As we were gearing up to reopen Eleven Madison Park after the pandemic lockdown, we realized we wanted to go one step further than just cooking with plant-based ingredients: we wanted to grow them, too. And with that, the seed for Magic Farms was planted.

Fong On was founded in 1933 by Paul’s grandfather and a small group of colleagues, and it has stayed in the family ever since, becoming a Chinatown staple for fresh tofu and steamed rice cakes.

There are few dishes more universal than a bowl of rice. It seems so simple and so common, but often, this unassuming ingredient holds a rich story about agriculture, history, and flavor. We consider our rice to be among the finest luxuries available to us…and ours is grown in New Jersey.

In recent years, a growing movement around Mexican heirloom corn has emerged, with a new generation of chefs and importers working to celebrate and preserve landrace corn varieties, independent farms, and indigenous farming practices. In Brooklyn, Sobre Masa, a tortilleria and restaurant in Bushwick, is leading the charge.

If you have dined with us at any point in the last decade, you have almost certainly interacted with one of the beautiful hand-blown glass works of Bill Couig, founder of furthurdesign. We began collaborating with Couig over 10 years ago, and we loved his fluid, handmade aesthetic so much that we have continued to work with him since.