@e_alexjung's tenure as diner-at-large has begun. In his first installment of #TheYearIAteNewYork, he searched for a replacement for his beloved ritual of a martini and french fries — "the New York Happy Meal" — at the now-closed Café Loup. A martini is a conspiratorial drink — a glass made for aesthetics rather than ergonomics, like a wheezing pug. Its precariousness is its charm: You learn to slow down, lean in, and skim off the surface before lifting it off the bar (gently now) and clinking with eye contact. Martinis open you up to new intimacies. What better way to exchange flirtations or spill state secrets? And fries! The populist’s choice. They offer themselves up as a glorious bounty to share, and you can have as many or as few as you want. A sip of cold alcohol, a crunch of starch, and some fresh gossip can lift any spirit, ford any stream. While martinis have emerged from lockdown as the drink of the city, finding a successor to Café Loup has proven difficult. Head to the link in our bio to sign up for #TheYearIAteNewYork to read E. Alex Jung's first dining dispatch and find out which 🍸 🍟combos he enjoyed. Photo: @dina_litovsky