VIBES BY THE GLASS IN OAKLAND
Spirits were high this past Saturday at Alkali Rye on Grand in Oakland. Owned by Jessica Moncada-Konte & Kori Saika Chen the beverage shop is so much more than the best booze on the block. They’ve created a space that cultivates community with pop-up events of all kinds & they have an incredible selection of home goods & decor. When I stopped in to ask about hosting something at the start of the year to hard launch my new brand Pattern Parties & bring folks together it was kismet from the start.
My co-host Katrina Mendoza of Goods Gang is a designer specializing in wedding printed matter of all kinds. Her invitation suites are all at once modern and timeless. I’ve had the fortune of working with her on tons of events and along with the outcome looking gorge the process is also so effortless. She cooked up a vibey design of her signature looks.
We met for lunch nearby and schemed up a pop-up that could include industry folks and engaged couples so that folks could meet and mingle over good wine and be immersed in unique event design. The show stopping team of local makers/vendors that came together exceeded all our expectations.
Let's start with the furnishings. Husband & wife duo Joanna Andreoni & Patrick Hamilton love color and lucky for us . . . Pattern! The Wild Ones Rentals and I set out to select pieces with a point of view. My favorite pieces of the day were a set of oversized green striped chairs. The cozy upstairs transformed from a raw space into a one-of-a-kind living room.
It’s not a party without flowers. Florist Judy Leung owns Found Floral in nearby Berkeley. The mix of dainty blooms and robust tropicals was exactly the tone we meant to set; unserious & surprising.
I have to rave about Hana of H.R Foodcraft. Her attention to detail and use of color are unmatched. A Sonoma sensibility when it comes to flavor means everything looks & tastes beautiful. The stationed food, passed bites and raw bar made for perfect cocktail party fare.
We must have sugar with salt. Formally situated in Mr. Jiu’s kitchen in San Francisco Grand Opening Bakery's Melissa Chou baked an array of delicious cookies. I'm a cookies over cake person any day so it was exactly the vibe.
Dart Collective DJs spun next to the incredible spirit selection on the main floor of Alkali Rye. More wine shop dance floors please! The GORGEOUS photos here-in were taken by the cool, calm & collected Bethany Picone.
