Lindsay's List: May 2025

It's officially one year of this silly little newsletter!!!

Jun 09, 2025

∙ Paid

May kicked my ass. I’ve not only been sick in some capacity since May 9, but I’m also awful at “taking it easy” and “relaxing,” which is what the urgent care doctor told me to do after “diagnosing” me with rhinovirus. If that was accurate, I had an unbearable sore throat for three weeks because of… the common cold. Cool! If I wanted to be literal, these Halls cough drops would be in the favorites for this month.

While the curveballs have continued into early June — lucky me! — I’m finally crawling out of it and immensely grateful to see the sun. All I need now is a sunny weekend at the Rockaways (and a piña colada from Connolly’s) to fully get back to normal. Fingers crossed we’ll have a non-rainy weekend soon…

The good news is: writing this every month helps keep me grounded and is a wonderful reminder that even in the worst of times, there’s still so much to be grateful for. This month also marks one full year of Lindsay’s List, which is so exciting. I’m proud of myself for staying consistent with this and am looking forward to many more years!!!

That’s enough musing from me, here are my May favorites and flops:

The Favorites:

Vodka Pie at Chrissy’s Pizza
Location: 142 Nassau Ave in Greenpoint
Transportation: Nassau Av G or B43/48 Buses
Cost: $36
This almost fell because I propped it up on a Citi Bike rack for this photo <3
This pizza was so stupid good. Even after the 15 minute subway ride back to my apartment, there was no floppy crust to be found. The dough is cold fermented for 50 (!) hours and the vodka sauce is cooked for three hours, resulting in a deeply-flavorful, slightly-sweet pizza with a crust you’ll want to eat every single bite of. It’s definitely the best pizza I’ve had this year and Chrissy’s has easily earned a spot in my pizza top five. The laborious process to make this pizza is probably why the vodka sauce is tragically only served as a special. But, Chrissy’s posted this week on Instagram that grandma pies AND vodka grandma pies are coming “any day now” 👀.
“Overcompensating”
hollabackcards
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The drastic increase in time spent at home in May meant that I watched a lot more TV than usual. If you haven’t heard about “Overcompensating,” you’re probably straight and/or live under a rock. Lucky for you, I’m here to promote this gay propaganda. The show follows Benny, a closeted gay who was a star football player in high school, as he heads to freshmen year of college, where he is more-or-less forced to come to terms with his sexuality (spoiler alert: he’s gay). Written by internet personality Benito Skinner, who plays Benny, and executive produced by Jonah Hill and Charli XCX, it’s no surprise that this TV show is hilarious and relatable while also being the perfect amount of cringe. Claire and I watched the whole season in just a few days.
Empanada Vegetariana at Guacuco Bed-Stuy
Location: 360 Throop Ave in Bed-Stuy
Transportation: Myrtle-Willoughby Avs G or B15/38/43 Buses
Cost: $6
This empanada could lowkey be a full meal
We finally went to this casual Venezuelan spot near our apartment, and this empanada has been living in my mind rent free since. It’s stuffed with coconut, black beans, plantains and cheese and encompassed by a kind-of-sweet dough that’s sturdy enough to hold all the filling without being dense. The salty cheese, hearty beans, sweet plantains and coconut make for one of the best bites I had in May. And at just $6, the size of the empanada is almost unbelievable — it could easily be a light lunch. I’ve already been back to have this a second time.
Pinball
Cost: $1/game
Getting a little drunk and playing pinball with friends >>>
If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you know that I’ve been actively trying to spend less time on my phone and do things that make my inner child happy. I played pinball for the first time in probably 10 years this month, and it’s been a fun and silly way to have some healthy competition with friends at the bar. Plus, it’s usually only a $1 a game, which is probably the cheapest thing you can get at any bar these days. Here are some spots I’ve played at in May: Bar Great Harry, The Holler and Coyote Club.
The Four Horsemen
Location: 295 Grand St in Williamsburg
Transportation: Metropolitan Av/Lorimer St G/L; Bedford Av L; Marcy Av J/M or B24/62 and Q59 Buses
Cost: Varies depending on what you order (inclusive of tax and 20% tip, my part of the check, which I split with two friends, was $118.35)
Bad photos of some great bites: fluke crudo, ramp rice and sticky toffee pudding
To me, one of the worst feelings is going to a restaurant you’ve wanted to go to for years and spending $100+ only to be left unsatisfied. The Four Horsemen is one of those places with a lot of hype and is frequently on “best restaurants in NYC” lists, which made me worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. Luckily, that wasn’t the case. I absolutely loved my meal here, from the atmosphere, decor and music — unsurprising, since the restaurant is owned by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem — to unfussy yet attentive service, Sabre cutlery and of course, the food. Like many wine bar-esque restaurants in Brooklyn, the menu at this spot changes every day, but if there’s a crudo or sticky toffee pudding on the menu, make sure they both end up at your table.
Yahtzee
Cost: $8.99, on Amazon
Sal literally got a Yahtzee on his second roll ever
My other phone-free hyperfixation from May is Yahtzee. It may just be rolling five dice with the same number, but the serotonin boost that comes from getting a Yahtzee is truly unmatched. This has been my go-to game to play with friends in May, especially since a round can be played in less than 30 minutes, which is not the case for many games!
The Flops:
Autotune and arenas: As a long-time Charli fan, it’s a bummer to say her concert at Barclays Center was one of my flops this month. But seeing her performances go from live singing at intimate concerts to autotune and arenas has been hard to watch. Don’t get me wrong, the concert was still so fun, but it’s hard to believe I paid the same price ($250+) to see Beyoncé perform live for three hours straight. Luckily, Beyoncé’s show was more than worth the price tag.
A bad brunch: I went to Cafe Kestrel for brunch and it was such a weird experience. Everything from the vibes to the menu offerings felt off and it was stupid expensive — French press coffee was $12! I ordered a shrimp and avocado salad and it was quite literally only two pieces of shrimp and a whole avocado with two “croutons” (aka huge, full slices of baguette that were hard to bite). That salad might take the cake for the dumbest way I’ve ever spent $24 in Brooklyn. Speaking of cake, though, the chocolate cake was excellent. That said, I’m curious to come back here for dinner, especially after they were named one of the 100 Best Restaurants in NYC for 2025.
Never-ending sickness: As mentioned earlier, I spent most of May (and now nearly all of June!) battling off various ailments. Please manifest that the rest of June will be better for me!!!