Makers – FoodWatcher

Food52’s First (& Hopefully Only) Quarantine Awards

The year 2020 sucked for so many reasons. But one area it shone was in the creativity and kindness of the food and small business community. We saw laid-off chefs launch their own pop-ups in restaurants that couldn’t stay open for service; other restaurants cleared out the dining rooms and opened up onto the street to create a market of local home and kitchen goods, some selling meal kits so regulars could make their favorite dishes at home. Chefs donated hundreds of lunches and dinners to health-care workers and opened their doors to share family meal with unemployed service workers. Small businesses selling condiments and spices faced supply-chain delays and limited product launch opportunities, yet found ways to keep their customers engaged; a museum where guests used to eat together created virtual spaces to share a meal and a conversation.

It’s with all this brilliant work in mind that we wanted to share these stories with the Food52 community, superlatives-style. Allow us to present: the first (and hopefully, only) Quarantine Awards.

10 Makers Who Turn Our Houses Into Dream Homes

Food52 is 10 years old! To celebrate a decade of all things kitchen and home, we’re rolling out our top recipes, tips, and stories for another victory lap, along with some of our very favorite memories over the years. Go on, take ’em in!

When we fir…

Food52 is 10 years old! To celebrate a decade of all things kitchen and home, we're rolling out our top recipes, tips, and stories for another victory lap, along with some of our very favorite memories over the years. Go on, take 'em in!

When we first started our Shop back in 2013 (as Amanda and Merrill write here) we thought we had it figured out. We’d fill it up with beautiful and practical things made by interesting, passionate people who shared the same values as us. We’d present the right mix of products on the site and see how they were received—and if they did well, we’d keep them.

These Rustic Wreaths Bring the Lush Beauty of Monterey to Your Home

Monterey County, California is known for its picturesque rugged coastlines, but if you travel inland from Big Sur, over the mountains and into the valley, you might come across a farm sporting acres upon acres of fresh herbs, flowers, regional greenery, and other beautiful plants. (Its wonderful scents might even lead you to it!) Through the year, these plants are grown, harvested, and dried, all leading up to when they’re transformed into unique wreaths that are shipped around the country to adorn the homes of thousands of customers.

This is Creekside Farms. The family-owned business was started in 1988 by two parents, and today, more than 30 years later, the company is going strong with 30 employees, 20 acres of farmland, and dozens of designs for every season.

The Iconic French Knives I’d Climb the Alps For

I’m in a lamplit tavern in Chambéry, France—it’s actually called the Café de Lyon, but my brain is in a time zone six hours behind, so let’s say it’s that tavern from Beauty and the Beast. The one where Gaston sings about decorating with antlers. Excep…

I’m in a lamplit tavern in Chambéry, France—it’s actually called the Café de Lyon, but my brain is in a time zone six hours behind, so let’s say it’s that tavern from Beauty and the Beast. The one where Gaston sings about decorating with antlers. Except we’re drinking very fancy red wine and I’m scraping marrow from a halved bone with a steak knife, spreading it deliriously across a piece of bread that yields in just-baked sublimity.

Our guides, Alex and Francoise, are teaching us how to do the French sign for ‘you’ve had one bottle of Bordeaux too many,' twisting a fisted hand in front of their noses, and laughing at our attempts.