Cat’s meow
VERONICA DEL ROSARIO • Smalls
WORK • Friday Routine
VERONICA DEL ROSARIO • co-founder & chief brand officer • Smalls
Neighborhood you work in: NYC
Neighborhood you live in: Olivebridge, NY
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
It’s my first week back from maternity leave, so I’m feeling especially grateful for Smalls’ four-day work week. I had one call with the board earlier today, but my schedule is otherwise clear, so I have time to clean up slides I’m presenting next week, and most importantly, get some qt in with Alma (the baby) and Joe (the baby daddy). Then, we’ll head to the city for the weekend, which we often do.
Any restaurant plans?
I have a big extended family, and we’re celebrating a cousin’s birthday this weekend with dim sum at Ocean Bay on Queens Blvd. We also have dinner booked with friends at the new Falansai in Greenpoint.
Any weekend getaways?
We’re at our place Upstate most of the time, so I have many, many recommendations in the Catskills/Hudson Valley. Close to me, for a nice night out, Chleo is my favorite restaurant: they do. not. miss. I’m also a huge fan of Ollie’s Pizza —we go at least once a week, followed by a root beer float with coffee ice cream from Cherries. A little farther out, in one direction, there’s Brushland Eating House, which I first visited in 2016 (proudly) and will always return to, and in the other, there’s Stissing House, whose vibe is undefeated.
What was your last great vacation?
I feel ridiculous saying this, but I’ve been to Palm Heights three times in the past year. The beach is stunning, the hotel is aesthetically the greatest, it’s only 70-something rooms (so it’s intimate and lovely), the food is so so good, the Garden Club is unlike any other spa I’ve been to, and their staff is incredible. I’ve never returned to a single place so many times in such short order, but it really is the freakin’ best. And every time I go I feel like it’s no one’s first time, their repeat-visit rate must be insane — for good reason. Literally we’re making an annual Palm Heights budget for this. My one tip is definitely to go off-season.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
How big a ticket are we talking? We got a Rivian a few months ago and it feels like a major life upgrade from our Muskmobile. If a bit smaller, these Overland sheepskins made such a cozy difference in our house through the winter. So did our Carepods in our bedroom and the nursery! One more thing: we got this Alice Waters Tuscan Grill to do some fireplace cooking.
What store or service do you always recommend?
In the city, Spencer’s Spa, 10/10. Upstate, a small store I have long loved is Maple Lawn Antiques in Stone Ridge.
Where are you donating your time?
I’m on the founding team of Upstate Color aka UPCO, an incredible, thriving community of BIPOC folks living in the Catskills/Hudson Valley, and hope to spend as much time on that as I can give. Join our monthly meetups at Camp Kingston every first Thursday of the month!