It’s been a while since I gathered together a bunch of things (mostly foods) I’m feeling. Let the good vibes roll….

Previously:
••• Eight New Enthusiasms: April 2011
••• Eight New Enthusiasms: July 2011
••• Eight New Enthusiasms: December 2011

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Ever since I fell for the full-page ad in the New York Times touting honeybells, a citrus fruit that did not justify the shipping cost, I’ve been wary of fruit hype. But I’ve also been disenchanted with clementines this winter—the boxes are too big, the fruit too often flavorless. So I took a risk and bought a Sumo at Whole Foods. It was described as a cross between an orange and a tangerine, but with easy-to-peel skin. And seedless! It was awesome—supersweet, but also exquisitely tangy. I bought three more, and I grew concerned that Whole Foods wouldn’t restock—but it did, and I bought five more. Then I bought three more. I’d tell you where exactly they are, but we all know how Whole Foods likes to play hide the fruit.

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I don’t like chocolate and fruit together, so I almost didn’t try the Mad for Martha’s chocolate cherry cookie (that’s the full name) at Café Clementine. But I do have a thing for dried cherries…. I ended up buying the cookie three days in a row, and I would’ve gone for four if Clementine were open on weekends. The cookie used to be a special, but now it’s offered daily. Poking around online led me to conclude that the Martha in question is Martha Stewart.

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In December, when I asked Yasmine Karrenberg of Flowers by Yasmine to make me a centerpiece for Christmas dinner, I gave her what might have been maddeningly little direction. All I said was that we have a blue dining room table, so it’d be nice if she’d avoid orange. I’m not sure my photo does it justice, but it was so pretty. I stopped by Tribeca Treats after picking it up, and two people asked me where I bought it. Even Adam liked it, and his nickname is Fuss.

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We’re about five degrees from my seasonal switch from jeans to Grown & Sewn chinos; I liked them so much I bought a second pair in the same color. So I was excited to learn that Grown & Sewn has introduced a slimmer version; I thought the old ones fit perfectly, but maybe you’ve noticed that younger people seem to like tighter-fitting pants, and I’m young enough to want to pass for young-ish. I bought them in gray (a special color for this summer only) and they’re perfect.

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Among the homemade sodas at Kutsher’s Tribeca is a cel-ray one that is delicious (but then I have oddly strong feelings for celery). The most recent time I ordered it, I found it a bit too sweet; I’m assuming that was an aberration.

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I wanted to make plans at North End Grill for a Saturday night in March, so I went on OpenTable, and there was a table for 8 p.m. As I clicked to reserve it, and as the next page was loading, I convinced myself that I there was a 7:30 p.m. slot, so I clicked the “back” arrow. Consequently, OpenTable said there were no tables available between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Figuring that the site was holding the 8 p.m. slot for me, I called the restaurant, hoping I could just make a reservation that way. As the reservationist was looking up the date, I explained what I had done. She agreed that OpenTable was probably holding the slot for me, and she said it takes a couple of minutes to clear. Then she said—and this is the jaw-dropping part: “Why don’t I wait for it to clear, and when it does, I’ll make the reservation for you. If you’ll give me your name and number, I’ll call you when it’s reserved.” And she did! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what people are talking about when they talk about Danny Meyer–level of service. P.S.: I believe her name was Leslie. P.P.S. I’m still a fan of the restaurant, but am I the only one who thinks that at those prices the dinner menu could be a tad more adventurous?

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The Greenwich Hotel has excellent cardboard coasters (that’s Robert De Niro Sr.’s “Reclining Male Nude, 1962”), as does the Dutch (the rooster). Locanda Verde used to, but when I went to see if they still use them, I was told they haven’t in a long time. Too bad: Their ye olde map of Tribeca was a treat (if possibly confusing for tourists, since it’s pre–Independence Plaza). Why don’t more restaurants make an effort on this stuff? Especially with matchbooks going the way of the dodo, coasters are a cheap, easy souvenir.

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The eighth enthusiasm this go-round? Brevity.