snack

partysnack: dancing with the chefs

If the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen is like summer camp for chefs, then the South Beach Wine & Food Festival is like spring break (or the James Beard Awards in bathing suits, if you want to picture that). Once the work in the tents is finished, it's party time.

To wit, Andre Balazs threw a lovely soirée on Friday night for Eric Ripert in the penthouse at the Raleigh Hotel. In spite of all the bold-faced names (Eric and Sandra Ripert, Maguy Le Coze, Tony Bourdain, Tom Colicchico, Dana Cowin, Peter Elliot, Marc Erhler, Tony Esnault, Laurent Gras, Gael Greene, Gabrielle Hamilton, Michael Laiskonis, Alfred Portale, Lee Schrager, Tom Valenti et al.) it was quite low-key and sympathique. Warm starry sky on the terrace, cold champagne at the bar, and a dance floor. (Yes, they can cook and dance) Some of the chefs let down their toques and got a groove on to the dj, pumping pop classics like Depeche Mode and Prince, and Xperimento, the live band that played sultry island music. Perhaps dancing with the stars should do a culinary version? Think Iron Chef with sequins and a soundtrack.

partysnack: crash-proof party

'Tis the season of the holiday party crash, with the extra-naughty aiming to storm the big media fetes. The Gourmet Magazine party is famously crash-proof (specifically the editorial fiesta, publishing is another story) because editor Ruth Reichl hosts it at her home. After some quick recon, the only way in to chez Reichl may be to get hired by the caterer Kitchen Eats. Or if you want to add some gourmet flair to your party – hire them. It's worth noting that one of the chefs, Ian Knauer, daylights as a food editor at said publication. Another tasty bit is that while Mr. Knauer is an avid hunter (venison) and gatherer (mushrooms), his wife is a vegetarian. Ironic yes, but it makes him particularly adroit at party snacks for all food groups. 

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JP Morgan throws crashable parties, a discovery I made inadvertently on Monday night. I arrived at STK for the Thrillist ("Absurdly Early") holiday party. The clipboard girl said the party's on the second floor, but given the elevator wasn't working, to take the stairs at the back of the restaurant. So I traversed the dining room (which was pretty full for a starless Monday night) and ascended. The party rooms are glass-walled , so it was easy to see that there was only one party in effect, consisting of about two dozen conservative and decidedly un-thrilling types. I took a seat, ordered drinks and sampled the snacks. I didn't see any thrilling dudes I recognized. Before everyone was called to the table for dinner, I knew there was something wrong. I asked a suited gentleman if this was indeed the right party. No. "I'm very sorry then, because I've just crashed your party." He was very nice. "Yes – we noticed, but that's okay."  Turns out STK uses the European floor-numbering style, the ground floor being zero. My party, with the rockin' band, vino and internet hipsters (is that an oxymoron?), was one flight up. So the holiday moral of the story is… if you're polite and smile, crashing is okay. And multiple-party venues like STK are crash nirvana.

partysnack: molto roast and toast

I've been shamelessly posting on tomorrow night's roast of Mario Batali, mostly because it benefits the Food Bank for New York City, and also because it will not be recorded or rebroadcast - and is a kind of once-in-a-lifetime event. Here're a couple of last minute details I picked up over the weekend.

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1. According to roast etiquette, anyone up on the dais (or in the building) is fair game for roasting and jibing. Seemingly everyone should be prepared to get it, as good as they give it.

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2. Last minute addition to the roaster line-up: Rocco Dispirito.

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3. Tickets still available.

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Pre-game bonus: Interview with Mario in this week’s Time Out NY.

partysnack: bourdain and black light it up

Remember I mentioned the upcoming Mario Batali roast? Actually roasted, battered and fried for a good cause. I've just heard that snarky noir comedian Lewis Black will light up the festivities as roast-master, leading a cavalcade of stars to help him do the deed. At post time, the roaster line-up includes Ted Allen, Tony Bourdain, Mario Cantone, James Gandolfini (MB's buddy from back in the day - Rutgers class of '82), Michael Imperioli and Johnny Ventimiglia. Good thing it's an open bar.

partysnack: mario roasted, battered and fried – save the date

Faithful snackers know the Food Bank for New York City is my charity, a cause I shamelessly promote at every opportunity. Now that the fall season officially starts today, get out your calendar and put a big orange circle around Tuesday November 7^th for “Mario Batali: Roasted, Battered and Fried, an uncensored comedy roast of this uncensored chef to benefit Food Bank of New York.”

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Remember the last time I told you to come to a fabulous Food Bank event and you missed it? Click here now to reserve tickets. They will sell out toute de suite.

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If you’re a corporate fat cat who wants in on the action or someone with lots of extra money and stuff you don’t know what to do with, send an email to snackblog[at]gmail[dot]com. Only serious sponsors need reply.

partysnack: chefs from hell

This is a chef fête PSA.

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Party next Tuesday night at one of my favorite spots (aka "Jen’s living room," according to my girls). And because I know you’re going to ask – Leblon is cachaça.

Download chefs from hell invite.pdf

partysnack: chef's night out part deux

I received a flurry of emails from people asking how the chef’s night out party went down. In an ironic twist of fate, I was laid low over the weekend by a nasty cold and didn’t go. But Brett did and he blogged it. Good man.

partysnack: chef's night out

If you’re a player in the industry, you’re probably getting ready to head to New Yorkfor the James Beard Awards happening on Monday night. If you’re a civilian, you may have read about it this week. The JBF awards are considered the Oscars of the culinary world.

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Back in the day, the parties would start on Friday night and go until Tuesday morning. I remember one year I clocked 36 hours of cocktail parties over the 3-day weekend. The biggest fete was always Chef's Night Out with everyone (more than 1,000 of us) pilling in for a late night of revelry and catching up with everyone from around the country.

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This year, somewhat mysteriously the party seems to have dropped of the radar. The past five years running I’ve always found the invite in my mailbox. But not this year. I wondered if I’d somehow dropped off the list? Turns out, I’m not the only one. I’ve received call, emails, queries and questions from chefs across the country. “What happened to chef’s night out? I didn’t get invited this year.”

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My sources say the usual JBF invite list of 1000 or so names was culled down to about 500 by the party planers (budget issues or some such). So yes we all fell of the list. But don’t feel bad, lots of chefs (even some nominees) and industry folks (including press and people at JBF) fell off too.

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My sources say the party is indeed happening at the not-yet-opened Chinatown Brasserie located on the corner of Lafayette and Great Jones in the old Time Café space in NoHo. I happened to walk by today and they were installing the lights, had all the tables piled in cartons on the sidewalk, and a sign in the window announced an open call waitstaff interviews.

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It is the usual day, at the usual time. You all know what I mean. (I’m being coy intentionally to keep out the party-crashing civilian riff-raff)

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I don’t know about you, I might go anyway. Want to come with? We may get turned away at the door, so maybe let’s make an alternate rendez-vous point. Comments are open if anyone has a suggestion.

partysnack: gawker stalker "can-do" les photos

partysnack: gawker stalker “can-do” part deux

On Tuesday night I donned a party frock and went to hobnob with charity minded-celebs at the Food Bank gala. There were culinary stars aplenty - Joe Bastianich, Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali, Cat Cora, Nigella Lawson, Rachael Ray, and Michael Schlow. Nice to seem them come out for a good cause. Given that the food universe is my usual orbit, it was pretty much par for the course.

But, seeing Michael Stipe (who was spontaneously serenaded by Patti Smith –the punk goddess who’s album ‘Horses’ was instrumental in making him want to be a singer – as he said on that iconoclasts Sundance thingy.), Mario Cantone, Fred Schneider (doing a turn on the dance floor to the Cult’s “Sanctuary”), Stanley Tucci, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Jill Hennessey, Michael Moore, Mike D., Jimmy Fallon, Dan Abrams, Rain Phoenix, Marc Summers, Mickey Rourke, Julian Schnabel, Tom Filicia and super model DJ Helena Christensen was quite a starry treat. Though I love gawker stalker, I confess that I am too shy to snap those pix to post, except perhaps from a distance. I am not, however, too shy to snack about it.

But lest we forget the why…the event raised more than $650,000 for the Food Bank. Regretting that you didn’t come along? There’s always next time.

Stay tuned for snackshot party pictures.