Pop Up Fun In Boston

Racks of fresh, artisan curly cakes that, unless you are in-the-know, you missed.

One of my favorite websites (and quite often an accurate predictor of the near future) TrendWatching recently wrote:

"We know you all know about limited editions as an enduring luxury-strategy; it is an easy way to appeal to consumers’ need for exclusivity and scarcity, amidst a 'Sea of Sameness'. So why not introduce LIMITED LOCATIONS to extend the scarcity theme to the distribution channel?"

There is no question that Pop Up Stores are the new retail phenomenon and leading the way in Boston is Boldfacers. This weekend they hosted a pop up called Chocolate: The Odyssey, a one day retail location in the very fashionable Fort Point area in Boston and it really hit the mark on exclusivity, making a small number of shoppers, off the beaten path, feel like they had outsmarted all those mall pedestrians fighting for parking space.

We loved meeting Isabelle English who is carrying on the tradition of her celebrity chef Dad. Her Curly Cakes bakery will be opening on Charles Street by early January 2010 but now we know how to get them even before that.


The M. I. T. Chocolate Lab was even represented.

Who knew that M. I. T. even has a chocolate lab? It was so much fun to chat with the enthusiastic students, actually taste a cocoa bean and have a fun peek at their weird and wonderful chocolate flavor experiments.


It was chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and then more chocolate.

Flour Bakery was present with their always amazing treats. We pried the Flour representatives (more than once) for hints on where the new location will be but their lips were sealed. You have a good team Joanne!


Chocolate ganache cake with edible gold leaf.

Now this Chocolate Ganache Cake With Gold Leaf is our kind of thing. Are you listening Santa? Pull up to Rocca on Harrison Ave. and we'll have the cognac ready when you slip down our chimney.


Phyllis LeBlanc, CEO of Harbor Sweets

We save the best for last. Not only did we get the chance to chat with the founder and CEO of Harbor Sweets in Salem but their candy was the best we had this weekend. And we know our candy. Each piece is handmade and the quality is unsurpassed.

Check out Boldfacers if you are in, or visiting, Boston and hope that you can make it to one of their growing list of fun, sophisticated events. Maybe you will be Red-Framed!