The Savvy Gourmet

About the Client

A playground for foodies, The Savvy Gourmet is the realization of the longtime dream of a young New Orleans doctor who used to moonlight teaching friends how to cook in their own homes. It’s an airy retail space promoting the latest in cookware; It’s a state-of-the-art catering kitchen providing the city with some of it’s most progressive (and delicious) party fare; And lastly, but probably most core to its raison d’etre, it’s a sophisticated but playful “classroom” for locals and visitors alike to get together with top-notch chefs who pass on some of their culinary secrets in a relaxed, social atmoshere.

Savvy Gourmet is a vibrant, highly-social combination of cooking school, cookware emporium, catering kitchen, and cafe located in Uptown New Orleans.

1 of 6 “Savvy is as Savvy Does” became the mantra of our design process. In a loft-like, brick-enclosed space, modern forms mix with vernacular materials and details: barge-board siding, exposed steel and concrete, and authentic ceramic metal signage. The social interaction of the patrons—seen as a vital facet of a good meal—was always considered in the design process. The cooking classroom is visible in the distance.

The modest work-a-day exterior provides a frame for Savvy's retail space. Lively graphics proclaime the core elements of the store: Cookware, Classes, and Catering

2 of 6 The modest work-a-day exterior provides a frame for Savvy’s retail space. Lively graphics proclaime the core elements of the store: Cookware, Classes, and Catering

The basic look for Savvy showed up first in cards and other business papers, ultimately providing the guiding sensibility for the retail store a year later. (NEED TAGLINE POP IMAGES AND

3 of 6 The basic look for Savvy showed up first in cards and other business papers, ultimately providing the guiding sensibility for the retail store a year later. (NEED TAGLINE POP IMAGES AND “SHHHHHH” SIGN IN ADDITION. )

4 of 6 Zande+Newman managed a variety of vendors to produce all the pieces of the puzzle.

5 of 6 After cutting up veggies (and usually generally cutting up), “pupils” gather at an amazing twenty-five-foot dining table with a good glass of wine to enjoy the delicious results of their efforts. Customized, updateable calendars lure them to the next class.

6 of 6 Todays “lecture” is delivered at the heart of the classroom—a giant twelve-seat island in the open kitchen. While equipment is state-of-the-art, the atmosphere never intimidates.