Kitchen Playlist #4

From Lil' Debs' Oasis in Hudson, New York.

I heard rumors of a place serving tropical comfort food called Lil’ Deb’s Oasis in the town of Hudson, a couple of hours north of New York City for a couple of years. It wasn’t until a few months ago when Stephanie Bonnin was there with her regional Colombian pop-up La Tropikitchen that I actually had a chance to visit. When I opened the door, I was completely unprepared for what I was walking into. Immediately, I was hit with a rush of colors, sounds and smells. It felt like walking into a parallel restaurant universe where the experience was less about collecting bills and more about creating an atmosphere of love and happiness.

Lil’ Deb’s, which doubles as a community space, is run by chefs Carla Kaya Perez-Gallardo and Hannah Black. It is one of those places with a vibe completely unto itself. It’s easy to forget what a restaurant is really for. Sure, you go there to get fed, but does that act always have to feel so transactional? Can they be about something larger? An oasis perhaps. A little escape from the mundane world, that seemingly never-ending desert outside the door. A reprieve from the harsh sun and wind beating down on you. Inside the climate is great, there are delicious things to eat and the drinks are good.

Even if you cannot make it to Lil’ Deb’s, you can listen this playlist they created and buy their just released cookbook: Please Wait To Be Tastes: The Lil’ Deb’s Oasis Cookbook. Here’s a note from the team at Lil’ Deb’s:

“At Lil' Deb's Oasis we do our best to embody a buoyant and bountiful future, grounded in queer abundance. We aim to nurture through food, joy and playful connection. We love to move to the beat when the restaurant is super busy – and locking into a rhythm is one of the best ways to joyfully concentrate and move into a time in the near future. The songs on this playlist express a longing for, and a firm belief in the potential of love, beauty, nature and each other. We out here ~ building a future we believe in, one step at a time. Seeing is believing, tasting is truth!”

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