Meet: Pippa Allen
NYC-Based culinary publicist
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Join us as we chat about Pippa’s go-to spots in the city, getting out of a funk, being a pastry chef, and more!
Before we start, for those who don’t know you, share with us what you do and where you’re based!
I’m a culinary publicist living in Manhattan. I rep some amazing restaurants in NYC and beyond, as well as very cool brands within the F&B space.
Walk us through a typical day with your work! Is there even really a typical day for you?
There is truly no standard day working in PR - your calendar is typically peppered with events in between calls, meetings, and many many emails. Since I work in the world of F&B, many of my days involve going out for meals, cocktails, and coffees, plus general networking and showing face.
What’s one food brand or restaurant you’re really excited about?
I’m always most excited about restaurants that allow room for silliness and fun, whether it’s on the menus or in the dining room. My current favorite spots for a bit of tomfoolery are Rolo’s, Win Son, C as in Charlie, and Bonnie’s - these are all spots with killer food and drinks worth sharing with your most fun friends.
Do you have an early memory with food that you can recall that made you realize you wanted to make it part of your life?
I grew up with Southern parents (Alabama and Arkansas), so I was raised with Southern cuisine and its approach to eating, hosting, and celebrating. My parents owned a gumbo restaurant called Jus’ Gumbo in Fairhope, Alabama before I was born, so I stand by the fact that their gumbo recipe is the best there is - it’s loaded with shrimp, crab meat, and crab claws; truly unbeatable.
Being raised in a household where food was always at the forefront made it such an important aspect of my day-to-day - mealtimes were something to look forward to, even if it was just peanut butter on toast. I’ve never strayed from the path of knowing that food had to be at the center of my career as well.
In a former life, you were a pastry chef! What were some of your favorite pastries/desserts/baked goods to make?
I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth, so I always opt for baked goods that err on the side of salty, savory, and umami. Baking in the summertime is the best because the produce is so bountiful and gorgeous - I love to cook with tomatoes as soon as they’re ripe, and not a moment earlier, they’re worth the wait! Plus, dough is much more noticeably plush when it rises in humidity. I love making a focaccia pizza smothered in whatever summer produce is about to go bad and showered in plenty of parm - overly salty, overly oily, perfectly delicious.
As we move into warmer weather days, do you have a go-to food/drink spot in New York that you’d recommend to a friend?
I thrive in heat and humidity; I think it’s the most humbling thing in the world when every single person at the function is a sweaty mess - I love love love the times where my bangs stick to my forehead and my shirt clings to sweaty tits and pits, so outdoor dining in the peak of the summertime is my dream. My ideal warm weather lineup is grabbing a pickle martini or a Dirty Shirley at Forgetmenot or a glass of chilled wine at Parcelle or Le Dive, then skirting around the corner for shrimp heads and chicken at Cervo’s - cannot beat a summer night sitting at a metal foldout on Canal Street. End the evening with vanilla soft serve topped with Cap'n Crunch and purple sprinkles at Soft Swerve on Allen Street.
Okay, we love asking this because it really tells you a lot about someone! You’re invited to a dinner party: who are the six dream guests that are in attendance (dead or alive), and what are you bringing?
I’ve really been cherishing dinner with my girlfriends in NYC, so I’d want to spend the evening with my gals Sydney, Becky, Elissa, Tanya, Emily, and Georgia. I’ll bring a fruit galette with a citrusy whipped buttermilk for us and maybe some sour cream and onion chips from the bodega to snack on something salty.
Switching gears—we’re huge fans of your personal style! Who or what is inspiring you right now?
That’s incredibly kind, thank you!! I don’t feel very inspired to dress well in the winter (I lived in Charleston for six years before moving to NYC, and my wardrobe hasn’t transitioned well over the past two years of living here), so I find myself dressing either completely impractically or in a way that says nothing about my personal style except “this bitch is freezing.”
But in general, I get a lot of inspiration from silhouettes from the 1990s and 2000s and a lot from menswear as well.
I’m always dressing for comfort, whether that means midi-length skirts or dresses, shirts that can cover up inevitably unbuttoned denim pants and don’t require bras, or very comfy shoes (I mostly opt for my Lucchese boots I copped from TheRealReal and have had resoled twice already).
I typically find myself pairing more lowkey pieces with my staple jewelry or colorful eye makeup (my go-to’s are a kelly green Fenty shadow or the neon pink About Face matte fluid eye paint).
A lot of my clothing is vintage, found from doom-scrolling through Poshmark and TheRealReal; I typically try to find vintage versions of pieces before hitting “purchase” on something new.
My current go-to pieces in my closet are a reworked men’s Ralph Lauren button-down from Sibling Vintage, my Susan Alexandra black beaded bow necklace, and an embroidered white linen dress I got off Poshmark a few summers back.
What’s one piece of advice you’ve received that you would pass along to a friend?
Do it scared + do it alone! I’ve found that i’m most confident when i’m put into uncomfortable situations, like parties where I don’t know anyone but the host, moving to cities with very few connections, etc., etc. I grow when I change, so facing those fears allows me to trust my instincts more.
Being in New York can have its ups and downs. When you find yourself feeling a little overwhelmed, what’s something you like to do that pulls you out of that funk?
Cooking! So much of my social and professional life involves going out, and being able to be at home in pajamas cooking myself a hot meal always makes me feel like I’ve screwed my head back on straight.
I’m about to move uptown, and I’m really looking forward to the proximity to Central Park - I’m craving greenery and a little more quiet. Plus, I currently live in the Lower East Side, so it’s hard not to run into someone I know when I leave the apartment - I’m excited to take a bit of a break from seeing and be seen.
Before we let you *almost* go, where can we find more of you?!
Let’s Get Deep
What’s your theme song?
Night In or Night Out
I have a habit of overcommitting to too many nights out in a row, which is followed by a longer series of nights in - it’s an endless cycle, but it’s my cycle. I’m currently in the “Out” stage.
When do you feel most you?
When I’m feeding the people I love! Whether it’s hosting a pop up, sharing a rogue spoonful of something simmering on the stove, or even putting a sour gummy worm in my roommate’s palm, feeding other people makes me happiest.
What’s something you’re obsessed with right now?
My new picnic blanket + ordering lemonade instead of a cocktail at restaurants.
Call or Text?
Voice memos x
When was the last time you cried?
Like every other twenty-something, I’ve been rewatching Girls. And the penultimate episode where everyone’s at Shosh’s engagement party, and they’re all dancing in the living room always makes me cry - it should’ve been the final episode, goddammit!!!
When was the last time you laughed?
My friends and I projected Hinge profiles onto the TV over dinner last night - men are so bad at the internet it’s appalling <3
Current favorite follow on social media?
I’ve been loving @pigmamiii’s fashion content and Noah Tanen on TikTok and IG - he posts unreal cooking videos in Philly (plus he has great music taste).
Lastly, what’s one thing you would tell your 16-year-old self?
Hate to get all “sorority speak” here, but trust the process. Every misstep I thought I took has always been a step in the right direction - it just took some confidence and patience to see where things landed.
Find more of Pippa here:
Instagram: @allpurposepippa
TikTok:@allpurposepippa
Listen to Pippa’s Playlist: Here