The Emporiyum: And More’s Two-Day Artisanal Food Fest
As you might have realized by now, I love food. When I travel, I always make time to explore the cuisine of that region of the world. From the newest doughnut shop in New York City to the best dim sum place in Shanghai, I usually find my way there. I’m also always in search of wonderful edibles that can be shipped to me—whether I’m having a dinner party and want a fun dessert brought in or I need a gift for someone, I’m constantly sourcing artisanal food. When I was in New York recently, I ventured over to Brooklyn to check out Smorgasburg, an outdoor artisanal food market. As I wandered through the stalls I wondered, Why doesn’t Baltimore have something similar? Thus the idea for the Emporiyum was born.
I envisioned a wide-open space that could be a blank canvas to host the fabulous artisans I was dreaming of. Sue-Jean Chun, a publicist in the food world, has been my partner in crime on many previous ventures, so she was a natural fit to help make my vision a reality. Together we began sourcing some really cool vendors from Baltimore and across the country—and ended up with a list that would make any foodie’s mouth water.
Quin’s homemade lollipops / Popcorn caramels—YUM
There are too many to showcase them all, but I wanted to highlight a few of the ones I’m especially excited about. As you, know I love candy, so when Jami Curl of Portland, Oregon’s Quin Candy agreed to come to Baltimore for the event, I was over the moon! Quin Candy makes an incredible selection of handmade candies: lollipops in flavors like tangerine, coffee, blueberry, and “bakery-inspired”; Twizzlies—a chocolate chew sprinkled with Oregon sea salt; Dreams Come Chew—like a Starburst, but better; and marshmallows in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. YUM!
Quin Candy also has a candy-of-the-month program, which would make a perfect gift for someone special (including me! Hint, hint.)
I am so thrilled to have Momofuku Milk Bar on board for our event. David Chang’s restaurants in New York City are some of my favorites; his pork buns are out of this world—and I have eaten a lot of pork buns in my time! But of course, the desserts are the stars. On top of the infamous Crack Pie, they bake up cookies in outrageous-sounding but totally delicious flavors, like Compost, cornflake-and-marshmallow, corn, and blueberry-and-cream. You’re in for a surprising treat!
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream has been my go-to gift to send to friends for many years. And for the Emporiyum, Jeni’s is bringing its truck all the way from Columbus, Ohio!
The famous truck / The homemade marshmallows are to die for / Some of my favorite flavors
As for vendors from a bit closer to home, I can’t get enough of the doughnuts from DC’s Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken. I mean, just look at them!
The flavor lineup includes maple-bacon, Nutella, rose-vanilla, pb&j, crème brûlée, and s’mores.
That’s just a sample of the amazing vendors you’ll find at the Emporiyum. There are more than 30 total, including Sprinkle’s Cupcakes, Luke’s Lobster, Mouth Party Caramels (the chocolate-covered ones are AMAZING), Righteous Cheese, and Maryland’s own Waxing Kara, which offers products made with honey from the Eastern Shore. You’ll also get small bites from big-name chefs such as Bryan Voltaggio, Erik Bruner-Yang—whose ramen noodles are some of the best I have ever had—Jonah Kim of PABU restaurant in the Four Seasons Baltimore, and many, many more.
Tickets for the Emporiyum are just $15 and are selling fast! Once they’re gone, they’re gone—so buy yours now and make sure you don’t miss out on this delicious event.