ediblesf.com | 29 "We were always looking for spaces or chefs that were willing to open up their space for us when WE were popping up," Yang says. "Everyone’s in survival mode one way or another, so a lot of the Piglet & Friends series collaborations are about opening up our space to like-minded chefs or people that don’t currently have a space to express themselves. It's also given us an opportunity to cook with friends." Fostering the convivial atmosphere that the industry is known for is a hallmark of collaboration events. For their part, bars have been doing this dance for quite some time. With a stunning view of the city atop Union Square's Beacon Grand Hotel, Starlite is plugging away with its "Bar Stars" guest bartender nights. GM Adam Chapman notes that the US Bartender's Guild (USBG) was formed in 1948 at Starlite in its past iteration as Harry Denton's Starlight Room, and keeping that legacy alive almost feels like a duty to the trade. "It’s really for the industry, staff from other bars and restaurants will see the Bar Stars events on social media, and it gives them an opportunity to engage with these places," Chapman says, adding that a vast majority of the clientele on Bar Stars nights is bar industry professionals. Meanwhile, Bar Crenn, the luxe, cocktail-driven lounge connected to Chef Dominique Crenn's three-Michelin-starred institution Atelier Crenn, wasn't functioning very well last year, according to Director of Mixology Florian Thireau. A native of France (like Crenn), Thireau came on board last October, tasked with reviving the space. He refreshed the cocktail menu and introduced his own alluring custom glassware with the ultimate goal of making Bar Crenn a world-class bar. Until he was satisfied with that, there wouldn't be any collaboration events. Then in the middle of this year, Bar Crenn finally began a series of collabs which featured bartenders from World's 50 Best Bars entrants like Paris' Danico, Cambridge Public House, and Bar Pompette, and New York's Sip & Guzzle. After tightening up the operation, Thireau says Saturday night covers have increased nearly fivefold. The deft mixologist—who's far more well-known in Europe than in the US—said he's used the collaboration nights to show off what his team is building at Bar Crenn. "We needed a structured environment before we started welcoming guest bartenders," Thireau says. "Now it's the fastest way to build our reputation, to get known in the industry, have people understand what we want to do here and how we execute our cocktails and hospitality program." He concedes that the effort is "more about the people involved than the place," and that it creates opportunities for the Bar Crenn team to make lasting connections. It brings up a common theme that is echoed across the board in these collaborations: camaraderie. That at the end of the day, restaurant and bar collaborations aren't some sort of magic beans to make more money. It's a unique experience for the clientele, and what lingers longest for the staff is the time spent with new and old friends in the industry. "When your social life is generally centered around the people you're surrounded by at work," Pollnow says, "to have that camaraderie with others living that same lifestyle is a breath of fresh air. We inevitably end up talking about restaurant happenings, how many covers you do, staffing, etc., and it feels like you have this new unspoken or undefined community." 1 Flour + Water's Elijah Baccus, Xiao Ye's Tori Touhill & Louis Lin 2 Full dinner menu collaboration by Flour + Water & Xiao Ye 3 Arancini Poppers made with rice, shishito peppers, and marscapone 4 Xiao Ye's co-owner Jolyn Chen and owner Louis Li 5 Bar Crenn's Director of Mixology Florian Thireau 6 The understated luxury lounge at Bar Crenn 5 6 5
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