New York-based graphic designer Lauren Hom noticed something around her neighborhood in Crown Heights, Brooklyn: the restaurants needed help. Not in the busboy or wait staff department, but with their boring specials signs.
Hom explains, “I noticed that it’s common for a restaurant to have a menu board that’s written by, like, a hung-over hostess.” She doesn’t mean to cause offense to anyone’s handwriting, but as an aesthetic enthusiast by nature, she was inspired to strike a deal with the local eateries to benefit them both. She began her project, Will Letter For Lunch, in September and offers her design prowess for the restaurant’s sandwich boards or even entire menus. Her payment: lunching on whatever she wrote.
I don’t know what looks better, her handiwork or the amazing meals she was able to chow down on in return.
Mountain in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
She ate a slice of potato and kale frittata with a side of roasted tumeric, cilantro potatoes, and a glass of cold-pressed juice.
iTAL Kitchen in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
She munched on a homemade veggie burger with sun dried tomatoes and a tangy side salad.
Docklands in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
Here she is in action, working on the menu.
She was given a lunch feast including bluepoint oysters, black and white bean soup, grilled shishito peppers, deep fried lobster macaroni and cheese balls, grilled whole fish, salmon on polenta, rosemary cocktails, and Guinness ice cream.
Nourish Kitchen + Table in West Village, Manhattan.
She was rewarded with an egg sandwich, roasted pork sandwich, kale salad, sesame-soba noodle salad, roasted carrots, truffle oil wheatberry salad, a slice of caramelized apple-honey cake, and two Morning Green juices.
Empire Mayonnaise Co. in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
She scored two jars of their mayo, Ghostly Pepper and Red Chili, and enjoyed them later on an avocado sandwich at home.
(H/T: Grub Street.)
You can follow along as Hom continues her project over on her blog. Check out even more of her designs on her personal portfolio.
