Dinner | The NoMad

A couple Fridays ago, Lisa and I finally made it to The NoMad Hotel, the newest collaboration by Chef Daniel Humm and restauranteur, Will Guidara, whose name was inspired by the surrounding neighborhood, (i.e, north of Madison Park). It should be no surprise that we wanted to check out this new spot, barely open six weeks during our visit, as Chef Humm and Mr. Guidara’s first restaurant together, Eleven Madison Park (EMP), is our all-time favorite restaurant in New York City. We wanted to see if our favorite dynamic hospitality duo could translate what they do so well with EMP, a restaurant so highly regarded and well-known for its all-encompassing dining experience where service and comfort are its top priorities. Alexandra Stylianos, our favorite captain whom we met at EMP and developed a dining relationship with over the last couple years since that first visit, informed us that she was beginning a new position as the maître d' at The NoMad, which gave us more incentive to make a reservation as soon as possible.

With a name eponymous to its home at The NoMad Hotel, the food and beverage program here is "inspired by Chef Humm's time spent throughout Switzerland, California, and New York City" as well as "rooted in the same traditions found at EMP."

The NoMad is housed in "a turn of the century Beaux-Arts building that has been fully restored to its original grandeur with interiors by French designer, Jacques Garcia, with nuances inspired by the Parisian flat of his youth. The hotel is "intended as a fresh take on the classic grand hotels of Europe with a distinct New York sensibility." The restaurant at The NoMad is "comprised of a series of rooms surrounding a glass enclosed atrium and features a refined yet approachable menu with a specially curated program celebrating the great winegrowing countries of the world and innovative classically-focused cocktails."

The restaurant is "comprised of a series of rooms surrounding a glass enclosed atrium and features a refined yet approachable menu with a specially curated wine program celebrating the great winegrowing regions of the world and innovative classically focused cocktails."

Shown above is the Atrium -- "an airy, sunlit space inspired by the great courtyards of Europe" with a pyramidal skylight. Seen through the entryway in the rear of the Atrium is the bar area which has a 24-foot long mahogany bar -- "a balanced mix of spirited club and elegant lounge" whose selection of "classic and proprietary cocktails" are crafted by award-winning mixologist, Leo Robitschek.

Unseen here is the Library, a two-story space connected by an original spiral staircase that was imported from southern France with a mezzanine catwalk. The Library has lighter fare and finger foods served alongside warm and cold beverages alike. There is also "an eclectic literary collection" of interesting books, whose topics include, but are not limited to, the history of New York, music, as well as cocktails and spirits. I would love to visit this space another night for bar bites and delicious cocktails.

We were seated in the Parlour room, which has an open hearth, "where guests may observe the preparation of fresh breads and seasonal specialties." The Parlour is a stately room with dark oak furnishings, richly textured fabrics, and over 100 pressed antique herbs from the French heritage shop, Deyrolle.

Upon entering the first of the dining areas (i.e., the Atrium), we were immediately met with an ambiance of the swanky, the sophisticated, and the seductive, in the same way a very attractive individual entrances all those around them. Everything was super plush and very posh -- the furniture, the décor, the sounds, and all the details. Soft chatter and energetic tunes at comfortable decibels dictate the air. Ultimately, the atmosphere was a trendy yet elegant one -- a big contrast to Eleven Madison Park. If we were to delineate this contrast in terms of music genre, Eleven Madison Park is like the soft, organically cool jazz in the style of Miles Davis and John Coltrane (after all, Chef Humm likes to equate his culinary kitchen at EMP with the art of jazz), while The NoMad is lusciously red and warm in the style of bossa nova (i.e., Brazilian jazz).

Each table has a petite glass gaslight glowing, creating a nicely lit tables throughout the Parlour.

I began the evening with the velvet cobbler -- a concoction of Amontillado sherry, riesling, and lemon verbena. I liked that the cocktail was completely on the rocks -- look at those tiny, marble ice cubes -- and that it came with a speakeasy-style metal straw. It was definitely one of those cocktails that you sip throughout the evening -- it had a strong yet refreshing taste. Just from sampling this one crafted drink from the bar at The NoMad, I knew I would want to return to try other fun, cleverly mixed drinks. Lisa had tea throughout the evening (the tea purveyor for The NoMad is In Pursuit of Tea), all of with which we loved, aromatically and taste-wise. There's a wonderful selection of teas available on the drink menu.

Now, the dinner menu at The NoMad posed the biggest challenge for us, but in the best way possible, of course, mainly because everything on the menu sounded really good. There wasn't really anything we wouldn't want to try, so Lisa and I tried to reason our way into the ideally delicious solution. As we went through all of the menu items, Lisa and I noticed that many of the dishes offered were little vignettes redolent of Eleven Madison Park (e.g., The NoMad sweetbreads snack like EMP's sweetbread cornet; the carrot entrée almost identical; the chicken for two like EMP's seasonal poultry for two; the apple and milk & honey dessert almost identical as well). We found that The NoMad was like the younger sibling, looking up to its older sibling, i.e., Eleven Madison Park -- EMP is a little more traditional and clean-cut while The NoMad is a little more relaxed and casual. However, this is not an indication that the caliber of cuisine is at all spared. If anything, after eating through a good portion of the menu, we came to find that quality and forethought is not at all forgone at The NoMad.

It was really hard to pick just one, but we both decided to share one dish from the snacks section of the menu -- the sweetbreads croustillant (i.e., sweetbread crisps) with parsley. Very much like a French take on spring rolls, these crispy, fried rollups immediately struck Lisa and I into a childhood play of jinx -- "Just like the sweetbread cornets at EMP!" we exclaimed simultaneously. They were a fitting, more casual version of the famed cornets, and we were very much obliged to gobble up each bite. Crunchy and savory -- these are a total tease on your stomach, as it awaits impatiently for the next course.

When we asked our captain about the mysterious "Le Grand Plateau" with assorted fruits de mer (French for "seafood"), she gave us a detailed rundown of which it comprised, and upon hearing "uni" and "oyster" in the same string of items, Lisa and I were dancing on the same gastronomic wavelength, telepathically signaling to each other, "Let's get it!"

"Le Grand Plateau" (French for "the largest tray") for two guests consists of a dual-tiered ceramic bowl filled with ice and laden with maritime fare of all sorts.

The bottom tier included {1} raw scallops on a sea shell, hamachi tartare topped with freshly shaven horseradish, {2} "oysters and snow" and sea urchin over green apple gelée and caviar.

We started with {1} the sea urchin, and it was as heavenly as expected, especially with those pearly orbs of darkened brinyness -- the apple gave it an interesting sweetness to it overall. Then we had the "oyster and snow" (not pictured) which slurped right down, satisfyingly. {2} The raw scallops were great -- enjoyable texture and flavors. {3} The hamachi tartare was refreshing, and Lisa loved the sharp, pungent flavor from the shaved horseradish. It was a little bit much for me (mustard and I have never really made peace with our differences, haha), so I let her have my last few morsels.

The top tier had a couple samplings of two crustaceans -- {1} the lobster with kaffir lime and cayenne pepper and {2} the king crab with avocado. The lobster wasn't very noteworthy to us -- it was bland and overcooked, but the king crab made up for all of that. Soft, juicy, and lightly sweet, its chilled flesh complemented the buttery texture of the cubed avocado. So seafood aficionados -- this pleateau of fare is perfect for you.

Chef Mark Welker is the guy behind the pastry creations at The NoMad (formerly of Eleven Madison Park as a line cook and later its pastry sous chef). He also curates the baked bread that is served for all guests. The one we had the honor of sampling was a loaf of potato and scallion bread. It was warm, soft, and savory in every possible way that bread could be. I would have wolfed this entire loaf myself, but we had quite a bit ahead of us, so I retreated.

A little gift from Alexandra, our captain told us that she didn't want us to "miss" these -- how very sweet of her! These are from the snack menu -- radishes dipped in butter with fleur de sel on the side. Crisp like an apple, only a little less juicy, with a little savoring creaminess from the coated butter, these radishes were such dainty little treats on the palate -- kind of like dirt candy (i.e., candy from the ground)! They were almost too adorable to eat. With a little sprinkle of fleur de sel, these were great meal introduction snacks. Thanks again, Alex!

Before our main course, Lisa and I decided to share the tagliatelle with king crab, Meyer lemon, and black pepper. Similar to the tagliatelle I had at Perla (only Perla's was made from squid ink), this, this pasta was light in texture, tart from the lemon, sweet from the crab, and a little punchy from the black pepper. These ribbons of glorious gluten were so good -- we finished every last strand and every last bit of crab. If our main course was just the tagliatelle, honest to truth, I would have been just as happy and complacent.

So in case you were wondering, we did it. We ordered {1} the whole-roasted chicken for two. How can you deny a chance to taste a bird that has been showered with the decadent combination of brioche crumbs soaked in foie gras and black truffles? Right? So you see the predicament we were in -- we had to order it. The gastronomy gods were surely pleased, but we were in for a beast of a main course. I even got a couple Tweets from my cousin Francis (here and here), when he outright tells me that the chicken for two is "pretty epic" and that I should be prepared to "be carted out of the dining room." We thought we knew what we were getting into -- oooh boy. Only one phrase can really get it right -- "Holy poultry!" Earlier, we had consulted the sommelier about a red wine that would go great with the chicken, and he instantly knew what we would love -- a 2007 "Albe" nebbiolo from Barolo in the Piedmont region of Italy and produced by G. D. Vajra. He made a comment about how nebbiolos (also can be referred to as barolos) have a je ne sais quoi quality about it when sipped standalone, but with food, it sings. We were happy to report that he was indeed right with this pairing!

Each guest receives half a chicken -- {2} the roasted breast and {3} a shared fricassée of dark meat chicken. Under the skin of the breast was a thin layer of brioche crumb mixture that melted right into the chicken as it roasted to a gorgeous, crisp specimen of juicy flavors and delicious aromas -- just like EMP's roasted duck for two. Now you know our stomachs were destined for a dreamy bout of food comas. Every bite was as rich and pretty much melted right into our mouths. Who could ever imagine these three beautiful ingredients -- foie gras, brioche, and black truffle -- could be married to create a culinary masterpiece? Even the fricassée was delicious -- a stew of dark meat and mushrooms, warm with lots of earthy flavors. We were so full by the end of it, so much so that I had to take a little walk around the hotel to help ease it a little. The other maître d' even coyly said that he was surprised I wasn't having trouble walking, and it wasn't because I had just suffered a hairline fracture that landed me in a walking boot, but rather from having just eaten the infamous roasted chicken. Francis was right -- Lisa and I both needed to be carted out of there ASAP!

In between the main course and what would be the last (i.e., dessert), we asked our captain to give us a comfortable break in between courses, so we could make a little room for something sweet. She was happy to oblige, and we were spending most of this time fathoming how spectacular the meal was, even before dessert and contemplating when our next visit should be. Yup, we're those people! :P

In honor of our ordering strategy, which I didn't even realize until I began drafting this post, I had the milk and honey dessert with shortbread, brittle, and ice cream. Our captain told us that this dessert is the perfected version of the inspired original that was created in the kitchen of EMP which had resembled a lovely pile of snow on a plate. I love the new iteration -- the oblong orbs of ice cream resemble little bumble bees with caramel delineating its stripes. So incredibly clever! This entire dessert was the essence of "milk and honey" -- I felt like I was among the bees, tasting the glossy gobs of thick nectar from the honey combs (the holes in the crumbly shortbread certainly resemble them!) with a little creaminess wrapped in there. The milk and honey dessert is as sweet as it looks! So classic for EMP and now The NoMad!

Lisa had the apple dessert -- brandy brioche (right) with apple sorbet (left) and caramel brittle. The apple sorbet part was also inspired by an old EMP dish, which had originally be served inside a beaker-like glass. I thought the brioche was great (lightly doughy and buttery), but Lisa wasn't crazy about the brandy that was drizzled all over it. Considering how well we did with our ordering, one little dessert order botch wasn't going to ruin our wonderful evening we had with each other and with everyone at The NoMad.

Included with our check were these cheeky little business cards, suavely adding more great hospitality with the fantastic service we were already given. Love this extra touch -- just shows how much the details means to the dining team at The NoMad! What's even cooler is the logo for The NoMad is a inscribed circle which contains all of the letters of "nomad" (obviously, the circle represents the O).

Findings: Lisa and I loved everything about our dining experience at The NoMad, though for us, it wasn't any grand surprise. We have been avid followers of Chef Daniel Humm and his culinary creations, as well as the hospitality behind the management of Danny Meyer and Will Guidara, since our first visit to Eleven Madison Park back in December 2009. Who knew we would fall hopelessly in love with another restaurant (led by the same team, no less) in the same way we did with EMP? While the ambiance and personality are contrastly different from its sister restaurant, The NoMad sacrifices nothing at that expense, especially with its caliber of cuisine and accomodation. We were met with nothing but excitement and graciousness for joining the team that evening for dinner. What was even more impressive was that the restaurant had barely been open six weeks, and they were already pulling all the stops of smooth and welcoming service as well as incredibly amazing dinner fare. We also didn't mind the throwbacks to EMP, circa 2009-2011 -- brought us back to some of our favorite meals.

What I admire very much about The NoMad (besides all of the winning qualities that I've raved about already, haha) is the space in which it is housed. The hotel is romantic, exquisite, and resplendent. Gilded with well-designed and curated pieces, the multiple rooms within The NoMad create many iterations of different dining experiences that you can have. From a full-blown, extravagant dinner to casual snacking at the bar with cleverly concocted beverages, The NoMad is almost like a one-stop shop for all of your dining needs. Plus, the menu anxiously awaits to be explored.

Thanks again to Alexandra and the service team at The NoMad for such a phenomenal dinner. Hoping to be back soon, especially to check out the bar more thoroughly as well as The Library!

Price point: $13 for each cocktail, $21 for each glass of wine, $7 for each pot of tea, $8-9 for each snack, $24 per person for Le Grand Plateau, $9 for each snack, $19 for each appetizer, $78 for chicken (for two), $13-14 for each dessert.

--May 11, 2012

The NoMad

The NoMad Hotel

1170 Broadway

New York, NY 10001

http://www.thenomadhotel.com/#/dining

Food for Thought | Samuel V. Chamberlain

“The gentle art of gastronomy is a friendly one. It hurdles the language barrier, makes friends among civilized people, and warms the heart.”

--Samuel V. Chamberlain, aka Phineas Beck

Dinner | Apiary

Last week, I took Jess to Apiary over in the East Village for her birthday. Chef Scott Bryan runs the kitchen at Apiary. Before coming here, Chef Bryan worked at Veritas before Chef Sam Hazen took over, for which he earned three stars from The New York Times. He has also worked in the kitchens of Gotham Bar & Grill, Bouley, Le Bernardin, and Lespinasse. His culinary aim at Apiary is "an inspired menu of seasonal dishes that use the best of local ingredients."

The interiors were designed and furnished by Ligne Roset, "one of the world's leaders in luxury contemporary furniture design." The modern aesthetic is illustrated with "a delicate balance of organic materials, boldly colored textiles, light fixtures, and clean lines." The "barrel-shaped chrome lights, featuring a laser-cut silhouette of ancestral chandelier, hover purposefully over banquette tables and cast an ambient glow: a subdued spotlight for Chef Bryan's thoughtful dishes." The adornments on the wall emulates a beehive (thus, the inspiration for the restaurant's name, as an apiary is a place where bees are kept -- a collection of beehives).

I started with the pan-roasted sweetbreads with sweet and sour cipollini onions. The sweetbreads were really soft and tender with lots of concentrated flavor. Only thing for me, however, was that there was too much sauce/juice which overpowered the overall enjoyment of this because of the concentration of salt. Definitely would have loved it more if it wasn't drowned in sauce.

Jess had the swiss chard and ricotta ravioli with sage, brown butter, and poppy. The pasta were shaped into perfect pillows filled with swiss chard and ricotta. The sauce was a nice overlay of delicate, buttery sauce. Execution-wise, I thought this was much better than the sweetbreads, as the balance between sauce and pasta was well done.

For my main course, I had the black linguine with squid, cherry tomatoes, and basil. The pasta was lovely, but again, it was swimming in sauce, which was too concentrated and salty to enjoy without downing lots of water to compensate for this unbalanced seasoning. The chunks of squid were also not cut crosswise (usually for easier eating), but instead cut longways into triangles. For once, there was way too much squid to match the amount of pasta served. It was quite overwhelming. If the kitchen let up on the sauce a little, and cut the squid into more bite sized portions, it may have been more appetizing and easier to eat and enjoy.

Jess had better luck with the Scottish salmon with melted julienne vegetables and ginger soy emulsion. The salmon was cooked to the ideal temperature, where the salmon was flaky yet silky in texture. Again, the sauce seemed a little overdone here, but I believe it was fine compared to the sweetbreads and the black linguine. Nevertheless, Jess was very happy with her choice of main course.

For dessert, we both shared the apple tarte tatin with crème fraîche ice cream, which the kitchen happily added a birthday candle for Jess! The tarte tatin was unbelievably flaky and buttery, just like a croissant, but I felt the ice cream was melting way too fast and that the dessert itself was overdoused in sauce once again. It was still enjoyable -- just kind of soggy.

Jess and me at Apiary.

Findings: Overall, I feel that Apiary has so much potential -- the choice of ingredients and combination of them within its dishes create a solid menu of offerings for its patrons. However, the execution was a little disappointing, as most of the dishes we had were drowned and overdoused in sauce. It was disheartening because I really would have enjoyed the dishes a lot more if the sauce was let up, just a little bit. Nevertheless, Jess and I had a great time catching up -- the wine list from what we had tasted was great, including the riesling, the sauvignon blanc, and the moscato d'asti. The service was welcoming and helpful, so our dining experience was still wonderful.

Price point: $12-15 for each appetizer, $22-24 for each main course, $8 for dessert.

--May 10, 2012

Apiary

60 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10003

http://www.apiarynyc.com

Dinner | Perla

I took my long-time friend, Amanda, to Minetta Lane's new restaurant, Perla, for her birthday last Friday. I initially received the recommendation for Perla from Alice, as she had covered the restaurant twice for Serious Eats: New York since its opening (here and here). The guys over atImmaculate Infatuation further solidified (that linguine with razor clams and ramps surely had my mouth-watering) that I needed to get my butt there before too much word got out where long waits and lines would ensue.

Tucked away at the end of the street right before Sixth Avenue, Perla is Chef Michael Toscano's new outpost in collaboration with restauranteur, Gabe Stuhlman (of Fedora and Jeffrey's Grocery). One of Chef Mario Batali's protégés, first at Babbo and then at Eataly's Manzo, Chef Toscano marries rustic Italian cuisine with a relaxed atmosphere and a little modern, seasonal flair. The menu is constantly changing (don't be surprised if something you had last week to stick on the menu for long!), proving that the menu is alive and breathing with many flavors and textures to explore. Only catch is that there is a reservation policy only for parties of four or more, so plan accordingly or expect to wait for the next available table or counter seat.

Some bold floral arrangements.

As you can see, the restaurant is quite intimate and cozy -- the perfect restaurant to get down to business for some serious catching up with your significant other or friends you haven't seen in a while.

We arrived around 6:30, when we were promptly seated at the chef's bar. Can't get more rustic than a wood-burning oven right next to the kitchen at one o'clock!

View of the dining area and the restaurant's bar.

We started off with some bread and olive oil -- very traditionally Italian.

After perusing the menu, I came to the conclusion that the menu was curated to play serious mind games with its diners. Everything seemed so enticing -- I mean, what do you do when you're offered oysters, a play on PB 'n' J sandwiches with foie gras, braised octopus, soft shell crab, prawns, and beef tartare with truffles, all in one shot? You'd be tempted to order it all, but the price tags start out on the higher side, even with the snack-sized antipasti and smaller-portioned primi, so I didn't want to break the bank too early, before the main courses arrive. Our server, Vanessa, was extremely helpful in guiding us through the menu, giving an "insider's perspective" on what's good, what's really good, and what would be a shame to miss. Her friendly, hospitable nature made for some brief yet enjoyable conversations about food and dining experiences.

As it was the start of May, it would almost be silly not to order the soft shell crab with piccata aioli and pickled finger chiles, as soft shell crab just went into season.

We each munched through a half, both of which were incredibly crispy and lightly brushed with a touch of batter, permitting the crab to express its flavors and delicate nature to the eyes (and mouths!) of its beholder. The skin was soft, thin as paper, and fried to a fragile crisp. The aioli complemented the juicy crab meat, and the chiles gave it a little kick. Overall, very well done.

Amanda and I also shared a primi (i.e., pasta) -- the black tagliatelle with peekytoe crab, lemon, and cubanelle peppers. While the presentation of these black ribbons of squid ink sprinkled with white lumps of peekytoe didn't seem like much to it, we were pleasantly surprised by how delicious this pasta was, especially in its simplicity. Perfectly al dente for this fettuccini-family pasta, the strands of pasta grabbed on the luscious chunks of crab meat that had a little zesty tartness from some lemon and other herbs. It was the perfect plate of pasta to welcome the onset of warm weather and cool beverages.

As a recommendation from our server that evening, Amanda had the lamb saddle and breast with fregola salad and calabrian chile vinaigrette. Cooked to a medium rare pink, the lamb was very tender and juicy with savory underpinnings to match well with the fregola and chile vinaigrette.

I had initially ordered the guinea hen with black trumpet mushrooms, asparagus, and foie gras sugo, but when the food came out they had mistakenly given me the skate wing with artichokes and black truffle vinaigrette. I didn't even realize they had given me the wrong dish until the service team realized they had erred with my order, graciously apologizing and offering me to bring out my original dish. However, I was really enjoying my skate -- it was so good that I didn't even realize it wasn't my order! -- so I told them that it was quite alright because I didn't want something as delicious as this to go to waste. In either case, they told me it was on the house, which was so very nice of them. My only complaint about this dish was that it was a little salty as I got towards the center of the wings, where they were pan-seared to a lightly browned crisp. However, the black truffle vinaigrette was rich and silky, complementing the ridgy texture of the skate. The roasted mushrooms and artichokes were great, too. Now I will just have to come back to try the guinea hen!

For dessert, we both agreed on sharing the chocolate crostata with almonds, salted caramel, and banana. It was different than most crostadas that I've seen (that were more pie-like than tart-like). It was the perfect bittersweet ending to a very delicious dinner -- the saltiness from the caramel, the creaminess of the chocolate, the crunch from the crostada's crust, the nutty flavors of the almonds, and the smooth lumps of the banana was a winning combination.

Findings: I was pleasantly surprised by our entire dining experience at Perla. The food was very impressive considering the restaurant has barely been open two months at the time of our dinner. There wasn't any dish I was disappointed with -- everything was stellar and wonderful. What stood out most to me was how personable and cheery the service team was -- I instantly felt like friends upon sitting down at our table. Tejal Rao of the Village Voice painted the perfect visual of what Perla's service is like -- fun, casual, and encouraging (you'll see what I mean here). They like to get involved with your choices in the sense that they desperately want you to love the menu as much as they do. I am a total suck for that kind of interaction between the service and the diner -- it makes the experience that much more interesting and enjoyable.

Our server, Vanessa, as I already mentioned, was an excellent navigator of the restaurant's menu items, so much so that I already knew I'd be coming back to conquer the rest of it, especially since she informed us of how much it changes every week based on ingredients and such. It is almost as if some dishes are "collector's items," and you have a limited window to "catch a taste" before the chef decides to move the menu in another direction to highlight another ingredient worth checking out. I already know the foie gras tramezzini with pistachio and cherry (Chef Toscano's gourmet version of a PBJ sandwich) has my name on it the next time I score a coveted seat at Perla.

All in all, an evening trip to the west end of Minetta Lane will be worth it -- you will be pleasantly surprised at the seemingly effortless talent is sitting behind the kitchen with the friendliest waitstaff you'll ever meet. Though the portions are on the smaller side, it'll give you more opportunity to try more things than just stay within the confines of a traditional four-course Italian meal. A future visit is pretty much inevitable.

Price point: $17-19 for each primi/antipasti, $29-30 for each secondi, $10 for the dolci.

--May 4, 2012

Perla NYC

24 Minetta Lane

New York, NY 10014

http://www.perlanyc.com

Feasts & Affairs | Food Book Fair NYC 2012

I took a little afternoon trip to Williamsburg on Saturday to attend a couple lectures sponsored by the first ever Food Book Fair in New York City! Certainly every foodie/cookbook addict's dream come true! :P

Everything was taking place at the new Wythe Hotel.

Food Book Fair is the "first ever event bringing together food publications from around the world alongside a dynamic set of events celebrating food writing, reading, and activism." It was created as a "weekend-long conversation and celebration of food reading and writing" through daily panel discussions with several well-known guest speakers, over twenty book signings, and a pop-up bookshop run by mobile bookseller, Mobile Libris. The event highlighted "cookbooks, memoirs, magazines, and books about science, food systems, agriculture, urban designs, and food art and culture, serving as a meeting place for food enthusiasts from all food disciplines."

The lobby of the Wythe Hotel -- high ceilings with a relax, organic atmosphere.

Checking in led to a quick stop in the mobile bookshop!

The pop-up bookshop was fittingly located in the Library of the Wythe Hotel, with titles hand-selected by the Food Book Fair organizers.

Inside the hotel's reception hall was where each panel took place all weekend.

The first lecture/talk I attended was entitled Food + Porn -- an intimate discussion about food imagery as well as the rise of the term food porn, its growing popularity, its wavering definition, and its relationship to food and sex. The panelists included a quintet of noteworthy food writers: Culinary Institute of America's Anne E. McBride (moderator), Restaurant Girl's Danyelle Freeman, Insatiable Critic's Gael Greene, Time magazine's Josh Ozersky, and Grub Street's Alyssa Shelasky.

Here are some interesting takeaways I had from the hour or so discussion:

Gael Greene:

• An early foodie before it was a word -- perhaps the first to use!
• Ms. Freeman said Ms. Greene the founder of food born, before it was a thing, as she was one of the first to take such an approach to writing.
• Going into restaurants is also sensuous experience for her -- the same eyes and nose are the things through which we experience both.
• Dinner is a possibility of new discoveries.
• Ultimately, food, however delicious, is not a substitute for great sex.
• Advice on having a wonderful dining experience: turn off your computer, leave your phone at home, and live in the moment.
• Had a one-time affair with Elvis Presley where afterwards, he asked room service for an egg sandwich.
• One must remember the evolution of American food -- from non-American chefs in America to celebrity chefs in present day along with social media.

Danyelle Freeman:

• She will always be monogamous to a man, but never to a restaurant or a chef -- so many opportunities to discover new things with food.
• Same excitement about food and sex, but food is obviously safer than sex as you don't get hurt as easily with food.
• Going to a new restaurant is like a first date for her -- seduction via cooking, plates, and cuisine.
• Food porn is a bit of a misnomer -- it is more like art. Not just photographs of food -- writing alongside a photograph elevates such a visual image with language.
• You are what your meal is.
• Kitchen was not always a glamorous place -- must remember that. Chefs are finally getting their due with chefs' tables and television broadcasts.

Josh Ozersky:

• Sees himself as having a celibate youth with a misdirected libido -- his appetites instead were channeled through food.
• Can sometimes see a steakhouse with a poorly prepared steak as disappointing as a padded bra.
• Believes in one pleasure at a time -- food and sex should remain separate.
• Great sex involves two people, but the ultimate food experience is typically a solitary experience.
• So much exposure to "food porn" these days that elevation is much easier, but definitely needs context.

Alyssa Shelasky:

• Her relationship to food is somewhat new -- discovered later in life than most individuals in the food writing sphere.
• Has always been comfortable talking about sex (with her column at Glamour magazine), so talking about food has become a relatively new concept that she has been getting acquainted with, writing-wise.
• New book, Apron Anxiety, is due out in three weeks, and is about her relationship with food discovered later in her life and how it helped her find love.

After the Food + Porn panel discussion, I went to get my copy of Gael Greene's Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess and Danyelle Freeman's Try This: Traveling the Globe Without Leaving the Table. So awesome! :D

In between book signings and the next lecture I signed up to attend, I grabbed a ramps sandwich from the bar (they had a brunch of refreshments for sale to all Food Book Fair attendees) which had ramps, ricotta, asparagus, and arugula between some artisan bread.

It was simple and really delicious. The greens were really fresh and the ricotta was creamy with the strong, fragrant flavor from the ramps.

The next panel was Food + Cooking + Change, where it explored the roles of chefs and food writers in our food system and how many have been changing the way we eat and think about food. The panel aimed to explore the question, "Can we change the world through the way we cook?" Included in the panel were esteemed food writers including The New York Times' Peter Kaminsky, author Tamar Adler, eco-activist Bryant Terry, and Chef Mona Talbott of the American Academy in Rome.

Some of the main takeaways:

Peter Kaminsky:

• Focus of the panel: nutrition, cooking, and change.
• Wide variety of backgrounds: institutional eating over at the American Academy in Rome; local, sustainable eating; resourceful and pragmatic cooking.
• Ultimate solution: learn how to cook or live with someone who does!

Bryant Terry:

• Changing nation's stereotypes of African American cuisine.
• Importance of food IQ: empowering young people as to how to cook and cultivate food.
• Potential idea to promote cooking among friends and family: cooking parties.
• Cooking communally is key.

Mona Talbott:

• The best way to learn how to cook is at the stove.
• Cooking gives her life balance -- it is empowering, grounding, and liberating, instead of being driven by hunger when she doesn't cook as often (thereby losing her way).

Tamar Adler:

• Two realms of eating and food: politics versus aesthetics -- bridged by cooking.
• Inspiring words by Michael Simon: choosing not to cook is freedom from the world while choosing to cook is freedom into the world.
• With social media today, sharing is the key word -- allows the world to be connected in so many ways, but in other ways, we may lose basic connections (i.e., physically sharing).
• Needing to buy things versus working with things you already have -- the message of her book, An Everlasting Meal (i.e., preservation of food, cooking, etc.).

I got my copy of An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace signed by Chef Tamar Adler after the panel discussion!

When you say there will be a food-themed book fair, you should automatically expect I will leave it with at least three or more books in tow. I think I will be needing a new bookshelf soon -- my one for cookbooks alone is almost hitting its maximum capacity!

Findings: I found the idea to bring together food enthusiasts, chefs, food writers, activists, and the like to be very inspiring and thought-provoking. It gives everyone a chance to get to know each other, via panel discussions, Q&As, book signings, and just plain ol' mingling in the crowd. The atmosphere was very casual and relaxed, and the questions explored were fascinating and discussion worthy. As a (cook)book signing fanatic, you can say I had a field day on just the one day I was in attendance. It was also great to put faces and actual voices to writing and press that I've read about the individuals in the lectures for which I sat. With that being said, I'm looking forward to the next Food Book Fair -- curious to see what the new topics of discussion will be, what writers/chefs/etc. will be there, and the cookbooks/food-related literary fare will be added to my growing library of food porn.

Price point: $15 per lecture/talk, $6.50 for the sandwich.

--May 5, 2012

Food Book Fair (NYC)

Wythe Hotel

80 Wythe Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11249

http://www.foodbookfair.com