The Sunday Seven 06.24.18

Hello, friends! I hope everyone has had a good week! Mine has been busy, busy—so apologies for the lack of posts, but I’m back to regularly scheduled programming. Here’s this Sunday’s seven in wine, food, style, design and travel:

How amazingly cool is this building? On July 12, 007 ELEMENTS, a new James Bond interactive experience, is opening almost 10,000 feet above sea level on top of a mountain in the Austrian Alps. This one-of-a-kind experience will take people inside the world of 007. The installation focuses on the most recent film, Spectre, but also showcases the other titles in the 24-film series. It is housed inside a beautiful, bespoke building designed and constructed by Obermoser arch-omo zt gmbH (that’s a mouthful!)

Avocados are known for being oh-so delicious but with such a short window of ripeness. Apeel Sciences has been working on a technology to extend the shelf life of produce, and the avocado will be their first release. Apeel can double the amount time that an avocado is ripe with the application of its product, which is essentially a second peel. The imperceptible layer, which is applied to exterior of the produce, is made of plant material. It slows down the rate that water is lost and keeps oxygen from getting in—the two the factors that lead to spoilage. Apeel’s avocados are hitting store shelves at Costco locations and soon plans to move onto citrus and asparagus. I’ll bite!

While we’re on the subject, if you’re wondering about the safest way to cut an avocado, I noticed that in the news this week, too!

I thought this read on how to know if you’re really hungry was really interesting. We always hear that many times we have forgotten what true hunger feels like, and instead we eat out of habit, boredom or mood. Getting back in touch with your body’s hunger signals is a good way to be sure to know what you really need. This article gives 3 helpful, specific steps to take before you decide whether to eat or not. If I start getting skinner by next Sunday, I’ll let you know 😉

My favorite retail subject—Amazon! The latest from Amazon is that now you can try on whatever you want from their apparel collection, from workout pants to a date-night dress—at home, without charging your credit card. This is called Prime Wardrobe and is a brand-new Prime benefit, included with your membership, that lets you try before you buy. You can choose between 3-8 items from their offering which includes items for women, men, kids and babies. Once the box arrives, you get seven days to try everything on in the privacy of your own home. Then you can return the pieces you don’t love and pay for what you keep.

I mean, I love this idea. I went through their selection, which is currently limited to certain brands but they say they are expanding quickly. Here are some of my initial picks for women:

1. Trina Turk Kaiko Dress
2. Sam Edelman Yaro Heeled Sandal
3. Ray-Ban Women’s Erika Velvet Sunglasses
4. Daily Ritual Women’s Tees
5. Levi’s Women’s 501 Shorts
6. BB Dakota Paige Embroidered Shift Dress
7. Chiffon Swimsuit Cover Up
8. 14k Yellow Gold Polished Bar Chain Necklace
9. Pendleton Canopy Canvas Big Zip Pouch

AND, in other Amazon-is-taking-over-the-world-news: Alexa for Hospitality will soon bring Amazon Echo devices into select hotel rooms, including Marriott Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Aloft Hotels, and Autograph Collection Hotels—with many other brands to follow. Alexa Hospitality will allow guests to request services and amenities without ever picking up the phone. Amazon is on a mission to make everyday environments increasingly voice-enabled, including the rooms we sleep in while traveling. In-room Amazon Echo devices will be programmed with the capability to adjust lights, thermostats, blinds, TVs, and speaker systems. You also can ask Alexa for info like fitness center location or pool hours, request hotel services like room service or housekeeping, check airport wait times, discover nearby attractions, and even call the concierge to facilitate hotel checkout. I’m a big Alexa fan so I think this is pretty cool, and is certainly much cleaner than those germy hotel phones!

Interesting read about how America’s chefs are resetting the expectation around what a wine bar can be. The wine bars that are thriving are mimicking what is working in other wine-bar-scene cities like Paris, Toyko and Sydney, and are serving mostly natural wine (the current hot in wine!) and ambitious food with an anything-goes vibe. Are we ready for a wine bar rebrand and more of a wine experience? Bring it on.

(Thanks to Michael P. for sending over this link!)

Is anyone planning on having a cocktail on a fabulous rooftop today? New York, Denver, LA, and Seattle, you’re on this list of best rooftop bars in the US. These are Instagram gold and just a little eye candy to leave you with.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your Sunday! I’m off to brunch with some of my very oldest friends to celebrate some birthdays (but not on a cool rooftop)…
xx—BB