Ana Kraš

WHAT WOULD THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE?
Alisa 

WHAT CAN’T YOU TRAVEL WITHOUT AND WHY? 
Headphones and a little bottle of ‘everyday oil’ because my skin is always dry and that smell makes me happy even on the airplane. 

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION AND WHY?
Mediterranean sea—Montenegro, Croatia, Greece, and parts of Italy. I grew up spending three months each summer swimming and diving in those waters and there’s nothing in this world that makes me happier and feels more natural.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN NYC? 
Ride my bicycle and listen to music, get a smoothie, go to a park or river and people watch. If there is a dog to cuddle, then I’m in heaven. 

IF  YOU COULD CHOOSE ONE PERSON TO SHOW YOU “THEIR NEW YORK CITY,” WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? 
Philip Glass because I adore him and he is a NYC vet. He doesn’t talk too much, and we could eat at Cafe Himalaya.

WHO OR WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU RECENTLY AND WHY? 
Paper, because it’s so interesting.  

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE NYC RESTAURANTS? WHAT DO YOU ORDER THERE?
I’m about to get specific…
I love baked mash potato and wild arugula salad at Lil’ Frankie’s.
I love trout head soup at Hasaki.
I love plantains, corn, and roti at Miss Lily’s.
I love green pozole from Dimes, add avocado.
I love Joyful Almond smoothie from Juice Generation, add kale.
I love Turkish fig, earl grey and black sesame ice cream at Il Laboratorio del Gelato.
I love sarma with mash potato at Kafana.
I love baked potatoes and salads from Smile To Go. Also their apple-ginger sweet bread.
I love wasabi-tuna burger at Odeon.
I love hake, and burrata at Altro Paradiso.
I love tangtsel salad, and potato dumplings from Cafe Himalaya.
I love sardine toast from Time Cafe.
I love lemon potatoes from Kiki’s.
I love curry from Divya’s Kitchen.
I love a spicy margarita at The Fat Radish.
I love tiramisu at Bar Pitti.

I am obviously into potatoes.

WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO SPOT IN NYC FOR DRINKS?
I drink so little but I really like Hi-Collar sake bar. It’s tiny and pretty but not too pretty.  

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE NYC BRUNCH SPOTS; WHAT DO YOU ORDER WHEN YOU GO?
I don’t really brunch, but if I do, I make one at home and have friends over. Otherwise, I grab an egg sandwich from Dimes Deli and bike to the East River and eat it there 

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR ART FIX IN NYC? 
I love to go to the Met, it’s my favorite.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE LATE-NIGHT HANGOUTS IN NYC?
I love to bike around late at night because it’s empty windy and beautiful and I can play my own music. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR UNDER-THE-RADAR MUST-DO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VISITORS? 
People should just hop on the train or bike and explore random neighborhoods they normally don’t go to.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE NYC STORES? 
I don’t really shop in general but especially not in NYC. What I find exotic is classic, very American places such as Kmart and Target. That’s where I get my underwear and sweatsuits.

WHAT MUSIC ARE YOU LISTENING TO THESE DAYS? WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MUSICIANS? 
These days, a lot of Sandy B, Baby Bash, SahBabii, Lil Baby, Rema, always a lot of Jeremih, Philip Glass, Nas, Arthur Russel. 

WHAT ALBUM OR SONG WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOUR PERSONAL SOUNDTRACK TO NYC?
l love to bike around in traffic to “Drive (First Gear)” by Womack & Womack. My sunset bike soundtrack is Sandy B’s Amajovi Jovi; late-night bike soundtrack: “Drip Too Hard” by Lil Baby x Gunna. 

WHEN YOU THINK OF NYC, ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR MEMORIES OR EMOTIONS THAT COME TO MIND? 
I remember sitting at the window of my first NYC apartment near WSP (Washington Square Park), on 5th avenue, 12th floor. I would watch the city from above. I could see all of uptown and the sunset over New Jersey. It felt like the city was pulsing 24/7 like a very loud heartbeat. I remember feeling that pulsing strongly in my stomach. It used to be a lot at first, very overwhelming, but now I’m synced in and I love it.