Culinary Style Setter I Love: March Pantry

My friend, the great trend spotter Sam Hamilton, recently launched her dazzling new MARCH PANTRY shop in San Francisco to present superbly edited collections for kitchen/dining/hearth/ cooking/tasting, and living well.

Bon Appetit! 

Sam Hamilton and her partner Jen Chaiken launched March Pantry with a fundraiser dinner for The Edible Schoolyard, one of Alice Waters’ pet projects. With them is San Francisco party-planner and scene-setter, Stanlee Gatti.

The most brilliant new culinary style shop in California
With tasty merchandise for high-achieving cooks—such as massive AGA cookers, the finest copper pans, or tiny indigo glass jars of pink Pangasinan sea salt from the Philippines—March Pantry is focused, bold, and inspiring. 

Working closely with Sarah Marchick, senior VP of product development for March Pantry, Sam zeroes in on the best custom-made tables, ethereal handcrafted tableware, vintage baking equipment, antique kitchen furniture, traditional Belgian linens, all very healthy and eco-aware.

The store opened recently with a highly successful fundraiser for Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard projects.

The March Pantry space was formerly MARCH, Sam’s highly admired antique shop with partner Mark Cunningham. 

March Pantry stands on a handsome retail block of Sacramento Street in Pacific Heights, with great stylish neighbors including Sue Fisher King, Henry Beguelin, and Wynne Alex.

The store—all light and air—offers exclusive kitchen décor, a delicious concoction of comestibles, paintings, and flavors, along with tableware, pots, lighting, accessories, linens, Matt Dick’s elegant casual fashions, and custom furniture and kitchen essentials.

Come with me for a visit!

Confession: I don’t cook. Never. I make tea (Bellocq). I occasionally heat something delicious on the stove when it is not covered with books. Cooking is not my thing. I leave it to the professionals. 

Don’t worry. I eat well and love luscious flavors. Living in California I enjoy beautiful seasonal ingredients year-round, so I make spectacularly delicious and healthy salads and love fruit and everything fresh. (My oven is pristine, never used.) 

I’m not exactly in the market for a new AGA, nor even a saucepan, but still, I am captivated and a huge fan of Sam Hamilton’s new culinary store in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights. 

I love its originality, its skillfully edited selections of tableware and especially the monochromatic décor. There’s intelligence and creativity behind every selection and concept.

It’s true, I never cook. But I occasionally toast Ezekiel bread, so now I can slather the crisp toast with intensely flavored March Pantry Plum Lavender Jam or Apricot Preserve with unsalted butter, or March Pantry Almond Butter. Cherry Chutney on cheddar cheese. Divine. 


I make spectacular mixed baby greens salads for lunch, now with March Pantry red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil—and a lovely discovery, March Pantry pink or white Pangasinan sea salt or ground pink peppercorns. Delish. 

The Store 
Anchoring the main space are bespoke butcher-block tables with Farrow & Ball-painted legs.

Walls showcase the work of Carrie Mae Smith, a still-life painter who creates images of meat (her fleshy images of bacon and of ribs are very Lucian Freud, in my opinion.) 

Tahiti Pehrson’s intricate hand-cut white paper works are a mysterious presence on white walls. 


An enormous painted antique display cabinet from a monastery in Ghent, Belgium is outfitted with wares from notables like Ted Muehling, Christiane Perrochon, and Jasper Conran, alongside handcrafted ceramics and pieces from artisans both local and from afar. 

Exclusive Items
March worktables and butcher-blocks are designed in collaboration with Matt Bear of Union Studio. The tables feature Farrow & Ball-painted legs. 


March Clothing, light as air and artful are a collaboration with San Francisco based designer, Matt Dick 


Blackcreek Mercantile & Trading Co hand-carved spoon collection has a beautiful heft. 

March Pantry offerings include:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar, made by Katz & Co. 
• Preserves and Almond Butter, plus new and spectacular Cherry Chutney made by LouLou’s Garden. 
• Spices 
• Jarred Organic Tomatoes, made by Happy Girl Kitchen 

Collections
Curated and collaborative collections include pottery from Victoria Morris, pots from Brooklyn Copper Cookware, leather accents from Rene Holguin, bespoke butcher block tables, ceramics from Brickett Davda, and table linens from Boxwood Linens.

March also presents iconic slow cookers from AGA and cast iron cookware from Lodge. 

Brickett Davda
Beautifully simple handmade tableware inspired by a very English palette. The shapes are conceived and designed from pure, functional objects, cherished and worn by use. The goal of Jo Davda’s work is to inspire and enhance cooking and eating. 

Brooklyn Copper Cookware
Brooklyn Copper Cookware has reintroduced the storied Waldow line of solid copper cookware updated in heavier weights for professionals and accomplished home cooks. All three elements of BCC's Hammersmith brand, pure copper, tin and iron, are sourced in America to be machined on classic Waldow tooling in the heart of Brooklyn. The last copper cookware company in America, proudly notes the company. 

Victoria Morris Pottery
Native Californian Victoria Morris has been making pottery since she was sixteen years old. Her work is inspired by nature as well as Scandinavian and Japanese aesthetics, emphasizing the beauty found in subtle, random imperfections and natural organic forms. There is a strong focus on classic simplicity in design and proportion in her work. Each of her bottles, vases and bowls are one of a kind and handmade. Victoria Morris has developed stoneware and porcelain canisters, bowls and platters. 

Bespoke butcher block and Carrara work tables (Parsons, Turned Leg, Steel Legged) were designed in collaboration with Matt Bear of Union Studio. Matt has worked with March designing fixtures and furniture over the years. His workshop is in Berkeley.

Accessories for these tables will included black ash baskets (another collaboration with Jonathan Kline of Black Ash Baskets), knife and cookbook sheaths (collaboration with Big Bend Saddlery of Alpine, TX (close to Hamilton’s residence in Marfa). 


Matt Dick of San Francisco showcases elegant shapes often featuring indigo pieces dyed for March Pantry in Japan (the gentleman overseeing the indigo process is a national treasure in Japan). 

LouLou's Garden is the producer of the seasonal jams, nut butters, and now chutneys. Casey Havre started LouLou’s Garden several years ago in Escalon, CA. The products she produces are short runs of unusual jams and chutneys. Simple, organic ingredients. 


The olive oil and vinegar are produced by Albert Katz of Napa. Albert is a perfectionist—his approach to the production of olive oil is akin to a chemist. And freshness is the key to the pure quality of his oils. His are the go-to oils for many chefs in the Bay Area. 


Spices are provided by Le Sanctuaire. By far the freshest on the market—and a go-to resource for chefs. 


Spices and oils and vinegar are presented in indigo bottles to insure the longest shelf life. 

Steel fixtures (Shaker peg rack, pot racks, drying rack, etc.) by Tommy Hicks of Hicks Metal Design in San Francisco. 


Brass and sterling pins by Stacey Lorinczi. Stacey collaborated with us on a line of organic safety pins to tie back in with the clothing line. 


RTH bags and accessories. Leather goods by Rene Holguin. His shop in Los Angeles on North La Cienega is not to be missed 


Blackcreek Mercantile: Josh Vogel is a master wood carver. Bread boards: March Pantry has an exclusive on a series of one of a kind wooden spoons. 


Billy Cotton's line of flatware, china and glassware is not only lovely but also well priced. March and Bergdorf Goodman have the exclusive on this line. 


Just arrived: John Pawson serving dishes, sterling salt and pepper mills from London, felt bird ornaments, Bensimon sneakers galore. 


Jarred Organic Tomatoes, made exclusively for MARCH by Happy Girl Kitchen. 

Photo credits: 
Interiors and products photographed by Angie Silvy, and by Drew Altizer, San Francisco, www.drewaltizer.com.

Published with express permission. 

March Pantry

3057 Sacramento Street
San Francisco

www.marchsf.com

The Chicest New Jewel Salon: Mish New York

The great Mish Tworkowski opens his glorious new jewelry salon in Manhattan:  Design inspiration and jewels to swoon over 

With its new downtown address, boldly graphic faux-bois walls (certain to set trends), elaborate chandeliers, quirky mirrors and sinuous sofas, the new Mish New York jewel salon offers seductive new design ideas.

It’s a delicious showcase for Mish’s elegant and ultra-feminine jewelry (with a collection for men, too).

Come with me for a private visit.

Meet Mish, hear all of his news, and then swoon over his fabulous and sparkling jewelry collection. 

I've known the brilliant New York jewelry designer Mish Tworkowski for many years—since he was working as a jewelry specialist at Sotheby's. My great friend Michael Smith, the designer, connected us.

In those days, Mish had a lovely private salon near the Ralph Lauren flagship mansion, and I'd visit when I was in Manhattan.

I still wear all of the pieces I bought from him then—pearl earrings, pearl necklaces, a fantastic pair of gold cross-wire earrings that look like extravagant emeralds (Mish and I call them the 'Jumby Bay' earrings because they look like the sea at a certain moment at Jumby Bay).

I wear the gold zinnia flower earrings, and a great pair of larger flower earrings with pearls, plus some square Greek key-edged earrings with 'diamonds' and his bark-patterned earrings with 'diamonds'. All very wonderful and original. Costume and the best of the best. The finest costume jewelry—now ‘travel jewelry’—was then his specialty.

Then Mish got serious. He opened a new salon, off Park Avenue, and sold only the real thing. Gold, Diamonds, Emeralds. And highly desired by the likes of the very discerning Charlotte Moss, Amy Fine Collins, and international chicsters. 

Now Mish has moved to a divine new jewel salon downtown at 30 Bond Street, in the NoHo historic district, between Lafayette and Bowery.

You'll see all the jewelry below. Many of his designs are inspired by nature—sea urchins, flowers, leaves, coral, leaves, branches.

New York interior designer Charlotte Moss, one of Mish’s longtime clients, commented exclusively to THE STYLE SALONISTE:

“Mish is one of the most positive, upbeat, generous people I know. His cheerful outlook and love of life are reflected in the beauty that he creates.

You have to see the beauty in life and love life in order to create such glorious jewels. Mish’s smile, his manner, his colorful bowties, are so distinctive. He is someone you want to be around.

I wear one of his necklaces around my neck, a cuff on my wrist, or a pair of showstoppers on the earlobes. That works for me!

Some of my favorite pieces are my opera-length chocolate-colored South Sea pearls with his signature gold toggle. I also feel wonderful when I am wearing my Pagoda brooch with an incredible emerald cut peridot. Divine. And a jewel encrusted Gold Bark cuff, but then again there's the…oh, well....I love it all. Thank you, Mish.”

Come and meet Mish, see his superbly distinctive jewels (he also has a men's line) and visit with me his deliriously wonderful new salon.

Sit down with us, and become one of Mish's adored pals. 

DDS: Bravo and congratulations on your divine new salon—and your move downtown. Tell us about the location, the neighborhood. 

MT: Diane I am so happy that we are catching up. We love our new spot. Bond Street is one of the most wonderful blocks downtown. It has an amazingly artistic and vibrant feeling. It's wide and cobblestoned and has a fantastic mixture of historic 19th Century buildings mixed with ultra-chic new apartment buildings by such architects as Herzog & de Meuron. Our building is from the mid-nineteenth century. We are very lucky because the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission let us paint our front door a beautiful shade of purple!


DDS: You worked with your partner, Joseph Singer, on the interiors. What was your inspiration and concept? 

MT: Joseph worked on the architecture of the new space. I am so very fortunate to have an amazingly talented architect “on staff” to design the space. Joseph also runs our business – so he was truly on hand for the entire process. We were also guided by our very talented friend Ina Lindemann, an interior designer based in London. She worked closely with us to pull together all the interior spaces. She has a beautiful and aristocratic sense of style mixed with a contemporary love of color and whimsy. She’s just incredible. Our inspiration for the studio was the idea of creating a modern sense of true luxury. Our customers can shop anywhere in the world--so there still had to be a special sense that they were coming to Mish where all the details are the finest possible but also coming downtown to a place that has evolved into the new capitol of unique creativity and beauty. 

DDS: And the walls are so gloriously elegant and original. Who are the genius decorative artists? 

MT: Everyone loves the reception room walls. We even have people who peek in the windows asking us if they can take photos with their phones! The artist who painted the walls was Ina Lindemann’s friend Mark Uriu, a highly admired New York decorative artist. He and his team did all of the painting throughout the space. They’re incredibly talented and professional. 

DDS: You kept the furniture rather simple, nothing too much or over-designed. 

MT: I wanted to have everything in the space, the beautifully painted walls, the hand-made bronze wall vitrines or the incredible fabrics on the furniture, to have their own chance to speak. So we kept everything well edited. Most of the furniture was either purchased at Sotheby’s or Ina had it made in London. A carefully edited space allows you to focus on the jewelry. 

DDS: I love the needlepoint

MT: I love that stool. I purchased it at the Stair Galleries Auction House in Hudson, NY. It once belonged to Robert Woolley who was a beloved expert at Sotheby’s. The needlepoint is so contemporary you could almost believe Jeff Koons made it but it is in fact nineteenth-century Scottish.


DDS: Of course, you have to show off your divine jewels! 

MT: The new studio allows me to present my jewelry in the way I love most. There are seven exquisitely crafted wall cases that each house one or two special pieces, and the rest of my collection is shown on very handsome suede trays. The series of luxuriously appointed public rooms allows us to spend private time with our clients in both casual and elegant settings. 

DDS: The salon is like a discovery. It's so 'one-of-a-kind'. Your jewels are luxurious. You resisted the temptation to go very flash-and-splash. 

MT: Everyone who has seen the new space has been in love with it. Most of my clients are not flashy. They want the most beautifully made jewelry possible, with the finest stones available but they also want to be able to wear it often. They want truly special things that become their signature pieces. 

DDS: The latest with your jewelry designs? 

MT: I created two new collections for the opening of the new studio. One is called ‘Honeywood’ and it is based on the abstract honeycomb pattern of the petrified wood mural in the reception room and the other is called ‘Bond Bow’ and is inspired by all the ribbons that were used in the upholstery of the new furniture pieces. They both incorporate white and brown diamond pave and are set in 18k yellow gold. 

DDS: Your flower earrings are so feminine. And classic. Nothing too trendy. 

MT: I love to garden and never tire of looking at a flower for inspiration. All women look beautiful with a golden flower on their ear!! It makes both the wearer and the admirer smile! 

DDS: I love your pearls. 

MT: Pearls are one of the most beautiful and enchanting elements of the jewelry world. I seek the finest and most unique pearls. The subtlety of their amazing hues and the lovely luster of their nacre is irresistible. I particularly love to make long strands of multi-color baroque pearls. The organic feeling of them is magical. 

DDS: You have long associations with museums around the country. Tell us about them. What's the latest? 

MT: I am on the Board of the New York Botanical Garden and have recently designed two very special collections for them. Over the past decade, the Garden has fostered a special relationship with the Imperial Garden in Tokyo. The curators of both gardens have created for the past two years in New York City an exhibition of Japanese Horticultural Art. I designed to commemorate the occasion jewelry collections inspired by Kiku (The Art of the Japanese Chrysanthemum) and Momijigari (Japanese Maple) . Both groups were executed in 18k multi-colored gold and multi-colored diamonds. 

Charlotte Moss said,” I admire Mish, Joseph Singer, his partner, and their relationship. I admire the way they work together. I see how their skills mesh, how they respect each other, and how they laugh together. That says volumes about them and their wonderful company. I have such admiration and respect for that. I am a huge fan.”

DDS: What new designs are you working on? 

MT: I am still adding to the two collections that I did for the opening of our new studio. Many of my pieces are one-of-a-kind so as they sell I add new ones to the groups. I am particularly having lots of fun with the ribbon pieces. They are delicate and sculptural at the same time!! 

DDS: Mish—I wish you every success and fun with your new venture. I can't wait to see you again when I'm next in New York. 

MT: Thank you so much, Diane. I can’t wait to see you again. 

CREDITS:

Interior decor: Ina Lindemann, Ina Lindemann Interior Design, London
Architecture: Joseph Singer, New York.
Painted walls: Mark Uriu, Mark Uriu Inc, New York.
Furniture: Sotheby’s, Bernd Goeckler, Ritter Antik, George Smith, Soane Britain.
Photographer: Miguel Flores-Vianna

Address: 

30 Bond Street, New York NY 10012

Appointment Suggested

212-734-3500
www.mishnewyork.com