Welcome to my curated collection of discoveries and experiences from 2024. While not everything featured here was
created or opened this year, each entry represents something I personally experienced for the first time in 2024.
From remarkable restaurants and memorable dishes to captivating music and innovative products, these are the
highlights that made my year special.
Favorite Restaurants Visited
COTE Korean Steakhouse• Miami, Florida
A Miami outpost of the Michelin-starred New York City favorite, COTE combines the precision of a high-end steakhouse with the interactive flair of Korean BBQ.
The tasting menu left such an impression that my girlfriend and I haven't stopped raving about it since our visit.
Lom Wong• Phoenix, Arizona
An authentically regional Thai restaurant in Phoenix that ventures far beyond familiar dishes.
With a menu showcasing hyper-local Thai specialties rarely found in the U.S., surrendering to the chef's recommendations leads to an eye-opening culinary adventure.
Black Cod Miso
Made this incredible Nobu adaptation dish at home following this recipe.
The 2-day miso marinade transforms the black cod into a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Recipe Link
Velvet Belly's Beef Tartare• Rochester, New York
Expertly crafted bite-sized beef tartare served atop crispy potato galettes, elevated with truffle, parmesan, and chives.
This masterfully composed dish delivers such an intense moment of pleasure that the first bite triggers an involuntary smile and eye roll – a true testament to its perfection.
Favorite Cocktail Bars
Carry On• Phoenix, Arizona
A very newly opened Phoenix cocktail bar that transports you to a 1960s airliner, complete with flight attendant service, window-view screens, and rumbling chairs.
From the welcome drink to the signature martini hour, this immersive aviation-themed experience makes you feel like you're truly flying while enjoying craft cocktails.
Locale Firenze• Florence, Italy
Locale Firenze stands among the world's top 50 cocktail bars, offering an enchanting blend of hospitality and ambiance.
From the moment guests arrive, they're welcomed with a complimentary drink, setting the tone for an exceptional evening.
The space captivates with its soaring ceilings, thoughtfully designed mood lighting, and lush greenery throughout.
The carefully curated soundtrack completes the sophisticated yet inviting atmosphere that makes this establishment a standout in the global cocktail scene.
Favorite Movies
Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two delivers a visually stunning cinematic experience that truly shines in IMAX format.
The film's masterful use of wide-angle shots showcases the breathtaking landscapes, making the most of the large-format presentation to immerse viewers in its world.
The grand scale and visual artistry make it a standout theatrical experience of 2024.
Favorite Products
Cursor
A new AI-powered coding IDE that transforms the development experience.
Cursor's intelligent features and lightning-fast responsiveness elevate productivity to unprecedented levels, making it stand head and shoulders above traditional code editors.
Its seamless AI integration makes complex programming tasks feel effortless.
Favorite Music Listened To
Break My Love• Rüfüs Du Sol
A masterful evolution of Rüfüs Du Sol's signature sound, blending their distinctive electronic landscapes with nostalgic 80s undertones.
The track demonstrates how artists can push their boundaries while staying true to their musical identity.
Netseweth Sifassan Nagh• Majid Soula
A funky, infectious track by Majid Soula discovered at NYC's Tigre lounge.
Despite the language barrier, the song's irresistible groove transcends any need for lyrical understanding.
i saw you• Fred Again...
A dreamlike electronic track that creates an atmosphere of pure longing, with production so ethereal it invites you to drift away in its emotional currents.
The kind of song that wraps you in a beautiful melancholy you never want to leave.
Favorite Articles Read
Vesuvius Challenge 2023 Grand Prize awarded
The 2023 Vesuvius Challenge united a global community of experts to achieve the seemingly impossible: reading ancient Roman scrolls carbonized by Mount Vesuvius's eruption in 79 AD.
Using computer vision and machine learning, teams successfully revealed text from these fragile artifacts without unrolling them, unlocking knowledge hidden for two millennia.
Article Link
When Do We Stop Finding New Music? A Statistical Analysis
A deep dive into how our relationship with music evolves as we age.
The article reveals that music discovery peaks at 24 and starts to stagnate around 31, backed by data from different streaming services.
Article Link
Lab-grown diamonds: Beating nature at its own game
A look at how lab-grown diamonds have evolved from scientific curiosity to market disruptor.
They are now purer, more beautiful, and vastly cheaper than their mined counterparts.
Article Link
Complete Fruit Fly Brain Mapping
Scientists have mapped all 140,000 neurons and 54.5 million synapses in a fruit fly's brain - the most sophisticated connectome ever created.
While this is just a static snapshot of the brain's wiring, it's a crucial step toward understanding how brains work. Like having a detailed
road map before studying traffic patterns.
Article Link
Cool Projects I've Seen
MomBoard: E-ink display for a parent with amnesia
What makes this project particularly moving is how it uses technology not just to solve a practical problem, but to preserve human connection and dignity.
Project Link
Self-Balancing Cube
An open-source implementation of a self-balancing cube - includes everything from mechanical designs to control algorithms.
Project Link
Technologies I'm Excited About
Trellis – 3D mesh generative model
A groundbreaking advancement in 3D generation technology that can create high-quality 3D assets from text or image inputs.
Makes me interested in buying a 3D printer just because going from concept to physical model is now a breeze.
Technology Link
