NYC Wine & Food Festival 2011: Meatball Madness

Earlier this evening, I ventured down to 82 Mercer for Meatball Madness hosted by Giada De Laurentiis. Now while heading over, I found myself wondering why I was even going because, well, I don't really like meatballs (or tomato sauce. or spaghetti. or even pizza.). But oh well, I already bought the ticket, so off I went!

Because I purchased my deal through Gilt City, I was granted early access (30 mins early) and was swiftly whisked into the room. Upon entering, obviously the room was still rather empty and most of the restaurants looked like they were still setting up and trying to find their groove, so I hesitated before diving in. But as soon as I saw someone eating a meatball, I knew it was time...

An inside glimpse of the venue prior to the official start

Diet Pepsi Skinny Bar

My first stop was Osteria Morini for their Prosciutto and Mortadella Meatballs topped with Swiss Chard and Parmigiano Creme. And boy, was it good. I started to get excited...maybe an evening of meatballs wouldn't be so bad!

Prosciutto and Mortadella Meatballs with Swiss Chard and Parmigiano Crema

But by my second meatball, I started to realize what a big problem eating my way through meatballs over 35 different restaurants would be, particularly given that for a normal meal, I can probably eat 6 meatballs. Max. And many of these meatballs seemed to be served alongside carbs, which, if I learned anything from doing the South Beach and Atkins diets, fill you up. So after my fifth meatball or so, I found myself avoiding any meatballs served with bread - and this turned out to be a big mistake. But more to come on that.

The Meatball Shop served Steak n' Bacon Cheddar Balls on a Buttermilk Biscuit with Mushroom Gravy. In retrospect, this sounds quite delicious. But at the time, I don't recall it being very special; perhaps my expectations were too high...

Steak n' Bacon Cheddar Balls on a Buttermilk Biscuit with Mushroom Gravy

After 30 mins, the event officially began and the crowds started to trickle in, forming long lines at certain stations. Word of advice: if you can buy a ticket that grants you early access, DO IT - not having lines will really give you a great opportunity to try whatever you want to try and as a bonus, if you want to chat with a chef, no one's there to disrupt you!

When I found Ed's Lobster Bar, I half expected them to be serving a lobster roll...just because. But staying true to the theme, we were served delicious lobster meatballs. Honestly, you just can't go wrong with lobster!

Dirt Candy

One of my most pleasant surprises of the evening was the AllBalls with Labneh, Preserved Lemon and Kale from Dirt Candy. I am clearly not a vegetarian and when growing up, if I ever ate a dinner without meat, I usually felt like I was on the verge of passing out. But this dish was pleasantly delicious, providing a nice contrast from all of the typical meatballs laden with marinara (or some form of tomato) sauce.

AllBalls with Labneh, Preserved Lemon and Kale from Dirt Candy

Another pleasant surprise was found on a trip to the ilili table. We were served Smoked Veal & Beef Meatballs (coated with some sort of fig? date? sauce). The sweetness of the sauce really blended beautifully with the meatballs, providing pleasant and delicious relief from, again, all of the tomato-based sauces I had been consuming. Later, I went back for their Chocolate Puddin' Balls and I have to say, these were quite good as well!

Smoked Veal & Beef Meatballs from ilili

As with any large tasting event like this one, there were some major letdowns. Le Cirque served a Tuscan Meatball with Red Onion Mostarda on top of polenta and...well, it was really salty.

Tuscan Meatball with Red Onion Mostarda from Le Cirque

Another big letdown? Donatella. Perhaps it was meant to be very basic and a true classic, but frankly, I just wasn't impressed. But honestly, it could have been that I was extremely full because by that point in the evening, I felt like I was pregnant - my stomach was extremely tight, my back hurt, and my feet ached. Thank goodness for all the water from San Pellegrino!

Donatella Arpaia from Donatella

Visiting Giada's booth, we were greeted with an interesting Smoked Mozzarella and Fig Meatball, which was in fact, not a meatball at all. Upon first bite, I was a little confused because I half-expected for some meat to be living in the middle of the cheese, but nope - just sweet cheese. I should probably also mention right now that...I don't really like cheese. It weirds me out. So naturally, I was not a huge lover of this "meatball," though after a few bites, I found that it was starting to grow on me...

A Voce served an interesting Chocolate Cannoli with Roasted Cherries. The filling was actually quite nice, but the Cannoli shell kind of confused me. It had the texture of...well sheets of melted sugar, but was not as sweet as sugar. Oh well, it was still relatively pleasant!

Chocolate Cannoli with Roasted Cherries from A Voce

At this point I gave up on eating. And resorted to walking around, searching for new drinks (and any meatballs that I hadn't eaten and just HAD to try).

Grandaisy Bakery

Around 9 PM, finally the judges had finished deliberating and had settled on a winner. Judges Choice: Gravy Meatball Slider from the little owl. Shame on me for not eating this, just because it was served on bread! It sounds delicious! But runner-up? Meatballs with Pinenuts, Currants and Basil served with Spicy Burnt Garlic Broccoli Rabe from Pulino. I am happy to say that I actually did eat Pulino's dish and it really was quite good.

Judges hard at work

The popular vote went to The Meatball Shop. I clearly just don't understand meatballs...

And that ended my intense evening of meatballs. Honestly, I don't think this event was really meant for me, as I clearly have poor appreciation for and understanding of meatballs. But it really was great to see and try such a large variety of meatballs from around the city and catch a brief glimpse of many, many "food celebs" throughout the night. But my biggest worry? Tomorrow evening, not only am I attending Burger Bash, but I will be following that up with Fried (the fried chicken event hosted by Gilt City)...immediately after. On the bright side, I am a huge lover of burgers and fried chicken and I would actually go to the restaurants participating in these events to eat their burgers and fried chicken! But at the same time...how am I possibly going to be able to enjoy all this food???

Rituals Series II: Scents for Foodies at MiN New York

The last time I visited MiN New York, I was there for the Aphrodisiacs session of their Rituals Series II. I left that event with a handful of interesting information about aphrodisiacal (is that a word?) foods, flavors, and aromas (as well as a nice alcohol buzz). So obviously there was little doubt in my decision to sign up for my next session, Scents for Foodies!

I showed up at the event and was greeted with a scattering of attendees - FYI in case anyone plans to attend in the future: the first 30 minutes are usually set aside to mingle and wait for all the attendees to show up. The interesting thing about this session was that the audience primarily consisted of women, though I suppose that really isn't much of a surprise. The aphrodisiacs session did have a stronger male presence, but my guess is that their wives/girlfriends/spouse/friend/whatever dragged them there.

Before I begin my recap of the flavors we were introduced to at the event, I want to state that I was very cautious this time about how much I actually drank...and that I don't have the greatest affinity for heavy alcohol flavors. Now that that's out there, let's begin!

The session kicked off with the introduction of a perfume called "Havana Vanille" by L'Artisan Parfumeur. To capture the essence of Havana, the perfume featured notes of vanilla, cloves, and tobacco. To pair with this scent, our mixologist designed a drink featuring bourbon infused with cloves, fresh papaya, brown sugar, mescal, vanilla pods, sugar, and orange bitters served alongside a dried date. I felt that this drink nicely matched the concepts of the perfume, with the heavy and musky feel of Havana. I had originally hoped that the vanilla essence would be the dominant flavor, but instead it was presented as a very subtle flavor, sort of an afterthought to the heavier bitter and clove notes.

Next up, we were introduced to "Malabah" by Penhaligon's, a scent featuring earl grey, lemon, cardamom, and rose amongst other notes. The drink we were provided with was a mix of vodka infused with earl grey and cardamom, limoncino, lemon juice, simple syrup, rose water, nutmeg, and topped with a dehydrated lemon wheel. For this drink, I again felt that the flavors of the vodka and limoncino were too strong for my taste, but I liked that the infusion of earl grey provided the drink with a nice subtle undertone, followed by a slightly bitter lemon note. And much to my delight, the drink was paired with a scoop of delicious earl grey gelato from il laboratorio del gelato. The gelato was a rich and creamy infusion of earl grey tea flavors, yet not overwhelmingly sweet or strong in flavor.

The next perfume (and drink) were quite beautiful and pleasant, with strong fruity and floral tones - the perfect summer perfume and drink combo! The perfume was "Liasons Dangereuses, Typical Me" by Kilian. The corresponding drink was a blend of gin, peach and plum puree, cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, and pink peppercorn. The drink was sweet (finally!) and the peach and plum puree provided a nice fruity, summery touch, invoking feelings of lying on white sand beaches with the bright sun and blue sky overhead. The drink was served with breaded shrimp and a black currant brandy sauce. The sauce was sweet and rich in brandy flavor, and to me, presented an entirely different feel from the drink and perfume - more of a mysterious, dark, romantic tone.

 The fourth perfume was "Caravelle Epicee" by Frapin and quite honestly, I cannot remember what it smelled like...at all. But there is a reason for this - the corresponding drink was SO good! When I first heard the ingredients of tequila infused with habanero pepper, thyme simple syrup, grapefruit, and cilantro, I was dreading the first taste. After all, those ingredients simply do not sound like the type of drink I would like (i.e. sweet, fruity, and fun!). But upon first sip (through a silver straw, in fact), I was pleasantly surprised. The tequila flavor was completely masked by the beautifully contrasting flavors in the glass. The habanero pepper gave the drink a fun little kick, the thyme simple syrup blended in notes of sugary sweetness, and the cilantro at the bottom of the glass allowed the drink to end on an alternate, herbal note. The lamb that we were served was also quite delicious, very tender with a slight spicy kick, cooled off by the raita drizzled on top.

Again, my apologies for not remembering this perfume, but the last perfume in the series was "Angelo di Fiume" by Linari Fine Fragrances. I keep thinking this is the perfume that gave the impression of walking into a sweet smelling cupcake bakery (kind of like the scent that exudes out the doors of Magnolia Bakery),  but I can't actually remember now :( But again, there is a reason! This time, the drink was definitely way too strong for me, with whiskey infused with jasmine tea, dried cherries, orange peel, vermouth, cherry bitters, and fresh raspberries, but for those who are more tolerant of alcohol, it could be a nice finishing touch after a satisfyingly large and festive feast. Anyways, what I was so distracted by was the salted caramel macaron from ChikaLicious. I've always known ChikaLicious to serve delicious desserts, so how could I expect anything less from their baked goods? The macaron was perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, with a delicious salted caramel filling (and even better when smeared ever so slightly with salted caramel sauce).

I definitely enjoyed coming to MiN New York for the Journey of the Senses Rituals Series II, however I found that there were more drinks I was actually able to drink (note: sweeter and lighter) in the Aphrodisiacs session. If you are interested in attending any of these events, I don't think you should think too much about what will be presented at each session (i.e. aphrodisiacs versus scents for foodies) because in the end, you will leave pleased (and possibly drunk) regardless of which session you attend. Actually the only thing you might want to consider is what sort of perfume flavors you would prefer; for instance, I preferred the scents at the Scents for Foodies session, but preferred the drinks at the Aphrodisiacs session. In summary, if you are presented with the opportunity to visit MiN New York for any of their special apothecary sessions, don't hesitate - go and have fun!

Rituals Series II: Aphrodisiacs at MiN New York

On Tuesday night, thanks to a sweet little Gilt City deal, I attended the Rituals Series II: Aphrodisiacs session held at MiN New York. Before I begin my recap, I'd like to point out that I had little idea as to what the session would be like nor had I ever been to the MiN New York shop before. However, after having experienced the delights of Tuesday night, I can safely promise that I will definitely be returning to MiN New York again in the near future. I can also guarantee that because, along with the Aphrodisiacs session, I also bought a ticket for the Scents for Foodies session. But I digress.

Walking into MiN for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in a cozy apothecary, with endless bottles of perfumes scattered along the European-style shelves and caselines, comfy leather couches, and a wooden bar behind which our mixologist, Yusef, prepared and presented our cocktails for the evening. As the event summary promised, there was also a spread of cheese, chocolates, fruits and crackers  greeting us in the middle of the room.

Through the session, we were introduced to an array of 5 perfumes and 5 coordinating cocktails. We were taught how to identify the unique scents and aromas of each perfume and drink, as well as how each of these components tied into the theme of the night: aphrodisiacs.

 
The night kicked off with the introduction of Poivre Piquant by L'Artisan Parfumeur, a perfume featuring distinct notes of white pepper, alongside a drink featuring gin, ginger, white pepper syrup, lime juice, and kaffir lime dust garnished with tarragon sprig. The sharp accents of the white pepper mixed with the tart flavors of the lime and kaffir lime dust combined to give this drink a little spicy kick.

The next perfume presented featured hints of saffron - hence the name, Safron Troublant. The corresponding drink was probably my favorite of the evening - or at least the one I'd be most likely to find a way to drink again. This cocktail combined dry gin with a saffron and vanilla bean syrup, lemon juice, and rose champagne and was topped with a beautiful white rose petal. The drink was pleasantly sweet and fruity, masking the flavors of the gin (now might be the time to admit that I am a wimp and cannot really bear the taste of alcohol on its own). Admittedly, I did not detect flavors of saffron or vanilla bean and could really only notice the rose champagne, but I'm sure those two flavors were playing a behind-the-scenes role in producing this delightfully refreshing drink.

As you may have noticed by now, we were being served full size cocktails. That being said, as expected, by this point in the evening, the details on each of the perfumes and drinks began to blur together. The third perfume, Figue Amere by Miller Harris, was characterized by essence of fig and resultantly, we were presented with a tray of beautifully pan-roasted figs in balsamic vinegar. We were told that the figs would complement our next drink, which was a port infused with lemongrass and mixed with star anise simple syrup and a Thai basil leaf. But unfortunately, I don't like figs so I suppose I skipped this round of aphrodisiacs. However, my taste buds were so preoccupied with the surprising flavor of this drink that I hardly noticed what I was missing out on. This drink was surprisingly quite sweet and the flavor of the star anise was prominently featured. I was actually quite taken aback by this drink because prior to this experience, I had only ever tasted star anise in generally salty, soy sauce-laden stews. But the star anise, simple syrup, and the Thai basil came together so beautifully in this drink, mixing with the port to produce flavors of licorice and exude a very exotic feel.

I'm not sure I even remember what the fourth perfume, Back to Black by Kilian, was like. But the drink I do (vaguely) remember - a mix of tequila, vodka infused with cardamom and nutmeg, chamomile honey, lime juice, and a sprig of cilantro, all presented with a really awesome silver straw. Now when I heard what was going into this drink, my mind started spinning in circles wondering how I would be getting home later that night. Actually, I have no clue how anyone was able to finish all the drinks that evening and still manage to get home - I only fully finished two drinks! Anyways back to the drink - I only had a few sips of this one, as I knew the combination of tequila and vodka would be lethal for my sobriety, but digging past the flavors of the alcohol, I found the mix of the chamomile honey and the lime juice to be deliciously pleasant. I was surprised not to have found any flavors of cilantro, being that it usually presents such a strong, distinct flavor, but had the flavor come through, I think it would have provided a nice balance against the sweetness of the honey.

The last perfume of the evening, Aziyade by Parfum d'Empire, featured pomegranates and dates. The corresponding drink was a mix of rum, orgeat syrup, and orange juice, with the edges of the glass lined with dates and possibly a ginger powder (?). I tried to take a picture of the drink, but by this time, the lights had already been dimmed (and I mean literally dimmed - I wasn't just closing my eyes), so the camera on my phone could not capture anything. Like the previous drink, I only had a few sips, but unfortunately I was unable to sample enough to really be able to identify and/or remember any flavors aside from the rum. I do remember the rim of the glass being quite deliciously sweet and tasty though!

At the end of the session, each participant is presented with a gift bag containing an array of perfume samples as well as a list of all recipes and perfumes introduced in the session.

All in all, I definitely enjoyed this Rituals Series II session at MiN New York and will definitely be returning again for another session. If you're not a fan of perfumes, aromas, and/or scents (which I actually honestly am not), there are still plenty of things to learn from the cocktail portion of the session and thus I would strongly advise you to schedule a visit.