You Must Try These Spices from a Queer Icon
“They are truly the best I have ever tasted in my life.”
The Deligram shines a spotlight on the many incredible food artisans in New York–and beyond. So we look to our friends to help us discover the best of the best every day. This week, we spoke to Blake Cole, a Bay Area native who is the owner of Friends and Family Bar in Oakland, California, and the creator of the Queer Speed Dating, a pop-up series that is a way to create a safe space for queer people to meet someone new. “Speed dating is essentially a party!” Cole explains. “It’s a chance to see and be seen and included in your community, under the guise of meeting a new person every three minutes!”
This summer, the party is coming to New York, with events at Ursula, Oddly Enough, Winona's and Platform by the James Beard Foundation. So, in celebration we asked Cole to bring a touch of Oakland with her–and share some of the products that she loves right now.
“I have been obsessed with Christopher's work for years. His playful ceramics and art brings me the ultimate queer joy. I love having his pieces in surprising spots in my home and at the bar, they bring me pure happiness when I see them.”
“Sana Javeri Kadri is revolutionary when it comes to the spice market/trade. Not only are the spices she sources from different farmers in India done responsibly, but they are truly the best I have ever tasted in my life. She is a queer icon making important shifts in the culinary world.”
“Chef Booli gifted the Bay Area with their goods during the pandemic. Their pickles got me through some tough days of lockdown. They are serious about their craft and have deep love for food, the bay area and know how to make some seriously delicious food.”
“Kelly of Quite Nice might not be making these stunning vintage glassware pieces herself, but she is resurrecting otherwise lost treasures and helping find the perfect queer homes for them.”
Yo Tambien Cantina marinades and rubs
“Isa and Kenzie are, for lack of a better term, #goals. They have created a beautiful space in the sunset of San Francisco, serving up the most delicious bowls you could dream of, and they let you take a piece of it home with you. All of their housemade rubs, marinades, and particularly their tajin, are so insanely good. Also, the gorg packaging doesn't hurt either.”
And to fit in with the cool kids at Queer Speed Dating, a New York based, artisanally made, clothing brand: Hello Machine clothing
“Wearing an item from Machine was pivotal in my coming out experience. I felt like I had made it. I am obsessed with their branding spoofs and dedication to celebrated queer clothing. It’s unapologetically gay and perfect. (They also designed our Queer Speed Dating merch!)”
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