My Grandma Loves the New Food & Wine x Piecework Puzzle

When I moved into my first apartment, surprise Amazon packages started showing up every few weeks, containing kitchen gadgets like an avocado saver and OXO measuring cups. The mystery sender? My Nana, a frequent flyer in the TJ Maxx kitchen aisle and, in my opinion, as much of a domestic goddess as Martha Stewart. 

If she’s not busy making her famous split pea soup or tending to her herb garden, you’ll find my Nana by the fireplace, piecing together a puzzle. For her, puzzling is as meditative as cooking is for me; so, when we dropped our first-ever puzzle in collaboration with Piecework, I knew I had the perfect Christmas gift for my grandma — after all, she’s been reading Food & Wine magazine for years.

Food & Wine x Piecework Tiers of Joy Puzzle

Featuring the stunning cover art from our December 2022/January 2023 holiday issue (captured by food photographer Eva Kolenko), the 1,000-piece Tiers of Joy puzzle is a sight for sore seafood lovers’ eyes. Once you’ve completed the puzzle, you’re left with beautiful imagery of a seafood tower laden with shrimp, lobster, and oysters. To add to the ambience, there are also candles and florals sitting on the table.

This puzzle isn’t a walk in the park, though: It took our team 14 1/2 hours, and my grandma, who received it as an early holiday gift, is still plugging away at hers. “This one is a challenge,” said my Nana, explaining that the all-black background makes it tricky to locate each piece’s proper place. She’s up for the challenge, though, and has been incorporating the puzzle into her daily routine: “Usually, I join my husband for the nightly news, which he watches and I listen as I relax and work the puzzle.”

A good Christmas gift for grandparents like mine isn’t easy to come by. If your loved ones are anything like my Nana, I know they’ll love receiving our Tiers of Joy puzzle for the holidays (or just because). And, if you’re in the New York City area this holiday season, don’t miss your chance to stop by our pop-up in celebration of the puzzle launch.

Café Piecework Is Open for the Season!

From November 28–December 14, Piecework is taking over NYC’s West Village coffee shop, Bedford Studio, for a holiday pop-up brimming with puzzles, treasures, tchotchkes, and all the gifts you didn’t know you needed (until now). And to celebrate the launch of Tiers of Joy, an indulgent and baroque collaboration with Food & Wine, we’ll be featuring items from the magazine’s eponymous holiday gift guide — and offering the chance to sip iconic Food & Wine seasonal hot drinks, like a Ginger-Lemon Tonic and a Gingerbread Latte, while you shop.

Mark your calendars: on Saturday, December 6, from 12–3 p.m., stop by for a complimentary copy of Food & Wine magazine and meet the editors themselves as they share holiday picks firsthand.

Location: Bedford Studio (62 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014)

Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Shop More Holiday Gifts Available at Café Piecework

Flamingo Estate Olive Oil & Fuyu Persimmon Vinegar Gift Box

Cheeky Espresso Syrup

Mitts Wine Glass Sponge The Starter Kitt

Verloop Pattern Patch Placemats, Set of 4

Dusen Dusen Striped Oven Mitts

At the time of publishing, the price was $40.