Last weekend I had the chance to visit Food52's HQ here in New York City. Every so often they'll have pop-up events, offering the opportunity to interact with the products before purchasing them. Having missed their Holiday Market last year, I made sure to add the pop-up shop on my weekend list of to-dos. Their pop-up was a three day affair with different events going on while you shop. Some of the events included wine tasting Portuguese wines, dessert tastings from Mah Ze Dahr Bakery, and tastings for Ample Hills' newest flavor Burnt Toast.
If you haven't heard of Food52, it's an online shop and community that offers products for the kitchen and home; from beddings, bath robes to vintage cast iron pans and jugs, Food52 has quickly become a mainstay within both the food and the design community. Since their creation, they've had collaborations with brands such as Madewell and continue to branch-out—offering products that are handmade or locally made.
SHOWROOM
KITCHEN
Food52's style and aesthetic can be defined as rustic chic—combining simplistic and innovative items with vintage charm.
Dinner table reading material
Copper, Brass, and enamel Louise trays by Hawkins New York
Madewell x Food52 collaboration: scented soaps, candles, napkins, and small dishes
BEDROOM + AROUND THE HOME
Bar cart accessories
One of Food52's collaboration with Hawkins New York
Food52 teamed up with Hawkins New York to create a series of exclusive candles that evoke the smells and memories of the seasons. While Winter Wreath was the only one lit, they offer more candles that were scattered through the showroom. The collection contains two scents: Tomato Vine and Winter Wreath, but Hawkins offers more scents such as Aix-en-Provence, Hudson, Wellfleet, Marfa, Jaipur, and Ouezanne.
SCENT PROFILES
Winter Wreath: Fresh pine, evoking the sentiments of the holidays
Tomato Vine: Earthy and slightly sweet, evoking farmer's markets in the summertime
Aix-en-Provence: Fresh lavender and wild summer herbs
Hudson: Smoky and sweet, evoking the first fires of fall and smoke from brick chimneys
Wellfleet: floral and beachy, evoking the sunlit flowers of June
Marfa: woodsy and desert-like, evoking campire nights and burning embers
Jaipur: Vibrant saffron, bergamot + musk
Ouezanne: sweet citrus w/ blood orange and anise (inspired by the Rif region in Morocco)
Candles can be purchased on Food52's website here
A few of the recipe books Food52 sells
WINE TASTING + MAH ZE DAHR BAKERY
Mah Ze Dahr served mini samples from their bakery menu + white wine
Discovered by Tom Colicchio, the quaint bakery can be found right on Greenwich Avenue in West Village. They offer personal twists on desserts we know and love: devil's food cake, cheesecake, and chocolate mousse. What the bakery is most known for is their cheesecake, which has a different taste profile and consistency; it's not dense, and is light and airy with a tart lemon flavor. The crust consists of dark chocolate cookie-like crust. I personally do not like cheesecake, but gave it a try as per request by the bakery staff and the outcome: success. It changed my view point as to what a cheesecake can taste like and it's bakeries like Mah Ze Dahr that do a good job of changing a person's perspective on foods that they may dislike.
L to R: Coconut marshmallow, raspberry pistachio tart, choux
Chocolate + passionfruit mousse verrine
WINE TASTING BY WINE AWESOMENESS
From 5:00-6:00 p.m., Wine Awesomeness offered tastings of three of their wines from Portugal. Starting from their white wine, then rosé, and finally the red—you're introduced to a wine company that is eager to share their love of wine for countries not immediately thought of for wine. The company offers a monthly wine subscription, taking you on a journey tasting wines from the best regions. They were happy to answer any wine questions pertaining to flavor notes and as well as giving their recommendations for optimal taste. If you don't want to subscribe, they also sell bottle of wines individually.
TATTLY
Tattly offered one free temporary tattoo of your choice (Sage tattoo)
Tattly is a Brooklyn-based temporary tattoo parlor that specializes in tattoos that are real works of art by real artists. They offer scented herb and flower tattoos that are long-lasting; it took about three days until the tattoo faded. Though scented, the tattoos are safe and non-toxic. It's a fun idea to try it out on how you feel about having a tattoo without the lifelong commitment.
I had a blast at Food52's pop-up event and though I was unable to attend for the other two days, I'm looking forward to their future events—plus utilizing their space and site for endless home inspiration.
Here are the links for the companies that helped make the event feel even more special.
and most importantly, Food52
Hope you guys have a wonderful weekend,
x Yzabelle