10/11/2025
FANTASY FOREST: had an incredible time bringing the vision I had the first time I stepped into .bewilderment to life!! In tradition, this was a luxuriously slow-paced evening, where we invited guests to unwind and indulge in 5 courses (& a surprise amuse!) over a pop-up community table. All dishes, drinks and decor were inspired by food and scenes from fantasy forests including Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, The Hobbit, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. All ingredients were seasonal and many local!
This was a true collab: Cafe co-owner Avery & I brainstormed together, split the menu course design but weighed in on each other's ideas (Avery managed to convince me us handbuilding 12 savory "gingerbread" houses out of shaped rye crackers and cream cheese glue was not the best use of our time 😅🤪). Avery's work was the potato-mushrooms dish, our sunny dessert- and the entire drinks pairings menu! She came up with the tea cup salad idea and I ran with it, plus I designed the soup-in-squash, lotus leaf and duck dishes. 🎉
I brought in 2 carloads of moss, candlesticks, various whimsical tablescape materials, and selected flowers to match the vibe — that Cafe co-owner Paris arranged into woodsy, bewitching bouquets under the kind tutelage of .bflo owner Michael.
It was SO NICE having Paris there to host and help serve, along with help from amazing sous , A+ dishwasher Zach & bartender extraordinare , especially when I'm used to juggling all of the above or just splitting everything with one co-chef!!
There's always a learning curve when you're working with new partners and in a new kitchen, but I think we developed a rhythm, & I look forward to more possible collabs in the future! In the meantime, come find me at with a lavender latte, planning events or dreaming up new pop-up schemes 😘
(Also taking on new private chef clients right now; send me a DM if interested in some fancy, meal prep 😁)
