In the third of a series of annual Brooklyn-themed
events, members of the illustrious James Beard Foundation invited
six Park Slope chefs to prepare dinner for its members and other
food professionals. Members of the foundation’s programming committee
select chefs whose restaurants, they feel, epitomize the finest
cuisine of our borough.
"Our programming committee chooses chefs whose restaurants
they’ve dined in. They listen carefully to our members’ recommendations
and read the reviews of food critics before coming to a consensus,"
says Siobhan Haber, who chairs the committee.
James Beard, who championed American cuisine (referring to it
as "honest, real food"), is considered the dean of
American cooking. His townhouse on West 12th Street became the
James Beard Foundation shortly after his death in 1985. Founded
by "French Chef" Julia Child and Peter Kump (known
for Peter Kump’s Cooking School, now the Institute of Culinary
Education) the foundation is dedicated to promoting American
cooking and furthering the careers of talented, American chefs.
The dinner, titled "Brooklyn Cooks: Park Slope," took
place on Jan. 28 at the James Beard Foundation on West 12th Street
in Manhattan. The chosen chefs included Christopher Sell of the
ChipShop and CurryShop, whose ChipShop specializes in fish and
chips and all things fried – Snickers bars included; Aaron Bashy,
of The Minnow, a diminutive seafood restaurant with a strong
neighborhood following; Bruce and Eric Bromberg of Blue Ribbon
Brooklyn, and recently, Blue Ribbon Sushi, famous for their multi-tiered
platters of raw seafood; and Michelle and Carlo Pulixi of Convivium
Osteria whose Italian, Spanish and Portuguese dishes have made
their restaurant a destination stop.
"I was incredibly honored when I received the call from
the James Beard Foundation," said Sell, who despite the
working class origin of his ChipShop menu is a classically trained
chef. "Being chosen by the James Beard committee and cooking
alongside chefs who I know and admire was great," he added.
The dinner began with a cocktail hour in the townhouse’s glass-enclosed
garden room. To enter the room, one must walk into a tiny foyer
with pineapple-printed wallpaper and proceed through a small,
stiflingly hot kitchen where the chefs, oblivious to the heat,
calmly chatted or attended to last minute preparations.
In the room, which overlooks what will be a garden come spring,
those attending the dinner sipped Daniel Dampt Chablis 2001,
a tart white wine that complemented the clean, steely taste of
Malpeque oysters, courtesy of Blue Ribbon Brooklyn.
After the cocktail hour, diners were instructed to sit down for
dinner in the persimmon-colored, book-lined dining room where
small, round tables, set with a collection of various-shaped
wineglasses and heavy silverware awaited.
My table of Brooklynites began a lively conversation on the merits
of certain Brooklyn restaurants; personal, food-related pet peeves
– too much "stuff" on the plate being one of them –
and oaky versus steely Chardonnay (steely being preferable at
the moment).
Sell presented the first course, a "trio of shepherd’s pies:
wild mushroom, vegetable and beef," with a glass of Ruddles
Country Ale, a slightly bitter, full-flavored, imported English
ale that nicely offset the complexity of the pies. Only a few
bites each – the pies were flavorful, but the wild mushroom,
with its chunky, earthy chanterelle, portabello and shitake mushrooms,
was the star of the trio. Salty, caramelized onions, atop the
traditional mashed potato topping, lent another dimension of
flavor to the pie.
Carlo Pulixi delighted our table with pillows of tortelli, ravioli
filled with a mixture of artichokes and caciotta, a creamy sheep
milk cheese. A bit of sweet butter lent richness to the artichoke
stock used to sauce the pasta. Pulixi chose a light Companhia
Das Quintas Palmela Tradicao 1999, a red Portuguese wine with
a full-body, that teamed well with the pasta.
Bashy’s three enormous sea scallops sported an innovative topping
of raw couscous that, after pan searing, achieve a crackly, crisp
crust; the crunch of the scallops’ coating amplifying the velvety
texture of the shellfish. Bland chickpea "fries" made
from chickpea flour, served alongside the scallops were redundant:
crunchy with crunchy. Vegetarian plate-mates included a rich
mushroom gratin and Brussels sprouts cooked in honey and date
syrup until buttery and soft. It was a busy mix of "stuff"
on the plate, but with the exception of the "fries,"
the elements complemented one another.
"I was really excited when [the James Beard Foundation]
asked me to prepare the entree," said Bashy.
Marquis Philips Holly’s Blend Verdehlo 2002, a fresh, dry Australian
white wine was an excellent choice. Its clean, somewhat neutral
flavor didn’t compete with Bashy’s elaborate dish.
A dense chocolate fig cake baked by Michele Pulixi ended the
meal on a sweet note. Tasting like a chewy, chocolate Fig Newton,
the cake – topped with melted chocolate and served with big dollop
of softly whipped cream – was not overly sugary thanks to VinoCotto,
made of unfermented grapes, mixed into the batter.
To naysayers who complain that few good dining choices exist
in Park Slope, I say this: You should have been there.
Blue Ribbon Brooklyn (280 Fifth Ave.
at Garfield Place) accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express
and Diners Club. For reservations, call (718) 840-0404.
ChipShop (383 Fifth Ave. at Sixth Street) accepts cash only.
For more information, call (718) 832-7701.
Convivium Osteria (68 Fifth Ave. at Bergen Street) accepts American
Express. For reservations, call (718) 857-1833.
The Minnow (442 Ninth St. at Sixth Avenue) accepts Visa, MasterCard,
Diners Club and Discover. For reservations, call (718) 832-5500.
