Thursday, April 15, 2010

Poster of Chez Panisse by David Lance Goines

Chez Panisse is a Berkeley, California restaurant that is known for jump-starting the whole local and seasonal food trend. What is perhaps less well known is their amazing graphic identity.

David Lance Goines, an illustrator, has enjoyed a friendship with the restaurateur Alice Waters, the co-founder of the restaurant, since they were both teenagers. Every year Goines creates a Chez Panisse anniversary poster and has illustrated many Chez Panisse cookbooks.


I was first introduced to these posters by my mom, who has this one hanging in our kitchen.


This poster is totally cemented into my brain as a symbol of my childhood home. It's been up there as long as I can remember. I even drew it into a scale model of the kitchen that I created for a 10th grade geometry project.

A few years ago, a weekly planner was published with the work of Goines for Chez Panisse, and my mom asked me to pick one up for her at Kitchen Arts and Letters, a Manhattan bookstore that specializes in food-related books. I was glad to oblige and was amazed to see the more of the work that Goines did. He used a distinct style that you can spot right away.


I like the idea of having the same illustrator create a new poster every year to commemerate the restaurant's anniversary. Great way to celebrate if you ask me!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Grew up with Goines' prints in the home as well. Only a couple have survived all the moving house. The one at the top, "Le Matin", survived the best and still hangs in their kitchen.

paper airplane design said...

Adam, I guess it was a popular kitchen decor choice!

Unknown said...

was in my kitchen, too, for many years