I've been a fan of hers for so long. I was lucky enough to eat at Beast on multiple special occasions. I once was in a local jewelers when she popped in to return the necklace she'd borrowed to wear to the James Beard awards. I've bought Thanksgiving centerpieces from the florist she cofounded. This breaks my heart.
She turned Beast into a market/cafe called Ripe during the pandemic. After lockdown was lifted, I was lucky enough to be part of a ten person private dinner there that was like the old Beast that also incorporated produce from her personal garden. As part of the event she also gave a cooking demonstration of how to make stuffed zucchini blossom tempura, hung out and chatted with us, and signed copies of her book. I already had the book, being a huge fangirl, but I kept the signed one of course and gave the other one to my sister.
