I wrote last week about the new dinner series from Jay Astafa and Angela Lowe, well I actually had the chance to attend Friday night! So now I will tell you all about it.
In an out-of-the-way Brooklyn home, the event was kind of like a fancy catered dinner party. I went straight after work, and at 15 courses, it was somewhat of a test of endurance. But the food was without a doubt spectacular. There was also quite a bit of fanfare, so it was as much entertainment as it was fine dining.
We got to see the chefs preparing everything in the kitchen–now known as my dream kitchen. That was v fun. And everything was plated to perfection.
I’m not showing EVERYTHING but here are quite a few of the dishes. Up at the very top were the first four bites. The crostini with mint sorrel pesto and english peas on the bottom right was actually my brother’s favorite dish of the night. I mean, that pesto: have mercy! Jay said it’s one of his signatures.
Leanne of Vaute was there and said her favorite dish was also among the earliest–the carrot bun slider on the bottom left. It was really good. I don’t always go for barbecue but these black coffee barbecued carrots on a carrot roll were out of this world!
More food porn:
Parsnip vichyssoise with pickled fiddlehead ferns and shiitake bacon. Love love love.
White asparagus panna cotta with green asparagus, morels, and ramps. The panna cotta texture was creamy and amazing! This was perhaps my favorite dish of the night……but it’s so hard to pick!
Baby leeks in pumpernickel “dirt” with edible flowers. I want more of that dirt!
This was also a contender for top dish, a mushroom rosemary tart with thyme chevre and frisee. Chef Angela billed this as comfort food and with a moist, buttery crust like that, I felt very comforted indeed.
Stinging nettle gnudi with english pea, eggplant bacon, and cashew parmesan. “That’s good bacon” -my omnivore brother.
The cheese course! My brother shies away from vegan substitutes like veggie meats and cheeses, but he ate every bite of veeg cheese on his plate! It was served with Bee Free Honee–that stuff was yummier than I even remembered.
Here was the most pomp and circumstance of the evening–liquid nitrogen caramel corn!
My bro wondered how necessary it was but I gotta say, best caramel corn ever.
Baby donut and vanilla milkshake!
Strawberry cheesecake with fennel ice cream to finish!
If you want to go to the dinner series, there are a few upcoming dates, including a 7-course dinner tomorrow night! Get your tickets for any of the nights here. And heads up! They’re coming to the west coast soon!