TABLE of CONTENT

We've Moved! ... our blog

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:03:00 +0000

With the launch of our new website this month, we have also given our blog a little makeover. You can now find it a blog.fishseddy.com!

See you there!

There are a lot of cooks in this kitchen!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 20:45:00 +0000

Unfortunately I was born without the cooking gene. In fact, I'm the queen of take out! A million years ago, when I asked Ben to give me his list of friends for his eighth birthday party Monty the delivery guy from Picasso Pizza was number one. Let's put it this way, when the doorbell rings at my house everyone runs to answer it because chances are, it's dinner.

But now I am newly inspired by the amazingly talented staff at Fishs Eddy. I mean, Mary's gestapo soup, or whatever it's called? Yum! And Kelly's cucumber and ginger infused vodka? Heeelllo Saturday night! I'm going to try to actually make some of these recipes, fine
cuisine that I could never expect from Panda Express!

Cucumber and Ginger Infused Vodka
From Kelly

Ingredients:

2 Cucumbers peeled and sliced - I used English Cucumbers because they have very little to no seeds.
1 medium to large piece of Ginger root - I liked it a little spicier so I used a larger piece1 (750ml) bottle of good quality Vodka

Equipment Needed:

1 Quart Mason Jar
Large Strainer
Sterilized Bottle or Jar for the finished product

Wash and peel both the cucumber and ginger. Cut into small pieces to fit in the mason jar.
Fill the ingredients approximately 1/3 of the jar. Fill the remainder with vodka so that all ingredients are submerged. Screw the lid on tight and shake vigorously. Refrigerate until the vodka reaches the desired level of infusion, at least 3 days to 1 week. Once you feel that it is at your desired level of taste strain out the ingredients and discard.

Store the vodka in the fridge and you're ready to make yourself a delicious summer cocktail!
Just grab a highball glass. 2oz's of your vodka infusion, ice and top it off with some seltzer!

Gazpacho Soup
From Mary

"Soup that doesn't make you sweat."

Ingredients:

1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeeled
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups of tomato juice
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Chop in large cubes and keep separate: cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onion. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor until coarsely chopped - do not over process! After each vegetable is processed, combine in a large bowl. Add garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving.

The longer it sits, the more the flavors develop.

Have your guests garnish their own soup...bodega medium or small are the perfect vessels.

Balsamic Ice Cream
From Jen

"People freak the fuck out for it."

Ingredients:

8 egg yolks, separated
1 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean (scraped) or 1 tbsp good vanilla extract
6 tbsp balsamic vinegar

In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar - mix until smooth and pale in color. In a large saucepan, bring cream, milk, and vanilla to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly temper into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add balsamic. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Chill custard mixture for at least one hour, then follow the directions specific to your ice cream maker.

Serve with seasonal fresh fruit - figs, blackberries, cherries, or strawberries all work well.

Keeps 2 days in the freezer.

Restaurant Style Ceviche
From Sophia

Great for summer festivities (I literally got this recipe from a Mexican restaurant in California, so good.)

About 1 tablespoon of each sauces:

Valentina (Salsa Picante)
Tapatio
Bufalo- Chipotle
Bufalo- Jalapeño
El Yucateco- Chile Habanero (Red Sauce)
El Yucateco- Chile Habanero (Green Sauce)

Plus:

8-12 Lime
1 White Onion
2-3 lb. of Shrimp
4 Tomatoes
1 Cilantro Branch
3-5 Avocados
2-3 Cucumbers
1 Cup Clamato
Tostada Shells

Boil Shrimp in water,1 cup of Clamato, and 1 lime juice. When Shrimp is pink, remove and throw a bowl of ice cubes in the pot. Stir until ice melts (this makes the shrimp soft). Chop onions, shrimp, tomatoes, cilantro, avocados, and cucumbers into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze limes and add each hot sauces to chopped ingredients. Toss and chill in refrigerator until serving. Serve on your favorite tostada shells.

Lychee Mojito
From Courtney

Ingredients:

5-6 fresh mint leaves
2-3 fresh lychees (or canned)
1/2 tsp superfine sugar
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces good gin
1 ounce club soda, or sparkling water
Ice

In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves and 1/2 of a sliced lychee with 1/2 tsp of superfine sugar. Add lime juice, simple syrup, gin and ice. Shake well and strain into chilled glass. Top with the club soda or sparkling water and garnish with fresh lychees and mint.

Who's Your Daddy?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 15:26:00 +0000

It’s Father’s Day this weekend (you didn’t forget did you!?) so we asked around to see what some of the Fishs Eddy team is giving their dads. This one's for you, Dad!

I've always spent my summers with my family in the Adirondacks. So many of my favorite childhood memories with my father happened there; hiking mountains, learning how to drive, building our family cabin with friends… This Father's Day I would want to relive those memories by gifting my Dad with the Camping Mug from our 'Great Outdoors' pattern--as well as a good bottle of Bourbon. To my father, there's nothing quite like enjoying a nice glass of bourbon--or a cup of coffee--while taking in a mountain view.

-Abby

My dad is notoriously difficult to buy gifts for – I struggle every year to find something that’s out of the box enough to match his off-beat taste. Thank god for Fishs Eddy! I think he’ll get a real kick out of a vintage glove mold. They have just the right mix of history and quirk to spark his interest, and will be a striking addition his work desk!

-Marianne

My dad would love to take me on the Path train to Hoboken on weekends. We'd walk along the the train tracks and hang out by the piers. We'd go for lunch at a local diner or at the cafeteria at Woolworth's. I loved the sounds of the teaspoons rattling against the peoples cups drinking coffee. My dad's not alive any more, so I'll buy a green band cup and saucer to drink my coffee in the morning.

-Noah

Growing up, I guess I could best describe my father as a playmate, with a credit card and a drivers license. So it's hard to say WHAT I would get him for Father's Day that wasn't from Toys-R-Us...or a fancy car dealership. I wouldn't get him dinner plates because he eats directly out of containers, and that includes soup cans. I wouldn't get him storage-ware because most of the stuff in his fridge is pre 9-11. At this point I don't want to encourage him to store leftovers. I guess I would get him a wife. But we don't sell those. So the next best thing is our porcelain bird whistle. My father would get hours of entertainment out of something like that. Yeah, I would get him the bird whistle for Father's Day and I would take him to the park so he can play with it.

-Julie

My dad does a lot of things well but cooking is not one of them - his cooking repertoire consists of pancakes and waffles. When my mom was out of town we would have pancakes and waffles every night for the entire week. It was always fun until the third night when my sister and I would be begging for anything else! For Father’s Day this year, I would give him the Health Grade ‘B’ tray with a stack of pancakes on top. Fortunately humor is something he does well.

-Katherine

My dad visited me in New York for the first time this month. He pretty much enjoyed everything, from walking to riding the trains. He particularly enjoyed downtown Manhattan. He said to us that he always dreamed of going to Ground Zero, so we took him there. That was his favorite place. I would give him anything from the 212 collection because it would remind him of how much fun the trip was.

-Alexis

Tchotchkes on Broadway!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 21:38:00 +0000

Full disclosure: I love musicals, especially the glitzy, colorful, extravagant ones! Hence the frequent Broadway references that make their way into our signs, sales and window displays.

So it only makes sense that along with my love for Broadway musicals comes my love for glitzy, colorful tchotchkes....hence all of our American Made glass MUST-HAVE-swan toothpick holders-dolly figurines-saltcellars-frogs-unicorns etc... (ok so tchotchkes and broadway shows don’t necessarily go together but they do for the purposes of this blog post)

Slag color!

It was several years ago when Dave and Billy came across thousands of these beautiful little glass pieces, somewhere in West Virginia. They weren't really looking for tiny glass unicorns but, well, it happened. And they were irresistibly gorgeous! No two colors were alike and some had slag color which is two colors mixed together.

That night at their hotel, Billy even "caught" Dave lining up the little glass frogs and scotty dogs on his nightstand.

Enter Billy.

Dave: uh hey Billy, I uh, I uh, I’m just checking for imperfections in the glass.

Billy: No you’re not! You’re playing with them!

The following week when Dave went back to get the rest, he was so excited that he was, well, less discriminating in what he got.

Get ye' a toe clipper!

Dave (calling from the road trip): Jool wait till you see these amazing toothpick holders I got! They’re in the shape of a boot!

Me: Sounds amazing Dave I miss you and I can’t wait to see the boot toothpick holders. Do come home soon.

Me (seeing the boot toothpick holders): Dave look closely at this toothpick holder! It’s Quasimoto’s boot! It has a toe sticking out of it!

Dave: I got eight thousand.

Aside from the infamous boot, Dave and Billy found the most incredible colors and shapes. They got doll figurines in every shade imaginable. And yes, we tied those into a Broadway Show! Anitra and Won’s window deserves a Tony!

My favorite - the bowling pin ashtrays!

Oh, and my absolute favorite? A tiny ashtray that was made for a bowling ally…it makes me want to dance and sing... but I'll spare you!

Some glass figurines weren't even cut off the font (mold)!

Window Dressing with T-shirts!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 22:35:00 +0000

foam core Steffen and foam core Courtney in the B'way windows!

Fishs Eddy creative merchandisers Won and Anitra just did
the MOST amazing windows (featuring Alex's photographs)!
Here are some rare never-before-heard interviews
with the artists and the participants.

Enjoy!

Julie Gaines

Questions for Won and Anitra

Anitra declined to be photographed for this photograph.

JG: So Won, these latest windows are totally amazing we all love them so! Where ever did you and *Anitra get the idea to do them?

Won: uh, you told us to do them?

JG: Interesting. And when did you decide to do t-shirt windows?

Won: When you said that t-shirts are the only thing we have a lot of stock in right now?

JG: How did our creative meetings inspire you with the pop art reference?
Won: They didn’t. Roy Lichtenstein did. We like the energy behind his work so we thought the pop art reference would be fun and new.

JG: What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Won: I like to play soccer and I love movies. I loved Frozen.

JG: Wow, can you sing Let it Go?

Won: No.

JG: Please!

Won: Let it go.

JG: What do you think of Kelly?

Won: I like her a lot. What’s that? Oh, I think I just heard the intercom,

your mother is on line two.

*Anitra declined to be interviewed for this blog

Questions for Courtney

Everyday is a good hair day for Courtney

JG: Courtney where are you from?

Courtney: I’m from South Korea.

JG: Wow you must love eggrolls!

Courtney: That’s Chinese.

JG: What’s your favorite hobby?

Courtney: I love drawing and sketching buildings.

I’m an architecture student at Parsons.

JG: What do you think about Won and Anita’s windows?

Courtney: I love the pop art motif it adds so much happiness to this terrible winter.

Also the t-shirts are like the softest t-shirts ever so I’m happy they’re in the window.

JG: Who do you like better Won or Anitra?

Courtney: I like them both! They’re Wonitra!

Questions for Steffen

try to cooperate Steffen!

JG: Steffen where were you born?

Steffen: Maryland in a small town called Havrespacedgrace.

JG: What's your favorite hobby?

Steffen: I love fashion and photography.

JG: Fashion? What do you think about my fashions?

Steffen: Currently?

JG: What sort of things do you photograph?

Steffen: Mostly portraits. I like to capture a sort of chaotic place

in time when I take pictures.

JG: Who do you like better, Won or Anitra?

Steffen: Wuh? I like them both.

JG: I’m available for a portrait photograph anytime.

Steffen: Uh….OK.

Questions for Alex the photographer

JG: So Alex where are you from?
Alex: The Bronx but I was born in Queens.
JG: What do you think about the new windows?
Alex: They're fun and festive, perfect for us!
JG: What kind of photography are you doing these days?
Alex: Right now I'm doing some experimental photography, but I want to do more, sort of, morphing fashion and experimental.
JG: Who do you like better Won or Anitra? I swear I won't tell anyone.
Alex: Alejandra!

Questions for Jabari & Candice

DC baby!

JG: So Jabari and Candice where are you guys from?

Jabari: DC baby!!!!

Candice: The Bay area.

JG: What hobbies do you do?

Jabari: I sew. I made this scarf! I even made a pair of shoes!

JG: Seriously? Can you hem my pants?

Jabari: uh, I can try?

Candice: And I knit! I’m making a sweater.

JG: If Jabari can’t hem my pants can you?

Candice: Let Jabari do it.
JG: Who do you guys like better Won or Anitra?
Jabair: Anitra. Wait, can I change that?

JG: No I already wrote it.

Candice: I like Won he tells me the good restaurants to go to.

Antira is really cool too.

JG: What do you think about the new windows they did?

Jabari and Candice: They’re PoP-in! Awesome! They’re great!

JG: What do you think about the t-shirts?

Jabari: They’re really soft when I pat them down on my skin.

Questions for Alejandra, Brian and Alex

come on guys this is a serious interview!

drawing by Alex

JG: Hey Brian, Alejandra and Alex what kind of hobbies do you guys do?

Brian: I love traveling, music and experiencing different places.

Alejandra: I love reading and drawing.
Alex: I love to draw.
JG: What do you think about Anitra and Won’s new t-shirt windows?

Brian, Alejandra and Alex: They’re really fun! We love them!

Yeah, we’re really proud of them! We totally love them!

JG: Where are you guys from?
Brian: I’m from Africa, I was raised in South Africa.

Alejandra: Born and raised in New York!

Alex: I’m from the Dominican Republic.

JG: wait, how am I gonna remember who's from where?

Questions for Marianne

Marianne looks just as great in foam core!

JG: Marianne where are you from?

Marianne: I’m from Pittsburgh.

JG: What do you think of Won and Anitra’s windows?

Marianne: I think they’re super fun and a great concept!

JG: oh, thank you. And what hobbies do you like best?

Marianne: I like reading and watching bad reality TV while I clean my apartment.

JG: Will you be reading this blog post?

Marianne: If it’s a job requirement.

But seriously, our t-shirts ARE the softest, bestest t-shirts ever!

It's the t-shirt you never want to leave on vacation. It's the t-shirt you'll

never lend to your daughter (give mine back Susie!).

Won and Anitra put the cool in them,

and Alex put the fashonista in them!

Thank god it's almost t-shirt season!

Alejandra feeling at home on the paper runway

Alex and Won contemplating next shot

Photographing Marianne, but he wants to shoot me.

That's our magic Won!

Teamwork

Holiday 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 17:35:00 +0000

It's Christmas time which means we're a little crazier than normal.
Here's a glimpse into holiday 2013 at Fishs Eddy!

A COMPETITIVE EDGE!
Right before Thanksgiving Kelly held a competition with the staff to get rid of the slow-moving
Gobble Gobble Gravy Boats.

Hey guys, whoever sells the most gravy boats gets a gift certificate and its not from Fishs Eddy! said Kelly

Mary never got the memo about the Gobble Gobble Gravy Boat Competition so Competitive Courtney was able to talk Mary into buying a gravy boat for herself, hence winning the gift-certificate. Congratulations Courtney!

Team work!

Competitive Candice wins Kelly's retail bingo competition

Personally, I think Jen over-ordered the gravy boats. Jen claims that the gravy boat was a
dog…with a turkey on it.

Jen not amused.

HAPPY SHINY PEOPLE!
This year we're selling some fun holiday ornaments. Jen and I were excited to find one with a cupcake on a little red thistle cake stand because we actually sell that red thistle cake stand... although Ian had a panic attack cleaning up all the glitter that came off the fake icing.

This is NOT in my job description said Ian.
Fear of glitter was NOT on your application said Kelly.


Ian is happily merried AND happily married!

NEW MUG SHOTS!
With new faces up in the office Jen seems to be the go-to person for help on Fishs Eddy systems.

Welcome Marianne & Linda!

Jen how do I access available inventory of the dog glasses said Marianne.
Jen how do I create a new SKU for the gift boxes said Linda.
Jen how do I zoom in on an item to check inventory status said Mary.
Jen how do I process damages in inventory said Manny.
Jen I'm grabbing lunch should I get the quinoa and tuna salad or roasted tomato soup said I.

Still not amused.

WE DO WINDOWS!
Holiday windows were a challenge this year. We had great difficulty getting Ted Cruz and Rand Paul to cooperate for a tea party photograph so we had to resort to cutting and pasting their heads. The Queen of England and DeBlasio weren't taking our calls either. Despite no call backs Won and Anitra managed to pull off the BEST holiday windows ever!

Won and Anitra took the cutting and pasting of heads personally

ROOM CHANGER!
The other night at Justine's insistence she and I re-merchandised the entire CHEAP CHINA room in the back of the store. There we were, just me and Justine, summing up the laborious job ahead of us.

Me: Hey Justine, you and I can make magic happen back here in this CHEAP CHINA room. Wuh-do-ya say we move all the dishes around to make space for the vintage crates? Customers love them so.

Justine: When did I say I wanted to make magic happen?

HATS OFF!
At Christmas time everyone is wearing a million hats… well, almost everyone.

Me: Hey Steffan, are you cool with power tools cuz I reeeaally need help drilling into this cabinet
puh-leeese???

Steffan: That’s a power tool. You do know I'm a homosexual don't you?

So, Thanksgiving 2013 has come and gone...wish we could say that about the gravy boats. As the days get crazier we’re admittedly a little crankier, a little sillier and a little more insane. We’re gift-wrapping more, we’re restocking more, we’re hauling more and we’re on each other’s nerves more.

We? said Jen after proof reading this blog post.

But most importantly… we’re there for each other more.

Way more.

Alejandra and Kari managing well.

Robby and Michelle keeping sane. Well, at least Michelle is.

Manny and Kadeem downstairs, but always up!

Ashley just finished re-stock. Beth's forks never came in.

Karen's paying bills. Abby's making product for Karen to pay for.

Turning Fifty

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 20:23:00 +0000

I had been building my birthday up for months.
This is big time I’m fifty..they’ll probably throw some kind of parade, probably some fire works and festivities all across the land...
Apparently the conversation was more like holy crap her birthday is tomorrow… must distract her…what? oh yeah, she’s already distracted…

FE team in full plaid and headscarves. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery...or mockery.

The truth is, I’m just happy to celebrate in such good shape. Because just two years ago, after a morning bike ride with Dave along the Hudson River, I couldn’t get out of bed the following day. It was so weird, my legs would not move.

She has Lyme said the doctor.

She’s doing too much at the store said my mother.

Have they ruled out if she’s faking it? said Ben.

I hope this doesn’t mean she's gonna be a stay at home mom now! said Susie.

After endless testing Dave and I listened to a team of neurologists tell me I have MS.
No I don’t, these things don't happen to me…said I.

Then I asked what MS is and they told me.

At my fiftieth birthday celebration I recounted a scene from the movie Parenthood with Mary Steenburgen and Steve Martin. It’s Dave’s and my all time favorite movie scene ever.

In the movie, Steve Martin’s job is on the rocks, the kids have issues and life has gotten complicated.

It’s the night of the school play. Everyone is running around getting ready while Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen are bickering in the kitchen about why life is so "messy."

Out of nowhere Steve Martin’s little and adorable grandmother walks in and tells him that when she was nineteen his grandpa took her on the roller-coaster that goes up and down and up and down. She recalls how interesting it was that one ride could make her so scared, so frightened, so excited, and so thrilled all together. Some didn’t like it, they went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around…nothing.

Then the grandmother goes off to wait in the car.

Frustrated Mary Steenburgen tells Steve Martin that his grandmother happens to be a brilliant woman. Of course Steve Martin, thinking and staring out the back door says, oh yeah well if she’s so brilliant how come she’s sitting in the neighbors car!

Life is random. Everyday brings a new laugh, a new concern, and a new opportunity to make the best of what’s on our plate. Someone definitely turned my roller coaster setting on a higher speed. Its slightly scarier... but I'm still on it with no plans to get off.

“I like the roller-coaster, you get more out of it.”
-Grandmother from Parenthood.

Kristen for a cause! Pulling the Fishs Eddy team together for the MS Bike Ride

Join Team Fishs Eddy on October, 6th!

Taking a Stand

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 13:55:00 +0000

Occasionally we weigh in on political issues...through a store display, a window or even a pattern.

Our Obama Birther Certificate Tray

Usually we're preaching to the choir, but I’m not going to lie, voicing our opinion on politics sometimes ruffles people’s feathers. ‘Stick to doing dishes Julie’ ‘Retail is not a place to make political statements’ they'll say.

Then I remind them that a lot of retailers from Kenneth Cole to Manhattan Mini Storage use their businesses as a platform to take a stand. In fact, in 1969 Dave’s Uncle Miles took an ad in the New York Times on behalf of his business to protest the Vietnam War. Dave's Uncle Miles and Aunt Lillian owned Coach Leather.

Aunt Lillian and Uncle Miles, founders of Coach

Immigration reform is at stake and this small business knows first hand the passion and inimitable work ethic that first generation immigrants contribute. How can we be silent?

Me and Mike at the Pro-immigration rally - Union Square

The first person to run our shipping department (basically a desk in the back room) was from the Philippines. And one of our very first visual merchandisers was an amazing talent from Cypress. And then there was our very much loved manager from Slovakia.

With a lot of patience and time with immigration lawyers we proudly helped to get them working papers - which eventually turned into green cards.

But then something happened. It was 9-11. Suddenly the rules changed and what was already a tremendous feat became impossible. So it was a very sad day when we said goodbye to a truly unique talent... from Mexico.

I'll call him Renaldo for this blog.

Renaldo helped build Fishs Eddy with his intellect and his fierce,

I-want-to-be-here, drive. His footprint is still felt. But politicians like Iowa Republican representitive Steve King, think Renaldo is a threat to American jobs - when in fact all Renaldo did was raise the bar for all of us. All Renaldo ever wanted was to pay taxes and be here legally, so he too could be part of the Fishs Eddy team... and the American Dream.

When Renaldo is forced to stay off the grid we all lose. It's hypocritical and downright un-American to turn our backs on the millions of people living in the shadows of a country that was founded on an open door policy. It's time to put the welcome mat back.

The same welcome mat that was there in 1936 when Dave's Aunt Lillian emigrated from Hungary, came to America and met a young entrepreneur. Together they went on to build an iconic American brand, employing thousands... and of course, giving back. Now it's Renaldo's turn.

Dave's father (left), Aunt Lillian (right) and the other siblings, shortly after coming to Ellis Island

this is for you Renaldo, wherever you are.

Soup's on!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:29:00 +0000

A few summers ago I went to Café Sabarsky, the restaurant in the Neue Gallery up on Fifth Avenue. You actually feel like you're in Vienna there. I had this delicious cold sweet pea soup with fresh mint, I had never tasted anything like it, it was so good! Admittedly, it was the first time I'd even heard of being served cold soup…at least intentionally.

But as I was busy bragging in the design studio about my culinary sophistication oh I just love a good cold split pea soup especially with fresh mint how 'bout you guys? everyone jumped in with

yes Julie we have tasted cold pea soup and we also have great recipes for cold this and chilled that and blah blah blah…

So apparently I'm surrounded by talented people who know how to bring all of our amazing bowls to life with great summer soup recipes. And they were gracious in explaining that their recipes would be a new cooking experience for me because I wouldn't need a can opener.

Corn Chowder in Diner Whites

Corn Chowder (Martha Stewart Living) - Sara, Product Development

I love cooking in the summertime because so many of the ingredients for most recipes can be found at the local greenmarket.

This flavorful corn chowder encapsulates summer and the bounty that is available in the upcoming months.

4 tsp bacon, cut into 1/3 inch dice

1 small onion, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice (1 cup)

2 ribs celery, strings removed, cut into 1/2 inch dice (3/4 cup)

8 sprigs thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, skimmed of fat

3 ears yellow corn, kernels removed (about 2 1/2 cups)

5 ounces small fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 poblano chile, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 1/2 cups half and half

Place bacon in small stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is deep golden brown and all the fat has been rendered, about 4 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel, and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.

Serves 4.

Sara scrutinizing at the Union Square Green Market

Spicy Vegan Gazpacho - Kristen, Graphic/Web Design and Photo

I've had a hard time finding a gazpacho that I like in the city... so finally, I decided to make my own. It's easy and light, and most people are into it. For extra awesomeness, serve with sliced avocado.

Gazpacho in the Golden Rimmed Cereal Bowl

3 cups tomato or vegetable juice

1 onion, diced

3 tomatoes, chopped

bell pepper, any color, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cucumber, diced

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp tarragon

1 tsp chopped fresh basil

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/4 - 1/2 tsp hot sauce, to taste

2 tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

Mix together all ingredients well. Place half of the mixture in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Recombine. Chill thoroughly before serving.

Fresh ingredients!

Watermelon Soup - Abby, Assistant Designer

My favorite summer foods are watermelon and popsicles (in any flavor available). If I let myself, which lets face it, happens more often than not, I will buy a whole watermelon and then have it for every meal until it's gone. I'm that obsessed. This summer soup easily subsides my summer cravings; fresh, refreshing and delicious!

Watermelon soup in the Mint Rimmed Cereal Bowl

4-5 c. Seedless Watermelon

1 pt. Raspberries

8 oz. Strawberries

1 Mango (if desired)

Blend watermelon, raspberries, and strawberries in a blender until thoroughly liquefied. Chop Mango into small pieces, do not add to blended mixture. Chill for a few hours (up until overnight). Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with mango.

Chilled avocado and cucumber soup in the Diner White Soup Plate

Chilled Avocado and Cucumber Soup - Jennifer, Buyer

From the Once Upon a Tart cookbook; they are a very awesome little bake shop down on Sullivan street. Great tarts (obviously), but also wonderful sandwiches and soups and salads…

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and coarsely chopped

1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted

1/4 cup cold buttermilk

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh dill

2 teaspoons salt

pinch cayenne pepper

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

Put the garlic, cucumber, and avocado into the bowl of a food processor (or a blender) fitted with a metal blade, and puree. Add the buttermilk, water, dill, salt, peppers, and half the orange juice, and blend until you have a smooth soup.

Taste, and add remaining orange juice in increments until you have the taste and consistency you want.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Taste for salt before serving. Serve chilled (serves 4)

So little time, so little wall space!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:25:00 +0000

Last week, twelve years overdue, I painted my apartment…yellow.

I was satisfying a new obsession. Yellow feels under-appreciated and can be very beautiful if used right…which I thought I did. But then Susie called screaming that the color was making her anxious and sweaty and she was running away from home if I didn’t change it - followed by a courtesy call from her brother offering to help her pack.

Yellow turned into green. It's either get on the painter's bad side or Susie's bad side .

I also painted an accent wall, or as Susie calls it, an accident wall. I was going for Poppy red but got primary red.

So it takes me a few rounds to get the color right, but I do think I have a “knack” for what comes next. In fact, I really had our apartment painted as an excuse to take all of our “stuff” down and give it a total refresh.

For whatever it’s worth, here are just a few ideas for hanging art, and other stuff.

Don’t get all hung up.

I never hang all of my pictures. Leaning paintings on shelves or on the floor creates a lot of movement - it takes away from the flatness of a room. It distracts from the corners and the limitations of the space. I personally feel more spontaneity and less rigidity in a room where art shares the environment.

A while ago Dave and I found this crazy painting of some random military guy. The painting is six feet tall with an Officer Pilsudski nameplate on the bottom. For $150.00 Pilsudsky was a no-brainer. He rests on the floor and leans right smack in the middle of my longest wall, dividing it in half. This painting has grown to be one of my favorites, not only for how odd it is, but for what it does to the rest of the room. I love hanging lots of little paintings and Pilsudsky’s height and girth divides my wall of smalls into two sections so that the little paintings don’t turn into a run-on sentence like the one I am writing right now.

Measure not.

A lot of people will tell you to space art evenly and to hang it at a certain “viewing” height. At 4’’11, few people would appreciate my viewing height. I say get rid of the measuring tape and anyway, what a bitch to measure. I lay a lot of art out on the floor and start playing with subject matter, shapes, and how the art works together. Artwork that has the same intensity of color can cancel each other out. I have a portrait and a floral that are the exact same value and hue. If I hung them next to each other and took my glasses off I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. So along with shape and subject matter, I look for contrast.

Once I have a general idea, I hang a cluster of work as the nucleus and spread out from there. I keep the spaces in-between the paintings consistently inconsistent and the end result is a wall of art that feels both deliberate and comfortable.

Refresh... ing

It takes two.

I’m a big believer in how a painting and a frame age together. If I come across a beautiful framed vintage painting, chances are, it’s spent a lot of time nestled comfortably in that frame, housed in many antique stores and flea markets. I couldn’t possibly separate the two after all they’ve been through. I’m just happy to rescue it and give it a good home where it can live out the rest of its life being appreciated on my wall…as one art unit.

Save the frame!

So little time…and even less wall space.

I have no problem blocking parts of paintings by layering them. Life is short, I’d rather have all of my favorite art out to look at and enjoy. Let's put it this way, you’ll never hear me say ‘I’ve run out of room’. If the majority of a painting is revealed, that's probably enough to enjoy it.

But then there’s the lone painting that’s asking for its own space because it's simply out of context anywhere else. Right now I'm in love with this one floral painting that Ben did, but it just doesn't feel comfortable near any other paintings. So, like Ben and much of his youth, the painting is in time out! But I love it madly!

Wallflower!

My favorite part is the final layer…all of the dishes and funny little things that Dave and I have amassed over the years. I like to keep everything near and dear. Sorry Manhattan Mini Storage!

Wood foundry molds give things a lift

After hanging a perfect wall of art there’s a lot to compete with. So I use wood foundry molds as risers and platforms, blocks of old wood, and cake stands to give my little relics a needed pedestal.

Ladies on a pedestal!

Now if only I had a "knack" for getting the color of a room right the first time around. Of course I could have listened to the experts and painted a small swatch first, but that’s way over my attention span and anyway, I’m not known for listening to experts.

My Mexican painting worked perfect on the accident wall.

Happy Hour at Fishs Eddy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 May 2013 21:01:00 +0000

These first warm days have brought a nice sense of tranquility to our offices at Fishs Eddy. But then I mentioned doing a Father's Day e-mail about great summer cocktail recipes, perfect for our glasses, and all of the sudden everybody is a bartender with an opinion! And we couldn't just "share" our recipes could we. Apparently they needed to be tested. And a cocktail needs to be tested with some good bread and cheese, well doesn't it?

So on a warm friday afternoon we all managed to tear ourselves away for an impromptu cocktail party in Mary's showroom. Of course we reminded ourselves that Dad would be very proud to know we are hard at work drinking... I mean thinking... about Fathers Day!

Our resident cocktail experts chose a few of the favorites to make...

Island limeade in the Tall High Ball Lexington

ISLAND LIMEADE

Ingredients:

-3 cups boiling water

-1/3 cup sugar

-1 ¼ cups freshly squeezed lime juice

-6 oz dark rum

Combine boiling water and sugar to taste. Stir until the sugar dissolves; chill. Add the lime juice to make limeade. Fill 4 tall glasses with ice and divide the rum among the glasses. Top with the limeade. Non-alcoholic variation: Omit the rum.

OLD FASHIONED

Ingredients:

-1 sugar cube

-3 dashes Angostura bitters

-1 tablespoon club soda

-2 oz bourbon

-1 thin strip of lemon peel

In a rocks glass, combine the sugar cube, bitters and club soda. Muddle to a paste. Stir in the bourbon. Add ice and garnish with a two-inch strip of lemon peel.

Use the Gibraltar Rocks 8oz for the Kachumber Cooler

KACHUMBER COOLER

Ingredients:

-4 Cucumbers, peeled and seeded

-juice from 1 lime

-1/2 cup simple syrup

-6 oz gin

-1/2 cup club soda

-Fresh mint

Liquefy the peeled and seeded cucumbers in a food processor. Press pulp through a fine mesh strainer to capture the cucumber juice. Discard solids. You should have about 1/2 cup of cucumber juice. Add an equal amount of simple syrup. (To make the simple syrup, bring equal amounts of water and sugar to a boil. Turn burner off and let liquid cool.)

Add the juice of one lime to the cucumber and sugar water, about 2 Tablespoons. Fill a large tumbler with ice and add one and a half ounces of gin, two ounces of the cucumber/lime/sugar water. Top off with club soda and garnish with a cucumber wedge and muddled mint. Ahhh... so refreshing! The remaining cucumber mixture can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Just give it a shake before using as the fine pulp settles to the bottom.

MANHATTAN

Ingredients:

-2 oz rye whiskey

-1 oz sweet vermouth

-2 dashes Agostura bitters

-1 marasca cherry

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the ingredients and stir. Strain the drink into a martini glass or coupe glass and garnish with a marasca cherry.

the Mint Juplip in the Bodega Tumbler Maxi

MINT JULIP

Ingredients:

-Fresh mint

-Ice

-2 ½ oz bourbon whiskey

-Lemon slice, for garnish, optional

-Simple syrup

Make simple syrup (boil equal parts sugar and water), while heating, add 3 sprigs of mint to infuse flavor. Remove mint and let cool. In a cocktail shaker, combine with ice and add one part simple syrup, two parts bourbon, and freshly torn mint leaves. Shake for 30 seconds, strain into glass over ice, garnish with stalks of mint on the opposite side from where you drink.

Brandy Alexander in the Champagne Bowl Glass

BRANDY ALEXANDER

Ingredients:

-1 oz cream

-1 oz dark crème de cacao

-1oz brandy

-Ground nutmeg for garnish

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a dusting of nutmeg.

Happy Father's Day!

Alex Guarnascheli Cookbook Signing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:46:00 +0000

Our cookbook signing with Alex Guarnascheli went like buttah! Alex is the Executive Chef of Butter NYC, a "Chopped" Judge, and a self professed fan of Fishs Eddy!

She took time to speak with everyone...offering advice and answering questions. Such a fun lady!

If you missed the signing, we have some signed copies of Old-School Comfort Food available for purchase in the store.

Alex's youngest fan was first in line!

Ava said that Alex is cooler than Justin Bieber!

Everyone excited to meet Alex

Waiting to get their books signed

...Right next to the mashed potatoes.

Kristen Melega, our fearless event planner

Alex dishing out advice while signing her cookbook

Steven and his dog Peter are huge fans of Chopped

Printers Block

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:55:00 +0000

Occasionally people get saddled with moody, disobedient, high maintenance dogs or cats or kids. In Sara’s case, it’s a printer. A giant printer in our design studio that has caused so much turmoil here at Fishs Eddy… even almost divorce!

Somehow along the way, Sara got custody.

Sara the Printer Whisperer

This printer is actually in love with Sara. It sits behind her and stares at her all day. It cat calls her and gets jealous when she pays attention to other people, or devices. The printer refuses put out for anyone but Sara.

Roomies

In fact, the printer can’t do anything without Sara because it has an umbilical chord that extends across the design studio right to Sara’s mac. It’s not that Sara is an enabler, or co-dependent or anything like that. Sara always tries to encourage the printer to grow up… to experience life working for somebody else. But the printer refuses.

Overprotective Sara

I have my own theory about all of this. I think the printer is a total snob. It knows excellence and great design and it refuses to work with anyone except Sara, because Sara is a great designer.

One of Sara's many designs

Unfortunately it seems as though the printer hates me the most. Maybe it’s because I taunt it when Sara is away from her desk, “ya know she has someone else in her life!” and “no one is looking, I could jam you up right now!”

Sara & Ron, the other love in her life

Maybe it’s because the printer thinks I’m going to pollute Sara’s ways and it’s trying to protect her. On top of all her talent, Sara is neat, and organized. Her desk is a reflection of how she works, methodically and creatively…always a perfectionist. My desk looks like it's waiting for FEMA to come by and give it an estimate.

Sara's world, Julie's world

I try to tell the printer it takes all kinds, but it won’t hear of it.

Still, I have to say, our snobby elitist highbrow printer knows a good thing... and so do all the people who love the beautiful work that comes out of Sara’s desk… and printer!

For more of Sara's work visit her blog, Pomme Designs.

Third Wheel

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:25:00 +0000

A few weeks ago Dave and Billy were going on and on (and on) about their favorite restaurants on their road trips to the coolest antique places and dish places and barns and factories and blah blah blah I couldn’t take it another second! So, I imposed myself on a Dave/Billy road trip. As you know, I usually stay home to raise Susie.
Well, I usually stay home.

Must. Get. Away. From teenager!

I decided to shake up Dave’s routine by replacing his Led Zeppelin and Foreigner type music with Coffee House radio featuring my all-time favorite songs in acoustic versions.
“We can put your music on when we get to Ohio,” said I.
“Ohio is our final destination!” said Dave.

Billy goes in the Fishs Eddy truck while Dave and I go in our vehicle, an SUV that I’ve named The Boca-mobile. One day color-blind Dave went out to buy us a car that he insists to this day is olive green, but it’s not, its gold like the lobby of my mother’s country club in Boca.

Dave loves to drive and I hate to drive but I need to stay in practice. When I tell Dave I would like to drive for a while he says “I’m not unconscious yet.”
I drive about five percent of the trip. We listen to Coffee House radio about ninety five percent of the trip.

Cramping Dave's style Selfie next to Sleepy

After a long day in the car we get to Dave and Billy’s favorite steakhouse. Billy was over an hour behind because of the rain so Dave and I sat down to wait. Dave proceeded to tell me about how he and Billy love the bread and their favorite wine and the crab martini and stuff rolled in bacon and blah blah blah I couldn't take it another second...WHERE IS BILLY!?

"Save me a dinner roll!" says Billy

We stopped at a bunch of places and got lots of great stuff. Billy found this ginormous bowl that I tweeted “Chris Christie’s cereal bowl” but I took it down because it offended someone.

We didn’t get the Reagan tea pots because the hair patch lid didn't fit and so Reagan was defective.

All these American made dishes inspired me to tweet this.

The trip was all gravy boats from there.

"Thank you for letting me tag along!" says this wheel.

The Early Years at Fishs Eddy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:58:00 +0000

People often say to me hey Julie, what was customer service like in the early years of Fishs Eddy? Glad you asked because I’ve been dying to post this little story. And yes, it’s all true!

Customer Service, in the early years.

Fishs Eddy 551 Hudson Street

Our very first store was no more than 500 square feet so there really wasn’t a need, or room, for sales people. But the week after we signed the lease Dave and I listened in horror as both of our mothers proclaimed that they would be running our new store.

“We’ve decided to split the week up between the both of us” they demanded, even though neither of them had ever had a career in anything… ever.

Both mothers lived in the city at the time and were very excited about their new Fishs Eddy “jobs." Dave’s mother was a tall Irish woman with a sharp tongue, a martini in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She had a preference for gay men and resented straight men, which included Dave. “You know, I lost all respect for you when you married him” she would tell me, pointing her drink in Dave’s direction. My own mother was a shorter, stockier Jewish version of Dave’s mother.

Setting up first store 1986

From day one our mother’s employment came with various stipulations. “I’m shutting down early on Wednesdays, that’s when I do lunch and theatre with the girls” said my mother.

“I want two weeks cash-in-advance in case you don’t make enough money to pay me” said Dave’s mother.

But when it came to customer service, our mothers had completely different styles. My mother had a don’t-make-eye-contact-with-the-customer approach. Parked behind the counter with her face buried in her People Magazine, customers were privy to my mother's informative mumblings. “Boy George is gay now?

Oy, what next!”

Shoplifters in particular liked to frequent the store during my mother’s shift. I pointed out that someone stole our microwave from the back office. “Well apparently they would rather have a microwave than your dishes.” said my mother.

Dave’s mother had her own special brand of customer service. When Dave and I called the store to check in she would put us on hold, but we could hear her through the phone line communicating with a customer, “I didn’t ask you to come in here, did I!”

Even in the early days at Fishs Eddy, celebrities were stopping by the store. Dave’s mother was on the schedule the day Diane Keaton stopped in. “Uh, mom? What did you say to her?” said Dave. “I told her she looks younger on the big screen then she does in real life, now stop bothering me here!” said Dave’s mother.

In spite of both mothers, business grew. Eventually we hired a perky young woman named Beverly as a third salesperson. Beverly would cheerfully greet customers walking through the door. “Hello and welcome to Fishs Eddy!” Dave’s mother rolled her eyes and mimicked “hello and welcome to Fishs Eddy” followed by “you’ve got to be kidding me!”

My mother, Dave's mother... and Beverly

Dave and I decided to call a staff meeting. It would be our mothers, Beverly, and us. At the meeting we directed our attention to the mothers. “Uh, we were just thinking that Beverly seems to have mastered good customer service, not that you two aren’t completely charming."

Despite the staff meetings we knew Beverly was never going to be their role model. We needed a plan. We replaced our tackle box with a real cash register. “How the hell do you work this thing!” said my mother.

We would have deliveries arrive during their shifts. “Now I have to stand there and hold the doors open? I don’t think so!” said Dave’s mother.

Eventually work overwhelmed both mothers and they moved on. Mine to the gated communities of Boca Raton and Dave’s mother to the gay communities of Pompano Beach. In their short time at Fishs Eddy our mothers proved something valuable.

Our dishes would sell themselves.

THE END.

Ready, SET, Go! - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 01:04:00 +0000

Many MANY years ago Dave and I found ourselves sitting in a stuffy old boardroom with some prospective investors...who didn't get us. We were discussing the concept of selling dishes a la carte instead of matching dishes in boxed sets. To show you how little they got us, I'll recall the conversation.

Julie: Well you see our customers are very creative, they don't need to have sets.
Investor Guy: What? Did you say they don't need to have SEX?
Julie: No! I said our customers do not need to be told that their dishes have to be boring sets.
Investor Guy: What? Your customers are having boring sex?
Julie: Is lunch included in this meeting?

But it's true, our customers ARE creative and have always thought way outside the boxed set of dishes. So twenty five years ago when we were hauling endless bushels of random plates, bowls, saucers, and mugs out of old defunct china factories, you were there to mix, match, layer and create dinnerware sets that were unlike any other...and you're still doing it!

Vintage Fishs Eddy Play Station

To celebrate our roots we've pulled out our 20 foot farm table and labeled it the Fishs Eddy Play Station!

The table top is the canvas, the rest of the store is the pallet. Designers and bloggers have been stopping by all week to "play." We invite you too!

Stefanie of Brooklyn Limestone finding inspiration for her place setting!

Created by Stefanie - give her a hand!

Grace and Max from Design*Sponge stopped by to design a few playful settings!

Grace's setting was pretty in pink!

Max's setting appeals to our inner child!

Susan from House of Brinson mixes and matches the perfect plates!

Susan's setting was elegant and sweet, perfect for spring!

Food writer and blogger Nancy Matsumoto and her good friend David Cobb Craig stopped by too!

Nancy & David's colorful place setting was inspired by gorgeous vintage book plates!

Stop by to create your own perfect place setting and share them with us via Twitter and Instagram with #vintagefishseddy!

Stay tuned for more great photos!

Calling All Singles!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:53:00 +0000

Over the years Dave and I have amassed bushels of random sugar bowls and even randomer lids. The tops and bottoms never matched, but their patterns and designs were way too beautiful to leave behind. I guess we thought that eventually the bowls and lids would come together to form a perfect union. In an optimistic moment of merchandising, I even displayed a few bushels of mixed sugar bowls next to a barrel of mixed lids with a sign Find Gods Match For You.

Shapely dish seeks perfect mate for sweet relationship!

Recently I saw Sara plunge her hand into an innocent little cactus- like plant, pull it out of its little planter home and plop it into one of the vintage sugar bowls.

And then it hit me... Sara is a plant killer!

No Julie, I'm turning these gorgeous little sugar bowls into planters - they're way too beautiful NOT to use simply because they have no matching lids. And BTW it's called DIY... said Sara.

A succulent sweetens a sugar bowl!

Here are a few nifty uses for these American-Made beauties from the creative and clever minds at FE… And we would LOVE to hear YOUR ideas too!

Way cooler center pieces than the 1-800-FLOWERS vase!

As pretty as the necklaces ... says Kristen M!

Take that Container Store ...says Jane!

An enlightening idea ...says Kristen K!

The Tucci Cookbook Signing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:56:00 +0000

Stanley Tucci has been in the store many times over the years, but I never thought he would actually sign his cookbook here at Fishs Eddy...not the man who played Julia Child's husband! But now that we’ve all fallen in love with The Tucci Cookbook I understand why he believed that our little restaurant showroom was a fitting place for a Tucci book signing.

You have to read this book! It's his story, about the passion that his family shares for food, their unique history with food, and the togetherness that comes out of making a family dinner. I think Stanley must have felt a connection to the Fishs Eddy family spirit and how much gusto we, too, put into everything we do.

Tucci at FE was a great pairing and the book signing left many Tucci fans feeling very fulfilled, which of course made us very happy!

Worth the wait!

This lady came from Amsterdam!

Our own Savvy Galvin!

Feeling at home with Tucci!

Stanley Tucci & Fishs Eddy helping Food Bank!

Oh yeah, we also have something else in common with Stanley Tucci...our commitment to ending hunger. Just like Stanley donating a portion of the proceeds from his cookbook to Food Bank for New York City, we've donated a portion of the proceeds from the afternoon event, along with our ever popular Food Bank mug!

They Do!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:08:00 +0000

Boy plots with friends to have his “girl” show up at their favorite store,

Fishs Eddy. Boy pretends to read newspaper until girl arrives.

Girl is surprised to see boy at Fishs Eddy and says what are you doing here.

Boy says I’m here to tell you something. Boy gets up and asks girl to sit in chair.

Boy gets down on knee and says to girl I love you, will you marry me.

Boy makes girl very happy.

Plotting friends suddenly appear and toast boy and girl.

More than our dishes last a lifetime
Congratulations Allison and Micaiah!

Eight Hundred and Thirty Two NudesNSFW

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:16:00 +0000

No, this title was not chosen for the purpose of getting more blog followers, but it should help.

Eight hundred and thirty two nudes really did happen. Well, it happened to Dave.
But Dave came predisposed with the skill for digging up the craziest things. He was the kid who ran into the house with dead animals and anything else he could find in the back yard. Rumor has it, Dave was a little terror.

Now Dave is a big terror. Who knows what he and Billy are going to dig up on their buying trips. (lots more about Billy later because FE couldn't run without him!)

Billy at the warehouse

By the way, those buying trips are how Dave and I started over twenty-five years ago, but then Dave saddled me with two kids.
...kidding, it was a choice. Well the first one was.

So for the last how-many years Billy has gone with Dave on endless buying trips, digging in old defunct factories and unearthing basements.

In fact, Dave and Billy have been on so many trips together, it’s total simpatico. Recently all three of us were at dinner on a buying trip upstate. When Dave left to go to the bathroom the waitress came over and Billy said “I’ll have a beer and he’ll start with the calamari and a glass of cabernet.”
*According to Dave and Billy, Red Lobster is known for their cabernet.

Anyway, Dave knows that I collect vintage portrait paintings.
So on one of his trips to Ohio Dave called me from the road and said “Jool, you're never gonna believe this, Billy and I are in the basement of a rabbi’s antique shop in the middle of nowhere and he has about eight hundred nude oil paintings from the 60’s and 70’s!” The rabbi told Dave that the paintings were the life work of one man, who’s nowhere to be found.

One of the craziest finds in FE history!

Eight hundred canvases? The basement of an antique store belonging to a rabbi in the middle of nowhere? A rabbi... in the middle of nowhere? If it were anyone other than Dave and Billy my jaw would drop.

Keep in mind, we usually come across just one or two paintings

Dave pulled up to the store with the truckload of art and WOW! These paintings were quirky outsider art, like the odd thrift shop paintings I’ve been collecting since high school. Some of them are insanely weird and fantastic! Some of the nudes are wearing a necklace with a religious cross, or playing with a ventriloquist puppet, or wearing a santa hat. I conjure up thoughts about what this artist must have been like, and then I need a brain scrubber.

We brought some of the paintings into the store and surprise, they didn’t translate. For the short time they were in the store Ellen Degeneres happened to come in and she asked about buying one. But then she asked for one that was “less creepy.”

Now the complete body of work sits in Dave’s area of our warehouse in Jersey City (oh yeah, there’s plenty more about Dave’s “area” later). Dave is so used to the paintings stacked in huge piles exposed, literally, that when Noah and I showed up at the warehouse with some insurance adjusters Dave didn’t understand why their jaws dropped at the site of Dave standing there waving "hey guys!"... surrounded by his "art collection."

These are two of the more tasteful ones

Still, I love these paintings. The odder the better, and they are odd! We'll use them for something some day. Maybe we’ll rent them out as a prop for a movie by some director like Steven Soderbergh who’s making a film about a strange and mysterious artist who's totally off the grid. Or maybe we’ll show them at the outsider art show.

Partners in crime!

Let’s put it this way, I like them a whole lot more than the twelve hundred glass cats (that don't stand up because they're missing a paw) that Dave and Billy brought home from their last trip.

(Steven Soderbergh...if you are interested in the paintings, email us at info@fishseddy.com!)

Tribute to Lincoln

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:22:00 +0000

In 1637 Samuel Lincoln came to America. He had two sons, Mordecai and Daniel.

Abe Lincoln Dave Lincoln

Mordecai Lincoln went on to have kids who had kids who had kids until they had Abraham Lincoln, the president.

Daniel Lincoln went on to have kids who had kids who had kids until they had David Lincoln, the Fishs Eddy buyer.

They’re dead ringers!

David Lincoln actually has a lot in common with his cousin Abe.
David Lincoln delivers his addresses in the store telling great stories and gaining him popularity among the people… well, the staff.
David Lincoln has kept Fishs Eddy united during perilous times… well, missing deliveries and drama in the stockroom.
And David Lincoln is most honest.

That’s right, it’s not just “Honest Abe”, it’s "Honest Dave!”

Signs of an early buyer, David merchandising toys David Lincoln, the buyer he is today

As the buyer of all things Fishs Eddy, David Lincoln is an expert at putting lines together and editing product. It's not as easy as it looks!

But believe it or not, David Lincoln actually lives in sunny Palm Springs California. How does David Lincoln do his buying from Palm Springs California you ask? Well that’s a long story but in a nutshell, after a year of doing all of our buying from here in NYC, David told us that he wanted to live out his dream and go to California. We said please don’t leave us David Lincoln and he said I have to go and we said fine you’re that good David Lincoln….we'll telecommute. So David Lincoln's physical body was replaced with a speakerphone on our conference table where, for the last several years, we have had endless meetings about buying, budgeting, product development... and all things Fishs Eddy.

One time we did video chat but David Lincoln didn’t realize that on video chat you can see EVERYTHING so we decided to only use the conference line.

Always a good sport!

Every year we have a sale with a theme and one year David Lincoln let us pick on him, so we had a "Kill the Buyer Sale!"

Albert Pinkham Ryder is David’s favorite artist

My favorite part of going to the Chicago table-top show is stealing time with David Lincoln to go to the Chicago Art Institute, because David knows everything about art!

Now we are saying good-bye to David Lincoln. David is happy and settled and officially all things California.

So while you can’t look him up on Wikipedia and the History Channel hasn’t documented his life, yet, David Lincoln has made his own history here at Fishs Eddy. A truly brilliant buyer, a merchant through and through, a creative force and a huge wonderful personality… David Lincoln will be missed very much, most especially by yours truly.

Good luck David Lincoln.

Me and David at the Chicago Art Institute

Fishs Eddy vs. Sandy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:51:00 +0000

Part 1

I know, I can’t be sarcastic or funny about Hurricane Sandy because it was a horrible thing that happened to the city. Before I go on, let me make it clear...I and everyone at FE is sending positive thoughts, volunteering and sending warm coats to those in need. And while the damage was minimal, something unexpected did happen to Fishs Eddy.

If you walk out of my apartment building on the 25th floor in Battery Park City and turn twenty feet to the left, you’d be leaning over a railing looking at the Hudson River.

The day before Sandy was due the police were driving around Battery Park City demanding all residents to evacuate “Danger Zone A.” Our son Ben is in college up at SUNY New Paltz, so he was fine. Dave, my 16-year-old daughter Susie (more about her later in the section of this blog called YIKES!) and I were at home bracing ourselves.

Dave loves this stuff so he decided that he would send Susie and I “off to safety” to his sister’s empty apartment on West 26th Street. In Dave’s words he was going to stay and “ride this bitch out.”

Susie and I took a taxi to Dave’s sister Lisa’s apartment. Oh, more on Lisa later because she’s super cool and designs Mario Batali's restaurants, logos, cookbooks, you name it.

My sister-in-law Lisa & Mario Batali

We go up to Lisa’s tiny apartment on the 42nd floor. It’s all cool. So what if there’s no food, one small bed, nothing to do...it would be mother/daughter bonding. We’d start with a great movie. What? The TV doesn’t work? No problem we’ll just call Lisa at her country house and she’ll tell us how to work it.

Lisa told us her TV hadn’t worked in weeks. A few hours passed. Poor planning on the food situation. OMFG Susie forgot her flat iron! I forgot my book. Bickering turned into bigger bickering which turned into a full blown fight about I don't know what and it only stopped when we both realized we were in the same boat. Bonding schmonding! There was no way we were going to survive each other with no food, no TV, and (for Susie) no make-up bag, in that tiny apartment for however long Sandy was planning to stay.

GET OUT OF MY FACE! ...says she

We didn’t care that the police were pacing Battery Park City screaming into their stupid megaphones to evacuate Zone A. WE WERE SNEAKING BACK IN! We left Lisa’s and convinced the one taxi on the road to take us back downtown to the danger zone.

I’m not really sure what Dave was planning to do in our apartment all alone for the next few days, but if you could’ve seen the look on his face when Susie and I walked back in after he was sure he shipped us off...well, imagine you’ve just been told your winning lottery ticket was fifty cents, not fifty million.

I hadn’t even finished explaining to Dave why I was back home, and that I’d rather sink with Sandy than be stuck with "it" when we felt our building sway with the gust of the wind. Me, Susie and Dave stuck our heads out the window and stared down 25 floors to literally watch the Hudson River creep up to our front door.

Room with a view

We took turns looking outside at the river and back at CNN thinking, any minute now our power will go down. We looked across the river and watched Jersey City go dark. We watched One World Trade Center and the other buildings north and south of us go dark. The news said that Chelsea went dark. OMG Lisa’s apartment, it's in Chelsea!

Our view of One World Trade Center

We must have been in some strange lucky grid but we never lost power, not even for a minute. You should have seen my face when I realized I narrowly escaped being stuck on the 42nd floor for who-knows-how-many days without power, and WITH Susie!
...well, imagine that someone told you your fifty cent lottery ticket was really fifty million!

But in all seriousness, we did win the lottery by coming out unscathed. The damage isn’t going away and neither should our efforts to help.

And that’s where the next part of Fishs Eddy vs. Sandy comes in.

Part 2

The day after Sandy left town Dave and I went to the store to assess the damage.

We got out of the taxi at 14th Street. It was so strange to see Union Square filled with hundreds of Con Ed trucks parked neck and neck, instead of a farmer's market.

Union Square

As we walked a few blocks north to the store we had no idea what to expect. We could be closed for days or even weeks. OK, so maybe Fishs Eddy has a big reputation, but we’re a small business and having to close is a seriously huuuuge deal but again...it’s all relative.

No power in the building and no power to make up for lost sales, ugh. So we had this idea. We would do a window display.

That’s right, at Fishs Eddy when the going gets tough, the tough do windows!

Noah lives in the East Village so he walked up to the store to meet us.
(Lots more about Noah later because Noah is Dave’s younger cousin and our partner and Noah is really cool) Jen and Mike came in to meet us as well. (Also cool and also more about them later.)

Noah and Dave, 1991 and now

Dave and I had this idea to fill the corner window of the store with a ton of yellow Post-It notes, notes from us to Sandy. Jen, Mike, Noah, Dave and I grabbed Sharpies and started writing. Mike’s notes got political, Jen and Noah's were witty and I’m pretty much hilarious so between all of us we were coming up with some interesting messages to Sandy. I climbed into the window to start putting up the first handful of notes. I have no idea what we were thinking. There was hardly anybody on the street. It was totally dark and eerie, and who even cared about a new window at Fishs Eddy?

I bent down (inside the window) to separate more notes to put up and that’s when I felt the shadow of a small crowd.

Then more people started walking over to see what the first people were looking at. Keep in mind: This was not a normal day. Most people were dragging suitcases and garbage bags filled with their stuff, looking to relocate to hotels uptown or some place with power. But wherever they were going, they strayed over to our window.

There was no power, but the one light bulb that did go on was our heads. After seeing the crowds we immediately stopped writing our own notes to Sandy, went outside the store with a box of Post-It notepads and Sharpies and started handing them out to the growing swarm of people gathered at the window.

Apparently EVERYONE had something to say. It took no convincing. Anyone that did seem reticent to write a note was clearly visiting from another country, so I would just ask them “where are you from?” They would say either France, or Ireland, or Pakistan, or Brazil, and I would say, “It's OK write it in your language.” And they did!

By that night we had an entire floor-to-ceiling window of little yellow Post-It notes to Sandy. They were funny, snarky, sad, poignant and political. They were in Arabic, Spanish, Italian and Japanese. They were all brilliant.

Some Post-It notes asked Sandy if she was trying to prove to the world that global warming does exist. Some notes thanked Sandy for the extended stay in New York City and others cursed Sandy for leaving them stranded. One note had a little drawing of Romney's house and said, "Hey Sandy, you missed a spot!" Another note said, "You're welcome, President Obama, for all the jobs that Sandy will create." One kid wrote a note thanking Sandy for getting him out of his math test, and another kid wrote a note saying he never wanted to go back to school so badly. There were notes about having to walk up thirty flights of stairs and notes about having to be stuck up thirty flights of stairs with a mother-in-law. And there were plenty of heartwarming messages to people who weren't lucky enough to stand at 19th and Broadway and write notes to Sandy.

Our corner window became a makeshift bulletin board for stunned locals and stranded tourists who just went through the worst natural disaster New York City has ever seen. It felt good to know that during a very difficult time we brought at least a tiny bit of levity by giving people a place to gather and a place express themselves.

Doing Dishes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

How don't I have a blog?

I've had a dish and glassware store for over 25 years in New York City that's pretty well known (FYI if you do anything for more than 25 years you'll get a reputation for something, I can't promise what).

Dave has been my husband and business partner for all that time (you do the math) so there's lots to say about that.

Oh, and unlike all of those other bloggers out there with adorable little toddlers peeking out from behind a couch in a photograph taken in their adorable home...my house is such a pigsty it would intimidate FEMA and I have two beastly teenagers that I'm currently trying to sell on Craigslist.
*Freight not included

But when you get a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes at Fishs Eddy, which includes my personal life because there is NO separation (see tax returns for details) you won't be able to stop looking. Yes, occasionally it may be like rubbernecking an accident, but most of the time it will excite and inspire you... because that's what happens to us everyday!
*Note to readers: Nothing in this blog will be staged for shock value. My mother-in-law hurling a pistol into the Hudson River really did happen.

Photo by David Mills

And don't worry, it's not all cynical. I really love doing dishes with my husband in this amazing store right smack on Broadway. The places we've been, the warehouses and factories we've seen, and the people we've met...everyday it's a new experience in the most exciting city in the world!

Oh, and I also really love all of the talented people I work with. They probably have way more productive stuff to share with you than I do, so stay tuned for that.

Of course it would've been great if I was smart enough to start blogging about Fishs Eddy when blogging came on the scene but I never got the memo. Also, you're talking to someone who's lived in New York City forever and has had the opportunity to buy super-ginormous lofts in Tribeca for next to nothing but she never did that either.
*For now on when I refer to my own stupidity I will call me, she.
*If I’m taking about Dave's stupidity I will call him Dave.

Considering that I've been "doing dishes" for SOOOOO long, I should have like eight million followers (I do however get followed in Duane Reade by security but that's because my unfortunate wardrobe needs a makeover.)
*Note to self: Have some kind of beauty make-over section in this blog.
**Double note to self: Get Sara to do it.

So with all that said, it would be great if you could spread the word quickly to help me get more followers, at least more than the creepy Duane Reade guy.

Did you get me followers yet? How am I gonna get sponsors if you don't get me any followers????

Did I just say lyrics from a Pink Floyd song?

Well anyway, here we go.

Table of Content
A Fishs Eddy blog.
Finally!