We’ve reached the final boss of restaurants serving the hungry, insatiable appetite of Instagram influencers: cat food, but for humans.
Food for humans, inspired by food for cats
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
Fancy Feast, a brand of gourmet wet cat food that my cat Colby Jack adores but rarely receives, opened “Gatto Bianco by Fancy Feast.” It’s a New York-based limited-time pop-up restaurant that features an “Italian-style trattoria and culinary experience.” The dishes — created by Fancy Feast in-house chef Amanda Hassner and Michelin Star-winning Italian chef Cesare Casella — are for humans, but take inspiration from Fancy Feast Medleys recipes. The food is intended to “mirror the sensory experience of cats at mealtime.”
This is not cat food.
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
This is also not cat food.
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
The pop-up is only around for two nights: Thursday, Aug. 11 and Friday, Aug. 12.
The guest of honor (the Fancy Feast cat).
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
Slaying with cattitude.
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
While Hassner told Mashable cats would do a phenomenal job in the restaurant business — as long as they’re in a managerial position — no cats were actually involved in the creation of these recipes.
Dessert (for humans, not cats) and a cat table book (could be for either).
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
“Food connects people, but we also have a connection with cats through food,” Hassner said. “Fancy Feast is the kind of brand that is for people who love food and they want to share that love with their cat.”
The extremely on-brand bathroom for humans.
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
You can also share that love with your phone. The food is tasty. I don’t eat meat but was informed by my carnivorous partner that the ribs were “so tender they fell of the bone” and the beef was “stew-y” and “rich” and “extremely tender.” It’s also beautifully plated.
You can cook some of the recipes at home, but you won’t have access to the ambiance. The design of the restaurant itself is practically an Instagram installation for the cat-obsessed, complete with ornate cat wallpaper, gold-embellished Fancy Feast cloth napkins, and cat art (as in, artwork of cats, not art made by cats).
Cesare Casella is a Michelin Star-winning chef and acclaimed New York restaurateur of human food.
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
Once again, this is not at all cat food.
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
The visual Instagramability of a pop-up restaurant is key. Pop-ups can be anything from “a parking-lot cookout to a brand activation to a fine-dining experience,” according to GQ, but the one through line is that they are (mostly) temporary and (almost always) a good opportunity for a photo op.
We really can’t emphasize enough that this food is not for cats.
Credit: Mashable / Molly Flores
