Yes, and
CAITLIN GUNTHER • The 75
WORK • Friday Routine
CAITLIN GUNTHER • writer & creator • The 75
Neighborhood you live in: 9th arr
It’s Friday afternoon. How are you rolling into the weekend?
I try to wrap up all of my writing assignments — both from other publications and self-imposed, like for my newsletter or the book I’m working on — by Thursday EOD. Then, I schedule filming sessions for my 75 Interviews on Friday, which is fun, because it gets me out of my writing cave, takes me to restaurants around Paris, and taps a different skill set.
I love the improv side of on-camera interviews. I once took an improv course at Magnet Theater in NYC. I like to think that all of my weird little experiences, from Basque Country Michelin-starred kitchens to “Yes-and”-ing in Koreantown have led to where I am and what I do today.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Today I’m working on a story about hangover cures in Paris for my newsletter. I asked a bunch of chefs and restaurant people for their spots and orders — lots of great intel, from dandan noodles to spicy calf’s liver. Spice seems to be a common denominator. I’ll also prep some questions for an interview I’m doing at Harry’s Bar, a total institution and one of my favorite places to get a dirty martini. I’m really excited to get behind that historic bar.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I’m planning a collaboration with Max of Clubs des Meal. He creates videos about restaurants in Paris. His style is different from mine, but I like it: he really takes you inside the experience, both trendy spots and institutions. We’re plotting to film something about À La Renaissance, a revived 11th arrondissement bistro that you might expect to be pure trendy, but the silver-haired locals still eat lunch there every day. And the food is great. I’m also going to swing by a party for my friend Alexander Hurst at Chez Pom in the 10th. His memoir, Generation Desperation, about earning and losing a million dollars, just came out. Gotta support my writing community. In March, I’m finally going to try Dandelion, which has been at the top of my list for a while now.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Next week, the vacances scolaires, or school vacation, begin. Like Paris Fashion Week, it feels like as soon as one vacation ends, you’re already bracing for the next. Really, who can take all of these vacations? Anyway, my six-year-old daughter and I are heading to Sancerre for a few days to stay at my friend Arnita’s house. It’s only a couple of hours away by train (I will always spring for a train when possible, versus any other form of transport). Arnita is a wine lover and collector so I’m sure there will be lots of sipping.
In Paris, I want to check out the Martin Parr exhibit at Jeu de Paume. Someone gave me his book for my birthday, and I love his style. It has a realism that kind of reminds me of Diane Arbus, but modern and polychromatic.
Any weekend getaways?
I’m heading to Amsterdam in a couple of weeks, and I’m so pumped. It’s been over a decade since I last went, which is surprising as it’s only a few hours by train. Unlike last time, when I stayed in a sardine-can Airbnb, I’ll enjoy some swankier digs. I will probably eat some gummies or smoke whatever kind of weed doesn’t give me an anxiety attack and walk around. I’ll return to Restaurant de Kas, which is inside a greenhouse, and I recall as the most beautiful restaurant I’d ever experienced. We’ll see how my brain today compares with my 20-something self. And I’m traveling with a music nut, so I’m sure we’ll check out some house or electronic concert. (My DMs are open for recs.)
What was your last great vacation?
My mom is 100% Irish-Catholic, raised in the Bronx. All of my life, I’ve wanted to travel to her familial homeland and discover my roots. My trip to Ireland last summer was, pardon the bro speak, truly epic. We spent one night in Dublin, downing pints of Guinness, and then set off on the road in a rented Enterprise truck, which happened to be the cheapest option. I was reviewing a few hotels for work, and we took great pleasure in rolling up to five-star resorts, parking lots lined with shiny Jaguars and Mercedes, in our lumbering elephant of a ride.
Our favorite was probably Liss Ard Estate in West Cork. The grounds are stunning, and James Turrell’s Sky Garden is something you have to experience for yourself — the clover-green landscape frames the wide-open sky. We also swung by the Ballymaloe Cookery School, a pilgrimage for me, and ate the most delightful walnut cake with clotted cream. The Irish really know how to fish & chips. We ate that probably once a day, at places like The Fish Basket, in Cork. Heavenly.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My leather bomber jacket from Sandro. I left my beloved Calvin Klein bomber (purchased when I was 16) at my ex’s apartment in Paris, and he never returned it. Long and weird story. Purchasing this for myself for my most recent birthday felt like a vindication.
What store or service do you always recommend?
I love browsing the books and magazines at Smith & Son, an indie English bookstore near Place Vendôme. They also have random Anglo treats. Last time I was there, I bought a Reese’s Nutrageous. I ate it while strolling home, past The Ritz, and I swear, it pleased me more than the finest French bonbons.
Where are you donating your time or money?
My most recent donation was to Immigrant Defense Network. I’m an immigrant, I’m descended from immigrants, and I find it morally indefensible when people don’t have empathy for others wanting to move countries, for whatever reason. As for my time, I love mentoring people who are looking to change careers or find their footing in writing. “Mentor” sounds formal, but I don’t mean it that way. I mean, just chatting with people about making the jump (I was a lawyer for a very short while) and how to make it work.