When someone asks, "What's the best meal you've ever had?" what comes to mind? Is it a family dinner had around the same table you grew up conquering homework at? A traditional holiday meal? Could it be an unforgettable meal you had on a trip that makes you wish you could time travel back and enjoy the food you once experienced? Maybe it's a birthday or anniversary celebration that remains at the forefront of your mind and makes you immediately smile upon reflecting back.
"Collect experiences, not things" is a mantra I adopted a few years ago after traveling across Italy for three weeks. During that first trip abroad, I met people from all over the world, absorbed the rich history and culture of a country much older than my own and — most noteworthy — lived out of a blue carry-on suitcase. This is no small feat. I'm the girl who once travelled to Vegas with not one or two, but five suitcases to compete at Miss America. Not three years later, I managed to cut down my necessities to a 22" x 14" x 9" bag for a 21-day Euro-adventure. Amazing how the idea of lugging your belongings over miles of cobblestone streets and up countless flights of stairs inspires you to pare down.
Besides the fact that my Italian travels lead me to realize how I need little more than the clothes on my back, shelter and food, it made me realize that what we need, more vitally than any collection of things, are experiences. World travel does that to us: it makes us feel at home in the presence of strangers, imparts new knowledge, and proves how beautiful differences can be. In a way, it confirmed my faith in people and the fact that there are good humans everywhere (not that I previously lacked belief in the capacity of humankind).
I often reflect on that trip, recalling the faces of both the friends I traveled with and the people we met, the interesting conversations we had, and the meals we consumed — some of the best food I expect I'll ever have in my lifetime. Noodles upon noodles of every pasta variation, consumed at a farm to table restaurant in Tuscany; espressos knocked back while standing at café bars (tempered with a croissant, of course); a late al fresco dinner on the breezy streets of San Gimignano, seated under a white tent just down the way from the Pope's summer home.
These experiences lived on and have ultimately shaped the vision behind HWH events. The intent behind the these events is to foster community and create a new food culture in north Louisiana, where people connect over a shared experience.
I've always felt when people and food combine, it's complete magic. Each event we host is founded on just that — community and good food in an intimate environment.
We recently hosted our first Pop-up Dinner, where 18 guests gathered around the table for a social and culinary experience that included a French-inspired menu.
Besides the fact that my Italian travels lead me to realize how I need little more than the clothes on my back, shelter and food, it made me realize that what we need, more vitally than any collection of things, are experiences. World travel does that to us: it makes us feel at home in the presence of strangers, imparts new knowledge, and proves how beautiful differences can be. In a way, it confirmed my faith in people and the fact that there are good humans everywhere (not that I previously lacked belief in the capacity of humankind).
I often reflect on that trip, recalling the faces of both the friends I traveled with and the people we met, the interesting conversations we had, and the meals we consumed — some of the best food I expect I'll ever have in my lifetime. Noodles upon noodles of every pasta variation, consumed at a farm to table restaurant in Tuscany; espressos knocked back while standing at café bars (tempered with a croissant, of course); a late al fresco dinner on the breezy streets of San Gimignano, seated under a white tent just down the way from the Pope's summer home.
These experiences lived on and have ultimately shaped the vision behind HWH events. The intent behind the these events is to foster community and create a new food culture in north Louisiana, where people connect over a shared experience.
I've always felt when people and food combine, it's complete magic. Each event we host is founded on just that — community and good food in an intimate environment.
We recently hosted our first Pop-up Dinner, where 18 guests gathered around the table for a social and culinary experience that included a French-inspired menu.
This event was particularly special because HWH was able to partner with other incredible entrepreneurs/makers to create a sublime culinary and social experience. Guests discovered the secret location of the pop-up 24-hours before, and showed up at the historic home and art gallery of Caroline Youngblood the next evening. Caroline's artwork adorns every wall in her 1920's restored bungalow, and the guests had plenty feast their eyes on as they took in the scenery.
We were pleased to have Elizabeth and Kayla, the girls of We Are Gathered, design the beautiful florals for our tablescape. Their approach is very modern and fresh — almost sculptural — and the flowers really doubled as living artwork.
We were pleased to have Elizabeth and Kayla, the girls of We Are Gathered, design the beautiful florals for our tablescape. Their approach is very modern and fresh — almost sculptural — and the flowers really doubled as living artwork.
Daniel Luther of Union Mill Coffee was on sight serving up custom sips, most notably a lavender honey latte (made with local honey and a housemade lavender syrup) which was the crowd favorite.
Cole Prine Productions captured every special moment, from behind-the-scenes prepping and guests arriving, to each of the 7-courses being devoured and every laugh in between. We can't wait to see the mini-film of the evening, so we can re-live the experience again and again!
Special Thanks to Cole, Daniel, Elizabeth and Kayla, and Caroline for partnering with us and making the inaugural pop-up exceed even our hopes and expectations!
Cole Prine Productions captured every special moment, from behind-the-scenes prepping and guests arriving, to each of the 7-courses being devoured and every laugh in between. We can't wait to see the mini-film of the evening, so we can re-live the experience again and again!
Special Thanks to Cole, Daniel, Elizabeth and Kayla, and Caroline for partnering with us and making the inaugural pop-up exceed even our hopes and expectations!
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Big thanks to my awesome intern, Mary Day, for capturing many of these photos.
Throughout the night, guests talked about how the event felt like it transported them to a bigger city, including one of our fab guests, Tyra, who wrote a blogpost about her pop-up experience.
FUTURE EVENTS
It's always our hope that guests leave their seats having relished new flavors, laughed loudly, connected over a shared experience, and that they depart feeling inspired to gather around their own tables more often. In other words, we hope you collect experiences that lead to many more in the long run.
We're partnering with We Are Gathered once again for the upcoming FLOUR + FLOWERS: Mother's Day Workshop & Brunch. This one's perfect for Mom's and daughters of all generations!
One last thing— our next pop-up dinner will take place in the fall, and we would love for you to join us, so subscribe below to stay informed on all HWH events, including workshops and the HWH Cooking School.
Seek out experiences,
Hope
We're partnering with We Are Gathered once again for the upcoming FLOUR + FLOWERS: Mother's Day Workshop & Brunch. This one's perfect for Mom's and daughters of all generations!
One last thing— our next pop-up dinner will take place in the fall, and we would love for you to join us, so subscribe below to stay informed on all HWH events, including workshops and the HWH Cooking School.
Seek out experiences,
Hope
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