I Went To The HomeGoods Restaurant & Their 8-Course Dinner Wasn't What I Expected
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When James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey relocated from New York City to Savannah, Georgia, to open her restaurant, The Grey, she moved about five times before settling in her current home.
“I’m just now decorating my home, and I find myself in HomeGoods all the time,” said Bailey. “It’s such a great way to do decor and find the things that inspire you without spending tons and tons of money.”
Bailey teamed up with the store to launch A Taste of HomeGoods in Austin, Texas, an eight-course, multi-room dining experience inspired by HomeGoods items. For one night only, guests can wander through four spaces outfitted in HomeGoods decor, each with dishes and drinks dreamt up by Bailey and influenced by a HomeGoods item that she picked out.
Oh, and did we mention it only costs $24.99?
“I think the idea is that we want it to be accessible so people aren’t afraid to try things differently," said Bailey.
There’s something almost magical about a trip to HomeGoods. Shelves are stocked with an ever-changing array of affordable items meant to empower you. Because let's be honest, decor is expensive, which is why my apartment is still practically barren even years after moving in.
In the first room of A Taste of HomeGoods, the Foyer of Curiosity, you’re welcomed with Champagne and a selection of grilled and raw oysters, all inspired by a blue vase. To Bailey, this item was both welcoming and reminiscent of the ocean.
The largest space is the Harmony Lounge, which features a golden floor lamp. It’s the perfect space for mingling and discovering, and Bailey designed the menu of skewers, consomme, and sherry cobbler cocktail to be warm, welcoming, and allow for movement.
“I wanted to give a consomme because that's nourishing and it's warming and it's welcoming and it's cleansing,” said Bailey. “I wanted to do snacks on the stick because I want you to be social and I want you to feel at home and get to know the people that you're gonna have dinner with.”
At this point, I really wanted QR codes so I could quickly add everything to a digital shopping cart. Shopping fueled by food and drinks? This is a recipe for disaster success.
The main courses and wine pairings are served in the Library of Discovery, which has a framed silhouette print as the focal point. You’ll start with a lemony tuna crudo with a chili oil crunch, followed by a roasted summer vegetable salad with a dreamy, creamy, cashew dressing. The showstopper is the beef in a slightly spicy kanni sauce, which requires no knife and zero effort to dig right in.
You’ll then walk outside to a live band in the Wanderlust Desert, with mismatched candles and woven light fixtures draped over a long table—like a more curated table of treasures at HomeGoods—leading to an outdoor loveseat that Bailey calls a “point of reflection.”
“The last course I think is really surprising because you don’t really think of blueberries or granita and tres leches together, but then you start to think about the flavors and how they do go together,” said Bailey, noting the pairing of blueberries and cream or blueberries and cinnamon.
“I think that’s what you get when you’re in the Wanderlust Desert—you get this sense of community, you also get the sense of completeness, even though all the things seem like they’re working against each other, they’re actually working.”
Does this mean all the trinkets I pick up from HomeGoods will work just as deliciously? While I might not be able to curate a room (or menu) just as cohesive, A Taste of HomeGoods gave me the inspiration for what my living space could be—and not at a catalogue price.
“I wanted it to be a surprise, but I also wanted it to be rooted in how the pieces were inspiring and rooted in just the experience of actually going through and finding something very unique and I wanted the menu to be unique in that way," said Bailey. “I really hope that people take a sense of whimsy and adventure from this experience. I hope that they’re not afraid to go out and try new things."
A Taste of HomeGoods will be held on May 31 in Austin, Texas. Reservations can be made starting on May 23 at 12 p.m. ET for $24.99 per person.
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