From Chef’s Table to Our Table(s)

Chef’s Table—we know it, we love it, we learn from it. In 2019, we’ll be pulling tips and tricks from our favorite chefs, not just from their cooking but from their philosophies and world views. Because as we all know, good cooking starts with intention, soul and magic—and that can take a little wisdom to summon up.

We wanted to share what’s inspiring us most, as we cruise into 2019.

From Miss Crenn, we channel intense girl power (she’s the first 3 starred Michelin female chef in the US!) and dedication to memory, poetry and authenticity. We love the idea of personalizing our menus (corporate and at-home events) with details that are rooted in our individual histories, memories and families. We also think it is very dope to include poetry—personal or public—to add some imagery and cinematography to the ethos of your event.

From Alain Passard, we would like to borrow insistence on beauty, locality and seasonality. We love his attention to detail, reverence for local ingredients (and would love to grow our own fruits, and veggies for that matter) and insistence on being engaged with the cooking, and the poetry of the meal as it unfolds.

Massimo Bottura – owner and chef of one of the world’s most reputable restaurants, and yet so silly and lighthearted and joyful. From him, we take enthusiasm, focus and zest for food.

Samin Nosrat basically broke the internet with Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat—and for good reason. Her curiosity, ability to draw out stories from the cooks around her, and reliance on good ole common sense make her a joy to watch and cook from. We adore her buttermilk and salt roast chicken, and look forward to hosting many dinner parties in her honor.

Francis Mallmann is truly-truly-truly one of a kind. The man’s personal style alone is worth a thousand words—from his berets and silk neck ties to leather boots and canvas jackets. We love his dedication to authenticity—from the way he makes a slow pot of coffee on an old furnace to resurrecting decades old clay—wood oven fish roasting techniques. His insistence on romance, slow burning passion for food, and communal living and eating is something we need to be utterly inspiring in all of its opulence and romance. We would love to host a dinner series in various wild locations this year, and to celebrate each day with a beautiful and slow personal ritual—whether a pot of green tea or keeping freshly clipped flowers on our desks.

We find Nancy Silverton at a moment when we’re obsessed with trying for the unknown—which is to say giving baking a whirl. Her dough, and obsession with the perfect one—totally resonates with us. She’s a best in class baker, who has made pizza and bread that is known worlds over—with a maniac’s attention to detail and perfect palette, she’s a lethal combo. In 2019, we will channel her resilience and attention to detail as we give bread and pastry baking a shot. Her style is “nourishing to the palette and the soul” which we also totally get down with.