Dinner with Camari Mick
From Host to Host Vol. 1
Hey Party People,
One of the things I love most about hosting is that we can all do it and we can all make it our own. This is the guiding premise of my forthcoming book, and the inspiration for my new interview series: From Host to Host. Each month, I’ll be spotlighting a fellow Host with the Most to learn more about how they gather and what inspires them. How do they host? What are the rituals that carry them through their hosting practice? What are the little things that define their celebrations? Personally, I love learning about people and the things that bring them joy, so I think this series is going to be just the dash of whimsical we need in our lives.
We’re kicking off this series with award-winning pastry chef Camari Mick. Previously, Camari was the executive pastry chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant, The Musket Room and Raf’s. She is recognized as a “dessert doyenne” by Michelin and a rising star by Eater. She has received numerous accolades, including being named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs (2024) and a four-time James Beard Award semi-finalist. Currently, she is working on launching her first solo venture, L’Atelier Ébène, focused on the connections between the African Diaspora and French techniques.
Keep scrolling for my chat with Camari plus information about her upcoming dinner party, Follow Your Roots!
Host to Host With Camari Mick
Amber: Let’s talk about your hosting rituals at home. What is your pre-party ritual?
Camari: I like to put on a Stevie Wonder or Motown playlist while I clean. Then I have a glass of wine to loosen up and get into character. I sage, too, before and after because depending on how the evening went, I may not want any residual energies lingering around, you know? (laughs)
Amber: That’s fair. Now what do you always keep stocked in your pantry (or in your fridge)?
Camari: Other than flour, butter and sug[ar]?
Amber: Ha! I love that you call it shug like sugar really needed a nickname. Yes, beyond that what you got over there?
Camari: I always have Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, and miso. I have fresh nutmeg and Maldon Salt. And not only do I always have that in the pantry, but I have another box on the dining room table.
Amber: Love a flakey salt. When it’s time to get ready, what is your go-to hosting outfit.
Camari: I like a matching set; something comfy and flow-y, and easy. No shoes in my house, so the socks are cute, too.
Amber: I agree. I’ll need to do a separate piece on not wearing shoes in the house and hosting/party socks.
Amber: What is your favorite party trick?
Camari: OK, I am kind of a hoarder, in that I keep duplicates of things so I can give them away freely as little parting gifts. If you’re at my place and I find out you like something in particular, I like to be able to say, “oh you take it, consider it a little gift!” I have so many nice notebooks, but I don’t like notebooks with lines, so I keep them and if I find out a friend loves journaling, I can give them one. Or for books, if we are discussing a book at the table, I’ll offer to loan them my copy because that means I have to see that person again to get it back. And now it’s like a little call to action to gather again.
Amber: I enjoy knowing that you don’t like notebooks with lines. Personally, I need the lines.
Camari: See! I have a notebook for you.
Amber: What do you think is the number one party foul?
Camari: Showing up empty handed. Bring something! I hosted a potluck recently and someone called me before, said she had a rough week, and could not commit to cooking for the potluck, but asked if she could bring the beverages and ingredients to mix cocktails. I said, “yes, perfect!”
Amber: Right! I find that it is less about over extending yourself and bringing the most extravagant dish or gift, but rather the gesture you are making to the host to help or to say thank you for hosting.
Camari: Exactly.
Amber: Speaking of drinks, what is your party drink of choice?
Camari: I like a good bottle of wine.
Amber: Red or white?
Camari: It depends on the time of year. I personally don’t drink white wine during the winter. In the winter, I want something robust and heavy on the palette so I go for reds. Champagne I’ll drink all year round. In the summer, I like a spritz or a white wine. Also, when I’m hosting, I always have still and sparkling water to offer.
Amber: Same! I thought I was being too extra.
Camari: No, you have to do it. I feel like it impresses people when you can offer both. I like splurging on a few Saratoga bottles because it’s a difference people notice.
Amber: What song do you play when you want to get people dancing?
Camari: I don’t know if there is one specific song, but I love disco and house music. Like that song that’s like “follow meeeeee” [she sings].
Amber: Ha! Yes, Follow Me by Aly-Us. “Follow meeee... to a place…where we can be free.” That one gets me dancing, too!
Amber: How do you like to bring a party to a close?
Camari: The Golden Brown Butter Bliss is my nightcap cocktail. I also like to do a little espresso and tea service at the end of a party.
Amber: How do you like to wind down after hosting a party at home?
Camari: After I load the dishwasher, I go to the couch and cuddle with Yam, my cat. He’s not social, so he waits for everyone to leave before coming out for a snuggle.
Amber: You’re hosting soon. But, not at home, at Gramercy Tavern in NYC on February 2. Tell us more about this annual event you curate.
Camari: Follow Your Roots is an annual Black History Month dinner where guests eat their way through the African Diaspora. Each dish is created by a renowned chef hailing from a region along the Diaspora. This year’s line up includes myself, Aretah Ettarh (Gramercy Tavern), Brittney “Stikxz” Williams (L’Atelier Ébène & Miss Lily’s), India Doris (Markette), Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau (Two Sisters Jamaica), Ope Amosu (ChòpnBlok), and Geoff Davis (Burdell).
Each chef will offer a course centered on a singular ingredient selected by culinary historian Thèrese Nelson. The experience will highlight each ingredient’s history and importance in the African ancestral foodways. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the National Black Food & Justice Alliance, a nonprofit aimed at developing Black leadership, supporting Black communities, and building institutions for Black food sovereignty and liberation. Tickets are available now on OpenTable!
Amber: Camari, before I let you go, what are you obsessed with right now?
Camari: Jewelry, puffy pants, and Nigerian men.
Amber: Hahahah! I’m not including that.
Camari: You have to! What if this is how we find my husband? [laughs]
Amber: Ha! OK, chef. I’ll never skip an opportunity to be the matchmaker.
Thanks, Camari! We’ll see you at the Follow Your Roots Dinner on Feb. 2nd!
The duplicate gift strategy is brilliant tbh. I've tried something similiar where I keep extra kitchen gadgets around but never thught to use them as natural excuses to reconnect (like the book loan idea). The Maldon salt on the dining table detail is such a flex too. Follow Your Roots sounds incredible and mixing cuisine exploration with ancestral foodways history is exactly what makes these dinners memorable.
I attended Camari’s ‘Follow Your Roots’ dinners for the last 2 years — such thoughtfully planned and executed gatherings! She is such a talent. I enjoyed reading about her general approach to hosting, thank you so much for sharing.
(Also coconut milk, miso, and fresh nutmeg are items I always keep in stock, too!)