Bottom Line from our VIP Party? The Food52 Holiday Market Rocks.

You've probably noticed by now that we're really excited about our brand new brick-and-mortar retail location: The Food52 Holiday Market, which is a temporary pop-up shop in New York City! After days of prepping in a space that formerly held Starbucks, our doors are open to anyone who wants to shop some of our kitchen and home goods in person. As Instagram user lukasvolger put it in the caption to his image below, "If this is the future of Starbucks no one will ever complain."

We celebrated the opening (because pulling off building a whole store in two days is worth cheers-ing) with libations, a 4-piece jazz band, and ample snacks the night before we opened to the public. Here are some snapshots of the evening, starting with Merrill and Amanda getting their last emails in before the party started.

Stockings were hung by the chimney—er, mantle—with care.

Leslie and her boyfriend Jonah worked the door (just kidding, we didn't put Jonah to work).

Baby Soda Jazz Band arrived in style, belting out 40s New Orleans jazz between bouts of holiday classics.

Guests arrived—many wearing a groundbreaking ensemble of all black—and posed unassumingly for the paparazzi (okay, fellow colleagues).

We promise this was a well-attended event, but you wouldn't know by this crew of camera-hoggers.

The people, they shopped:

They admired Alexis' flower and greenery arrangements, and the way she styled every surface with a bit of carefree luxury.

Also the floors.

They stood guard over Home Alone (hi, Merrill!).

And of course they filled their bellies. Here's what we drank and ate (everything was a recipe from our site!):

• The Virago, an herbacious, warming mix of Fernet Branca, Carpano Antica Formula, freshly squeezed lime juice, and ginger syrup.
• Rosemary Gin Cocktail, made with rosemary syrup, Martin Miller's Gin, and lemon.
• Teeling Irish Whiskey, which was served however you liked it.
• Bridge Lane red and white wine blends.

And a wonderful wait staff toured the room, doling out appetizers and lots of good cheer to attendees.

And took the occasional movie break.

Appetizers included:

• Shrimp Burgers with Roasted Garlic-Orange Aioli
• Crostini with Ricotta, Honey, and Lemon Zest
• Deep-Fried Stuffed Olives

At the end of the night, guests took home swag bags that included Zwilling double-walled tumblers, tins of Jacobsen Sea Salt, Martin Miller's Gin, and cookies! Things got a little weird once most people left.

These are our bathroom mirrors. How do you like them?

Needless to say, the morning after came rather quickly. We opened our doors at 10 A.M. on Thursday to a full day of shoppers, and we can't wait to see the rest of you!