Aida Curated Pantry Staples Hit Shelves

Owners of the East Village, New York wine-on-tap-bar Lois have launched Aida, a food brand that features modern pantry staples and essentials. Available now to select retailers and launching online in April 2017, Aida features a line of handcrafted cookies, nuts and crackers that have shelf-popping package designs.

The driving mission behind the brand is to inspire home cooks and hosts to create food experiences that are both unique and delightful, while still maintaining simplicity, company officials say. The initial 2017 release will include five anchor items that feature modern riffs on classic staples including:

● Currant Crisps: a spiced interpretation of the shortbread cookie. SRP $10.

● Lemon Candied Pepitas: salty pepitas with a healthy dose of sweet citrus and a subtle peppery kick. SRP $8

● Szechuan Candied Pecans: punchy pecans candied with a combination of hot red pepper and mouth-numbing Szechuan peppercorns. SRP $10

● Sourdough Crackers: salted and crunchy sourdough crisps. SRP $9

● Rye Crackers: Old World flavors. SRP $9

Aida is the brainchild of wine-aficionado Nora O’Malley and specialty chef Phoebe Connell, both Cleveland natives and co-owners of the East Village wine bar Lois. “At Lois, we found that our customers became friends who looked to us for suggestions on eating, drinking, and entertaining,” says Nora. “They wanted to bring the Lois lifestyle into their homes including, most importantly, our food. Aida is an extension of Lois and our philosophy on eating and entertaining—it should be delicious and it should be easy.”