The Greatest Hits of 2024
A roundup of the best bites, bags, books, bunks, bevvies, and more.
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As I’ve been settling into the new year, I’ve been reflecting on some favorite moments from the past year. In 2024 I was reminded how much I love a good book, a bag that makes me smile, a plane ride to new destinations, a meal that’s worth every penny, a binge-worthy show, a good scrub down, and a great drink. Ahead, some of last year’s greatest hits—here’s hoping for more bangers and bops in the year ahead.
Favorite Travels
1. Exploring Provence for the first time, and finally getting to see Maison de Frédéric in person. My friend Kyong of Koo De Ker has spent the past four years painstakingly renovating this beautiful, historic home in Provence, and I’m not exaggerating when I say she left no detail untouched. It’s incredible. The maison is the stuff of fairytales, and staying there was a dream come true.
Aside from being a fantastic hostess, Kyong also played tour guide and took us to some of her favorite local spots: the bountiful food market in Uzès, Carrières des Lumières in an old limestone quarry, the Pont du Gard Roman aquaducts, and antique shopping in Villeneuve at the town’s weekend brocante, where I went temporarily insane (and broke) buying all the treasures I could fit in one large blue IKEA bag.
2. Taking a weekend trip with friends to Southern California to see Ina Garten on her book tour. Ina was wonderful, of course, but while we were there we visited a traditional Korean bathhouse, a.k.a. jjimjilbang, and got a full body scrub (and I mean FULL—no nook, cranny, or, ahem, crevice was overlooked). I’ve never felt so clean in my life. Aside from the extreme exfoliation, the facilities included various spa pools, saunas, salt rooms, lounge areas with heated floors, and even a cafeteria. You can literally spend all day at the bathhouse, as many Korean families do, and I can’t think of a better way to spend a winter weekend.
3. Boarding Hawaiian Airlines inaugural flight from SLC to Honolulu, and spending a long (albeit rainy) solo weekend in Hawaii. It was my first trip to the island, and although I was drenched most of the trip from torrential downpours, I had so much fun with a couple of fellow journalists I met on the media trip. We ate our weight in pineapple, drank Mai Tais at the drizzly outdoor bar, and had the most delicious meal at MW Restaurant. Highly recommend making a reservation there if you plan to visit Honolulu—order the pork hash dumplings and the mochi-crusted Kona kampachi.
4. Celebrating my wedding anniversary in October with a stay at The Lodge at the Blue Sky (an incredible property—more to come on this!), and celebrating my daughter’s third birthday. It’s true that time seems to speed up the older you get. I feel like I blinked and my baby is now a little girl—a reminder for myself to soak up every moment, even the messy, stressful ones.
Favorite Meals
1. The sole meunière I had for lunch at La Table d’Estoublon while on my trip to Provence will forever live rent free in my brain. It was truly the most delicious fish I’ve ever tasted—so light, but also buttery and decadent. I now know why this was the dish that made Julia Childs fall in love with French cuisine. I also had an incredible chocolate mousse sprinkled with sea salt for dessert. The beautiful restaurant is located on the grounds of the stunning Château d'Estoublon, which dates back to the 15th century, and is surrounded by olive trees and grape vines. We sat outside to eat, and between the weather and the company it was a perfect afternoon.
2. One of the most memorable and inventive meals I had was at Monte, a pop-up dinner in downtown Salt Lake City, for my friend Mara’s birthday. We sat at a large communal table, and although we dined with strangers (part of the fun and surprise of the night) we all became fast friends and had a lively dinner conversation about food, travel, and hilarious engagement stories. The 10-course chef’s tasting menu included a squash and carrot soup garnished with nitro house-made yogurt popcorn, tomato tartare, house-made pasta, dry-aged bison, and more. I’m going back for seconds this coming week, and I can’t wait to see what we eat this time. Tickets for upcoming Monte pop-up dinners can be found here.
Favorite Bags
This petite, vintage Loewe beaded evening bag tops the bill of best purchases from 2024. Honorable mentions go to this Old Céline net fisherman bag (so fun for summer) and my new Dragon Diffusion tote bag.
Favorite Films/Shows
Ripley, The New Look, Feud: Capote vs The Swans, Emily In Paris (sorry not sorry), The Taste of Things, One Day, My Brilliant Friend, Disclaimer, Industry, Like Water for Chocolate, Bridgerton, Hotel Portofino, Nobody Wants This, and The Bear.
Favorite Reads
I laughed my way through Plum Sykes’ Wives Like Us, was transported to the streets of Paris in Ruth Reichl’s The Paris Novel, and fell even more in love with Ina Garten in her memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens.
Favorite Drinks
In a shocking departure from my usual bubbly or extra dirty martini, I sipped my fair share of espresso martinis last year. My favorite renditions were from Matteo, Aker, and Kimi’s Chop House.
And I can’t stop thinking about the unique wines I tasted with my friends Abby and Jennie at the Lorenza wine dinner at Urban Hill. If anyone from the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services is reading this, please bring more Lorenza wines to the market STAT.
Until next time!
xx, Tessa