Pass the Eye

Five Summer Must Haves

1) Rite in the Rain notebooks. We're having the wettest spring and summer in recent memory in NYC. So to make sure I can still capture my thoughts -- even when dashing to the 2 train in the rain -- there's the classic waterproof with the trademark yellow cover. 

2) Bora Bora juice. I don't mind a bit of gilding the lily here and there, but the thing I like about this juice is that it's pretty much squeezed and that's it. I stumbled across it in my cafeteria at work and have been drinking it ever since. Super C is the one I drink most often, and I have a couple of bottles in my fridge now. 

3) Prosecco. A nice dry, sweet, sparkling glass of prosecco has been a summer staple for me for the past few years. I've tried dozens, but my favorite by a mile is Primo Nino Franco which I have only found at one place in the city: Nancy's Wines on the UWS.

4) 'cesca's faro salad. When it comes to Italian food, I'm evangelical about il Buco. But I recently stopped into 'cesca and -- at the bartender's suggestion -- tried the faro salad. The crunchy, slightly mealy, tangy, oily mix is one of the best chopped vegetable salads I've had in years. A must try. 

5) Pomegranate soap. This is a year-round favorite, but my stock is running low so it's front of mind. This is the my favorite soap on the planet, and I suppose it should be. Santa Maria Novella has had 600 years to figure it out. Along with Diptyque, SMN is the brand habit I can't shake. 

Today's Covet

The funny thing about some bloggers is their obsession with books. Over the past few days, both Gawker and BoingBoing.net have run posts on how to store extensive book collections.

I'm an avowed bibliophile myself. I have far more books than I'll ever be able to read in my lifetime. But there's something comforting in knowing that I have the complete Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, The Harvard Classics five-foot shelf of books, and Britannica's Great Books.

Now, here's a little something I'd love to add to my collection, Assouline's Venetian library. Only potential setback: The $30,000 pricetag. But, if there are any wealthy admirers who read my blog, my birthday is coming up -- kinda.

Today's Covet

Malin+Goetz Rum Hand Wash. Nice smell that's not overpowering -- or too feminine. But, the best part, has to be the lovely minimalist bottle that looks great in a modern bathroom. I'd provide a deep link to the soap on their site, but it seems the company's design prowess is limited to consumer packaged goods. Their site's navigation sucks!