Steady Diet of Something
Archuleta and Tedford are back again with another rendition of their BATON Supper Series. As with the first three, the duet has managed to wrangle another impressive cookmeister from lands abroad. So check out the details after the jump and hop on the reservation bandwagon asap.
This past Monday and Tuesday marked round #2 of the fantastic BATON Supper Series, a sort of subterranean dinner club series that kicked off last month. If you’ve missed my past posts on BATON, here’s a little catch up for you:
Moses Archuleta, of Deerhunter fame, and Bryson Tedford are the organizers of this monthly endeavor; and, the duo hosts these two night events at Gato Bizco Café in Candler Park. The club is intended to run the last Monday and Tuesday of the month [dinner #2 was delayed a week on account of the holidays]. What’s particularly cool about these dinners is that Tedford and Archuleta work with chefs who hail from outside of Atlanta. So every month, not only do you get different food from a different chef, but you get something you won’t be able to get elsewhere in the city. Party!
Okay, so the October premier featured the M. Wells gang from NYC and was built around black pepper as the central ingredient. It was awesome … you should read about it. To pull this Fête du Boeuf off, nabbed Tien Ho, a congenial chef who recently left his position at Momofuku’s Má Pêche in New York City. For realz people – this guy has skillz! Dinner … well it rocked.
A masterful dining experience is the consequence of a tapestry of constituents woven together to elicit an inspirational reaction. That’s the type of grandiose impression a meal at New York City’s Marea can leave. Quietly settled near Columbus Circle’s intersection with Central Park, this Italian seafood restaurant sits as a titan of industry in what is arguably the culinary capital of the world. For a two-year-old restaurant, that’s an impressive reality.
No doubt a testament to the direction of executive chef Michael White and partner Chris Canon, a meal at Marea is quite clearly the result of the cadre of chefs and servers, the mise-en-scène of the setting, and some very inspiring bites (sometimes slathered in a seduction of lardo and sea urchin).
Caesar Salad recipe adapted from The “21” Cookbook (buy on Amazon)
Caesar dressing recipes are as ubiquitous as any. Everyone has their way of doing it and many will debate the merits of one version over another. For the record – I do fall in the pro anchovies camp. I’ve sampled a wide number of Caesar Salad dressing recipes and time and time again, I come back to this one, courtesy of NYC’s famed “21” Club. It’s relatively creamy, pronounced in flavor, and wildly addictive (if I do say so myself).
I prepared this a few nights ago with one of my neighbors at our “Bevy of Babes” dinner. Apparently, the way to get a bunch of beautiful women into the same room is through their stomachs … who’d have thunk it? Though I made it the day of, I find that the dressing really does come together as it ages (24 hours).
And yes, I will take this time to thank everyone who dropped in. To those many lovely ladies (and couple of cool dudes), thank you for letting me cook for you. I find few things more enjoyable than preparing a meal for someone. Each one of you made my night that much more enjoyable.
A special thanks to Papa Squat, my sous for the evening. As any good chef will tell you, your food is only as good as your sous chef. And with that – on with the cooking!
Atlanta, I have a bone to pick with you … and I’ll explain why in paragraph six.
For the past few years, supper clubs have been one of the best, if not the best, things about Atlanta’s dining scene. Tonight (or last night by the time you see this) marked the debut of BATON Supper Series, a locally grown concept that seems poised to make a name for itself. The brainchild of ATLiens Moses Archuleta (of Deerhunter) and Bryson Tedford, BATON is a supper series set to throw down on the last Monday and Tuesday of each month (6p-11p). BATON currently operates out of Gato Bizco Café, a fabulous and truly under appreciated breakfast joint located in Atlanta’s Candler Park neighborhood.
What makes BATON so appealing is its unique way of introducing Atlanta to different types of food. Instead of relying on a single voice, Archuleta and Tedford are going to put on each set of monthly meals with the help of a chef of notable acclaim. Sounds pretty run of the mill right? Wrong! The catch: each round, BATON will feature a different chef who hails from far away. It’s a kick ass way to breath fresh life into Atlanta’s dining scene and give Atlantans a taste of what’s around.
This one’s actually a few months old, but seeing as it came out during “The Dark Ages,” I thought I might as well put it up. The video above is from the party to celebrate Zagat’s list of the best 30 foodies under 30 years of age in New York. It’s an impressive list, available here, and includes the likes of Heather Bertinetti, whose desserts at Marea blew my freaking mind and then some. Damn them there attractive and talented women whose main purpose in life is to help people indulge in joy.
I’ll actually have my Marea recap up soon, but in the meantime … I’m going to cry in the corner after reminding myself that all these people are way more talented than this dude AND that I no longer qualify for inclusion on said list.
inspired and thus restricted by CHOW, apologies on tense shifts
100 miles or more is a long way to travel for crazy delicious food cooked to perfection; but, according to some article whose whereabouts escape me, food focused vacations are on the rise. That spike is directly related to the increased popularity of things like foodie culture, artisanal dishes, and the need to bask in the presence of the latest bad boy celebrity chef whose mug is as identifiable as Brad Pitt’s.
Few cities are worthy of such a commute, and it stands as no surprise that New York City is one of them. Great restaurants dot the five boroughs of this metropolis like acne pocked Jessica Simpsons face back in the day (hell – it’s probably still there). Heck, great restaurants are seemingly ubiquitous, so getting noticed is a tough job. While other cities are consumed in food trucks, deconstructed dishes, and burgers from a wannabe gastropub, NYC’s attention span is short lived and symptomatic of ADHD. Still, for those that do make waves, unctuous praise or a harsh scalding comes fast and furiously.
In 2010, Torrisi Italian Specialties, a quasi eponymous culinary mash-up, opened in New York’s Little Italy to the delight of critics and fans alike. A sammie shop/Italian deli by day, by night, this small-seat vestibule of an eatery morphs into a not so hidden gem of addictive flavors and OMG moments. At least, that’s what it did for me during my one meal there. Festooned with hanging charcuterie, open-faced pantries, and tiles … lots and lots of tiles, Torrisi seems like a gem.
Peering through my looking glass, a once formidable cocktail whose specifics elude me at this juncture, I find my mind fluttering and, most importantly, my stomach growling. Mind you, this isn’t on account of an empty belly; rather, I’ve bellied up at one of the most notable gastro pubs in the world. I’ve finally made my way over to the Michelin rated Minetta Tavern, and before I can even sit down, I can tell I’m going to be a better man for it.
In 2009, when proprietor Keith McNally (of Balthazar ilk) introduced New York to this Art Deco era bistro homage, the praise came quickly, often, and adoringly. No doubt chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr had a lot to do with that. As such, by the time I walked into the door some three-months ago, I had very few misgivings as to what was on deck.
So I’m stuffing my face full of New York when I am suddenly put on notice. One of my good friends in culinary consumption just so happens to be roaming the very same streets and in roughly the same neighborhood. Yup … Eat, Drink, Man was in town too.
Out came the droid, soon followed by the ratatat of key mashing and some subsequent phone chatter. Words haphazardly flew about until we came to an agreement. We would meet on the morrow in an attempt to best each other on the battle field (Pearl Oyster Bar). I am Jack’s beating heart.
Something odd happens when I sit down in a restaurant that is epically famous but not very old (as is the case with Pearl Oyster Bar). One might expect me to have some sort of intense emotional rush or at least a moment to myself. Truth be told, in both of my trips to Pearl, I’ve found the place so approachable that it almost slips into the annals of my mind not long after I leave. In other words, Pearl is just so comfortable that you can easily forget you are in one of the holiest of holies and it’s against this setting that I, dare I saw we, consumed one of the best lobster rolls you’ll find anywhere.
Recently, during her visit to New York, The Donald was kind enough to give former Vice Presidential candidate Tina Fey [click the link] an insiders guide to all things pizza. Thankfully, he took Madame Vice President to the world famous Famiglia and showed her how all true New Yorker’s eat ‘za. Enjoy 8-minutes of awesomeness, courtesy of your friends at The Daily Show.
