For Kitchenware, Try the New Conway

It was a huge surprise to open this month’s Bajareque Times and see a photo and article about the 4 displays in the housewares department at the new Conway store in David. Thanks to R. Boyd for including a visit to the Conway store in his quest for interesting and unique events to cover for the newspaper. The exhibits were part of the “Gourmet Tour of David”, that happened last month.

The display Mr. Boyd chose to include in his article was the Asian-themed Sukiyaki exhibit. Complimentary recipe cards were displayed, along with items from the 3rd floor departments, including linens, bath, silver and glassware, furniture, accessories and home decor. The plan to arrange these displays was presented to the floor manager, Mr. Taylor, and it was approved immediately. Language was no barrier to his decision, we both practiced our “Spanlish” and the details were easily worked out.

The day of set-up came a couple weeks later and I was given free access to any items on the floor from which to make the displays. An assistant, Roberto, helped find many of the display items and the 4 tableaux were soon constructed.

In addition to the Asian, Sukiyaki display with a white stone mat and bonsai tree, there was the Italian Chef’s exhibit showcasing Eggplant Parmesan. The place-setting featured Venetian blue and gold hand-blown, glass dinnerware and a huge mirror-studded wine goblet. This display was especially fun to do as it had 3 shelves and lots of room for unique Italian pieces to come together, including a painting from the Vatican!

The French table was the one closest to the entrance of the housewares department and the largest of the displays. A huge table was cleared of white dinnerware, covered with a lush moss-green cloth and set for an afternoon “French bread, wine and cheese” get-together.

The French kitchen rooster was the center of attention, never missed in any French kitchen. The take-home recipe was for French bread, and if the baker needs just the right baking pan for making bread, Conway has it. Notice the bread board and beautiful bread knife, just awaiting a piping loaf of fresh bread. The cutlery selection at Conway is excellent, the quality is high, and the prices are reasonable.

Finally, I knew immediately how I wanted to create the Spanish table, it had to be centered around my legendary hero, Don Quixote. The model of Don is gorgeous and I couldn’t resist making him the center of attention, along with his side-kick Sancho Panza. The duo brought attention to the Paella recipe and just the perfect pan needed to make this famous Spanish dish. The red Spanish motif on the striking dinnerware reminds me of the bright, festive atmosphere that often surrounds a really good Paella.

Shortly after the displays were completed, a large group of folks from Boquete visited Conway as part of Boquete’s “Gourmet Tour of David”. The participants gathered the recipe cards as mementos of their visit. On the back of each card, they found suggestions of wines that would make excellent pairings to each dish.

I’m hoping that many customers enjoyed the exhibits, collected the recipes and savored the dishes with a favorite glass of wine. If anyone needs kitchen equipment, serving dishes or table linens, they will be sure to find them in the new Conway housewares department, just down the road from Boquete about 45 minutes.

Happy cooking!

Cora