To mark the release of Deep Run Roots, we partnered with the TerraVita Food & Drink Festival to host an intimate evening at The Parlour at Manns Chapel—one that reflected the heart of Vivian Howard’s work: food as memory, place, and shared experience.
Through creative direction, we shaped the gathering into something personal and considered, inviting chefs Vivian knows and admires to prepare dishes from her own cookbook—each offering a thoughtful, playful interpretation through familiar hands. Designed with editorial restraint, the environment allowed the food, the chefs, and the stories to lead. The evening became a living interpretation of the book itself, where collaboration, generosity, and place guided every moment, from the table to the pacing of the night.
The experience unfolded as a quiet expression of hospitality, with each course carrying both personal history and collective reverence for Southern foodways. Stories moved easily around the table—shared as they always have in Eastern North Carolina: unhurried, generous, and rooted in place. What emerged was not a traditional launch, but a communal expression of the book’s spirit and the foodways that shaped it.
The visual and experiential language of the evening drew quiet inspiration from farming traditions and the textures of Eastern North Carolina. We kept the design honest and grounded — natural materials, understated table settings, and an unforced, tactile palette echoed the agricultural roots at the heart of Deep Run Roots, creating a setting that felt honest, grounded, and welcoming.
Experience system
A STORIED GATHERING
Collaborative Concept & Creative Direction
Event Design & Spatial Planning
Narrative Development & Storytelling
Tabletop & Material Direction
Guest Experience & Atmosphere Curation
