$60 NYC Bread & The Food Influencer Test

Jordan Okun (0:05)

Mad Food, I'm Jordan, Max is here, and the big question for you, Bubbles, is how much is too much for a loaf of bread?

Max Shapiro (0:19)

I have a precise dollar amount for you.

Jordan Okun (0:24)

I can't even do this right anymore. I can't even host anymore. What do you mean? No, that's a good setup.

I didn't say how much. I didn't say how expensive is too expensive. Was how much is too much? Is that clear to the audience though? You know what we were talking about. How much, how expensive is, how do you say it?

Max Shapiro (0:43)

You said it right the first time.

Jordan Okun (0:44)

Are you sure?

Max Shapiro (0:45)

How much is too much? That makes very much sense. It did?

Jordan Okun (0:48)

You think the audience knew? Well, there's going to be a title on this, about $60 bread, so they'll figure it out.

Max Shapiro (0:54)

It's $60. $60 is too much.

Jordan Okun (0:56)

Okay, well, don't answer me that.

I don't, why you just gave a spoiler away? Should I edit that out?

Max Shapiro (1:03)

That is not a spoiler. That ain't no spoiler.

Jordan Okun (1:06)

So this is undeniable?

Max Shapiro (1:07)

It's undeniable.

Jordan Okun (1:09)

But first, I may edit all that out.

Max Shapiro (1:12)

Okay, or not.

Jordan Okun (1:16)

Do you buy loaves of bread with regularity?

Max Shapiro (1:22)

You know, KB doesn't like to eat too much bread at home, but sometimes we will.

Jordan Okun (1:30)

And where and what do you buy?

Max Shapiro (1:32)

You know, when two rows is around, I would get some two-row loaves. When we're at the farmers market, I get a Bub's loaf here and there.

Jordan Okun (1:42)

Bub's is at Hollywood farmers market?

Max Shapiro (1:44)

It is, yeah. So, you know, I'd get a sesame loaf.

Jordan Okun (1:49)

Sesame sourdough?

Max Shapiro (1:50)

Yeah.

Jordan Okun (1:51)

Right. And what kind of loaves have you dabbled in baking before?

Max Shapiro (1:59)

I've never baked like a sourdough loaf of bread. I have made milk bread. I've made fermented cornbread, like very individual bread, individual size breads for tasting menus and stuff. But I'm the one person that didn't make sourdough during the pandemic.

Jordan Okun (2:18)

I didn't either.

Max Shapiro (2:20)

But no, I've never baked a whole loaf of bread. It's always individual size breads.

Jordan Okun (2:27)

So at Oxalis, your dining concept, not restaurant concept, you did offer a bread service?

Max Shapiro (2:36)

Yeah, it was usually milk bread or a fermented cornbread.

Jordan Okun (2:42)

Okay. And you did you churn your own butter? I sure did. But just for 10 minutes?

Max Shapiro (2:46)

That's all it took. It took less than 10

Jordan Okun (2:48)

It did not take 48 hours to churn your butter?

Max Shapiro (2:51)

You put the cultured fermented cream in a stand mixer with a whisk, and you let it go, and then it separates, and boom, that's butter.

Jordan Okun (2:58)

Okay. Well, the reason I ask, if it's not already clearly obvious, which it obviously is unless you're deaf and blind, so I don't even know why I'm putting it this way. There is a loaf of bread that is making news. Yeah. A $60 loaf of bread at a new bakery called Rye.

It's Rye by, and then they give the baker's name.

Max Shapiro (3:22)

Yeah, Martin Auer.

Jordan Okun (3:23)

Martin Auer. Is that how you pronounce that?

Max Shapiro (3:27)

I believe.

Jordan Okun (3:28)

Okay. It's an Austrian name.

Max Shapiro (3:30)

I don't know how the Austrians would pronounce it, but I believe it's Martin Auer.

Jordan Okun (3:35)

Okay. A-U-E-R.

Max Shapiro (3:37)

Yes.

Jordan Okun (3:38)

So, the big question is, could a $60 bread actually make sense? Actually be worth it?

Max has already given his answer. I was really hoping you'd hold out that maybe people would think someone as snobby as you would possibly be into this concept.

Max Shapiro (3:59)

I'm not this snobby.

Jordan Okun (4:01)

Okay, a striking looking giant brown loaf.

Max Shapiro (4:09)

It is giant. It's 3.3 pounds.

Jordan Okun (4:11)

And what is the white spotting of flour? Is it flour?

Max Shapiro (4:17)

Yeah. Okay. They dust it, well, they cut it with a little razor for the bread.

Jordan Okun (4:23)

Before baking it.

Max Shapiro (4:24)

Yeah, and then they dust it with flour on top so that it looks like that.

Jordan Okun (4:30)

Right. So if I think if offering a $60 loaf, the optics need to seem lux and unique, and they have that here. They do have that.