I’ve written before about the great restaurants that NYC had to offer. One of my favorite is, deservedly, the James Beard House. Originally the home of world famous chef James Beard, this brownstone is now the headquarters of the James Beard Foundation and the location of amazing dinners given by chefs from all around the world. Cooking there is a great honor so you know that whomever you get that particular night to create your three and three or more hour foodie event will be working hard  to live up to this organization’s reputation.

 

Izabela Wojcik, Director of House Programming and Greenhouse Gallery Coordinator, told me that these chefs go through a serious process of being selected. To that end, chefs participating in James Beard House events abide by the  golden rule  that the quality of ingredients is key to culinary success. As a result, nothing is left to chance and these professionals generally choose to bring their own preferred vegetables, spices and meats with them.  How do they do this if their businesses are located hundreds if not thousands of miles away from this foodie haven between Manhattan’s 12th and 7th Avenue?   Izabela noted that those essential elements are preserved for travel in various manners including including freezing and vacuum sealing.

 

Last Friday was no exception to this great experience when Robert and I were  invited to attend a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration with the elusive and award winning chef Peter Chang  made famous for his szechuan cuisine and has four restaurants in West Virginia . The meal was described as being more of a rustic chinese influence and showcased Chang’s cooking style which was said to be richly and intricately layered with flavors which are spicy, fragrant and not always hot but very flavorful. The meal was accompanied by a flight of artisan ciders provided by Foggy Ridge.

A sold out crowd first walked through the bright comfy kitchen to watch Chef Chang and his staff start preparing the meals there. Beard would have cooking classes there on the topic of food to learn to taste.

Appetizers were passed around in the Greenhouse Art Gallery as we met other diners from around and beyond the NYC area. There were many who told me that they often dined here for a special occasion and some were even members of the James Beard Foundation.

Next we took our seats at a round table in the upstairs of  what used to be Beard’s private living quarters where there were quirky remnants of its former inhabitant including a bed table and a shower on the balcony.

And as we conversed with other foodies from the area, we were treated to dish upon dish of amazing treats. W told the diners that this presented rustic cuisine was the purview of  home cooks and grandmothers that had been passed through the generations. The night’s feast was very much about sharing them in the home and at the table.

 

Here’s a list of the full menu:

 

MENU

• Hors d’Oeuvre
  • Lotus Pearls
  • Dynamite Shrimp
  • Crab Wonton Soup
  • Lettuce Pillows
  • Kaleidoscopes
  • FOGGY RIDGE PIPPIN GOLD FORTIFIED CIDER SIDECAR COCKTAILS

 

• Dinner
  • Happy Reunion > Bangbang Chicken with Shredded Tofu Skin, Qiang-Style Chinese Broccoli, Wood Ear Mushroom Salad, and Honey Ham

• FOGGY RIDGE SERIOUS CIDER
• Peter Lobster > Baked Lobster with Rice Noodles
• FOGGY RIDGE FIRST FRUIT CIDER
• FOGGY RIDGE HANDMADE CIDER
• Hidden Duck > Roasted Duck with Sweet Rice Stuffing
• FOGGY RIDGE FIRST FRUIT CIDER
• FOGGY RIDGE HANDMADE CIDER
• Volcanic Fish > Grilled Cod with Ghost Pepper Sauce
• FOGGY RIDGE HANDMADE CIDER
• FOGGY RIDGE SWEET STAYMAN CIDER
• Grandmother’s Style Grilled Pork Belly
• FOGGY RIDGE SWEET STAYMAN CIDER
• Dongpo Yams with Scallops
• FOGGY RIDGE SWEET STAYMAN CIDER
• New Year’s Snack > Kung Pao Chicken Buns with Virginia Moon Cakes
• FOGGY RIDGE PIPPIN GOLD APPLE PORT
• Sweet Rice Cake with Bean Paste and Green Tea Ice Cream
• FOGGY RIDGE PIPPIN GOLD APPLE PORT

The cost for dinner is generally $130 per person for members and $170 for nonmembers.  This could be considered a bit, but the price includes a wonderful experience that lasts over three hours of food, drinks along with tax and tip.

 

Great time!