Truly wild food adventures

Putting a price on experience. Plus: spooky season! [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hey there, it’s [Justin Ocean](, one of the deputy editors here at Pursuits, and I’ve got the UK on my mind. Not just for Queen Elizabeth II—[may she rest in peace]( and may those [waiting in the 10-mile-long Westminster queue]( find their moments in history—but for its food. Specifically, wild game and how London’s talented Indian and Thai chefs are [invigorating the most traditional of British delicacies](. Venison rough-chopped into a spicy Thai-style laab and slow-cooked with fresh chiles and fennel. Peanut-crusted roast partridge marinated in ginger, garlic, and amchur (green mango powder). Tandoor-fired grouse, pepped up with a dram of smoky malt Scotch. Yes, please. Clove-smoked grouse breast with chickpea bread, hot-sweet pumpkin, and game keema. Source: The Cinnamon Club  “The strong flavors of game lend themselves perfectly to spices,” says chef Rohit Ghai of Kutir, where a tasting menu features Chettinad mallard with curry leaf and coconut. “Wild game was historically an important part of Rajasthani cuisine,” says Vivek Singh, chef and proprietor of the Cinnamon Club. “When the Rajput, Rajasthan’s ‘warrior’ caste, didn’t have anyone to fight, they would go hunting instead. It is a way of life that doesn’t exist in India anymore. It’s a privilege to preserve some of these recipes.” On my fall dining list: Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar’s new spicy fried chicken and Indian grocery spot in Brooklyn. Photographer: Clay Williams In New York City where I live, the single hottest dish of last year was Dhamaka’s Rajasthani rabbit, slow-cooked in a clay pot sealed with dough after marinating for up to 48 hours in a paste of red chiles, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and yogurt. It cost $190. I never tried it—with only one of available per day and reservations alone a competitive bloodsport, [it was basically impossible to get](—but would I have gladly dropped the money? You bet. I’m also ready to drop $350 on this beautiful Common Species cutting board. (Although it’d also make a great birthday gift: hint, hint.) Photographer: Janelle Jones for Bloomberg Businessweek A recurring theme when we solicit reader questions for the Q&A section below, is how can one tell if a luxury is worth it or not: Which are the best and which are a waste? That’s impossible to answer, really. Luxury by definition is “inessential” and indulgent, a “state of extravagant living.” It’s all a waste depending on your point of view. And it’s also what makes life fun. What are your values? Price alone doesn’t mean anything—it’s why Pursuits gives the same credence to [a $1,000 sushi omakase]( as a $15 pack of [foot-long Jersey Shore hot dogs](. Both offer best-in-class quality and craftsmanship, and both do their job of filling you up. They’re time and money well-spent, which is how we judge “worth.” Iconic Schickhaus dogs have recently been reborn as Wenning Griddle Franks. Photographer: Adam Reiner If carrying a [$7,000 Louis Vuitton duffle]( turns eyes toward you in the way you desire, go for it. I’m not here to yuck your yum. By the same token, would you have spent $750 on [Noma’s Tulum pop-up]( (and only $40 on a beachside room without A/C)? Or would you fork over $591 to be cramped onto an Amtrak for 26 hours from Albuquerque to Chicago? I did both. Neither were objectively worth the cost, but were luxurious experiences that were absolutely that valuable to me. Sotheby’s new business strategy bets a lot of people will find value in owning extraordinary objects. Illustration: Melanie Lambrick So whether it’s bling, swagger, experiences, comfort, or ease, prioritize what brings you joy. Luxury is about maximizing your satisfaction with the limited time we’ve got. Which is why at this point I probably won’t ever eat that rabbit. Frustrated with trying to score a reservation for my birthday, my friends Sukhi and Ray cooked it themselves, a feast with [fresh-made paneer]( and pilaf and naan. Dhamaka’s version may still be [“the jewel in New York’s Indian culinary crown”]( but after that happy, delicious night at home, it can’t ever hold a sparkle to my memory. Connect with Justin on [Twitter]( and [Instagram](. Where else I’d spend a cool $200 instead. [America’s Oldest Cuisine Is Having a New Moment]( Indigenous leaders like Sean Sherman (aka the Sioux Chef) aim to spread the opportunity around [The New Guard of Vegan Restaurants in New YorkÂ]( Meatless and inventive flavors, whether you’re looking for Sichuan, Caribbean, pizza or food from the American South. [Make a Seafood Cocktail Fit for a Queen]( Claridge’s shares its famous recipe for home cooks [The 14 Buzziest New York Restaurants and Bars Coming This Fall]( Hungry with anticipation [From Hawaii to Miami, the Nine Best Sushi Restaurants in the US]( The best places to feast on top-of-the-line seafood outside of Japan On the travel tip. After losing a month of prime summer cooped up under quarantine ([monkeypox]( [is]( [no joke](), I’m ready to get far, far away from all that. Here’s some recent articles that gave me inspiration. [Oktoberfest Is Back!]( [At Buahan in Bali, Hotel Guests Can Enjoy the ‘Naked Experience’]( [Where European Travel Experts Recommend Visiting This Fall]( [The True Value of the Cheap Postcard]( [Sunny Hostin of The View Shares How to Plan the Perfect Vacation]( [The 14 Best Cocktail Bars in Singapore Right Now]( What else I’m consuming. - Absolutely absurd and delightfully unpredictable, HBO’s Los Espookys is back with a second season of [putting the (un)dead in deadpan comedy](. - Barbarian kicks off horror season right with a smart and [utterly perverse, nail-bitingly fun film]( that twists genre tropes in the best way. Try not to read anything about it. [Up next: Ti West’s Pearl.]( - But first, [the Cult of A24](. New York Magazine’s breakdown of the indie film distributor’s 10-year journey into lifestyle brand (and teetering self-parody) is a great read—even if I felt maybe a little too seen. - And if only this one were fiction: Bloomberg’s “In Trust” podcast dives deep into the [real-life villainy perpetuated against the Osage Nation](, a massive land theft into private White hands, all facilitated by the US government. So, you’ve got questions? Here’s some answers! Whatever the topic, keep them coming for next week via our [Bloomberg Pursuits Instagram]( and [e-mail](mailto:daydreams@bloomberg.net?I%20have%20a%20question). How does a low-class or middle-class person get into collecting art You buy art! Sorry, I’m not trying to be crass, but that’s the answer. Eventually, there’s something to be said about networking and connections and establishing relationships, but you have to start somewhere. Check out what’s on [Artsy]( or [1stdibs]( or [even use Instagram](. Meet artists on studio walks, [visit art fairs](, go to museums, and start developing a strong a sense of what you like. A few years back we made this [interactive tool about what art to buy]( depending on your budget (the pieces will be gone but it’s still great inspiration). Consequential, meaningful works can be bought at any price point. There’s just one rule to collecting art: Buy you like—and would enjoy living with for a while. You can now own a fraction of a Warhol. But should you? Photographer: Guy Bell/Shutterstock/Shutterstock A related question I got this week was: “What percentage of your gross income should you spend on art?” Zero. None. Art makes life worth living, sure, but art is a luxury, and there is no “should” in luxury. Plus, art collecting is a terrible way to make or store money for almost everyone. Our culture reporter, James Tarmy, writes all the time about [how to invest in art](. But those million-dollar auction headlines, that is the art market, is [not for most people](. “Art is for everyone, and anyone can buy an artwork,” he expertly explains in his newsletter on [the economics of collecting](. “But it’s healthy to remember that the art market is for a comparatively miniscule, objectively rich select few.” A Barbara Kruger installation at David Zwirner Gallery in New York. Courtesy David Zwirner Are Devialet Phantom I speakers still the gold standard of Bluetooth stereo? It’s been seven years since [we ran our review of the Phantom I]( and the answer is still yes, absolutely. Although I’m going to assume you’re using Bluetooth interchangeably with wireless. Bluetooth as a way of getting sound from a source to a speaker is inherently problematic—even under the best circumstances you lose a fair bit of fidelity. What you want is a wireless speaker that connects to your Wi-Fi and can take a direct stream from a service like Tidal or Qobuz. Devialet can do that. I checked in with [Matt Kronsberg](, our gadget guru, as well. On a pure sound quality basis, he ranked the [Naim Audio Mu-so]( and the [KEF LS50]( higher, though maybe not prettier; Devialet speakers look and sound incredible. Focal’s Utopia are the best wired, hi-fi headphones—at $5,000 a pair. Photographer: Ryan Jenq for Bloomberg Businessweek What about Sonos? They’re excellent he says, but limited in some key respects: “I think they juice their sound to make it fuller (to very good effect) but it comes at the cost of fine detail. That said, it all just works so well that if you’re not an insufferable audio nerd, you’ll be pretty happy.” Which takes us back to you. (Do you sense a theme to this newsletter?) Ultimately each of those pieces have audiences they serve perfectly. If you’re looking to stream Spotify by Bluetooth, you probably don’t need to spend [$3,900 on the top-end Devialet](. Although if you’re the kind of person who is going to sit there in your [puffy, comfy chair]( for an evening with your eyes closed meditating on every note in the latest Coltrane remaster, it could be the best money you’ll ever spend. It’s now harder to get a MoonSwatch than a Breguet. Photographer: Swatch Group AG How has/will the Omega-Swatch collaboration impact the watch industry? [Despite the mobs]( and bad behavior, [MoonSwatch mania]( can only mean one thing: there’ll be more. Interbrand collaborations may be rare in the staid world of luxury watchmaking, but when a $250 bioceramic mash-up of Omega’s legendary Speedmaster can also [increase sales of the $7,000 original]( by double digits and [bring relevancy back to quartz Swatches again](, you can bet brand presidents the industry over are taking stock of how they can hit their own high-low win-win. I don’t mean the upper echelons—your Patek Philippes, your Audemars Piguets, your Vacheron Constantins—no, that level of watchmaking is still predicated on very expensive exclusivity. And they’re not out to use [sneaker-drop-style scarcity marketing]( to capture younger watch enthusiasts with stretch goals. But at the lower price points, that is your high four-figures, I could see Breitling or Richemont’s IWC or Montblanc eyeing appropriate partners. Swatch Group itself already created additional lower-priced prototypes, like the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Omega Seamaster 300 dive watches, before putting the MoonSwatch into production. (I do see Rolex sitting this one out; already the [entry-level luxury watch of choice](, it doesn’t need any help burnishing its aura.) Call me tacky, but my first Rolex is definitely going to be two-tone steel and gold. Source: Hodinkee That said, no other watch groups have quite the same low-to-high range as Swatch Group, so replicating its hat trick would require an outside tie-up or a takeover of a fashion watch brand. Casio has already proven success with Britain’s Bamford Watch Department; their [second G-Shock collaboration]( drawing a [MoonSwatch-like frenzy]( this past July. Personally, I’d love to see a heritage Swiss brand take an interest in America, [which doesn’t have an elite watchmaking brand of its own](. A two-continent collaboration with [Timex](, which is making watches in the US again, or with [Detroit’s Shinola](, beyond simply shipping over mechanical movements, seems ripe for the making. Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Pursuits newsletter. 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