OOO #10: Outfits, Ohio, and Other Things I Like
The answer is "rarely," a cocktail bar, a strawberry thief, and places to donate for Turkey and Syria
Outfits
Ohio
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, my husband and I returned to one of our favorite spots in the city: Understory. We’ve been there a few times to hang out on the patio (called “The Commons”) when the weather was warm, but this time we dined in the lounge.
Understory is in the old Open Air School (a Butcher Shop studio, aptly named “Open Air” is in the same complex) in Old North Columbus; the bathrooms scream vintage school in the best way, and lockers line the hallway. The building is gorgeous, and there are large windows, most overlooking the Olentangy Trail, in every room.
I have been trying to recreate the lounge’s decor in my own home since I first went there: the space is dominated by velvet, leather, and wood furniture, jewel tones, unusual rugs, metals, and mirrors. My own living room has a long way to go, but Understory’s decor as it is now is absolutely dreamy.
In the lounge, we ordered a few cocktails and appetizers. I was incredibly impressed by the bartender’s take on traditional drinks. I tried their martini and their gimlet, and I would recommend them both. Their martini featured chartreuse (an old fave) and rose and was one of the most botanical and refreshing cocktails I’ve ever had. Instead of an olive or a twist, the martini was garnished with a cracker with dill cream cheese on it, which I’m not mad about.
We split their goat cheese croquette; we asked for crostini on the side, which made it a lot easier to eat. The croquette comes with a red pepper jam on the side which complimented the cheese and crostini nicely. My husband then had the crispy shrimp (he wouldn’t stop talking about it) and I had brussel sprouts (there were way more on the plate than I anticipated, but again, I’m not mad about it).
Last but not least, we split the s’mores pudding for dessert. The pudding was rich, so splitting it was the right way to go. My favorite thing about Understory’s s’mores pudding is that sandwiched between the layers of bruleed marshmallow fluff, graham crackers, and chocolate pudding is something unexpected—kettle corn. *Chef’s Kiss*
Other Things I Like
William Morris was many things: a writer, a translator, an artist, an architectural conservationist, and a socialist. Most famously, however, he was a textile designer.
William Morris’s “The Strawberry Thief” is one of my favorite textile designs of all time. I first learned about “The Strawberry Thief” not in a gallery or exhibition, but when I saw the below picture frame in the Met Store (this is on-brand for me) a couple of years ago. I thought Morris’s design was beyond charming, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The birds were undeniably cute, the colors rich, and the florals crisp. My husband bought the picture frame for me and it now it is home to one of my favorite wedding photos (thanks, Becky A. Gardner!).
I recently reflected on what I liked so much about “The Strawberry Thief,” and reading up on the subject helped me discover why. The Art Institute of Chicago writes that: “The flattened profile of the birds (in “The Strawberry Thief”) as well as the stylization of the plant forms highlight Morris’s appreciation and adaptation of Islamic designs.” The bowls and carpet in the photo below are from the Met’s Islamic Art galleries (some of my favorites in the museum); now that I’ve read about the connection between the floral and bird motifs of Islamic art and William Morris’s textile designs, I’ll never be able to unsee the influence Islamic art had on his work.
Additionally, I recently have started wondering if Morris may have inspired one of my favorite modern illustrators and decorative arts designers: Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. Rifle Paper Co.’s florals are brighter and rounder than Morris’s, and its designs generally have less symmetry than his, but occasionally something on the Rifle Paper Co.’s website (specifically in the “Peacock,” “Wildwood,” and “Strawberry Fields” collections) will remind me of that cheeky thrush and his pilfered strawberry.
Side note: If you’re feeling fancy, you can still buy wallpaper and fabric with “The Strawberry Thief” design from Morris & Co.
Turkey and Syria
The Guardian has created an excellent run down of organizations you can donate to in the United States to help in the aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. I may also suggest UNHCR (Turkey has the largest refugee population in the world, largely due to the Syrian civil war) and UNICEF.