Paired here with the Simone Rocha egg-pearl purse.
This outfit went to the Brooklyn Museum’s exhibit Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses. The exhibition explores the interconnectedness between the natural and the manmade, fashion and the environment. The pictured dress in particular felt like it was about to pulsate and flutter like a jellyfish swimming.
Pleats Please reminds me of many things: my grandmother-in-law (who has kindly begun sharing her collection with me, this top was one of hers), florals, and with its scalloped texture and shiny/pearlescent hues - the ocean.
This exact top isn't easy to find online, but this one from Depop and this one from TheRealReal are the same silhouette, just with long sleeves. Fastened closed with a Mejuri pearl earring from my wedding, and paired the look with these pink Saks Potts pants (also in lighter pink).
This outfit was worn to Lindsay Vrčkovnik’s pop-up for her brand, Verconiik. The fabrics are fantastic: so comfortable, durable, and–quote–“made for mermaids.”

Recreated(ish) this dress + sandals look in aquamarine to make it a little more mermaid (and less checkerboard). Dresses like this Pleats Please one in seafoam blue are comfortable-versatile-and perfect for hot days (from a beach cover-up to paired with flowy pants and a heel on a night out), and looks great with this J.Crew purse (it comes in blue too). These big-sale Toteme sandals are similar to mine, but if you want something with a heel, these Alohas are worth coveting (ps. if you haven’t worn them before, Alohas are so comfortable).
Wore outfit #6 to a Razza pop-up for Hillary Sterling’s cookbook AMMAZZA! These provolone “alla nerano” cannelloni swimming in butter were sublime and are in the cookbook (p.s. this cookbook is massive, with so many recipes bookmarked - can't wait to start cooking from it).
Around a decade ago, I scored this Adam Selman sheer sequin suit set at an Opening Ceremony sample sale (a shame it doesn't come out more often, as the compliments always flood in from kind strangers on the street). There are a handful of similar ones on Depop and eBay. To let the pants shine, I wore all black to complement, including a current favorite pair of shoes (these are so comfortable and chic!) and a very versatile and often-worn top.

And, for a bit of beauty…

To complement the black top and shoes, on went a new pair of Dior sunnies. And, as always, Dior Forever Skin.
A black pearl makeup look followed, using Violette Fr’s Poussière de Lune (designed for those of us who have no clue what they are doing – just may be a shadow convert now).
A decade ago, I would go to the salon every 6 months and dye my hair red, but because I don’t bleach my hair, the color was hard to hold and usually gone within two months. It was too expensive to keep up or do as often as was needed, but it's been missed. Some auburn hair gloss did the trick of turning things back into Ariel this month + a reminder of how much fun I used to have playing with my hair.

BONUS: No feet pics in a food newsletter, so a quick written shoutout to ‘Babes in the Booth’ by Essie, which I chose for my first pedicure of the year. While the star from the Chanel cruise show was the toeless shoes, the colorful, pearlescent, slightly sheer, multicolored nails put me under a spell. This Essie color is iridescent-bubblegum (so fun and flirty), but next time - each toe in a different color.

Best Bit(e)s!

A bit (not bite) of heaven on earth this month was being on a run and listening to the sounds of songbirds and seagulls at the mouth of the Hudson River Estuary, smelling the sulfur and the sea, and feeling the hot sun and beads of sweaty sunscreen rolling down the face. So excited for the rest of summer.
Shrimp cocktail (to share, I love horseradish) + a cocktail cocktail (alla verde for me, takishīdo #2 for the rest) at Swan Room.
Chilled sweet cherries + salty Marcona almonds + whipped (homemade) almond milk over iced espresso as a muggy afternoon pick-me-up while going through emails. Romanticized and mermaid-icized by plating it up in a shell and using the Sirenuse ashtray for the cherry pits.
Go to Wanglang (if outdoor dining in summer is your thing, they have it!) and order the soft-shell crab mun-pu. It’s so light and crispy – be sure to soak up every little bit of the crab paste with a side of rice. Also a great order: jor sai-ua (classic lemongrass-y chiang-mai sausage with crispy tofu skin on the outside) and kor moo yang (grilled pork jowl and nam jim jaew).
My father’s favorite food is pizza, so Una Pizza Napoletana was the perfect place to celebrate his birthday (a big one). Don’t skip the almond cremolata or seasonal sorbetto; they momentarily transport you to a beach in Italy.
If you want to feel like “the world is my oyster, baby, come touch the pearl,” highly recommend a solo dance party to Addison Rae’s Addison, followed by Madonna’s Ray of Light (equally slinky and wet).
Like a siren’s song, the Coucou Intimates NYC pop-up is impossible to walk past. Never have I felt so confident and beautiful in a dressing room trying on their new cotton voile items.
Go with friends to drink & dine at Dean’s and start with the oysters and a shot of Guinness (very fun), and be sure to order the fish and chips as a main with a side of their mushy peas (best I’ve had in NYC).