I scream, you scream, we all scream for…mayonnaise? Apparently – and Sam Mason is prepared to answer those calls.
There’s a revolution in our midst, and it has nothing to do with the economy. New York restaurateur Sam Mason plans to open a mayonnaise store in the Prospect Heights neighborhood in response to the so-called “condiment revolution” we are experiencing.
Mason, the current proprietor of Brooklyn restaurant Lady Jay’s, has sold homemade mayos at New York farmers markets, but is ready to take things to the next level with the creamy condiment.
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He and partner Elizabeth Valleau will open Empire Mayo, “possibly the world’s first shop dedicated entirely to high-end mayo,” in November. They’ll offer 40 flavors of mayo, including foie gras, mushroom and coffee. And shoppers will get an inside taste of the magic: Mason plans to use much of the space as his personal lab.
Though Empire Mayo may lay claim to being the first exclusively high-end mayonnaise vendor, it is not alone in the mayo-store market. More pedestrian brands such as Duke’s have standalone shops.