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When I walked in, the slate-colored walls were bathed in Scottsdale’s relentless September sunlight. Burlap drapes hugged the dark wood window frames and a sisal rug cast a honey hue, reflected into the room by streaks of sunlight peeking between the drapes.

I wasn’t sure what to expect walking into Urban Table Larder at Jam. I knew it was the brick and motor realization of a talented food stylist and trained chef who during our acquaintance had been humbly hush-hush about her business plans.

Urban Table, Traci Zitzer’s foray into a niche food business, launched with a specialty food line last season at the Scottsdale Old Town Farmers’ Market. This season Zitzer introduced Urban Table Larder, housed in a cozy front room, originally a bedroom, in the historic Charles Miller House.

I did know I would find small batch artisan food. There was a broad representation of local products like flour from Hayden Mills, Urban Table bread pudding and black pepper spiked cookies, and Muñeca Mexicana Dulce de Leche. What surprised me was the gold rice from Carolina Plantation, Brooklyn’s McClure’s Bloody Mary Mix, and Tin Mustard. The room was filled with vignettes of carefully curated goods, chosen by Traci and partner R.J. Johnson, representing heritage, tradition and small batch production from around the country.

Everywhere I turned there was a discovery to be made as the specialty foods for sale were artfully placed on and under and hanging over a collection of vintage shelving, garden tools, gizmos, and kitchen implements that only a collector with the eye of a food stylist would have, could have put together.

Butcher paper roller draws the eye to an array of condiments.

RED RUSTED TOY TRACTOR! What more can I say?

Inside every cook there is a wanna be gardener.

Traci says: “This pig needs a name”. I am going to call him the Greeting Pig as he holds court front and center in the room.

Old crate + Wooden clothes pins + Berry baskets + Spool of twine + Tin container =Desk

Spinning seed packets.

$ sign of another time.

La cage bleue.

This bread box rocks a wooden door.

Artful and colorful, cards and journals for the kitchen or the garden.

Got the “I wants” for the tin and enamel canning funnels.

Oh snap! Art on art: Linen apron on wire mannequin.

Urban Table says they get to tell the story, about where the products come from, who produced them, and how they were produced. Urban Table = food stylist + chefs + artisan producers = story tellers with a vision.

 
 
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