My first visit to Aldea was right around its opening this past May. The food was great then. When I returned to NYC this past September, I wanted to see how George Mendes and the restaurant have fared over the ensuing months. This time, though, I sat, with two friends, at the kitchen counter peering directly in to the hive of culinary activity. A hive it was, since in addition to the full downstairs dining room, the restaurant was hosting a party in their upstairs space for GQ Magazine including their star food and restaurant writer, Alan Richman.
For parties of three or fewer with an interest in food and cooking beyond the ordinary, sitting at the kitchen counter is a special treat, adding entertainment in the form of the kitchen ballet to go with outstanding food and wine. The night my friends and I were there, we had the benefit of sitting in front of Jade, a lovely, personable and talented young cook covering the cold apps station. Once our party collected the festivities began.
Continue reading "Aldea Delights Again" »
The
Starchefs ICC dove head first in to the question of "What is
American Cuisine" with the first Big Stage event a Panel
featuring superheavyweights Norman Van Aken, Charlie Trotter, Emeril
Lagasse and moderator Clark Wolf discussing the question.
Clark
Wolf (CW) set the stage with a little history and background. While
NYC has a reputation for having everything, that is not precisely
true. According to Wolf, You actually cannot get every ingredient in
the world in NYC – “the omissions tell a story”. Even here
there are limitations to true ethnic authenticity. Back in the day
quality restaurants were defined as refuges from regional cuisine.
They were basically "classic French." Clearly that
has changed. "What makes American cooking so exciting today is
that we’ve largely brushed off those cultural inhibitions – all
varieties of regional cuisines are welcome, which makes the American
culinary scene the envy of the world.
Continue reading "Starchefs Day One: Keynote Panel: VanAken, Trotter & Lagasse on "American Cuisine."" »
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