Happy “Charc” Week

Kudos to whoever coined the phrase “Charc” Week, the tongue-in-cheek play on Discovery’s now-famous Shark Week dedicated to charcuterie. (As if we needed another reason to love charcuterie boards!) While the heat wave continues to blanket the world again this week, there’s perhaps no better time to step away from the stove and embrace the simplicity of the “throw everything on a board and call it a meal” mentality. Here for it.

In the past decade, brands have made a business out of styling gorgeous charcuterie platters that have become the Pinterest board favorites of entertaining. Some of my favorite charc inspirations (that go beyond traditional meat and cheese charcuterie) include:

Lady & Larder

Owned by twin sisters, this California spot helps me think beyond the board - they dress up picnic boxes, deep dive into farmers market freshness and have the most beautiful blankets of charcuterie that act as table runners at events.

Ain’t Too Proud Meg

I love a story about a gal in the marketing world who flips over to the food side. Meg Quinn makes gorgeous boards for all entertaining occassions and even has adorable ones for kids! She also sells a set of styling cards - perfect to pair with a pretty serving board as a gift.

Graze New York

This NY-based board artisan (we need a name for charc board artists — boardista?) is a mom entertainer turned entrepreneur who makes beautiful boards. Someone please tell me how to get those perfectly styled snap peas!

Ruby Bond

These lux candy boards are pricey but offer terrific inspiration for what you can make with a little artistic creativity and fresh candy! Try Dylan’s Candy Bar and Nuts.com for fresh and novelty gummy options in varieties and flavors.