Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, the annual culinary event dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America, had the former manufacturing facility turned event space, 82 Mercer, bursting with fantastic fare from over 50 top-tier local restaurants and libations from a revered group of mixologists and wineries alike. Familiar faces filled the space on Monday night, as celebrity chefs and restaurateurs such as Aaron Sanchez, Danny Meyer and Marc Murphy were signing books, cooking or simply chatting with elated foodies at the nonprofit fête.

Spanning across two floors and four rooms, participating restaurants donated their time to the cause and served up some popular favorites—like the chicken meatball with ricotta, asparagus and carrots from the beloved Meatball Shop ( a gluten-free favorite), the tuna poke wonton tacos from Beauty & Essex, brisket sliders from Joe Doe and the dependably delicious guacamole from Rosa Mexicano. Some chefs were gunning for your sweet tooth: Dominique Ansel doled out mocha crème puffs filled with coffee crème and mascarpone mousse with a chocolate glaze on top, Maialino—a traditional tiramisu, and Blue Smoke—a peanut butter chocolate parfait (which chefs kindly prepared sans cookie crumbles to accommodate gluten allergies). The Modern so cleverly packaged a dessert trio for foodies-on-the-go, complete with macaroon, lollipop and fruit candy. Other adventurous toques prepared not-your-average fare, tempting daring foodies with foie gras doughnuts (Do or Dine) and eggplant brownies (A Voce).

While 100% of ticket sales directly support Share Our Strength and its mission to ensure that no kid goes hungry, both live and silent auctions took place to raise additional contributions, with private dinners at revered NYC hot spots (try Momofuku and The Breslin) sending bids soaring into the thousands.

Co-chair for Taste of the Nation, Francine Cohen, thanked sponsors, chefs and guests for making the event such a special one for Share Our Strength.

The night proved to be a stroke of culinary genius not to be missed by any foodie, or philanthropist for that matter.

Photos by Patrick Chang for Appetite for Good.

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On Tuesday, April 24th, City Harvest hosted their 18th annual An Evening of Practical Magic gala event at Cipriani 42nd Street. This year’s gala attracted over 500 guests and raised a record-breaking $2 million dollars. The event pays tribute to the efforts of those who have gone above and beyond their commitment to help City Harvest feed New York’s hungry and 100% of the proceeds go to City Harvest.

Guests included a who’s who of the elite food community in New York City including Eric Ripert, Danny Meyer, Marc Murphy, Donatella Arpaia, Gail Simmons, Michael Anthony, Floyd Cardoz, Kerry Heffernan, Michael Romano just to name a few. The event also attracted guests like actress Kelly Rutherford, Matthew Settle, Miss USA, Miss Universe, and former Governor David Paterson.

This year’s Star of the City Award was given to the Union Square Hospitality Group. Danny Meyer and more than 30 of his colleagues from USHG were honored for their work. Other honorees included Duane Reade with the Heart of the City Award and Food Donors of the Year: BJ’s Wholesale Club, Boar’s Head, and Harvest Queens Farms. The evening was also made possible by the generosity of sponsors including Barclays, Discovery Communications, and Manhattan Lincoln.

The night’s festivities included cocktails, dinner, dancing, and a silent auction, but as in years past, the highlight of the evening was the live auction. Nicholas D. Lowry, President of Swann Auction Galleries, served as the auctioneer for the evening. And he got things going on a fun note by starting the bidding with a bottle of Herradura Tequila. Eric Ripert, chef and owner of Le Bernardin bought the bottle for $1,100. Not bad for a $50 bottle of tequila.

And that was just the start. Nicolas auctioned off some amazing trips and dinners with Marc Murphy, Ron Ben-Israel, Gail Simmons, and an all-start lineup from the Union Square Hospitality Group. But then it was time for the final live auction of the night: dinner for 20 prepared by Eric Ripert in the winning bidder’s home or in the private dining room of Le Bernardin. At last year’s auction, Mr. Ripert’s dinner for 12 went for $80,000, but this year the dinner sold for an amazing $200,000. When the bid was announced, the entire room was shocked and when we realized it was real, there was a clear electricity buzzing throughout the audience (the name of the winning bidder has not been disclosed). Marc Murphy later joked to Mr. Ripert that he better not overcook the fish that night.

City Harvest is and always has been the New York City community’s response to hunger and 2012 marks City Harvest’s 30th anniversary. Executive Director Jilly Stephens announced the 30-30-30 Campaign, their response to the record demand for emergency food in New York City. Over the next five years, City Harvest will support key strategic goals, including increasing the amount of food they deliver on an annual basis by 30 million pounds, to 60 million pounds each year.

The evening was an amazing success for City Harvest and is a testament to the commitment and support that New Yorkers feel for the organization and to each other. Congratulations to them!

About City Harvest
Now serving New York City for 30 years, City Harvest (www.CityHarvest.org) is the world’s first food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding New York City’s hungry men, women, and children. This year, City Harvest will collect more than 33 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms. This food is then delivered free of charge to some 600 community food programs throughout New York City by a fleet of trucks and bikes. City Harvest helps feed the more than one million New Yorkers that face hunger each year.

Photos by Karen Ko for Appetite for Good.

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The event started off with a bang… literally… there was a taxi-on-taxi accident just before we entered and the loud crash made me jump! Just in time for Earth Day, it’s the perfect reminder that life is precious and we should consider our specific impact on the world.

Thus I reflected as I entered the event, a partnership between Manhattan Lincoln, presenting the Lincoln Hybrid, and Michelin Star Chef Wolfgang Ban of Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbar. With a focus on sustainability, the Lincoln Hybrid matches Mr. Ban’s own interest in addressing the issue of overpopulation and world hunger through the practice of “Nose-to-Tail” cooking – the idea being that using the whole animal and all its edible parts is much more efficient and less tolling on our environment than eating a single part, as is the current norm. Mr. Ban showcased this “Nose-to-Tail” approach during a cooking demonstration.

Of course, the real stars of the evening were the parade of tastings delightfully presented with a fabulous selection of wine pairings. Mr. Ban is known for his modern take on Austrian cuisine and I was gratefully not disappointed as I have many fond memories of my own grandmother’s cooking for him to compete against.

The food was truly amazing, each of the seven dishes were perfectly balanced. My particular favorites were the King Crab, Lime and Tarragon dish paired with the wine Edlmoser, Gemisccter Satz and the Oyster, Cucumber and Gin paired with Pichler-Krutzler, Riesling Trum 2010.

As Mr. Ban explained, he likes to use lime and lemon to bring out the flavors in his dishes and this is certainly the case for the King Crab, Lime and Tarragon dish. Simply put, the tarragon and lime shocked my taste buds in such a wonderful way that I thoughtfully stopped to consider the flavors before continuing my interview.

For the Oyster, Cucumber and Gin pairing, it was a non-traditional choice but delightful! I sometimes find oysters too salty, but the gin and cucumber were great compliments to the brine-y yet sweet flavor of the oysters.

Of course, the desserts were fabulous with my favorite being the Cheesecake, White Asparagus and Rhubarb paired with C.H Berres, Riesling Kabinett 1998. I actually had no idea that Mr. Ban used white asparagus in the dish until writing this piece and I re-visited the menu; amazing what a great chef can do!

The event, the cause and the food were well orchestrated and, with Earth Day now in the near-distant past, I’ll leave you with this Native American Proverb…

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children

Photos by Alexander Kok, www.alexanderkok.com for Appetite for Good.

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Like many of my fellow New Yorker’s, I always thought of myself as being somewhat of an expert on the subject of sushi. I can barely go a week without it, and I will admit that means on occasion I resort to the budget stuff too.

So I was thrilled to be invited to join LUCKYRICE on April 12th when they presented A Sushi Connoisseur’s Dinner at Jewel Bako hosted by Trevor Corson on April 12th (author of The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice). The dinner was made even more special with the addition of some premium Hakkaisan sake selections from Timothy Sullivan (founder of UrbanSake.com).

Todd Leong

Trevor loves to share his passion and excitement for authentic Japanese sushi, so he hosts these dinners at Jewel Bako (one of my absolute favorite sushi restaurants in New York City). Trevor works closely with the chef to create a highly authentic historical sushi menu – tonight’s meal was a traditional Edo-period meal from 100 years ago.

But its not the meal I had expected, there was no tuna, salmon, or yellowtail in sight. Those may be the most popular fish in today’s sushi, but as Trevor told us, real sushi connoisseurs will say those fish are too easy for people to like. Tonight we are celebrating the old kings of sushi – fish like flounder, snapper, sea bream.

The meal started with an amuse bouche made with young bamboo shoots that was paired with Hakkaisan Tokubestu Junmai, a light clean sake milled at 60%.

Todd Leong

Trevor gave us some tips on how to really get to know a sushi chef at a good restaurant. If you really want to get to know the sushi chef, don’t go at 8pm on a Saturday night. Go at 6:30pm on a Tuesday night when they’re bored and have time to talk to you. And if you ever had the feeling the sushi chef was sizing you up, you’re totally right. They’re literally trying to figure out how big your mouth is so they can make sure the sushi pieces will fit in one bite.

Our second sake tasting was a Hakkaisan Honjozo, which had a little more richness and aroma, milled to 55%, which is the entry level to premium sakes.

Todd Leong

As the beautiful sushi arrived at our tables, we discussed whether its better to eat with your fingers or with chopsticks. Trevor said at a high end sushi bar, you should eat sushi with your fingers. The reason is that a nigiri should actually be packed fairly loose, but since most people use chopsticks, sushi chefs need to pack the rice much denser so they don’t fall apart when you pick it up with chopsticks.

Todd Leong

Of course the topic of soy sauce had to come up. Really good sushi doesn’t need anything else. Sushi chefs spend most of their day preparing the rice – making sure its seasoned and cooked perfectly. There’s nothing wrong with having soy sauce with your sushi, but whatever you do, don’t dip the rice in. Trevor taught us a really cute trick, take a piece of ginger and use it as a paintbrush to lightly paint your sushi pieces to get just the right amount of soy sauce.

So what’s in an authentic sushi meal? Here’s a rundown of what we had tonight:

Kampachi (amberjack), Sweet Shrimp, Squid

Eel, Sea Bream (type of snapper)

Pickled plum paste & shiso roll, Flounder

Isaki (Japanese grunt fish), Old Fashioned box sushi with pickled mackerel

This last piece provided a little history lesson. It’s a rectangular piece of sushi traditionally served in the 1800s, the fish was pickled or blanched. Sushi originated as a way of preserving fish since fresh water fish was only abundant at certain times of the year. In Northern Thailand, rice farmers figured out a method to preserve fish in pressed rice.

And to pair with the sushi, Timothy saved the best sake of the night. Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo, a crisp, clean sake milled at 50%. It was so good, I think I may have had 2 glasses, well maybe 3.

I will admit though, my absolute favorite part of the night was when Trevor offered to introduce us to our sushi chef. I’ve eaten at Jewel Bako and had the privilege of dining with Chef Shimizu. But our chef tonight was Chef Sho. She (yes I said she!) provided an absolutely amazing dinner and was gracious enough to say hello to us. She even let us know that she is opening a Japanese tapas bar in the East Village very soon. I feel another article coming!

At the end of the night, I found myself giddy and dizzy from all the knowledge and great tips I had learned! So I need to give credit to the people who brought us here tonight. LUCKYRICE’s mission is to explore the world of Asian cuisine and share it with enthusiasts everywhere. Tonight’s dinner served as an amuse bouche as well to their upcoming LUCKYRICE Festival (May 1-6), a week-long celebratory showcase of Asian culinary culture. Proceeds from the festival benefit City Harvest. Be sure to get your tickets to this year’s events: http://www.luckyrice.com/

Before leaving, I had to ask Trevor for one last piece of sushi advice. He simply said “eat less sushi and more better.” So I guess my days of budget sushi are now long gone.

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Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation— the philanthropic culinary extravaganza— is slated for Monday, April 30 at 82 Mercer Place in Soho in New York City. The event brings together the top restaurants, chefs, bakers, mixologists and food personalities in the big apple in an effort to showcase the best food and drink, while benefiting Share Our Strength®, the leading national organization working to make sure no child in America grows up hungry.

This year the event will showcase 50 restaurants, signature cocktails from prominent mixologists, book signings with food industry personalities such as April Bloomfield, Aaron Sanchez and Danny Meyer, and exclusive packages offered during the live and silent auctions.

Participating restaurants include: A Voce, ABC Kitchen, Ai Fiori, Aquavit, Blue Hill, Blue Smoke, China Grill, Ed’s Chowder House, Gramercy Tavern, Landmarc, Maialino, Red Rooster, Telepan, The Meatball Shop, The Modern, Union Square Café, Aldea, Beauty & Essex and SD26, among others.

Cocktails will be stirred and shaken from the city’s best, including Booker & Dax, Ward III, The Rum House, Louis 649, Macao Trading Company and the Wayland.

Ticket Information
Tickets for Share Our Strength’s 2012 Taste of the Nation® NYC are $225 for General Admission ($250 at the door) and $425 for VIP ($450 at the door). VIP Ticket holders enjoy a one-hour preview of the full event, complete with dishes and drinks created just for our VIP guests from restaurants not featured in the main event.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting , calling 1-877-26 TASTE (268-2783), or at the event (subject to availability). 100% of ticket sales support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in the US. Local agencies benefiting from the evening include: City Harvest, Food Bank for New York City, Just Food, NYC Coalition Against Hunger, and Nutrition Consortium of NYS.

For more information on Share our Strength, Visit www.strength.org. To purchase tickets for Taste of the Nation NYC, please go to www.tasteofthenation.org.

Below are some images from last year’s event to whet your appetite!

Photos by Sherry Li for Appetite for Good.

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Varli Food Festival.

As a self-proclaimed rabid foodie, I attend a lot of food events in New York City. So I was thrilled at the opportunity to experience the 2nd annual Varli Food Festival on April 5 at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

The Varli Food Festival is an annual food, wine and desserts tasting event showcasing Indian cuisine and culture. Hosted by Emmy-nominated television host Padma Lakshmi and Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, this year over 60 restaurants and 20 leading chefs from across the U.S. and even as far as the UK and India participated in the festival. There was also a free spice market so guests could explore the vast variety of spices and even got to take some goodies home with them. A portion of the proceeds from the night went to the Food Bank of New York City.

Varli Food Festival.

My experience with Indian food comes mostly from the dishes my Indian friends would help me order in restaurants, so I’ve never been too adventurous in my selections. I was hoping this experience would open up my beliefs about Indian cuisine. And it absolutely did. The vibrancy and diversity of Indian cuisine that was offered at the festival was amazing.

My favorite tastes were modern twists on Indian traditional dishes: Chand Palace’s Murgh Tikka Ravioli, Copper Palace’s Spicy Lamb Kofta with Cucumber Salad, Junoon’s Lotus Root Three Ways, Devi’s Chicken Tawa Tacos. And of course you can’t forget dessert. Sweet Silk’s twist on the traditional Indian sweet “mithai” with a French petits four was delightful and the perfect sweet ending to the night.

Varli Food Festival.

What struck me most about this event is that it wasn’t just a food tasting event. I could clearly feel the excitement and pride from all the people attending and participating. For them this was truly a celebration of their Indian heritage and culture, and they seemed to relish the idea of welcoming an outsider like me into their world. I hope to be back next year to try even more treats.

For more information about the Varli Food Festival, visit http://www.varlifoodfestival.com/index.php

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A Passover dinner is a wonderful opportunity for families to recline at the table, recite the holiday’s story, and eat traditional foods like matzah and gefilte fish. But every year, thousands of our neighbors – including many of the estimated 250,000 Jewish New Yorkers living below the poverty line – are unable to access an adequate amount of food that qualifies as Kosher for Passover. Acknowledging that so many of our friends could use a helping hand this time of year, City Harvest launched its 2012 Kosher for Passover Food Drive on March 8 with the hope of collecting even more than the 247,000 pounds of donations it amassed last year.

Local Jews who observe Passover’s dietary rules stick to an eight-day regimen that excludes chomtez – leavened foods that contain certain grains. As a general rule, any food that rises while it’s cooking is off limits – the idea is to recall our ancestors’ rush to flee their oppressors, which left them with no time to bake bread. With an understanding of these restrictions in mind, City Harvest operates its Kosher for Passover Food Drive to provide local Jews with “K for P” nosh like matzah and fresh produce after gathering the donated treats at local schools and synagogues. As Rebecca Glass, head of City Harvest’s Kosher Community Project explains, the goal is to “ensure that observant families in New York have access to good quality kosher food on an ongoing basis.” Oy vey, what a mitzvah!

But a Passover diet is not just about avoiding cakes and pies; many Jews remove all chometz from their homes before the holiday begins, either by throwing it away, selling it, or donating it. With this tradition in mind, City Harvest is also participating in a Chometz Food Drive to help gather leavened goodies and ensure that they help feed New Yorkers who could use a helping hand. City Harvest will collect donated chometz from locations around the five boroughs until April 6 (the first night of Passover) and distribute it to food programs serving communities around the city.

City Harvest launched its Kosher Initiative (now the Kosher Community Project) in 1999 to help Jews to observe the Jewish dietary law, known in Hebrew as kashrut, year-round. Since then, the project has expanded from a three-agency operation working out of a single van to a vast network of 32 agencies that help feed over 120,000 people every month. In 2011 alone, City Harvest distributed over 2.1 million pounds of kosher food to our fellow New Yorkers. Mazal tov, City Harvest, on all the great work you do in the Jewish community and beyond.

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What better way to bring 2012 SOBEWFF to a close than with an exciting first-time event: Trucks on the Beach presented by Cultivate Wines and hosted by Andrew Zimmern. Wait—trucks ON the beach? Yep, literally ON the beach!

Billy Farrell Agency.

The white sands behind The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, were transformed into a food truck rally that showcased 20 rolling restaurants filled with deliciousness. Trucks were dramatically angle parked along the perimeters of the giant tent almost as far as the eye could see. Ms. Cheezious took the People’s Choice Award for its creamy blend of Danish blue cheese and green onion with crispy bacon on grilled sourdough bread. However, among such an array of delights (from a duck pate banh mi (Stocked ’N Loaded) to the mangia ball “smasher” meatball sandwich (Mangia Mia) to the pan-seared scallop with homestead corn and basil butter (Bite Gastrotruck) it really was hard to choose a favorite.

Who would have thought food prep on wheels would ignite such a trend? I recall a more humble incarnation of this fad when a woman in a Suburban would pull up at my workplace in San Diego and the receptionist would announce, “G. Cater on line 3,” and everyone knew this meant they had 15 minutes to partake of the homemade, no-frills goodness, dished out of the back of a Chevy. Cheap, authentic and amazing.

Billy Farrell Agency.

This event was definitely the place to get a sampling of what the overwhelmingly popular new-and-improved-and-gourmet version of the roach coach has to offer. Apparently people really love to eat food on wheels handed out the side of a truck, because this event had some of the longest lines I’d ever seen in 5 years of SOBEWFFesting.

Billy Farrell Agency.

My partner and I decided to divide and conquer at one point, instructing one to get two of the Mangia Mia Meatball meatball mash-ups, and the other to wait in line simultaneously and get two Ms. Cheezious sandwiches to see what all the fuss was about. And, quick! There must be some form of beverage to wash all of this traveling yumminess down. Indeed. Thank goodness for mini roader bottles of Freixenet! And, wait for it, wait for it…with glowing straws! Can you hear the angels singing?

Billy Farrell Agency.

Andrew Zimmern really outdid himself with this event. I suspect it will come back—at least as long as the good-food-on-wheels trend continues!

One thing is for sure, the Food Network SOBEWFF went off the charts this year. With final attendance numbers of about 58,000 and a fundraising tally of over $2 million for Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality, everyone involved—from organizers and chefs to sponsors and guests—should be proud and pleased with fulfilling their purpose and fueling their appetite for good.

Billy Farrell Agency.

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Food Network SOBEWFF is always a whirlwind weekend of food and wine. Amid the lavish events, glitz and frequent sightings of culinary glitterati, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that amidst all the fun, every ticket sold benefits the Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality. The end result? The world gets the next excellent crop of fresh talent to create culinary experiences that continue to raise the bar on the status quo.

Since the Fest’s very beginning, hundreds of Florida International University students each year have gained valuable experience participating on various aspects of the event. This includes sponsorship fulfillment, restaurant and exhibitor recruitment, logistics and inventory, as well as working shoulder to shoulder with some of the world’s greatest celebrity chefs, culinary personalities and winemakers. Without the enthusiasm and energy of over 900 FIU students each year, the SOBEWFF would be hard pressed to carry on. The simple beauty is that everyone wins in this work-study model.

Speaking of work-study and being taken to school…after 5 years of attending the festival, I should have graduated to professional attendee status by now. I tried to pace myself through the weekend, but I seem to have flunked that course again. It’s hard to pace the fun when the event keeps topping itself every year.

It never ceases to amaze me how locations such as pristine beaches and parking lots by day are transformed into party palaces by night. Two examples from this year’s Fest were Epicure Gourmet Market Presents Party Impossible hosted by Robert Irvine and Trucks on the Beach, the official Festival Closing Party, hosted by Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern. Both were well attended (too well attended, perhaps?), and showcased unique aspects of today’s culinary zeitgeist.

Billy Farrell Agency.

Upon arrival Party Impossible seemed just that—impossible to gain entrance to. Rumor had it that the event was oversold and the Miami Fire Marshall put the kibosh on more revelers (ticketed or not) getting up to the top floor of South Beach’s iconic Herzog & de Meuron-designed parking structure to eat, drink and party it up. It was dramatically lit and we could hear the music, we just couldn’t reach the promised land!

Billy Farrell Agency.

After a frustrating wait in a massive line downstairs, a miscue from a security guard led way to at least 50 people eagerly climbing multiple flights of stairs only to be told at the top by another security person that we should go back downstairs. Stubbornly, we all held our ground. It was a ticket-holder’s revolt. Eventually we were rewarded for our obstinacies and stiletto hike up the stairs with cocktails and fabulous gourmet-market style food by Epicure, Miami’s answer to Dean & Deluca.

Billy Farrell Agency.

Whew! I practically needed to be as fit as host Chef Robert Irvine to make it to the top; but upon seeing a fairy hanging upside-down from a chandelier pouring champagne for everyone, I caught my breath and went to rehydrate.

Billy Farrell Agency.

This was Robert Irvine’s first year as a SOBEWFF event host, and I think it’s safe to say it went very well. Entry problems aside, this will likely be talked about as one of the Fest’s hottest events. So hot, in fact, that at one point Chef Irvine removed his shirt while throwing together a ceviche mixture as he addressed partygoers, who understandably stopped mid-bite of their mini beef wellingtons to look at this man’s incredible upper body!

Billy Farrell Agency.

If you hadn’t thought abs, pecs and biceps went well with fresh fish marinating in citrus, think again…Yummy! I have a feeling he’ll be invited to host again and I, for one, will be seeking my ticket early. As a side note, Irvine told my blogging counterpart Sandy Todd Webster in an interview the next morning that the shirtless move wasn’t really his style and that it all was Guy Fieri’s fault for egging him on in front of everyone. Whatev, Robert. We all loved it and we hope you do it again!

And what would a market-fresh dinner party be without dessert? After attempting to lick the fondant and chocolate dress off of the full-size mannequin, I resorted to a more socially acceptable bite of a cupcake and a few more Epicure’s delicious and beautiful baked goods.

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We left the beach and went for a swim over at the Albion Hotel, capturing our annual “porthole” photos, and then we headed back to get prettied up for Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best tasting event sponsored by Bank of America at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel. This was our second year attending this party and it’s now our favorite event of the weekend. It is clearly the most elegant and classy affair on the entire SOBEWFF program.

The evening featured more than 75 winemakers from around the world pouring their top-rated wines alongside more than 40 wizard chefs from South Florida and beyond concocting their signature dishes.

The wines included Champagne’s prestige cuvees (Holla! Do you think we were tasting many of these?), Grand Cru Burgundies, Super Tuscan reds, Cali Cabernets and dessert wines from Austria, Canada and Italy. Also, noteworthy was the stir caused by actor Anthony Banderas, who was on hand to introduce his Anta Banderas winery. The ladies were certainly lining up at his booth for sample pours!

Restaurants included most of the local favorites but ranged from New York’s Momofuku Milk Bar and Eleven Madison Park to Canlis (Seattle), Slanted Door (San Francisco), Five and Ten (Athens, GA), Zahav (Philly) and Carnegie on Main (Boston). The impressive list goes on and on.

All the glamour here has an altruistic purpose. Between sips and bites, one could place a bid on Silent Auction items sponsored by Travel Curator. All proceeds from the auction (and the Festival in general) benefit the students of the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management who also assist Festival organizers with sponsorship fulfillment, restaurant and exhibitor recruitment, logistics, and inventory as well as working alongside some of the world’s greatest celebrity chefs and winemakers.

Wearing a little cocktail number to this event can be dangerous, considering that the cumulative effect of unctuous offerings prepared by renowned chefs can—and does—gradually push the envelope on one’s dress seams. This can make you feel much less sexy than when you first put yourself together for the night, but you’ll be glad to know I’m always willing to take that chance. Or maybe you’re not glad to know that.

In the spirit of being a team player, I took one for the squad when—after steady food and wine sampling all night—I, ahem, “forced” myself to eat Chef Sean Brasel’s (Meat Market, Miami) Foie Gras and Ricotta Ravioli with Sous Vide Veal Cheek, Marmalade and Local Salad.

The veal cheek was so tender my plastic fork melted through it like the sharpest knife I own. The ravioli was impossibly light, creamy and poufy with the foie gras providing an earthy, rich rush. The marmalade and salad greens gave it just a hint of sweet and bitter. The mouth feel? Queue “bom-chicka-bow-wown” music here and just call it pure food porn. My eyeballs were pretty much rolling back into my skull as I ate it.

Texturally, visually and flavor-wise, it was out-of-control delicious. And that reminds me that I may have actually felt some threads pop on the red get-up I was wearing while I was quietly moaning with the pleasure of it all. I didn’t care. I was feverish and not thinking straight. I almost reached over and stole a forkful from the stranger next to me when he turned to talk to his date. Truly, it was one of the most balanced and flavorful plates I’ve had in a long time and without a doubt, my favorite taste of the night. Thank you Chef Brasel for my Best Bite of the Best!

A close second was Chef Michael Solomonov’s (Zahav, Philadelphia) Lamb Tartare with Pickled Cauliflower. Simple and earthy on a small bruschetta bite for crunch…and oh-so yummy.

Suffice to say that I rolled out of Fountainebleau feeling like an overstuffed sausage.  Despite that, Brandy and I managed to get a nice compliment (“Can I just say you ladies look absolutely delicious?”) from Chef Michael Chiarello, who offered to take a photo we were posing for and then actually jumped into one of the shots with us. Perhaps he detected a whiff of the Brasel dish on me and thought it was my perfume? In any case, that was a fun and memorable moment.

Other bites and dishes that made my Best of the Best tasting notes are included below. Apologies to the dessert fans out there, as I really don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so, with the exception of the torrejas on this list, that part of my coverage is lacking.

• Chef Pichet Ong (Coppelia; Qi, NYC)—Olive Oil Torrejas, Blackberries, Rum and Malden Salt
• Chef Alfred Portale (Gotham Steak, Fontainebleau, Miami) Short Rib of Beef with Carrot Saffron Puree, Vegetable Slaw, Horseradish and Smoked Salt; Grilled Mayan Prawns with Spiced Mango, Pineapple, Avocado and Jalapeno Lime Emulsion
• Chef Nick Anderer (Maialino, NYC) Porchetta (yes, porchetta!)
• The cheeses from Coach Farms…love all of them for their clean, pure flavor and super creamy textures. Thanks Steve Margarites and Tara Kirchner!
• Chef Hugh Acheson (Five and Ten, Athens, GA) Charred Beef Heart with Barley, Radish, Meyer Lemon, Pickled Ramp; and Braised Tenderloin with Shoyu Vinaigrette
• Chef Craig Deihl (Cypress Lowcountry Grille, Charleston, SC) Certified Angus Beef Strip Loin Bresaola with Watercress, Pecorino and Black Olive Oil; and Certified Angus Beef Brisket “Reubenaise” with Amish Swiss and a Rye Chip

Even after such exhausting “work” today, we still had one more party to attend: Chef Robert Irvine’s Party Impossible!

©2012 by Sandy Todd Webster. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. Appetite for Good.

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