So what exactly do Amanda & Merrill do all day (when they're not cooking up a storm at our weekly photo shoots)? Our intrepid photographer Sarah Shatz tagged along on a so-called office day (with an unusual number of fun pitstops) to give us all a glimpse.
8:24am Amanda escorts her 4-year-old twins to preschool -- that's Walker on the right, and Addie (who dresses more and more like a mini-Amanda every day) on the left. Sometimes this walk is more of a frantic trot, especially on those drama-filled mornings when the twins are, say, on the verge of missing a field trip to the Brooklyn Museum.
10:11am Amanda swings by a panel at the Bowery Whole Foods Market for Social Media Week to drop some knowledge and expressive hand gestures. Co-panelists are chef Marcus Samuelsson, NBC Feast's Ben Leventhal, and Foodspotting's Soraya Dorabi.
10:48am Speaking of expressive... it seems Marcus finds Amanda to be delightful panel company.
11:00am The panel was followed by a "flash mob" of snapping and uploading food photos -- we were just happy to get some of Marcus' Swedish meatballs.
11:10 am Enter Merrill! Just in time to debrief on the panel and power through her second latte of the day.
11:40am Story of our lives.
12:15pm Lunch with Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat
1:45pm Second rule of being a French woman and not getting fat -- eat desserts! All of them!
1:46pm We're not kidding: ALL of them.
2:18pm Food comas make it super hard to choose office supplies. Pictured: the coat hook dilemma.
2:22pm ... and the trash can dilemma (oh, the glamour of working in a real office -- remember when we used to rendezvous in coffee shops?)
2:25pm What office styling decision could be flummoxing them now? Paper clips? Tape dispensers?
2:34pm They made it, trash can and all! Note the matching M Z Wallace handbags (for the record, Merrill got hers first).
2:40pm Next stop: MUJI for props! (Incidentally, in the fall Amanda also bought her entire book tour
2:44pm "How good would some Salted Pumpkin Caramels look on this bad boy?" "So good."
3:01pm Back to the office! That's our development team: Peter, Jon and Kfir, who are all working around the clock to make the site better. Notice how Peter, ever the techie, holds his apple as if it were a computer mouse.
3:13pm Francesca, our Assistant Editor, is immersed in writing a Reciprocity post -- either that or wishing that her makeshift pencil-holder (a City Bakery cup) were instead full of hot chocolate.
3:24pm: Amanda dives into the sea of emails, tweets, and foodpickles to catch up.
3:35pm: From her corner, Senior Editor Kristen seems skeptical. Note the fifth Apple computer in a row. We should really have an endorsement deal.
3:46pm Check out our crazy W-shaped desk configuration. It's great for impromptu collaborating (we won't be cubicle-d!), not so great for squeezing through the gauntlet to grab a tea bag or sugar packet.
4:19pm Peter brainstorms while Jon works on an important doodle.
4:21pm Kfir is clearly up to no good.
4:46pm Our trademarked, extremely high-tech planning board. Custom designed.
5:15pm All smiles, Amanda, Merrill and Peter head into the heart of General Assembly, our shared office space (Look at all our cool startup officemates listed on the wall! Who can spot food52?)
5:20pm We love mini-meetings in these pods. Mini-naps would be great too.
5:41pm Last meeting of the day: coffee with Francesca at L.A. Burdick, which we are delighted to have a block from our office.
5:45pm But guys, it wouldn't be coffee without some pretty little pastries, right?
5:46pm Right!
79 Comments on A Day in the Life:
I have the same MZ Wallace bag--love it!!! and all your great recipes!!
This "day in the life" is one of the many things that makes FOOD52 such fun! Keep it coming!
Thanks for sharing.
This is the cutest post! I love it...such a fun snapshot of your day...Thanks ladies!
Help! You forgot to pick up the twins at school!!! (Just kidding . . . you look like a busy mom, but a great mom too!) Great post and great site. Keep it up.
Looks like a fun place to work. Got any openings for a Grandma who writes about food and wine -- and is a pretty fair cook, too)?
Looks like a fun place to work. Got any openings for a Grandma who writes about food and wine -- and is a pretty fair cook, too)?
I also love the caneles! I once spent 3 weeks making at least 10 versions of caneles to find the perfect recipe. (found it!)
Really??!! Where is it from?
I want the story on Amanda's hat. Is that my ski hat that I lost sometime back in the 80's?
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoHa! My husband gave it to me for Christmas 2 years ago. It's from furhatworld.com -- not kidding.
p.s. I love that we're into the fashion as much as the food!
Love, love, love! Any day that include Champagne, dessert(s) and shopping is a great work day in my book. Though I know there's plenty of non-glam, nose-to-the-grindstone days, too. Excellent feature and great to see the rest of the food52 gang.
If my work looked like this, I'd never want to leave : ) Can I please be hired?
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoThanks everyone for your comments -- we're glad you got a chance to see some of the great people who are working hard with us every day. And we promise we don't usually eat dessert all day long. Only sometimes...
Oh does this post make me miss NYC!! Love the energy these gals have :)
What a fun post!! Love the way you incorporate all those great desserts into each day. ;)
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoIt takes a lot of discipline.
You ladies are living the dream! Fun post. Thanks for sharing an inside peek into Food52. I'm going nuts over the purses!! Amanda is that the Jane? What color is it??? I am coveting it!!!
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoThanks -- it's the "Kate" and the color is "storm" although it reminds me much more of a mushroom color, part gray, part brown.
I think Addie needs a hat like her mom's! Thanks for the glimpse into the inner workings of Food52, it's a treat to see all those working hard to make this community a success. Keep up the good work, and shopping, and eating, and looking glamorous for the camera..... - S
Wow, you ladies are glamorous. Love this post.
I don't know why I still retain the mental image of Food52 being comprised of A & M and one ass't working from Amanda's apartment. How many peeps do you have on staff? Loved this post BTW.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoThanks! Yes, we used to work out of my apartment and cafes. Finally have an actual place for our file boxes! And now lots more great people to work with -- you can read about them all here: http://www.food52.com/blog/1465
WOW, what a team! I humbly stand corrected. What a divine place to work.
I want a pod for Christmas!
This is the most adorable post ever. I love it, all the way from the twins going to school to the giant mugs of coffee. A big wave hello to your whole techie team - awesome to see everyone's faces :)
Thanks for this peep into your day. I have to say - are you both wearing the same tops too? ;) (see pic at Whole Foods). What a crazy, fun and hectic day, and a great idea for a post.
Love, love, this site; use it for food inspiration EVERY DAY and have tried things and been exposed to things I never would have known about or tried before. Yay for Food52!
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoThey do look alike, don't they? Thanks for your note -- we're thrilled you like food52!
All this is nice. But, where is the recipe for the MS meatballs with garnishes.
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoThank you all for your great comments -- and I promise you, our lives are not that glamorous. (Just happened to document the one Champagne lunch we've had since we started food52.) We have a lot of fun, to be sure, but we really love hearing about what you all are up to -- and of course, what you're cooking!
I loved this post! Looks very busy, but a lot of fun =)
In the photo of the pastries at LA Burdick, there is a chocolate madeleine to the left, but what is the small cake on the right? A baba rhum would be round and look much more like a mini-bundt cake. I am completely stumped. From a baker who is looking for new cakes to try...
That's a canelé de Bordeaux (known also simply as a canele). They're really great little cakes, caramelized on the outside, and almost custard-like on the inside.
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoThanks for weighing in fiveandspice -- that's exactly it!
Love the way Sarah captured it. Captions are fun too. Very cool, DILO.
If you're hiring let me know. Ditto for the Mac love.
If you're hiring let me know. Ditto the Mac love.
You two have the life! I would trade places with you in a heartbeat. Thanks for sharing and Amanda I love your hat!
I had no idea they opened actual, physical MUJI stores in the US... I used to go in Dublin, Ireland all the time!! So excited for my next trip out there!
Twin 4-year-olds! HOW do you do it?!?!?
What a fun post - love getting a peek into your everyday life at the 52. Great hat Amanda and I am a BIG apple fan too! :)
I agree on both accounts. The chance to get a peek into how you do it is amazing. And that hat, FABULOUS!
You all look like you are having too much fun. One question...what is this MUJI place of which you speak????
Hi WinnieAb - http://www.muji.us/ !
Thanks Sarah! I will be in the city tomorrow and will definitely have to make MUJI one of my stops!
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoMuji also has great office supplies -- notebooks, mini staplers and such. All very reasonable, too. The wood plate that you often see in our photos comes from Muji.
I am so jealous. Please, just one day following you around. I'd bring San Francisco Treats, and not Rice-O-Roni. I think that I want to be any of you when I grow up.
Wiping away the drool and turning green with envy.
Wow ~ what a fun blog ~ loved it! Can I trade in my life for yours? teehee
I was both amused and impressed to see a TED screen on one of the laptops. Can I come work for you? I'm also an Apple user...
Me again, say hi to Marcus S. I just got his 'The soul of a new cuisine', hand delivered to me by Amazon in Houston last week (my first ever trip stateside). Sigh.....again.
I found the Aquavit cookbook at my grocery store deeply discounted for 9.99 last night. It's seriously swoon-worthy!
Fun! Like everything; The hat, hoods and backpacks, the trash can dilemma, the french women don't get fat lunch, like her books also. Office life looks it's working out too! Hoorah!
Oh, wouldn't a great prize for a contest be to tag along for a day!
Oh-I agree 1000 %!
Carol
And me!!!!!
Totally!!!!
You guys seriously have the best job in the world! Amanda, I can't believe you actually sat next to Marcus Samuelsson and didn't tell us!! Like OMG! (I bet his meatballs are better than Ikea's.) I wonder if I can find canelés in Westchester?
too cute! makes me nostalgic for the great summer internship with you gals!
I know this is not about food but what are the name of Amanda's boots? Thanks!!
They look like Wellies to me. Amanda??
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
added about 1 year agoHunter wellies in brown!
Love the hat!
moi aussi!
Ditto!
Oh man! This fabulous post makes it really hard not to be asparagus green with envy! Thanks for sharing. So very fun.
Thanks for sharing! Champagne for lunch is in order.
What a fun DILO post! And, Merrill, I need to know - where did you get those boots? Love them!
DILO? Please expand my vocab lastnightsdinner. Thanks
@Kitchen Butterfly - Day In the Life Of = DILO
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoThanks! Got 'em at a great little shoe store in Park Slope called Eric. The company that makes them is Angelo Bervicato.
Trade jobs with you? Pleeease!? I swear, my office in the corner of a former antioxidant research lab is real nice...(Um, and potentially trade wardrobes too? ;-) )
What a delightful peek into your lives and workspace. It's really nice to see all the behind the scenes people. :::waving::: And by the way, those pods are so cool. I've been lucky enough to visit - that general space is like an idyllic Student Union.
i love this! thanks for sharing.
That canelé looks really tasty.
you guys are looking very New York in your black clothes!
Eeeek! My job, my purse, my co-workers, my PC, my social circle--I guess I'm no longer the red-hot mama I once was (stop yer snickering!) and am now green with envy! I wanna be you! Marcus Samuelsson! Mireille Guiliano! Champagne on a school night? Shut up!
And I miss MUJI so much - used to be a staple when I lived int he UK.....sigh
I spotted food52 on the wall of fame - third row, last word. I love this peek into your swank, hectic fulfilling lives. Canelés, Madeleines.....coffee, chicdom.....Let me know when you have room for one more - willing to move!
Please Sign up (or log in) to add a comment!