Vanity Fair's "The Retreat"
Marcel Vigneron | Wolf (Photo by Isaac Ferry/Getty Images)
The FareTrade was on-boarded to cultivate the culinary program for Vanity Fair’s “The Retreat” at Palm Springs’ famed Korakia Pensione in conjunction with Coachella Music & Arts Festival. The directive was to ensure elevated offerings for VIPs, talent, and tastemakers both visiting throughout the weekend and staying on property. We brought together some of the nation’s most acclaimed chef talent, coupled with a nouveau roster of culinary makers to create one of the festival’s most sought-after getaways.
Tapping Culinary Creators
With a need to develop a vibe distinctly Vanity Fair, The FareTrade worked hand-in-hand with the client to cultivate a roster of chefs for five individual moments throughout the weekend; A pop-up dinner to launch the newest concept from Tenants Of The Trees visionary Reza Fahim, Girl at The White Horse; A sunset soiree hosted by Suki Waterhouse; and three days of dynamic poolside programming. The FareTrade ultimately partnered with chefs Joshua Henderson, Marcel Vigneron, and Chris Phelps to bring each activation to life.
In-Room Mini-Bar Takeovers
Working with a roster of forward-thinking artisan producers, The FareTrade reimagined the hotel’s mini-bars for the globally-minded celebrities and thought makers who would be staying on property throughout the weekend. Everything from the bottled water to the potato chips and candy was replaced with inspiring producers to create moments of culinary discovery at every turn.
Dynamic Interactive Elements
To complete the vision for ‘The Retreat’ The FareTrade built additional food programming each day of the event. From custom flavors from Salt & Straw Ice Cream to hand-decorated frozen chocolate bananas to whimsical cotton-candy spun on-site, our team ensured every guest could fully embrace a sense of escape while visiting the event.
Josh Henderson | (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)
Chef Josh Henderson of Seattle's Huxley Wallace Collective not only kicked off day 1 with a mouth watering spread (see below), his team also previewed his new restaurant, Vestal, alongside bar group Tenant of the Tree's new concept - Baby - for a select group of 40 VIP guests AND a curated cocktail hour hosted Suki Waterhouse for Amazon's Style Code Soiree after service on Friday evening. Busy guy.
Preview Josh's Brunch Spread
Zak Walters | (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)
L.A.'s own Zak Walters from Salt's Cure rocked day 2. Boasting both a breakfast and a more lunch-friendly spread, Zak featured some of his most sought after creations such as his oatmeal griddle cakes with cinnamon butter + his infamous cheeseburgers. Off-set with some lighter fare including a chilled tomato soup, house-cured gravlax and a full salad bar - perfect for the desert heat.
The Spread from Salt's Cure | (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)
Marcel Vigneron | Wolf
Capping off Day 3, Marcel Vigneron - from the freshly opened Wolf - finished of The Retreat with a bang. Boasting a "No-Waste" mentality, Marcel and his team dished up seriously delicious eats that drew some of the biggest lines of the weekend. From extra-crispy breakfast potatoes with a chive aioli and fresh shaved horseradish, Tortilla Espanola - a Spanish-style omelette - with pimenton and aioli, and a baby kale salad that has been heralded as the best in L.A. - to name a few.
Marcel's Brunch Spread | (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)
In Room Mini-Bar at The Retreat
In addition to curating all the meals at The Retreat, we also curated the in-room mini-bars for the celebrity guests on site with a few of our favorite artisan makers. Three Jerks provided their original Filet Mignon Beef Jerky; AG Standard included an assortment of their silver smoked almonds; le Bon Garcon provided succulent caramels + Juice Served Here keep everyone hydrated with a selection of lemonades.
Gift Bag Curation | The Retreat
In addition to mini-bar curation, we also shared delicious artisan goods with the guests of The Retreat in the gift bags they received at the end of each day. With Rosemary Truffle Popcorn from Pop Art Snacks, an assortment of fruit leathers from Peaceful Fruits - an amazing company helping to raise the standard of living for the people of the Amazon - QUIN Candy threw in some fruit candy chews. There was even customized cotton candy from Sugar and Spun! Lucky guests.
Salt & Straw | (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)
Oregon based Salt & Straw joined us to provide the perfect cool-down for the blazing sun - creamy and delicious ice cream. From our personal favorite Salted Caramel to traditional chocolate and even a dairy-free strawberry swirl (that tastes just like strawberry cheese cake), we found ourselves back at this stand again and again.
Bloody Mary Bar | The Retreat
And last but not least, we also brought together a selection of artisan makers to round out The Retreat's Bloody Mary Bar. Rim a glass in a variety of Hepp's Salt Co.'s sea salts - from standard ocean flake to Chipotle or Sriracha. Add The Real Dill's Bloody Mary Mix - fortified with their house-made pickle brine - (and your booze of choice) and finish it off with a strip of Three Jerks Filet Mignon Beef Jerky for The Ultimate Bloody Mary.