Seattle chef Jason Franey of Canlis was in New York this weekend to bring a piece of the Pacific Northwest to the James Beard House. A former executive sous chef of the highly-rated Eleven Madison Park, Franey was surrounded by family and friends for the event, from Mark and Chris Canlis to food writer Francis Lam and EMP’s chef Daniel Humm. Also on hand, Bill Whitbeck of Taylor Shellfish Farms, Tracey Baker of Gleason Ranch, and Tracy Smaciarz of Heritage Meats – all purveyors of delicious foodstuffs for Canlis as well as for the special evening at the Beard House. The menu included foie gras apple pie hors d’oeuvres, a scallop and geoduck ceviche, Pacific King salmon, and beef tenderloin with bone marrow and stinging nettles.
Saturday saw the decadent LUCKYRICE Asian Food Festival Grand Feast gala at the beautiful Mandarin Oriental New York. Hosted by journalist Lisa Ling, the event included some of the finest eateries from around the city and beyond. Chinatown Brasserie, Kittichai, Tanuki Tavern, Lola, and Indochine were all present, with Le Bernardin’s Michael Laiskonis, DOB 111’s Michael Bao Huynh, Morimoto’s Masaharu Morimoto, and Daniel’s Daniel Boulud all making appearances. Dishes included a lush spice-crusted steak with a south Indian rice salad from Floyd Cardoz of Tabla, a fiery Santa Barbara sea urchin from Jean-Georges, and an outstanding smoked tofu and miso glazed butterfish from Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental. Drinks were provided by a number of great mixologists, bars, and beverage companies, with NYC’s Summit Bar hitting it out of the ballpark with their Charmane’s Star – a delish mix of vodka, cucumber, shiso leaf, and cinnamon-infused agave.
~Jennifer Heigl