“Food 52’s new office is having an open house Thursday night. Tears. Someone go for me please.” was what my friend Ariel’s (http://ariellouise.weebly.com) status read on Facebook one week before the Food52 open house. As a friend and fellow foodie, I took it upon myself to observe and report for her. I mostly liked the idea of being the inside girl. Y’know, the foodie James(Jane?) Bond going semi-undercover on the East Coast to send word to the midwest. I have to tell you though, that I almost didn’t go because it was raining and I was tired and limp from a self imposed yoga every day challenge. Luckily I remembered that the invite promised cookies and found the strength to attend.
Upon entering the space I was greeted by friendly guides in red aprons that encouraged the other guest and I to taste anything edible and take a look at all of the product offerings. I wondered if these idyllic surroundings were too good to be true and set about chatting with some employees. They all reaffirmed that yes, this is a dream job. Everyone seemed legitimately and genuinely happy to have the privilege to show up to work here everyday. After an hour of milling around in the spacious office I could see why. There is a palpable calm-yet-industrious vibe going on. You can imagine employees putting in hours completing their work fueled on bites and sips from the test kitchen, basking in the diffused light that pours in from the generous windows.
Here is where you lose yourself fantasizing about your industrial meets provincial kitchen in your spacious loft in your imagination.
The aforementioned cookies: blondies – with and without nuts. Naturally I had to sample both..a couple of times.
Did you know that egg whites whip to a greater volume in copper bowls? Don’t you want these even more now?
The office space is open, free-flowing, and flooded with lush natural light. Approachably chic employees clicked away on their MacBooks as us interlopers milled about and pretended that we only ate one blondie.
One of the best features of the office is the fact that the test kitchen is so exposed and integrated into the main space. Stepping off of the elevator, it is the first thing you see beyond the welcoming lounge area.
A few speciality drinks were served up from the test kitchen. I went for one called “The Botanist” which had a sweet but not overbearing floral flavor. Midway through I wondered if it was okay to show up to my vinyasa class a little buzzed…
^^In case you were ever wondering how your favorite food instagrams were creating these gorgeous marble backdrops^^
All in all, a good port in the storm for any food-loving New Yorker.
A
All In Good Taste 