All posts tagged "studiofeast"

A 2012 Retrospective: Highlights in Alternative Dining

By Mikaela Flynn on December 31, 2012 / 1 Comment / Categorized Celebrity Chefs, Featured, Food Trends, Fundraisers, Good Reads, Photos, Pop-Up Dinners, Supper Clubs, Underground Eats, Unique Dinners, Unique Events

As we embark upon a new year, and for many a self-proclaimed “new beginning,” we feel it is important to take a moment and reflect on all that has happened over the course of 2012.  While the year has had its ups and downs, highs and lows, for those who may call themselves “foodies” or are passionate about food and unique culinary experiences, it was a year of many “ups” and “highs.”  From feasting on oysters and lobsters next to a completely nude woman to seeing your favorite supper club become a successful NYC restaurant, the year in alternative dining is marked by many exceptional events, culinary pioneers, and exciting success stories.  Here is a list of some of the who, what, where, and how highlights of 2012.

Absurdity at the McKittrick

Yup, this happened.  On June 3rd at the famed McKittrick Hotel (home to Sleep No More) things got a little absurd to say the least.  Underground Eats‘ The Absurdity at the McKittrick launch party with food by Chef Marc Murphy was an epic evening of naked women covered in seafood, suckling pigs, charcuterie corners, oysters galore, and a slew of questionable, entertaining characters.  Cardinal Spellman blessed us with his presence (pictured above) along with Salvador Dali, and Albert Einstein.  It was an night of debauchery, gluttony, and above all, absurdity.

The Switcheroo: 21st Century Limited

This past fall two of the biggest names in restaurant world performed the ultimate “switcheroo” when NYC’s Eleven Madison Park opened at Chicago’s Alinea and vice versa.  Each restaurant spent four nights at the other’s location while offering limited $495/person tasting menus.  The project was called “21st Century Limited” based on the name of the train that traveled from New York to Chicago and was known for its stylish decor and elegance.

Titanic’s 100th Anniversary Dinner

On the evening of April 14, 2012 Chef Rob McCue (Hell’s Kitchen Season 8, Fox), Adam Banks (Chef ROble & Co., Bravo TV), and Jonathan Cristaldi (The Noble Rot) reinvented the original menu that would have been served on the evening the Titanic struck the ice berg.  The extravagant dinner marked the 100th anniversary of the historic sinking of the gigantic ship.  The all-star culinary team served a decadent seven-course feast featured modern interpretations of the original twelve-course dinner that would have been offered to the powerful and elite aboard the Titanic a hundred years prior.  Relive the magical evening of decadence and excess by watching this video coverage.  Drool over the menu here.

Le Fooding

In September the annual Le Grand Fooding festival took over Brooklyn for five days as chefs from around the country gathered for various unique dining experiences in the foodie-friendly borough.  Top Brooklyn chefs partnered up with their outsider alter-ego for special dinners that included the imported talents of Sean Brock, The Animal Dudes, and The Young Turks.  New York food fans celebrated throughout the five-day extravaganza which culminated at the Campfire Sessions where foodies could chow on Danny Bowien’s red hot kung pao pastrami pizza while listening to a Miike Snow DJ set.

David Santos

2012 was a big year for Chef David Santos as he went from underground supper club king to opening his own brick and mortar restaurant in the West Village.  After having a successful run with his supper club, Um Segredo, Chef Santos finally  reentered the New York restaurant scene with the opening of Louro.  While fans of Um Segredo Supper Club may shed a tear to hear of the end of their favorite alternative dining option, the good news is that Santos’  supper club experience can still be found at Louro on Monday nights.  The series is called Nossa Mesa Supper Club which means “our table” in Portuguese.  You can find most of the Nossa Mesa Supper Club dinner options on Underground Eats‘ event site.

The Breslin Butcher’s Ball

On June 27th Underground Eats teamed up with LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, Meatopia, and April Bloomfield in putting on an extreme-meat-lovers dinner called The Breslin Butchers Ball.  The event showcased the crème de la crème of LaFrieda Reserve beef from their dry-aging room which had only ever been available to the very well connected.  The evening saw grown men and women giddy with child-like excitement as they sampled bits of raw dry-aged beef and chatted to “Meat Goddess” April Bloomfield and the Meat Men, Pat LaFrieda and Mark Pastore.

Friends with Benefits

The NYC alternative dining scene welcomed 2012′s newcomers, Friends with Benefits, as the team put on a collaborative dinner event and cocktail club series.  The concept is based on having members of the restaurant industry team up to do one-off events that highlight the combined culinary talents.  The cocktail series saw top mixologists from PDT, The Wayland, Monkey Bar, and even featured Eater’s “Bartender of the Year” Doug Quinn. Pictured above is the crew from the first Friends with Benefits dinner with founder Christopher Mitchell (top left) and collaborators from that night, Jon Bignelli and Kevin Dention, the chef de cuisine and mixologist from wd~50 (top middle and right).

Daniel Delaney

It was the year of Daniel Delaney.  The guy who started VendrTV and launched an online web series about street food made headlines when he drove a massive smoker from Texas to NYC with plans of offering New Yorkers true Texas-style BBQ brisket.  It didn’t take long until the entire city was buzzing about Delaney’s BrisketLab project allowing people to purchase pounds of perfectly smoked brisket to be picked up at a series of BBQ parties throughout the city.  Propelled by the momentum of BrisketLab’s growing popularity, Delaney was able to fast-track the opening of his own Texas BBQ restaurant, Delaney Barbecue, in Williamsburg.  From an underground brisket trade to a fully-functioning Bedford Avenue restaurant, Delaney’s dream of bringing authentic Texas-style BBQ to New York has been a true success story.

 Cómodo, From Supper Club to Critically-Acclaimed Restaurant

The “underground supper club to restaurant” metamorphosis was definitely trending throughout 2012.  Back in July SoHo welcomed newcomer Cómodo to its restaurant scene.  Cómodo (meaning comfortable in Spanish) is the restaurant-baby born out of the popular underground supper club started by Felipe Donnelly and Tamy Rofe.  Before Cómodo, the husband-wife team (Donnelly as the chef and Rofe as the charming host) had a successful supper club series held at their TriBeCa apartment where they would invite friends and strangers to dine and then blog about the experiences.  With the help of social media, growing trends in alternative dining, and of course, really good food, their dinners became increasingly popular.  Finally, they were handed a notice from the health department demanding that they cease their underground operation and were forced to stop.  Thank goodness for us, the pair were not ready to give up on their passions for food and entertaining.  Rather than pack up and call it quits, they decided to turn their dinner series into a restaurant.  Since opening back in July, Cómodo has received rave reviews from diners and critics.  Watch a video about how Cómodo came to be, here.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, as many restaurants remained damaged, empty, and unopened, those in the culinary industry who were willing and able came together to offer exceptional dining events to help raise money for those who suffered.  Among these fundraiser events was the Supper Clubs for Sandy dinner by the collaborative efforts of NYC’s Studiofeast and a razor, a shiny knife, and L.A.’s Wolvesmouth (the entire crew is pictured above).  This one-night-only dinner offered 24 guests a tasting menu prepared by each of the talented culinary teams.  It was a delicious example of how effective teamwork can be!

Article on Underground Dining in The New Yorker Food Issue

Underground dining made headlines in The New Yorker’s food issue of 2012.  The New Yorker article highlighted the success of Chef Craig Thorton’s L.A supper club, Wolvesmouth (yes, the same Wolvesmouth that participated in Supper Clubs for Sandy) while discussing the allure of underground dining as more and more people are interested in culinary experiences that are outside the norm. There is no denying that finding unique ways to enjoy food was a growing trend throughout 2012 and we can only assume that it will continue and heighten during 2013.  So be sure to keep your ear to the [Under]ground as 2013 unfolds…

Happy New Year!

  • game of thrones

    On March 31st, Ommegang Brewery will release it's Game of Thrones themed beer, just in time for the Season 3 premier. Get excited.

  • danny bowien playboy

    Danny Bowien along with 4 other chefs, are posing for Playboy's style section. Celebrity chefs taking things to a whole new level.

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    Distraught employee of a vineyard destroys over 60,000 liters of wine in an act of protest

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    The crew from Studiofeast had their "Last Meal of 2012: The B-Sides" dinner on Sunday

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    Chef Charles is preparing his "Last Supper Club of 2012" tonight at Devi Restaurant

Quick Bites

By Underground Eats on December 18, 2012 / No Comments / Categorized Featured

Calling all Game of Thrones nerds: Game of thrones themed beer is coming to Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY. The first batch of brew, called Iron Throne Blonde Ale, will be available just in time for the season premier of the hit show on March 31, 2013. Winter is coming!

For those of you who are all over the celebrity chef scene, your time has come: 5 top NYC chefs are now featured in Playboy. Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster), Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronov (Frankies), Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin), and Danny Bowein (Mission Chinese) are all featured in fashion spreads. Chef as style icon. Why not?

A former employee of Case Basse de Soldera, bitter about the fact that he was not given a place to live on the vineyard’s estate, was arrested for destroying more than 60,000 liters of wine. That’s a lot of wine.  At $250-$350 a bottle, this was a pretty significant act of protest, not to mention a sad day for wine lovers everywhere.

The so-called “end of the world” is drawing near and supper clubs are preparing by offering extravagant dinners this week before it is too late.  Studiofeast had their “Last Meal of 2012: The B-Sides” on December 16th with a menu based around the question, “You’re about to die- what’s your last meal?”  The dinner featured favorite dishes from this year’s Studiofeast events.

Tonight, another supper club will “celebrate” the impending end of the world with his version of “The Last Supper Club of 2012.”  Chef Charles (who just won “Best Bite” at the Food Experiments competition at Brooklyn Brewery) of One World One Kitchen catering is offering a six-course feast inspired by international flavors and traditions.

On Friday, before the meteorite crashes into Earth, Chef Michael Patlazhan is preparing a 12-course dinner as part of his new supper club.  The menu is highlighted by Chef Patlazhan’s love for molecular gastronomy techniques and seasonal ingredients.  Hopefully destruction won’t strike until after all 12 courses are consumed and enjoyed by his guests.

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    The members of Studiofeast, Wolvesmouth, and a razor a shiny knife during prep at Brian Quinn's apartment on Sunday

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    Sharing is caring; with over 10 chefs involved everyone had to share space and equipment to pull off the supper club feast

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    Wolvesmouth chef preparing a butternut squash dish

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    Mixologist, Brian Quinn, was on booze duty for Sunday's dinner

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    Chef Thorton preparing delicious berry and tofu condiment for a unique sesame cake desert

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    Setting the table before the first seating

Let Our Supper Club Powers Combine! “Supper Clubs for Sandy” Unite

By Mikaela Flynn on November 19, 2012 / No Comments / Categorized Good Reads, Supper Clubs, Unique Events

Last night two of New York’s more prominent supper clubs, Studiofeast and a razor, a shiny knife, joined forces with the West Coast’s Wolvesmouth to create an epic supper club experience for 24 lucky diners to raise money for Sandy-ravaged Governor in Dumbo.  The restaurant suffered severe flood damage and must undergo significant renovations before opening its doors again to the public.

The cast of chefs, a crew nearly equal to the number of total guests, put together a nine-course tasting menu for two seatings of 12 at 6pm and 9pm.  Each team of cooks offered between two to three dishes and cocktails were served by mixologist, Brian Quinn (who also played the role of gracious host as the event took place at his Williamsburg apartment).

In town for an event collaboration with Dos Equis, Wolvesmouth chef, Craig Thorton, decided to make the best of  his East Coast trip and introduce himself to the New York underground dining scene by teaming up with the two NYC supper clubs to put on a one-night-only event.  With timing of an essence, the crew quickly conceptualized a dinner with only a week to pull it off.  In light of recent events and the concequential struggle for many businesses to get back on their feet, they decided their collaborative endeavor should be a held as a benefit to help rebuild the beloved DUMBO restaurant.

With two hours to go before the first guests arrived on Sunday, the scene at Quinn’s apartment was (surprisingly) anything but stressful as chefs continued prepping in the small kitchen space, napkins were folded, tables were set, and service details fine-tuned.  Everyone was energized, focused, and happy to be involved in such a unique supper club reunion.  And with a menu that included rabbit meatballs, scallop crudo, and sesame cake, with cocktails by Brian Quinn, guests were sure to enjoy the dinner just as much as the chefs.

If you missed the feast but would still like to contribute to the rebuilding of Governor, please make a donation here.  #SuckitSandy!

  • Cocktails

    Drink for a good cause at Pouring Ribbons this Thursday

  • robertas

    Join Heritage Radio Network, Roberta's, and Vans to raise funds for relief efforts for the Rockaways. Enjoy a pizza party and a raffle with the chance to win dinner for two at Blanca

  • pork bun

    Momofuku chefs, famous for this here pork bun, join forces to raise money to help Governor Restaurant in DUMBO

  • governor staff

    The 30 staff members at Governor need our help to rebuild their restaurant, which was severely damaged by the storm

  • Booker & Dax

    Booker & Dax, Momofuku's bar outpost, will host the Momofuku + Governor Project, complete with six courses and beverage pairings

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    To whet your appetite: broccoli, brioche, pesto sabayon, bacon, romaine, shallot relish. Enjoy a meal like this one at Supper Clubs for Sandy on November 18th

Sandy Relief Events: The Foodie Round-Up

By Charlotte Cerf on November 13, 2012 / No Comments / Categorized Supper Clubs, Unique Events

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, New Yorkers have stepped up as a community to donate time, money, and supplies to those who were devastated by the storm. There are seemingly countless ways to help. Here is a sampling of what we think are the best food related relief efforts. Your taste buds will be satisfied, all for a good cause.

DRINK. DONATE. At Pouring Ribbons

This Thursday, drink for a good cause at Pouring Ribbons. Proceeds will benefit Arcane, Governor, and The Red Hook Initiative. No need to buy ticket’s in advance, $20 at the door buys you entry into the event and all proceeds go towards Sandy relief. More info here.

Heritage Radio Network, Roberta’s, and Vans support relief efforts in the Rockaways

Heritage Radio Network is co-hosting a pizza party with Roberta’s and Vans this Friday at 7PM to raise funds for relief efforts in the Rockaways.  Ticket’s are $30,  Raffle $10. (Dinner for two at Blanca, Dinner at Momo Sushi, Party Supplies from Susty-Party and more!!) Buy tickets here.

Sandy Restaurant Relief Food Crawl 

Restaurants in Southern Manhattan were hit particularly hard by the storm. On Saturday, November 17th from 12-4pm, FoodtoEat is sponsoring a Food Crawl event to draw people to the area and get these restaurants up and running. Participating venus will choose a specialty food or drink item that will be offered as a free tasting or at a discounted price. Then reconvene for an after-party at Kafana for more tasty bites and even more drinks. Tickets are only $10, buy them here!

Momofuku + Governor Project: Rebuild 

This Saturday November 17th, a team of Momofuku chefs are joining forces to help rebuild Governor in Dumbo, a restaurant that was hard hit by the storm.  This six course lunch and beverage pairing will feature  dishes from Brad McDonald (Governor), Sean Gray (momofuku ko) + Matt Rudofker (momofuku ssäm bar) with a beverage pairing by Beth Lieberman (momofuku ko) and a featured cocktail from Tristan Willey (Booker and Dax).

This event will take place at Booker and Dax, momofuku’s bar outpost. With this crew of chefs at the helm, the food and drinks will most definitely be delicious. Buy tickets here.

Supper Clubs for Sandy

On November 18th, two of New York’s finest supper clubs and another hailing from the West Coast will join forces. This nine-course dinner with wine pairings will also benefit Governor Dumbo restaurant, which needs to be rebuilt from the ground up due to severe flooding. Studiofeast, a razor, a shiny knife,  and Wolvesmouth (from California) will come together for the first time to create an unforgettable meal. This event was sold out in less than two hours, but stay tuned for other supper club events in the future.

 

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    Many restaurants are still closed due to flood damage and loss of power while others are struggling after losing a week of business. Photo courtesy of Eater.com

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    All proceeds from Um Segredo Supper Club's two-night dinner series this week will benefit the Red Cross and their Sandy relief efforts

Dine Out NYC: Where to Chow Down for a Good Cause

By Mikaela Flynn on November 5, 2012 / 1 Comment / Categorized Celebrity Chefs, Featured, Good Reads, Supper Clubs, Unique Dinners, Unique Events

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many are still left stranded without power, heat, gas, or a home.  As some New Yorkers ease their way back into their daily routine, others have a long way to go.  During times like these it is important to help each other by doing what we can, whether it be donating, volunteering, or going out and supporting local businesses.  Many restaurants are now struggling as they lost a week’s worth of customers, experienced flood damage, or remain without power.  New York City is famous for its vibrant restaurant scene and we must do what we can to keep all of our favorite local food haunts alive and prosperous.

Here is a list of special dining events and dinners that will fill your bellies and offer support to those who need it most.  So get out and EAT!

TONIGHT, Monday November 5th:

Top Chef stars including, Jennifer Carroll, Dale Talde,  Kevin Sbraga, and Angelo Sosa will prepare a four-course tasting menu at Sosa’s Añejo Tequileria with all proceeds being donated to Hurricane Sandy victims.  Each chef will prepare a unique dish and specialty cocktails will be available for purchase.  Learn more and reserve your table here.

Facebook group, Wangin’ Wednesday, a collective started by the guys from Studiofeast that goes out every week to try out New York’s best Szechuan, has decided to head out to Chinatown tonight to support local mom/pop restaurants.  The crew will meet at Great New York Noodle Town at 7pm tonight for the first round of delicious Asian grub.  Then we will continue on and head to Hop Kee at 8:30pm and end the night at Winnie’s around 10pm for some drinks and karaoke.  The goal is to get as many people to come and fill up these restaurants and give them some business.  In addition, Studiofeast’s Mike Lee has promised to donate the amount of each check to Sandy relief organizations.  For those interested in joining, feel free to stop by at any one of these locations for however long you wish (as long as its enough time to have a decent meal!) We hope we will see you there.

Seersucker in Brooklyn will be offering roast pork sandwiches with green tomato barbecue sauce tonight at four for $10 with all proceeds benefiting the Red Hook Initiative.  Anyone interested in donating more than $10 is encouraged to do so as all the money will go towards helping those in need in Red Hook neighborhoods.

If you are hungry for more than sandwiches, head uptown to Telepan where the restaurant will offer a four-course dinner with wine pairings for $200.  All proceeds from tonight’s dinner will be donated to the Mayor’s Fund for Hurricane Sandy relief.  For reservations call, 212-580-4300.

Wednesday November 7th:

Chef George Mendez will team up with chefs Andrew Carmellini, Marco Canora, and Seamus Mullen to host a five-course dinner with wine pairings at his Aldea restaurant.  The dinner is $300/head and will benefit the  NYC Food Flood which brings food trucks to neighborhoods still left in the dark with no power.  For reservations call, 212-675-7223.

Thursday November 8th:

This Thursday and Friday Um Segredo Supper Club will host a two-night dinner series benefiting the Red Cross.  Chef David Santos will prepare a four-course pork-centric menu based on traditional Portuguese cuisine.  The dinner was suppose to be held last week but was cancelled due to the storm.  After hearing horror stories from friends who experienced flood damage from Sandy, Santos decided to reschedule and turn it into a benefit.  This is the perfect opportunity to experience his critically-acclaimed supper club before the opening of Santos’s highly-anticipated restaurant, Louro.  Learn more and purchase tickets here.

A number of Williamsburg restaurants are joining forces for a special “Dine Out Williamsburg” evening by donating 10 to 20% of their gross sales on Thursday to the Red Cross.  Find more information and a list of participating bars and restaurants here.

Help raise money for Rockaway residents who have lost everything at Hudson Terrace for the Modern Beefsteak & Spirits Celebration.  This walk-around tasting will feature food by five chefs including Mary Cleaver and Ian Kapitan with speciality cocktails by Gregg Glaser (Modern Distillery Age) and craft beer from  Empire Brewing Company.  Learn more and purchase tickets here.

Sunday November 11th:

Park Avenue Autumn will offer a four-course menu with wine pairings for $150 to help raise money for Executive Chef Kevin Lasko’s home town of Point Pleasant, NJ where Sandy left considerable damage and many people stranded.  Dinner takes place Sunday evening at 6:30pm.  To make a reservation call, 212-644-1900.

Thursday November 15th:

Mark your calendars for next week’s Friends with Benefits Cocktail Club.  The third installment of the cocktail club series will feature mixologists from The Bowery Hotel and 1534, Walt Easterbrook and Justin Noel, create exclusive cocktails and punches.  A portion of ticket sales for this event will be donated to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.  Learn more and purchase tickets here.

On-going events:

Course Hourse, an online hub for various classes in NYC, has launched a “Food for Thought” campaign starting Nov. 12th through the 18th.  During this time Course Horse will offer special classes in cooking, wine, life skills, etc. with all proceeds going towards Food Bank for NYC.  Learn how to make pumpkin-flavored gelato or seasonal vegetarian recipes while helping feed those in need.

From now until Nov. 11th Shake Shack is proudly  donating $2 for every “Rally Shake” sold to the Red Cross.  The “Rally Shake” is inspired by NYC’s iconic black and white cookie and will be available for a limited time.

While this list should keep you busy, there are sure to be many more delicious ways to support Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.  Follow hashtag #DineOutNYC to learn more about where to eat and help out.

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