In defense of the Champagne gala

In these uncertain times, it might seem to some that a gala event at which famous chefs pair their signature dishes with classic vintages smacks of excess. Au contraire I say, and give you an example: The New York chapter of the American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF) raised funds for a number of worthy endeavors at their gala celebrating 25 years of AIWF, held Monday night at the New York Helmsley. With its Days of Taste program that brings healthy food knowledge to fourth- and fifth-graders across America, with its new scholarships for students attending the French Culinary Institute and the Institute of Culinary Education, and with three prestigious endowed scholarships, AIWF shows great devotion to the future culinary stars of America.

During the five-course meal studded with an auction of celebrity chef memorabilia, fine wines and various luxury trips, we had the opportunity to sample from chefs David Burke, Laurent Tourondel, Shea Gallante, Terrance Brennan and Pichet Ong. The evening's ceremonies were dotted with amusing anecdotes and lively banter from Sara Moulton, the honorary chair, and Michael Green, master of ceremonies and auctioneer.

Burke, whose davidburke & donatella has received much critical acclaim of late, featured a number of splendid hors d'oeuvres, my favorite of which was the clever Cheeseburgers "Royale" with Quail Egg. It was a deft tip of the toque to the American classic by way of haute cuisine. Passed appetizers during a Champagne reception can be a bit of a rugby scrum to obtain, so I regretfully missed The Lobster Sticks with Green Apple and Pomme Souffle with Smoked Salmon. Appetizers were nicely paired with Veuve Clicquot Rosé NV.

Laurent Tourondel of the BLT empire and Brasserie Ruhlmann of late will apparently have a new BLT restaurant that will open later this year in the Ritz-Carlton. We enjoyed his delightful Blue Fin Tuna Tartare, beautifully augmented by the harmonious flavors of chopped avocado and fish roe, and made even more wonderful as paired with Dom Perignon 1998.

We then moved on to a flavorful Maine Lobster Tortellini prepared by Michael White of Fiamma Osteria. One can only imagine the chaos in the kitchen when the auction delayed the serving of this course! As we all attend large weddings from time to time, we realize most wedding banquet managers must frequently deal with this sort of situation. But delaying the presentation of nearly two hundred plates from a star chef working in an unfamiliar kitchen to an assembled crowd of worthies from André Soltnter to Fernando Ferrer—mais non! Some of the waiters appeared to be a bit challenged when pouring the paired Krug Grande Cuvée, which reminds us of an infamous episode involving a Jeroboam of Perrier-Jouët Rosé some years ago....

Shea Gallante of Cru presented Crisp Beef Short Ribs with Celery Root Purée, English Peas & Chanterelles and Red Wine-Garlic Jus brilliantly paired with Newton Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2001. Our verdict? We still detect traces of the great master, David Bouley, in this tender meat and purée, under whom Gallante served some years ago. The flavors were so well-balanced indeed that we somehow wished for more.

But at that point, it was time to enjoy a selection of Jasper Hill Dairy Cheeses from Terrance Brennan of Artisinal. One cannot repeat too frequently: what Brennan has done to elevate consumption of premium cheese in New York via Picholine and Artisinal remains utterly breathtaking. I must not omit the accompanying Châteauneuf du Pape, Château la Nerthe 2003, which was marvelous.

Finally, the dessert course at these events can sometimes be a bit of a disappointment. While a star chef attempts to impress with a fine presentation or two from his or her repertoire, it is exceedingly complicated for a variety of reasons to present two hundred desserts simultaneously. Hence, Pichet Ong went with a rather stable yet disenchanting combination of Port-Poached Bing Cherries, Fresh Indian Cheese, Soft Chocolate and Cocoa Bean Meringue, accompanied by Moët & Chandon Nectar Imperial. We nevertheless look forward to the opening of his future dessert shop & bar, P*ong. The serving of robust Dallis coffee led to our final wine of the evening, a curious Nicaragua Santa Lucia Estate 2004.

Tags:   aiwf, artisanal, blt fish, brasserie ruhlmann, champagne, chauteauneuf du pape, cru, david burke, dom perignon, donatella, fiamma osteria, krug, laurent tourondel, michael white, moet et chandon, pichet ong, picholine, shea gallante, terrance brennan, veuve cliquot

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Posted on 6/7/2006 ( Permanent Link )
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