Third spaces and princess cakes
And, as always, worst Chris gonna worst Chris
That cake you’re suddenly seeing everywhere? It’s called a Princess Cake—Prinsesstårta if you want to sound cultured and/or Swedish. And it just so happens that the best place to get pizza in LA, Quarter Sheets, is also the best place to get a slice of the aforementioned olive oil chiffon cake layered with whipped cream and jam, wrapped in marzipan. After hearing the legend surrounding the delicacy over and over, I finally tried it a few weeks ago. And if you’ve been reading Hot Tip a while, then you know I don’t hesitate to hyperbolize. But I mean it when I say this cake is perfect (and sure, there is no perfect country, but there is one that gave us ABBA, meatballs, Ikea, and now, Prinsesstårta.) For the bold self-starters among us, I did find chef Hannah Ziskin’s recipe online—however I plan on just showing up to the restaurant in Echo Park when I have something to celebrate, or, more realistically, just get a hankering.
In politics: Though the Texas Democratic contingent has returned to the state (they plan to fight the gerrymandered congressional map in court), it’s hardly business as usual. How so? Well, state Rep. Nicole Collier is actively locked inside the Austin statehouse—where she also spent the night last night, because the state GOP “only allowed [Democrats] to leave the chamber if they agreed to be shadowed by state law enforcement officers.” Collier refused and is now filing a lawsuit. And I’m just wondering if we can UberEats her a fruit basket. Or maybe a nice scented candle.
Ukrainian President Zelensky and other major European leaders met with Trump at the White House on Monday for a chat with noticeably less pomp and circumstance than was offered to war criminal Vladimir Putin last week. The idea is to end Russia’s ongoing assault of Ukraine, but Trump isn’t interested in ending any suffering—domestic or international—for selfless purposes. With his apparently wide-open schedule, he called in to Fox & Friends this morning and said brokering peace has benefits for him, too.
Of note: More than 350 Jewish faculty and community members at UCLA have signed a letter to condemn Trump’s demand that the school pay a $1 billion fine + the freezing of hundreds of millions in research funds over accusations of campus antisemitism.
In health: Chris Pratt says he “loves” his human skinsuit-wearing relative RFK Jr., explaining that he would “hate to be so mired in hatred” that the Trump administration’s (purported) successes can’t be celebrated. Idk, personally I would hate if millions of people died unnecessarily due to the cancellations of vaccine funding, public health research, and potentially lifesaving clinical trials, but hey, what do I know? I’m just a gal who wears leggings at the gym and doesn’t eat roadkill.
In business: If you feel like you’ve noticed a boom in spots to go paint pottery or make charm bracelets, you’re not imagining it. It’s known as experiential retail, and it was covered by my friend
for the New York Times this week. Hot tip: Third spaces like these “art bars” have quickly become massively profitable in a post-Covid world where we are deeply starved for human connection and tactile work—not to mention, major brands like Bloomingdale’s and Coach are getting in on the trend with pop-ups and experiences, too.
And MSNBC is changing its name to “MS NOW” (My Source News Opinion World????? Ok sure.) amid the corporate divorce from NBCUniversal, a really good idea that will undoubtedly succeed like its predecessors IHOB and Max.
In sports: The US Open started today with a super joyful (and due to the revamped format, somewhat controversial) few rounds of mixed doubles, wherein duos made up of the world’s top singles players competed in shortened matches for a million dollar prize. And the Women’s Rugby World Cup starts on Friday in England; you can watch it on BBC iPlayer in the UK or Paramount+ here in the US (obviously, I hate what’s going on at Paramount so will use this opportunity to get a free trial I promptly cancel in the name of getting more eyes on women’s sports!!!!!)
In thank god, we needed a fucking win: The Great British Bake Off is back next month.
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Bake Off getting me through anything 🫡
What perfect bookends. Princess Cake and The Great British Bake Off. Very helpful in digesting everything in-between. The best!