It seems that life is flying by extra fast these days. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old (I’ll be 29 in a few weeks). Maybe it’s because I have two kids. Maybe it’s just because it just is flying by…. Regardless, we’re almost halfway through August, and summer is on its way out. We leave for vacation later this week. We’re heading up to the Hudson Valley, near the Village of Saugerties. We found this restored 1800s farmhouse on airbnb, and we’ll just be taking it easy for a week with my family, and I cannot wait to put up that out-of-office email reply. I’ll be documenting our favorite restaurants, activities, etc. for And North, which will be fun! If you have a favorite destination near Saugerties, please suggest away!

Today I’m sharing the second batch of photos from the June Kinfolk Magazine Dinner at Dock 5 at Union Market. This dinner was extra special…it was by far the largest long table dinner I’ve hosted (besides weddings, which are way different). The goal of the dinner was to foster collaboration, and I have to say, this goal was certainly accomplished! I worked with over 25 brands and individuals to produce this event. Not only did it bring together a quality group of partners, it also brought together nearly 60 creatives from the DC area (and beyond)…all of whom are eager to work with and collaborate with others. The entire dinner went off without a hitch (largely due to my friend Stephanie’s angelic smile and willing heart), was simply perfect. Alone, I couldn’t have done a fraction of what was done, thanks to all our partners. This will probably be my last Kinfolk Dinner, at least for a while. Working with Kinfolk Magazine the past two years had been such an incredibly rewarding experience, and my life’s been so enriched from the friendships I’ve made, locally and globally! I’ll try not to get too sentimental…

Today’s post is dedicated to those who contributed food, drink, and goodies for our guests to take home. A dinner can be gorgeous, but let’s face it, all that really matters is the food and drink (something I’m still trying to accept, as a stylist with a passion for table tops)! 😉

I was just ecstatic to work with Caitlin and Yi-Wah from Number 1 Sons. After an initial chat about the menu (seasonal) and type of dinner (long table, family style), they put together the most incredible, bursting with flavor summer menu, which included kimchi deviled eggs & oysters with chopped pickles for starters. For dinner, we had roast pig with butter and herbs, peas & carrots with butter and pickle brine, sauerkraut pasta salad with pig skin & sauerkraut over a bed of herbs, a farmer salad, and a Number 1 Mom salad with make fruit and vegetables with a soy sauce vinaigrette. For dessert, we had two scrumptious cakes with June market fruit. Not only did Caitlin & Yi-Wah dream up this menu, but they cooked it ALL, and then served nearly 80 folks. And to top it all off, they didn’t stop smiling the entire evening.

Couldn’t have done this dinner without our drink partners! I was so excited to work with almost every type of drink company! We worked with Eric at Cordial Fine Wine & Spirits for our fine wine & spirits, and with We Mix Drinks for bartending. Lyarnna, our bartender, was so fun and helpful, and everyone loved her French 75 and Blueberry Gin Sour. We also had JRINK Juicery serving juice shots (thanks Shizu and Danni). The JRINK ladies also donated handmade ceramic shot glasses/mini bowls. I have 4 in my kitchen and they’re my favorite…I use them ALL the time. Madcap Coffee making pour overs and Japanese iced coffees for everyone. Trevor was awesome and Madcap Coffee is now on my must-have-in-kitchen-at-all-times list.

In addition to that yummy dinner menu, we had baguettes, pan brie, and brioche buns provided by Melinda from Knead & Know and gluten free chia seed buns baked by Emily of Goldilocks Goodies. The Farm at Sunnyside provided the farmer salad and herbs, Spring Gap Mountain Creamery provided fresh cheeses, Spring Valley provided the June fruit, Path Valley Coop our piggies, and EcoFriendly Foods provided the bacon.

Our goodie bag and takeaway sponsors were hands down some of my favorite sponsors ever. First, Maptote donated the bags for everyone to take home. The tote bags are screenprinted (in Brooklyn), and featured an awesome hand drawn map of Washington, DC. Then, my dear friend (and new mama) Carolyn Misterek of Matine gave handcrafted leather business card holders for each guest. These are stunning and so carefully made. A new friend – Marcella Kriebel – donated gorgeous prints of her watercolor work, and sent a bunch of both her Garden Harvest and Farmers Market prints. Natural Linens provided organic linen reusable tea bags. I love drinking loose leaf tea, especially now that fall is approaching, and these bags make it such an enjoyable & beautiful process. And along with donating the fabric for our gorgeous dark grey napkins, Nicole from Finch Sewing Studio donated little sewing kits for each attendee.

To close out the evening, my friend Andy Zipf serenaded us with his angelic voice and acoustic guitar. I’ve known Andy since 2008 and we’ve worked together in the past. Andy’s all about the community that music fosters, and he loves house shows. We have something in the works for this fall, and I’m really excited!

As you can see, it really was a collaborative effort to bring this beautiful dinner to fruition. It was the sum total of lots and lots and lots of little (and big) pieces. And it’s the people who really made it happen. The people who contributed their creative talent and the people who came to meet others, for the community, and for the shared experience. I’m so grateful for you all! Don’t be strangers! Let’s work together again soon. Or just grab coffee. 🙂