Right Place, Right Time

It's been a minute since I last wrote. I just returned from a trip with one of my daughters, who is in Paris studying for her semester abroad. There is skiing, then there is European skiing! Let's be honest, Midwest Hills (Wilmot & Alpine) < East Coast (Killington & Stowe) < Rocky Mountains (Vail & Aspen) < Alps (St Moritz & Courcheval). We decided to meet in Courchevel, which turned out to be next-level amazing; everything was epic --- from the mountain's amenities, to the abundance of amazing restaurants and clubs on the mountain, to the really nice town in the main 1850 area. The skiing was very good (on piste) despite there not being any new snow in a couple of weeks. The on-mountain apres ski (really during) is next level, think the mountainous winter version of St Barths. This week's Loupe is dedicated to being in the right place at the right time!

Artemis
App, Food

There are so many great restaurants now, which is a good problem to have. The challenge is that there are very few true “hidden gems” anymore. With the reach of platforms like Michelin, Infatuation, and Eater, most notable places are widely known, and as a result, reservations can be difficult to secure without planning well in advance.

That’s where things become tricky. I often don’t know my schedule, who I’ll be with, or even what I’ll feel like eating far enough ahead of time to book weeks in advance. Because of that, we’ve adapted by joining a few of the new crop of  private clubs where we know we can reliably get a table, or by going to strong local spots that don’t always show up on “best of” lists.

That said, when I do go out, I still prefer to try newer or in-demand restaurants. To make that work, we’ve found a couple of helpful options. One is Dorsia, where members can secure reservations by agreeing to a higher per-person spend. In practice, this usually aligns with what you might already spend on a full dinner with drinks, so it’s a manageable tradeoff for access. Another, and most notable, is Artemis, a service that uses technology to find and book reservations on your behalf. You can specify the restaurants you’re interested in, along with a range of dates and times, and agree to cover any applicable cancellation fees. Artemis then monitors availability and books when something opens up. It doesn’t always work, but it’s effective often enough to justify the $85/month cost. In particular, it tends to work well within 24 hours of when you plan to dine, when cancellations are more likely to occur. Think you'll find, like me, this is an app worth its weight (carry) in gold. 

Rekke
Technology

I (mildly) recommend these ski goggles, with the caveat that future versions could—and probably should—be better. As you prepare for spring skiing with friends and/or family, they’re a fun, slightly futuristic upgrade to consider. These augmented reality goggles give you a heads-up display with your speed, altitude, and the location of others (as long as they’re also using Rekke). They sync with your phone too, so you can check messages and control your music.

What they don’t include are basic tracking features like which run you’re on or a history of where you’ve been—you’ll need a separate app for that—and they don’t have built-in speakers. They’re priced about the same as regular goggles (around $400) and come with interchangeable lenses. That said, they run a bit large for kids, which undercuts some of the appeal if you were hoping to use them to keep tabs on your children.

Where they do shine is with friend groups or couples, especially when one person skis much faster than the other, as it’s a useful way to avoid getting separated on the mountain. Try them, and let me know what you think! 

You are one step closer to being where you should be, when you should be there, and consider Artemis and Rekke found!