My favorite stories in our Entertaining With series have one thing in common: when the hostess is having every bit as much fun as her guests, it shows. After many mutual friends told us we had to meet, Juice Society founder Danielle Sobel and I finally bonded over omelettes at Elizabeth Street Café, and I was immediately impressed by her boundless energy and the passion she’s put towards building her wellness brand. Then I found out about Flycatcher Farms, the 6.2 acre organic farm the 26-year-old purchased with her fiancé last spring, and well — mind totally blown. Between running the café, growing the brand, and working on the farm (home to a 3500 sq ft greenhouse, a pond, and animals) Danielle seems to have more hours in the day than the average human. But she miraculously found time to host brunch for a few wellness-minded girl friends and invited us to peek in on how she squeezes in time for fun… and manages to do it all so deliciously. Keep scrolling for the details on Danielle’s vegan brunch.
*photos by kate zimmerman
What items are always in your refrigerator?
Arugula, spinach, lemons, limes, sauerkraut, Topo Chico, wine, and Juice Society juices.
Must-have entertaining tool:
A fun playlist and flowers. They instantly lighten up a room and make for a quick and easy centerpiece. I buy them once or twice weekly so I constantly have them in my home.
The entertaining rule you rarely break:
I have no rules when it comes to entertaining! I like to keep things fluid and fun and a bit chaotic. Staying present is really important to me. I cherish time I get to spend with family and friends so I try to focus on those connections and moments together rather than getting fussy about the small stuff.
What scares you about entertaining?
Sometimes (aka almost all the time) I try new dishes when I have company so there’s always a slight fear that it doesn’t work out as planned. In those cases though I always have a Plan B that I can whip up as a quick substitute. This involves a bit more planning, but let’s me get creative and stay on my toes which is fun.
The perfect dinner party playlist includes:
Nothing is off limits when it comes to the music and I love switching it up depending on the vibe, the people coming over, or time of day. Lately I’m loving Flume, Kiiara, and Tove Lo.
What is your signature entertaining dish?
This is hard because I always love to switch it up, but I do love a good cheese board. Paired with salted nuts, sweet fruit, jam, and honey, it’s my favorite way to start any meal and works for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Plus you can whip it up in 30 seconds, stress-free! Also having a huge bowl of greens on the table with herbs, lemon, a little bit of olive oil and salt. Its light, refreshing, and goes with any dish.
Current favorite color palette for parties:
Neutrals with hints of metallic! Food, especially plants, are so vibrant, colorful, and full of life so a more minimal neutral color palette is always my go-to for letting that shine through. I only use white plates and love wood serving trays.
The taste you’re always craving:
I’m always craving salty foods, herbs, and crunchy produce. We just harvested our first batch of cucumbers from our farm and they are insanely good. I slice them, top with olive oil, lemon, dill, and maldon sea salt and it’s the perfect snack. I can eat it all day long.
Jicama and Heart of Palm Ceviche – Raw, GF, Vegan
- 1 1/2 cup jicama, diced
- 1 cup heart of palm, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 ear of corn, raw
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- juice of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- sea salt to taste
Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill so the flavors come together. Top with avocado and serve on top of greens or almond flour tortillas.
Secret to a great dinner party:
Great cocktails, a fun, upbeat playlist, and your vibe! I’m a big believer in being able to set the energy and the tone for the party by just showing up feeling comfortable and confident. Hosting can get overwhelming quickly, but a stressed out host doesn’t set a great energy. Planning ahead, an AM yoga class, and lighting my favorite candles are my favorite ways to make sure I’m feeling calm, cool, and collected when my guests arrive.
The restaurant meal you’ll never forget:
Cal Pep. It’s a tiny little restaurant in the El Born district in Barcelona, Spain. We stumbled upon it during lunch one day while on vacation and had the absolute best meal. There is no menu, so you just chat with the chefs letting them know what you like and don’t like. You then order a bottle of wine, or two, and the dishes just begin rolling out. Each dish we had was so fresh and the flavors were so clean and vibrant. I don’t eat meat, but the vegetables and fish were done beautifully. It was really incredible.
Who are your dream dinner guests?
My family because none of them live in Texas. My brothers and parents are in NYC and the rest are in Israel so the rare occasions we get to be ALL together are so special.
What is your standard hostess outfit?
I am all about being as comfortable as possible, so to me that means jeans, a loose tank or t-shirt, and being barefoot. I love Rag & Bone denim and LNA tops. I try to spend most of my time focusing on talking to my guests, making sure everyone is enjoying a bite of food or a cocktail, so being able to move quickly and freely throughout the house or the room is most important.
Check out Danielle’s honey spice cake with coconut cream and figs!
Your entertaining style in 5 words or less:
Creative, laid-back, minimal, fun, and fresh.
