No-call day
ALYSE BORKAN • Rocco
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
ALYSE BORKAN • co-founder • Rocco
Neighborhood you live & work in: Williamsburg
It’s Friday afternoon. How are you rolling into the weekend?
Friday has been a no-call day for me for the past 5 years (and counting!), though if someone comes out of the woodwork to say they’ve met with me on a Friday, I do make the occasional exception… but I’m working on that!
I take Fridays slow. I recently got a juicer and have been making a beet, apple, and carrot juice with a touch of ginger. Then I write down my to-do list and get a lot of satisfaction from spending the day with a nice pen crossing off all the things I didn’t get to that week. While I’m also an advisor to consumer startup brands, I spend most of Friday just working on Rocco, my smart fridge company. Usually for me that includes getting back to creators who we’re in conversation with around making content for us, connecting with partners for our new collab colors, and prepping for upcoming launches.
Any restaurant plans?
The thought of waiting in line for a meal kind of ruins it for me, so lately I’ve been skipping the It Spots and going back to old classics: Malatesta in the West Village, Sushi Kai in the East or West Village, and Rule of Thirds in Greenpoint. Though I will say, I finally got a reservation for the Roman Feast at Roscioli (now that they reserve special slots for people with a Chase Sapphire Reserve), and I can confirm, it was as good as the location in Rome.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Othership just opened in Williamsburg, and I go so often that I actually got a… wait for it… annual membership. Ending the day toasting my body in 170º heat and jumping into an ice bath for three minutes has done wonders for my stress. My favorite part is every few minutes they throw an essential oil-infused snowball onto the stove in the sauna. The scent combinations are amazing (think: vetiver, vanilla, and cinnamon). I also love Happy Medium. I recently took a handbuilding class where we made a snack plate!
Any weekend getaways?
I recently went out east and I really love how calm it is in the off-season. I spent one day at Gurney’s where I took a stretch class, sat by the indoor pool, did a hydrotherapy circuit, and then went to lunch at the Inlet Seafood Restaurant on the water. I even spotted a bunch of whales. I went to dinner at East Hampton Grill and requested a table by their huge roaring fire. It’s a particularly cozy spot and they have the best rotisserie chicken (not counting Costco).
I’ve been dying to go to Prospect Berkshires! That’s next on my list.
What was your last great vacation?
I went to Italy in September. We started in Milan for a day, drove to Lake Garda (underrated compared to Lake Como) and then ended in the Dolomites. In Lake Garda, we stayed at Lefay which was a 15 minute drive up a mountain, but we got the very best views of the lake. They’re known for their spa facilities, so we spent lots of time in pools of different temperatures. They also had an incredible breakfast buffet with a whole room dedicated to breads and pastries. In the Dolomites, we stayed at Forestis, which I can’t recommend enough. The views really speak for themselves.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
I recently got a new cabinet designed by Sarah Sherman Samuel for my dining area, and it makes me smile every time I look at it. I joke that we got a new roommate.