Instead of #TBT we’ve got a Throwback Fat Tuesday.
A look back at our work for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants when the New Orleans-themed Sazerac graced Fourth Avenue at Hotel Monaco in Seattle. We relished our partnership with them, as well as the late, great chef Jan Birnbaum and chef Jason McClure. Our tenure with the team included designing menus, in-restaurant promotions, direct mail, private label wine, as well as a custom Sazerac Post-Picayune newspaper (the menu “jacket” for several years).
“Sazerac was a dreamy client,” says Wendy Quesinberry, creative director, “we had a trusting and collaborative partnership, which allowed us to really explore the brand over the years.”
The restaurant, designed by The Puccini Group, was big, bold, and joyful—just like its chef. His exuberant personality was contagious and the reverence for his birthplace was infused in everything we designed. The vast majority of materials were illustrated or painted, with an emphasis on pops of jewel tones and texture. For several projects we consulted with other native Louisianans in households whose families were both Cajun and Creole.
“I knew we could rely on Q&A to hit the mark time and again. We wanted Sazerac to have the celebratory flavor of Mardi Gras and showcase the rich New Orleans culture that chef Jan had brought to the Northwest.” said former Sazerac manager, Brian Reed.
To add to the #TBFT we even have a Mardi Gras-themed holiday card in our archives from The City Club of San Francisco. Another collaboration with Brian Reed. The holiday card includes our wonderful and amazing project manager, Alfredo Biralde III—before he jumped to the agency side!
As a bonus for getting to the end of this blahg post, the first person to pick out which masked party person in the image below is Alfredo gets fixins for his favorite Mardi Gras cocktail! Send the number that corresponds to your Alfredo guess to: info@quesinberry.com with the all caps subject line: ALFREDO!!
