Katie's Menu
The Menu invites Chic, Conscious Consumers to share their go to products & passions because what’s more curated than a menu? From skincare to soundtracks, here’s what's on their plate...
Napkin Notes from your Home Chef, Phia
Allow me to introduce you to our next “Guest Chef”… Katie Stone
To me, Katie is a healthy meal with a delectable amount of indulgence– balanced coupled with delight.
I first met Katie on Instagram, but I knew her from the Venn Diagrams on TikTok. Her voice is clever, tectonic, and unmistakably hers—cutting through the noise with insight that sticks. Nowhere is that more evident than in her Substack, Plant Based—a sharp, stylish guide to modern consumer literacy.
Her “Great Showdown” series is essential viewing. Katie does the deep digging most brands—and let’s be honest, most consumers—won’t. She finds the questions we didn’t know we should be asking, invites us to ask them too, and then hands us the answers. And fun fact: Katie was the one who thought of the term Guest Chefs for this very series. So naturally, she had to be one of the first on the Menu.
Put simply: Katie’s THE voice to follow if you want to consume more consciously. And now, her Menu is served.
Without further ado Let’s Digest!
What’s your favorite restaurant?
This is impossible!! According to Beli it's The Ivy in Los Angeles, but I'd say Cafe Mogador as a more realistic answer.
Describe yourself in 3 words
curious, thoughtful, unserious
Describe yourself or what you do using references from movies,characters, TV shows, or songs.
I often times feel like Lizzie McGuire in cartoon form, melting or ransacking my closet or questioning society at large.
Describe your “digital diet”
I listen to a lot of music — old, new, all of it — and it ranges from pop to rock to hip hop etc. Perhaps it's a result of me working in media, but I read a tonnnnn of newsletters and articles. I prefer to read my news than to listen to it, which could be unpopular these days, so everyday I'm reading NYT morning update newsletter, almost every newsletter from NY Mag, whatever Air Mail sends me, and a smattering of the 50+ Substacks I subscribe to. I'll admit I do love a Reddit hole.
Let's start with Aperitivo:
What makes you feel chic?*
taking a long, luxurious shower, and wrapping myself in a fluffy robe
What are your 2 favorite perfumes?
Cyan Nori by Abel and Bibliothèque Byredo
What’s your drink of choice?
sparkling water with lots of citrus and mint
What is a free beauty tip you live by?
DRINK WATER!
Moving on to Starters:
What are your favorite shower products? face, cleansers, body wash, scrubs etc.
Soft Services Buffing Bar, Nécessaire body wash, CAP Beauty's Blue Cleanser, Roz Shampoo and Conditioner!
What’s your favorite appetizer?
Does freshly baked bread and olive oil count?
What’s your favorite piece of content you’ve recently consumed?
Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte — I was enthralled by it but I can't say it brought me joy?
What’s your favorite song? or song lyrics?
In My Life by The Beatles
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
You're so smart yet so dumb at the same time. Weird thing for a guy I went on a date with to say...
Now for The Main Course
What are your favorite serums, body lotions etc.?
Soft Services Software Update Retinol Serum, Nécessaire Body Lotion
One product you’ll repurchase over and over again?
What's your most worn fashion piece?
Rugby shirt from Rowing Blazers
What’s your death row meal?
The Good Ass Salad from All Time in LA and a big bowl of curry (Maa's Gaeng Pa from Wayla comes to mind)
What’s in your bag?
Give us a fashion tip that helps you be a more chic conscious consumer.
Sleep on it. I find it scarily easy to impulse purchase articles of clothing, so I instead of giving into the urge, I tell myself to sleep on it. If I'm still thinking about it in a day or two, then I give myself permission to buy it (within reason).
What’s a perspective you’ve had that has completely changed overtime?
Hm, I'm not sure if this is a perspective necessarily, but I used to be obsessed with certainty, and being so sure of myself and all of my decisions. Now I feel much more okay with being uncertain, and in fact, understand that it's inevitable.
What was your favorite item of clothing as a child?
This is sort of cheating, but a t-shirt over a long-sleeve shirt was my signature.
And a final bite for Dessert
What are your favorite lip care products, candles - the things that act as the icing on the cake in your self care and beauty routine.
Eadem's Le Chouchou is the best lip balm, hands down. I love it SO much. My Monastery LED Light Mask is such a luxury and it's one of my favorite products I own. My Abel Scene 02 Room Spray is delightful; I love to spray it before bed.
What is your favorite dessert or midnight snack?
A really good salted chocolate chip cookie
What’s your favorite thing on your nightstand?
If you had to curate the guest list for the ultimate “Chic,Conscious Consumer” gathering, who are your three must-invites?
This is impossible. Are these famous or my friends? Panicking. Ok,
What is a topic you wish someone would ask you about – a quirky interest or something you’re well versed in that you don’t get to talk about enough.
Music!!! (I don't make music but I listen to a lot of it — it's one of my favorite topics to discuss).
Like any great meal, this one ends with something smooth and memorable.
Add Katie’s Substack Plant Based to your daily digest—your taste (and timeline) will thank you.
Bon appétit, babes. 🍽️
Thanks for consuming!!
Phia
“Each Day Gets Better”
I can't wait for you to try Bastèt