Today, I am nerding out on kitchen goodies. The inspiration: East Fork Pottery.
Food Blogging + Kitchen Store Shopping.
Let's go back. It was 2007, and I had just started food blogging full time. I would take day trips to whatever kitchen store was closest to my home. I grabbed a metal hand basket and loaded up. The only rule: one of each. Maybe, two. Never three or four, or (gasp) a full set of the same old thing. No matter how much you loved it.
One teal plate. One yellow bowl. One white mug. Two clear smoothie glasses. One silver spoon. One gingham napkin. One cream placemat. When I had completed my scavenge of the store, I would plop my basket at the checkout counter and wait for the eyebrow lift from the cashier. "You just want one of these?" She'd ask. "Yup. I, uh, I work in food photography, so...." Her eyes would sparkle awake and looks of confusion turned to looks of intrigue.
And that's how it has gone. Every kitchen store, the past ten years or so. One or two of each. You could say that I have - at this point - quite the cornucopia of random items. Never matching. My flair for color has slowly turned towards neutral pieces, allowing the food on the plate to be the color star of the show. And since I have moved from DC to NYC and all the way to LA over the years, many times back and forth, we still have a few items in storage - in multiple cities. Yup. You could say I have an entire kitchen store at this point. My favorite remedy for too much kitchen stuff has been to donate what I can to friends and fam..
About three years ago I went on a cabinet re-haul.
I flipped over my bowls and mugs and saw "Made in China" just a few too many times. I decided I wanted to "clean and green" my kitchen goodies - as much as reasonably possible. So that meant removing most things made in China or any questionable colors or dyes. Or anything where the pigment was wearing or scratching a little too much. It was a bit obsessive, and a few of those banned items and "China" pieces have made it back into my collection, but still. I tried. From that re-haul, I added some sturdy pieces to my collection, but still - a mish-mash. Ok, that's too polite. It's a shitshow, really. Any cookbook author or blogger will probably nod and smile and admit the same.
Shelf Envy.
At this point in my life, I have come to envy those photos of kitchen shelves where all the bowls and plates match. Such adults! All the glasses and mugs sit in a friendly, familiar row. Each one like the next. A clean, simple look. Easy on the eye. Comforting, even.
But food bloggers know that they need variety for their photos - in the long term. Sure, you can totally get away with using that one bowl over and over and over because it looks so good in photos, but sooner or later you are going to need a quirky side dish or a different shade or sharpness of fork.
East Fork Pottery
I think I stumbled upon East Fork Pottery on Instagram. I ogled. Swooned. Then I bought a few things. They arrived perfectly packaged and looking and feeling even more sturdy and beautiful in person. I found that eating off these dishes made even the most average meal feel extraordinary. Simple pasta with marina and a sprinkle of vegan Parm - exquisite when served in the gorgeous eggshell everyday bowl.
So I bought a few more things. Then more. And I have to say that this is definitely the largest amount of one style of dishes I have owned in over twelve years. And I love it. I'm purchase happy. I'm a fan.
East Fork combines rustic, handmade beauty with dishwasher-safe, microwave-friendly ease. Because, you know, life.
Every piece has this stamp on the bottom..
EF calls "Eggshell" -- "Clouds, chalk, pale hydrangeas on a rainy day. A cool, airy, grayish white."
Of note: Some of their colors + items absolutely sell out, so if you see something you love, snag it.
I love the sturdy weight of these dishes. I imagine this would be very helpful if you have kids.
A Little About The Company.
Then I started browsing the "about page." I eat up a really badass "about" page. You, too? Here's mine. It's a work in progress, as it should be, I guess. I digress. About the company. I browsed their Instagram page. Stories. Photos. Marketing. And I swiftly fell in love with all of it.
Fun Fact. Alex Matisse, co-founder is the great grandson of the French modernist painter, Henri Matisse. Ah, it was all starting to make sense now. This company is kinda special. In their product and in their brand. More of the business stuff in Fast Company.
All of their pottery is made in the USA, in their factory in Asheville, North Carolina. And if you happen to live nearby, you can shop in person at their store.
East Fork Pottery Store
82 N. Lexington Ave.
Asheville, North Carolina 28801
Anyways, I'm a huge pottery/kitchen store/all things food styling nerd, so I could go on and on, but instead I'll show you a few photos I took with my goodies. And some specific reviews of the sizing and colors of the products...
Everyday Bowl from East Fork .
My favorite all around bowl. If you buy ONE thing from East Fork, let it be this. You can serve anything in it. Salads, pasta, cereal, pizza, soup, sandwiches. Seriously. It's an everything bowl for everyday.
The Soup Bowl.
Ok, so I actually think this is more of a go-to deep-ish bowl. Sure, I would serve soup in this, but for me, it is more of an oatmeal and cold cereal bowl. Also good for big salads that require a deep plunge. Less spillage, easier tossing of dressing. This would also be great for pasta or popcorn or a giant smoothie bowl - banana ice cream, I'm talking to you. This is another bowl that is perfect for everyday use. It feels a bit heartier than the open/wide Everyday Bowl. IMHO.
The Ice Cream Bowl.
This is a cute, deep-ish bowl that is indeed perfect for ice cream or pudding or snacks.
The Breakfast Bowl.
Full disclosure, I was a bit thrown off by the small size of this bowl. I thought it would be a perfect oatmeal bowl. And it would be if you eat oatmeal like a normal person - just oatmeal. But I toss in toppings, fruit, nuts, smoothies, ha. So it actually ended up being too small for breakfast for me. But this bowl is perfect for pudding, dips like hummus with veggies, a small side salad or small bowl of pasta or grains. It is really a perfect 'sides' bowl in my opinion. I am glad I have a few to play around with!
I also bought a plate - yes, just one plate so far. And a side plate and a bitty bowl - and a few other goodies. The bitty bowl is adorable! I loooooove it. You can add tiny sides of nuts, seeds, salad dressings or dips, cheese, whatever. It's just so cute and I love the name. I want twenty.
Brass Spork.
I bought their spork. Really. It just looked so cool and unique. And it is gorgeous. Shiny gold in a dainty, totally convenient fork meets spoon - flashback to my grade school cafeteria in the 90's - sort of style. The spork is made in Japan by Lue Brass.
Update, I haven't been very good at hand washing this cutie. Probably wouldn't buy brass again for my very busy kitchen.
My pasta bowl... spork in full display!..
Colors.
I have mostly Eggshell, the white-cream color with deep chocolate brown speckles. But I have one Celery colored bowl and a Big Sky plate as well. I have to say I love the colored items. If I was not a food blogger, where white dishes thrive, I would buy way more colored pieces.
Who Loves Yellow? And btw, don't miss the launch of their new "Pollen" yellow shade this month! Those yellow mugs, swoon. They say the shade is inspired by brightness. Count me in.
East Fork Pottery. So yeah, I'm obsessed. These new bowls and plates are probably my favorite dishes I have ever owned. I feel like such an adult, guys.
A few recipes plated with East Fork...
Rustic meets modern.
I would say to start with a few pieces. See how much you love them and go from there. Or if you have the budget, buy a big set. Seriously, you won't be disappointed.
I can't wait to give East Fork as a gift! The mug, Everyday Bowl or even a few bitty bowls can totally stand up on their own when added to someone's current set of dishes.
Love the flecks of chocolate on the "Eggshell" color..
disclosure: This post is not sponsored. I bought all my East Fork goodies. If you buy any goodies from East Fork via my link, I will make an affiliate commission. I would be honored to be your inspiration for adding some of these gorgeous kitchen goodies to your home. I so appreciate you supporting my blog every time you shop via one of my affiliates. More to shop from.
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