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Jeremy Greenfield
From Left: Chef Gray Kunz of Café Gray, Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief, Gourmet, Chef Daniel Boulud--the party's co-host and all around culinary wizzard--and Chef Terrance Brennan |
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On Tuesday, January 29, Bar Boulud was the setting of one of the most decadent spreads we have ever seen: What a perfect kick-off event for Gourmet.com. And there was a new invention on hand to assist with the gluttony: A plastic clip that attaches to a plate and holds a wine glass, allowing you to mingle while eating and drinking. Inhaling food and drink at the rate we did that night might be unhealthy, but, damnit, it doesn’t have to be anti-social.
Here’s how it went. First, we checked our coats and were ordered to take a wine glass. We were then shuttled to a wine station, where we were appropriately liquidated. At this point, choices were presented to us: On the left, you could pick at a very nice appetizing spread, which included smoked salmon and baby vegetables; on the right, there was a larger room with multiple tables full of original delicacies (loaves of meat made of lamb, fois gras, and rabbit, to name three main ingredients), prosciutto, and sauces. After we chose to try more than a bit of everything, we were pulled into the kitchen, where we joined a slow moving queue. The line snaked around stations where chefs were plating mini-portions of some of the restaurants entrees, prepared specially for the event. Then whooshed upstairs for fancy cheeses and another assembly line of feeding—this time, it was dessert.
Highlights included blood sausage (made of actual blood!), the fancy cheeses, and the two ice cream desserts that we are struggling just now to identify—by the time we got to the cheese and desserts, things were already hazy. (To download the complete menu from the evening, click here.)
And that’s why we accidentally made a man wearing an ascot spill red wine on himself. We apologized, but his face got very red and he started sweating what looked like…Syrah…Tobiano…from Cassablanca Valley in Chile. Excellent choice. Goes great with blood pudding.
For more about the actual Gourmet.com launch, we spoke with Gourmet EIC Ruth Reichl. Click here to see what she had to say. |
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From Left: Harry Smith's wife, Harry Smith, anchor on CBS's The Early Show, and Jee Won Park, one of the show's producers |
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This is the kind of attention we got. The min Team thanks and praises. We wanted to kiss Daniel's hand at the end of the night, but we were confused and ended up kissing the hand of a man wearing an orange scarf. "Thank you, thank you," we said. "Thank you...I'll see you soon," he responded.... |
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From Left: Boulud, Reichl, Smith. Photo credits to Marion Curtis and Dave Allocca
at Starpix |
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 Steve Smith
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