Benno plating at Per Se.
Chef Jonathan Benno will depart Per Se in January for a new project, but you can sample his goods before he’s gone at the latest installment of the restaurant’s American Table series. The dinner, on Wednesday, November 18, will highlight bounty from Lee Hudson, proprietor of the Napa Valley’s Hudson Vineyards and the Farm at Hudson Ranch. For $375 a head, you’ll get a seven-course meal conceived by Benno and farmer Scott Boggs, using ingredients sourced primarily from Hudson’s kingdom.
The dishes, as you might expect, are super seasonal—think heirloom squash with sage leaves and brown-butter emulsion—and all are paired with wines produced in the same place the food is grown. Hudson will be on hand as you chomp and and sip to chat about where it all comes from and offer insights into the American wine biz. If you’re feeling guilty about the price tag, just think of it this way: Getting back on budget is as easy as buying cheap holiday gifts this season. Black Friday, here we come…
Dinner begins with a standing reception at 6:30; guests will be seated at 7pm. Reservations are required.
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Just before 9pm last night, the news was official: Frank Bruni had awarded Eleven Madison Park a fourth star, a first for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, and a rare honor that adds EMP and its chef, Daniel Humm, to an exclusive club consisting of the haute-dining temples Per Se, Daniel, Masa, Le Bernardin and Jean Georges. Read more »
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Union Square Hospitality Group
Butter-poached lobster with beárnaise mousseline at Per Se (Photograph: Roxana Marroquin)
Jay Cheshes dines on the new lounge menu at Per Se, which “may be the city’s most tepid recession concession.” Large prices and small portions make for a three (out of five) star experience. [TONY]
The Southern-fried joint The Brooklyn Star, run by Momofuku alum Joaquin Baca, gets three stars from TONY: “The iced tea flows, Johnny Cash croons, and seriously hospitable servers shuttle some of Williamsburg’s most satisfying low-country grub.” [TONY] Read more »
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Daniel Boulud,
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Katz's Delicatessen,
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Per Se,
Rudar Soccer Club,
The Brooklyn Star,
The Critics,
the Manhattans
Thomas Keller talks about the flow of food through the Per Se kitchen.
Last night, Culinary Insiders, the organization that provides behind-the-scenes access to restaurants throughout the city, held a special cocktail reception and kitchen tour at Per Se hosted by the man himself, Thomas Keller. The $195-per-ticket evening—members paid $175—included passed hors d’œuvres, such as Keller’s signature salmon tartare cornets, mini “BLTs,” lobster with grapefruit and desserts; two buffet spreads stocked with cheeses, cured meats, breads, smoked fish and a variety of vegetables; and free-flowing Charles Heidsieck champagne, sidecar cocktails and tastes of Cointreau Noir on ice, all courtesy of Remy Martin. But the best part of this very special evening: a guided tour of the Per Se kitchen with the maestro himself. Read more »
...but what if they cost $895?
Just happened: I’m making a reservation at Bouley. As I’m wearing jeans, I asked if there is a dress code. No dress code, said the French-accented phone attendant. But sneakers are not allowed. Really? That’s odd. (What if, say, I was wearing these Silvano bad boys?)
It turns out I am going to dinner with a friend who, due to orthopedic issues, wears sneakers virtually daily. I recall this and start to tell the reservationist: “Is it all right if my guest is wearing sneakers? She just had surgery—” into which a huffy voice broke. “No. No sneakers. Sneakers is something that’s really not allowed. Let me transfer you to the maitre d’.” Read more »
A Razor, A Shiny Knife’s much talked-about Grant Achatz and Thomas Keller tribute dinner unfolded this weekend. The 20-course experiment (a “bargain” at $300) was inspired by the superchefs’ $1,500-a-head bacchanal at Per Se last month. (Later in the post, we check in with half of the evening’s inspiration—Grant Achatz himself—to get his take on the proceedings.) Sure, aping the works of two of the country’s most lauded toques requires a certain level of cockiness confidence. But ARASK’s attempt felt more deferential than presumptuous, particularly when presented by ringleader Mike Cirino, whose jocular trips over French menu descriptions were received warmly by this young, willing crowd. Read more »
