Fancy Feast's cat food-inspired restaurant is a purrfect photo op
We've reached the final boss of restaurants serving the hungry, insatiable appetite of Instagram influencers: cat food, but for humans.
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."
The pop-up is only around for two nights: Thursday, Aug. 11 and Friday, Aug. 12.
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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.
"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."
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).
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.
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Christianna Silva is a senior culture reporter covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on the intersection of social media, politics, and the economic systems that govern us. Since joining Mashable in 2021, they have reported extensively on meme creators, content moderation, and the nature of online creation under capitalism.
Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow her on Bluesky @christiannaj.bsky.social and Instagram @christianna_j.
