Admit it, there are days when, like the Accidental Locavore, you still (ignoring your mother’s advice) play with your food. But would you ever create a business around it? Pinch Food Design is a catering company based on people playing with their food, bringing a fun, creative edge to entertaining. If you think that’s crazy, think again; in this economy it makes a lot of sense! Everyone always wants a party to be remembered, and Pinch will certainly make that happen. Return on investment anyone?
Now, the Accidental Locavore, while usually not overly enthusiastic about style over substance, especially where food is involved, can safely say that’s not the case here—the food I tasted was delicious! Pinch approaches food with a design sensibility but they but they never lose sight of the fact that it’s all about scrumptious food. This is not your lamb lollipop on a silver tray, or tuna tartare on a soggy chip. It’s more of a Penn & Teller irreverence rather than a Martha Stewart stuffiness. And because every good show needs a great set, the creative minds behind Pinch, have created their own “sets” in the form of tables, interactive food stations and utensils, the better to highlight the food.
For example, one of their signature pieces, a riff on a chef’s table, takes the performance aspect of a tasting table, adds a grown-up version of finger painting–with the chef laying sauces down on a silicone tabletop and topping that with bites of gnocchi for guests to grab as they chat. Sure beats a carving station, doesn’t it?
Speaking of stalwarts, even that trusty banquet hall item, filet mignon, gets a face-lift with a basil crust and a tiny popover hat. Shrimp are skewered on the end of one of their specially designed spoons, with a de-constructed version of cocktail sauce in the bowl.
Other assemblages are designed to get people mingling and talking. While a well-stocked bar will often serve the same function, don’t you think a wall of tacos and fixings would be a lot more fun? Even desserts get into the act…gallettes (puff pastry tarts) are pierced and hung from mini jungle gyms with bowls of whipped cream below for them to fall into.
Doesn’t this make you want to go and throw a party? Hmmm… and the Locavore has a birthday coming up…
Thanks to TJ and Pinch for the photos!
because it was my fate (mother’s doing) to be educated at RISD, I’ve always adored presentation — partitioning sandwiches, hors d’oeuvre in an endive leaf, fois gras torchon — at least as much as flavor, and this is way cool!
What a funky idea. I love it!