Canice
10-22-2008, 12:10 PM
…I had a great time! The entire weekend was a treat, and it all centered around the G.I.
After my wonderful day Friday (retold here (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=122481&highlight=stroll)) I headed back to the hotel and signed it. We were given a large canvas G.I. tote bag filled with goodies from the event’s sponsors. Some of the things I was glad to see were a Grana Padano knife, a set of cheery silicon cupcake cups, a Kerry Gold apron, Lindt chocolate bar, waiter’s corkscrew, Tommy Bahama rum, an Allclad spice grinder (wow!).
Then back to my room to get ready for the evening’s gala event, held a few short blocks away at the NY Public Library. I learned a while ago that my old friend Amy would also be attending, so she met me at my hotel and we went together. I’m so glad she was there, as it would have been a lot less fun on my own – and she knew a couple of other people there, including one of the editors for Epicurious (she writes for them), so that was fun. I even managed a quick conversation with Ruth Reichl! There were passed hors d’oeuvres and also stations where presenting chefs were serving slightly more substantial fare, though still hors d’oeuvres. The things that stand out most are a fantastic pork belly dish, a beautiful cauliflower cream topped with a bed of black caviar, and mini mallomars – guess that covers a range! The restaurants included Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Blue Smoke, The Modern, and Hudson Yards Catering.
Gray Goose and Chateau St. Jean were among the “beverage” sponsors, as well as Stella Artois, so the drinks were flowing throughout the evening. Nearly everyone was in cocktail attire, and the whole atmosphere felt very festive. It ended at 11:00, which was just as well since the first session started at 9AM on Saturday, with a buffet breakfast starting at 7:00.
For the morning I chose “How to Eat, Dine and Be Served Like a VIP” with Danny Meyer and Drew Nieporent and “American vs. European Cheeses” with Ihsan Gurdal of Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, MA.
There was a two-and-a-half hour break at mid-day, with lunch provided at the hotel, as well as a couple of demo’s at the “Good Living Travel Pavilion” also in the hotel. At the “Pavilion” sponsoring companies showed their wares and you could make purchases via Bloomingdale’s, which was also a sponsor. But then there was the area where various tourism boards served up fresh fare and drinks, as well as numerous cheese producers/cooperatives, wineries, etc. No shortage of food and drink there. I remember delicious spicy prawns from Goya and a butter-poached Alaskan King Crab with parsley purée and garlic foam from the executive chef of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.
I skipped the lunch, though, and took the subway to the Upper West Side for a visit to Zabar’s, Citrella, Fairway, and H&H Bagels. Took a short walk around the neighborhood and made it back with time to drop my meager purchases, freshen up, visit the Pavilion, and get to the afternoon sessions:
“Sausage” with Michael Symon and “No Reservations: In Front of and Behind the Camera” with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert. (My favorite outtakes were someone telling me that Sara Moulton, speaking of Ripert, tapped her heart and said, “I can’t even stand next to him!” And someone speaking of Daniel Boulud’s presentation, in which someone’s cell phone sounded. After a couple of rings, he asked “Why is that phone ringing?!” and then “Why is that phone on?” and then…”Oh, it’s mine!” and proceeded to tell his daughter he was busy at the moment.)
My favorite presentation of the day was the Danny Meyer/Drew Nieporent; they were very funny but also very thoughtful and interesting – Danny Meyer seems like a truly fine person. I spoke to Nieporent afterward, and he gave me his card, gave a hint if I wanted to eat at one of his restaurants that weekend -- how cool is that?
Included in the fee was Saturday dinner, with our choice of dinner at one of three restaurants:
Picholine (http://www.picholinenyc.com/)
Union Square Café (http://www.unionsquarecafe.com/)
Fiamma (http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/fiamma_new_york)
I chose Fiamma, and it was extraordinary! Passed hors d’oeuvres and drinks beforehand, and then a four-course dinner with generous wine pairings:
• Nova Scotia Lobster, blood oranges, Ligurian Taggiasche olives, and Mannni extra-virgin olive oil
• Risotto of Burgundy black truffle, Parmigiano-Reggiano Vacche Rosse, and ossobuco jus
• Roasted Colorado lamb, violet artichokes, and Sharon Farm nepitella
• Delizia of Tuscan Amedei Chocolate
Then mango gelées served in soup spoons – they looked like bright, farm-fresh egg yolks! After that came a tray of small bites: petit fours, financiers, meringues (only not – they were creamy and coconutty) and pear gelées with coarse sugar.
I had happened to chat with a couple of women in the elevator Saturday morning (3 friends from Southern California) and there they were, at a table for six, and invited me to sit with them. We were soon joined by a lovely mother and her smart and friendly 21-year-old daughter, there as a birthday gift. It was great food and company and conversation, and when it ended there was a big fat tour bus outside to tote us from Greenwich Village back to Midtown. A truly memorable evening.
My Sunday morning sessions were “Tired of Tuna Tartare?” with Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune restaurant and “Farming for Flavor” with Dan Barber.
I once again chose to forgo the hotel lunch, and strike out on my own. Unfortunately, I had an errand that took a good 40 minutes, but still I was able to hoof it over to Grand Central Station for a little spree at Penzey’s, and a look around. I wasn’t terribly hungry, but felt I should eat something, so I had a chocolate swirl “Li’l Fellow” cheesecake at Juniors and a slice of “Newman” from Two Boots pizza. Yes, in that order. Why do you ask?
Afternoon sessions were “Market Fresh Ingredients” by Laurent Tourondel of BLT, and, finishing up on a great, quiet note, “Chefs on TV” with John Besh and Tom Colicchio. What a couple of nice guys! It’s so funny how people will say, of the famed, “they’re just people” and you know that on one level, but still you think they’re somehow “different”. But no, all of these folks seemed like everyday people who’d met success in their careers, and not a lot more than that.
The Colicchio/Besh talk was my favorite session of the day, though Dan Barber was very interesting as well. Unfortunately, Chef Hamilton's dishes were *not* appropriate for the 9AM hour: a stewed octopus dish and one of razor clams. She couldn't get the scallops she wanted, and I can't say I missed them. Love scallops, but not for breakfast.
Sessions ended, and I reluctantly removed the required lanyard and went back to my room before taking a final walk around the area. It was Sunday evening and had that “Sunday” feel about it, and the temperature seemed to be dropping. I gave up on being productive –or even enjoying a walk- and decided to kill a little time by having a drink in the hotel bar before meeting Amy for dinner. I ended up sitting next to Chef Besh, who was having a glass of wine with a friend - I would have said hello, but it would have been rude. But there again, if you didn’t know who he was, he’d have been just a guy having a drink and a visit with a friend, but all the while I’m thinking “This is so cool!”
Amy came by at the appointed hour of 6:30 (very West Coast, lol!) and we hit the subway, down to Momofuku Ssam Bar (http://www.momofuku.com/ssam/default.asp) on First Avenue. The place is fairly small and has a looong communal counter down the middle of the space, with seating on either side and tables around the periphery. Amy and I got a couple of seats in the middle of the bar and had no sooner begun menu negotiations (it’s small, shared, Asian-inspired dishes) when Amy waves and shouts “Anhil! Anita! Hi!” …friends of hers. She claims they’re her only friends in all of NYC, and the host is seating them next to us at the counter.
Very nice people, and clearly a fun couple…but I was serious about the eating!
The short review is: Best dinner I’ve had in YEARS! Awesome! Fantastic! Amazing! Delicious! Amy was not very hungry (had been in a presentation by Momofuku chef David Chang that day, and had had 4 of his dishes already). I, on the other hand, would have ordered one of everything on the menu, given my choice. Here’s what we ordered (not that I can give any dignity to how amazing the dishes were – everything was top quality and prepared with perfect technique and innovative Asian flavoring):
• Cured Hamachi – edamame, horseradish, pea leaves
• Steamed Buns – pork belly, hoisin, cucumber, scallions
• Charred Squid Salad – ginger, scallion, mizuna
• Satur Farm’s Fried Brussels Sprouts – mint, scallions, fish sauce vinaigrette
• Long Island Duck – Dijon spaezle, Brussels sprouts, Five Spoke Cheddar
After dinner we strolled down to ChikaLicious (http://www.chikalicious.com/), a slip of a place, and the only “dessert bar” I’ve ever heard of, with a prix fixe menu ($12) for a 3-course dessert: amuse, main selection, and petit fours. I opted to spend an additional $7 for the recommended dessert wine pairing because…well, you only live once!
Delicious, beautifully presented, and given a great deal of care by the owners in the creation, presentation, and delivery of these sweet bites. They clearly take a great deal of pride in their work and service.
An extraordinary dinner, quirky dessert, and food-focused weekend behind us, Amy and I loaded into the N and headed Uptown. Normally I’m glad to be winding things up, even after a short trip, but in this case I felt reluctant as I emptied the drawers in my room, packed away my slippers, and set the alarm for 7AM.
After my wonderful day Friday (retold here (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=122481&highlight=stroll)) I headed back to the hotel and signed it. We were given a large canvas G.I. tote bag filled with goodies from the event’s sponsors. Some of the things I was glad to see were a Grana Padano knife, a set of cheery silicon cupcake cups, a Kerry Gold apron, Lindt chocolate bar, waiter’s corkscrew, Tommy Bahama rum, an Allclad spice grinder (wow!).
Then back to my room to get ready for the evening’s gala event, held a few short blocks away at the NY Public Library. I learned a while ago that my old friend Amy would also be attending, so she met me at my hotel and we went together. I’m so glad she was there, as it would have been a lot less fun on my own – and she knew a couple of other people there, including one of the editors for Epicurious (she writes for them), so that was fun. I even managed a quick conversation with Ruth Reichl! There were passed hors d’oeuvres and also stations where presenting chefs were serving slightly more substantial fare, though still hors d’oeuvres. The things that stand out most are a fantastic pork belly dish, a beautiful cauliflower cream topped with a bed of black caviar, and mini mallomars – guess that covers a range! The restaurants included Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Blue Smoke, The Modern, and Hudson Yards Catering.
Gray Goose and Chateau St. Jean were among the “beverage” sponsors, as well as Stella Artois, so the drinks were flowing throughout the evening. Nearly everyone was in cocktail attire, and the whole atmosphere felt very festive. It ended at 11:00, which was just as well since the first session started at 9AM on Saturday, with a buffet breakfast starting at 7:00.
For the morning I chose “How to Eat, Dine and Be Served Like a VIP” with Danny Meyer and Drew Nieporent and “American vs. European Cheeses” with Ihsan Gurdal of Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, MA.
There was a two-and-a-half hour break at mid-day, with lunch provided at the hotel, as well as a couple of demo’s at the “Good Living Travel Pavilion” also in the hotel. At the “Pavilion” sponsoring companies showed their wares and you could make purchases via Bloomingdale’s, which was also a sponsor. But then there was the area where various tourism boards served up fresh fare and drinks, as well as numerous cheese producers/cooperatives, wineries, etc. No shortage of food and drink there. I remember delicious spicy prawns from Goya and a butter-poached Alaskan King Crab with parsley purée and garlic foam from the executive chef of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.
I skipped the lunch, though, and took the subway to the Upper West Side for a visit to Zabar’s, Citrella, Fairway, and H&H Bagels. Took a short walk around the neighborhood and made it back with time to drop my meager purchases, freshen up, visit the Pavilion, and get to the afternoon sessions:
“Sausage” with Michael Symon and “No Reservations: In Front of and Behind the Camera” with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert. (My favorite outtakes were someone telling me that Sara Moulton, speaking of Ripert, tapped her heart and said, “I can’t even stand next to him!” And someone speaking of Daniel Boulud’s presentation, in which someone’s cell phone sounded. After a couple of rings, he asked “Why is that phone ringing?!” and then “Why is that phone on?” and then…”Oh, it’s mine!” and proceeded to tell his daughter he was busy at the moment.)
My favorite presentation of the day was the Danny Meyer/Drew Nieporent; they were very funny but also very thoughtful and interesting – Danny Meyer seems like a truly fine person. I spoke to Nieporent afterward, and he gave me his card, gave a hint if I wanted to eat at one of his restaurants that weekend -- how cool is that?
Included in the fee was Saturday dinner, with our choice of dinner at one of three restaurants:
Picholine (http://www.picholinenyc.com/)
Union Square Café (http://www.unionsquarecafe.com/)
Fiamma (http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/fiamma_new_york)
I chose Fiamma, and it was extraordinary! Passed hors d’oeuvres and drinks beforehand, and then a four-course dinner with generous wine pairings:
• Nova Scotia Lobster, blood oranges, Ligurian Taggiasche olives, and Mannni extra-virgin olive oil
• Risotto of Burgundy black truffle, Parmigiano-Reggiano Vacche Rosse, and ossobuco jus
• Roasted Colorado lamb, violet artichokes, and Sharon Farm nepitella
• Delizia of Tuscan Amedei Chocolate
Then mango gelées served in soup spoons – they looked like bright, farm-fresh egg yolks! After that came a tray of small bites: petit fours, financiers, meringues (only not – they were creamy and coconutty) and pear gelées with coarse sugar.
I had happened to chat with a couple of women in the elevator Saturday morning (3 friends from Southern California) and there they were, at a table for six, and invited me to sit with them. We were soon joined by a lovely mother and her smart and friendly 21-year-old daughter, there as a birthday gift. It was great food and company and conversation, and when it ended there was a big fat tour bus outside to tote us from Greenwich Village back to Midtown. A truly memorable evening.
My Sunday morning sessions were “Tired of Tuna Tartare?” with Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune restaurant and “Farming for Flavor” with Dan Barber.
I once again chose to forgo the hotel lunch, and strike out on my own. Unfortunately, I had an errand that took a good 40 minutes, but still I was able to hoof it over to Grand Central Station for a little spree at Penzey’s, and a look around. I wasn’t terribly hungry, but felt I should eat something, so I had a chocolate swirl “Li’l Fellow” cheesecake at Juniors and a slice of “Newman” from Two Boots pizza. Yes, in that order. Why do you ask?
Afternoon sessions were “Market Fresh Ingredients” by Laurent Tourondel of BLT, and, finishing up on a great, quiet note, “Chefs on TV” with John Besh and Tom Colicchio. What a couple of nice guys! It’s so funny how people will say, of the famed, “they’re just people” and you know that on one level, but still you think they’re somehow “different”. But no, all of these folks seemed like everyday people who’d met success in their careers, and not a lot more than that.
The Colicchio/Besh talk was my favorite session of the day, though Dan Barber was very interesting as well. Unfortunately, Chef Hamilton's dishes were *not* appropriate for the 9AM hour: a stewed octopus dish and one of razor clams. She couldn't get the scallops she wanted, and I can't say I missed them. Love scallops, but not for breakfast.
Sessions ended, and I reluctantly removed the required lanyard and went back to my room before taking a final walk around the area. It was Sunday evening and had that “Sunday” feel about it, and the temperature seemed to be dropping. I gave up on being productive –or even enjoying a walk- and decided to kill a little time by having a drink in the hotel bar before meeting Amy for dinner. I ended up sitting next to Chef Besh, who was having a glass of wine with a friend - I would have said hello, but it would have been rude. But there again, if you didn’t know who he was, he’d have been just a guy having a drink and a visit with a friend, but all the while I’m thinking “This is so cool!”
Amy came by at the appointed hour of 6:30 (very West Coast, lol!) and we hit the subway, down to Momofuku Ssam Bar (http://www.momofuku.com/ssam/default.asp) on First Avenue. The place is fairly small and has a looong communal counter down the middle of the space, with seating on either side and tables around the periphery. Amy and I got a couple of seats in the middle of the bar and had no sooner begun menu negotiations (it’s small, shared, Asian-inspired dishes) when Amy waves and shouts “Anhil! Anita! Hi!” …friends of hers. She claims they’re her only friends in all of NYC, and the host is seating them next to us at the counter.
Very nice people, and clearly a fun couple…but I was serious about the eating!
The short review is: Best dinner I’ve had in YEARS! Awesome! Fantastic! Amazing! Delicious! Amy was not very hungry (had been in a presentation by Momofuku chef David Chang that day, and had had 4 of his dishes already). I, on the other hand, would have ordered one of everything on the menu, given my choice. Here’s what we ordered (not that I can give any dignity to how amazing the dishes were – everything was top quality and prepared with perfect technique and innovative Asian flavoring):
• Cured Hamachi – edamame, horseradish, pea leaves
• Steamed Buns – pork belly, hoisin, cucumber, scallions
• Charred Squid Salad – ginger, scallion, mizuna
• Satur Farm’s Fried Brussels Sprouts – mint, scallions, fish sauce vinaigrette
• Long Island Duck – Dijon spaezle, Brussels sprouts, Five Spoke Cheddar
After dinner we strolled down to ChikaLicious (http://www.chikalicious.com/), a slip of a place, and the only “dessert bar” I’ve ever heard of, with a prix fixe menu ($12) for a 3-course dessert: amuse, main selection, and petit fours. I opted to spend an additional $7 for the recommended dessert wine pairing because…well, you only live once!
Delicious, beautifully presented, and given a great deal of care by the owners in the creation, presentation, and delivery of these sweet bites. They clearly take a great deal of pride in their work and service.
An extraordinary dinner, quirky dessert, and food-focused weekend behind us, Amy and I loaded into the N and headed Uptown. Normally I’m glad to be winding things up, even after a short trip, but in this case I felt reluctant as I emptied the drawers in my room, packed away my slippers, and set the alarm for 7AM.