🔮 Where Are They Now? 11 of Our Makers Share What’s Changed
From a new restaurant in Ridgewood to a West Coast expansion.
Over the past two years, we have featured dozens of independent food and beverage makers in New York. Like with any new business, many of them have evolved since we last spoke to them. So, in our latest issue, we’ve circled back with 11 of those makers to hear what changed after we featured them, what they’re most excited about now, and how The Deligram community can continue to support them.
Gautier Coiffard of L’Appartement 4F
“A lot has happened since we last met! At that time we were still operating out of our tiny apartment. Last May, we officially opened our brick-and-mortar location in Brooklyn Heights, which has been very intense and fun and exciting! Our menu is still very similar to when we first opened–we kept all the pastries, added a full espresso menu, and, very recently, we added a rose pistachio croissant, which blends our French and Persian origins. We are very excited about the imminent opening of our wine bar and working on a small menu to pair with biodynamic French wine. Please come visit us and don't be scared by the line - it moves fast!”
Jenneh Kaikai of Pelah Kitchen
“Last year I launched a crowdfunding campaign to ‘help bring Pelah Kitchen home’ to West Africa. In just 3 weeks I raised over $8,000, which supported a trip to Accra, Ghana, where I shared Pelah with over 200 women at a women’s empowerment brunch focused on leveraging social media in entrepreneurship. The second part of the trip was geared towards Pelah Kitchen’s growth. One of my business goals has always been to more explicitly connect Pelah to Sierra Leone, where most of my extended family still lives. I’m a coffee enthusiast, so when I learned that Sierra Leone has been producing and exporting coffee since the 1800s, and that coffee was a main cash crop between the 1970s and 1980s, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for expansion. Another big recent update is that I started a job at Hot Bread Kitchen as the new HBK Incubates Program Director. In my new role, I’ll be leading all of their small business programs for current and aspiring food entrepreneurs, the majority of whom are immigrants and women of color. It’s truly a full circle moment because I participated in Hot Bread Kitchen’s PROOF Pitch showcase last fall. Pelah Kitchen even won the Most Innovative award. I’m feeling really grateful to be in a position to help support other women as they push their businesses forward. Because of my new role, I’ve had to scale back on custom cakes and offer just a few openings a week (my current menu is here). In the meantime, I’m available for larger events such as weddings, baby showers, corporate events, and I’d like to host more pop ups and other curated events this summer.”
Young Stowe of Unified Ferments
“There have been so many changes since we last spoke. The big thing that we're prepping for now is a West Coast launch, via our friends Nomadic Distribution (they're also representing here in NY). We've been this very scrappy do-it-all-ourselves company since our launch and it's equal parts terrifying and incredibly relieving to hand over some of the reins to actual pros. We've offered seven different ferments for the past six months or so, which is kind of crazy. Ranging from the kinda ‘core four’ that we've had since our launch to some newish things that we've been workshopping for months. To be specific, that's Qi Dan, Snow Chrysanthemum, Wen Shan Bao Zhong, Jasmine Green, Lapsang Souchong, Nilgiri Green and Nilgiri Coonoor. The two Nilgiris, our newest offerings, are just lovely and still kind of endlessly surprising. They've really come into focus over the last few months. The teas are from this amazing, all woman run farm in the Nilgiri Mountains in South India. They both have this super chewy, green-fruit tannic thing that is expressed in two completely different ways (one roasted, highly oxidized; one lightly oxidized, near green). Practically, our online store is paused until May while we stabilize inventory with the Nomadic Folks. As always, we're available at a bunch of great spots, more to come!”
Dria Atencio of Salty Lunch Lady
“A lot has changed since we last spoke. I'm in the process of opening a little luncheonette in Ridgewood. It'll be mostly daytime, sandwiches, snacks and of course, the slightly nostalgic sweets I like to make. It'll also have a bit of a grocery store in it, selling fun foods I love and have a hard time getting in the area. I also plan on having Sunday suppers, whether that be family style dinners, pop-ups or collaborations. Just somewhere fun and community oriented for the neighborhood. It's basically a place I get to do whatever I'd like! Currently I'm working hard on the space and doing the occasional pop up and made-to-order cakes (although those are not advertised). Follow my Instagram account @saltylunchlady for upcoming info on Salty Lunch Lady's Little Luncheonette, and to come to any pop-ups you might be interested in!’
Stephanie Berlin of Wandel
“Whenever I am asked about Wandel, I always tell people I'm on a journey… I feel like I enrolled in business school, and it's allowed me to face so many personal fears in terms of what I can handle, how I problem solve and how resilient I can be. So much has changed for me since we last spoke. In terms of growth, I have transitioned [from baking] out of my apartment into a commercial kitchen called eTerra. When I spoke with you I was only selling at Shelsky's in Brooklyn, but since then I have expanded to six retailers including Butterfield, Westside Market, Brooklyn Fare, Lassen & Hennings, Nerd Be Cool and a small coffee shop on the UES called Java Girl. My online sales continue to rise as well. I am hoping by the end of this year to scale even further with a co-packer. I have also added two more flavors to the Wandel roster. Lemon Poppyseed (loaves and bites) and Gingerbread (loaves and bites). Gingerbread is definitely a seasonal flavor. The OG flavor (milk chocolate topped with cinnamon sugar) is still our top-selling flavor. I am most excited about Lemon Poppyseed. It's sweet and moist.”
Daniel Maloney of Sol Cacao
“The Sol Cacao team has been growing ! Since we last met, we were able to hire two employees, which was a huge milestone as it allows us to focus on delivering the high-quality chocolate our customers have come to expect. We currently offer 4 chocolate bars: 70% Peru Dark Chocolate, 72% Madagascar Dark Chocolate, 70% Ecuador Dark Chocolate, and 70% Colombia Dark Chocolate; and this year, we are excited to announce the release of a diverse range of products, from merchandise to drinking chocolates. As children growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, my brothers and I fondly remember experiencing chocolate through its rich and aromatic flavor in liquid form. Our grandmother would expertly grate a block of spiced Trinidadian chocolate into a fine powder, blending it with water and condensed milk to create a velvety hot cocoa that has remained etched in our memories. It is these cherished recollections that have inspired us to create Sol Cacao, and we are thrilled to infuse our hot cocoa blend with the essence of these early memories, slated for release in the coming months. As a chocolate manufacturer we are usually head down focusing on the chocolate making process. One of the best ways to support Sol Cacao is by spreading the word: The Bronx has its very own chocolate making factory!”
Nasrin Rejali of Nasrin’s Kitchen
“It has been almost two years since you wrote about me in your newsletter, and it has helped my small business a lot. As always, I like to make new products that I not only love, but there is a world of stories and memories behind each of them, such as the rose flower jam (that has a crazy fragrance), the famous Qazvin baklava (made from pistachio, almonds, saffron, and cardamom), smoked pepper jam (which is a wonderful taste that’s sweet, slightly sour and slightly spicy together), and Kamaj Sen sweets (made with wheat sprout flour and a lot of different spices–it is my favorite). Now, I have an online shop where I sell all my products; offer catering food service for birthdays, parties and events; offer cooking classes; and host Persian pop-ups at restaurants and cafes. One of my dreams is to have a traditional Iranian tea house where I can serve all kinds of Iranian food, tea and desserts in a friendly, warm and pleasant atmosphere.”
Alice Jun of Hana Makgeolli
“So much has changed since the Summer of 2021! Our team has grown from 5 to 15, we’ve launched 8 new cuvees, opened our Tasting Room, launched Hana Sool Club, and expanded distribution to 16 states. Our vision to be a resource for those interested in learning more about traditional sool has really come to life and we couldn’t be more proud or grateful. The Hana Makgeolli portfolio has really expanded. In addition to the TAKJU 16 (our signature brew) and HWAJU 12 (chrysanthemum and hydrangea brew), we have also added the YAKJU 14, which is our clarified wine. In addition, we have released two alternative grain brews, which explore the expression of brown rice and black rice. Finally, there are our botanical makgeolli that focus on a different botanical each season. I am personally most excited about the return of our Omija Makgeolli this summer! It became our official summer wine last year with a whole dedicated brew, so we are making it twice this year due to the response and we can’t wait for this tart, salty, fizzy brew to make it back in everyone’s hands! If you want to learn more about sool, please consider visiting us in our Greenpoint Tasting Room, we’d love to meet you! If you’re not based in NYC but want to stay up to taste with our latest brews, consider joining Hana Sool Club - registration for our spring release will close April 24th!”
Elizabeth Borgatti of Borgatti’s
“Since we last spoke, we've launched a whole new website design at Borgatti's. Some of the new products being offered include: Our Fresh Cut Egg Noodles Bundle (for the first time ever we are shipping our pasta cuts from as wide as pappardelle to as thin as capellini), a variety of dinner boxes, and we have two new specialty fettuccine flavors (Red Pepper, made with our in-house spice blend, and Protein Pasta, made with an all-natural chick pea-based protein combined with our famous egg pasta recipe). Also, we’ve partnered with Local Express, a courier service, to deliver our pasta fresh to folks about a 50-mile radius. Visit our store, or website, or follow us on Instagram or Facebook!”
Ashley Rouse of Trade Street Jam Co.
“One year can change so much–that’s how entrepreneurship goes. I had another baby, for starters! We launched a Wefunder campaign, had some major wins (but also some major losses!) and launched a new flavor this week–our NEW Strawberry Raspberry Tarragon Jam! Bright strawberries and raspberries are blended with fresh tarragon and vanilla beans, a marriage that is undeniable. This one’s sweet and bold on flavor and we are beyond excited about it. I’m also excited about our Strawberry Fields Mother’s Day Bundle. Oh! And we’re now on Amazon and Target.com. [To support us], shop the products! Head to the website or snag a jar or two on our Amazon store.”
Rachana Rimal of Rachana’s Delights
“Last year was very successful. After you published my article, I got lots of responses for catering and did pop-ups at places like Pan Restaurant and Talia’s Steakhouse. Now, I am in Canada. My son and I are opening a cloud kitchen called Daami Momo in Etobicoke, Toronto, offering a new version of Momos and lots of Nepali dishes. Tell your friends!”
Edited by Sarah Leon.
All photos by Teddy Wolff for the Deligram
Follow The Deligram + Read Past Issues