It was billed as bigger than its preceding shows… it was, it was billed as better than its preceding shows… it was! This was one of those rare occasions when hype and truth actually walked in locked step. The food, the wine, the liquors, all added up to a wonderful evening, an epicure’s dream come true.
SYR and I went in at 4:00pm, we saw and met many friends, magazine editors, fellow foodies and bloggers. We delighted in some products we’d already raved about on these pages, we discovered the new and revisited some great restaurants. As we spoke to favorite chefs, we were happy to hear their craft was more than just a job, their passion for food, their creative juices continue unabated. Chef David Kolotkin of Solo and Prime Grill, Chef Jeff Nathan of Abigael’s and his wife Alison, Chef Mark Green of Glatt A La Carte, Jose Mireilles of Le Marais were among old friends showing off their creations.
Pomegranate had a large booth serving up some dishes that could have been made at any top restaurant.
Chef Emilio getting ready to hand out some delicacies.
Shana Wendel and staff presented Pardes‘ fares…
Lamb Meatballs with Turnip and Olive. Juicy, succulent, beautiful to look at... unmistakably Pardes!
Dr Alan Bronner and Chef Jack Silberstein of Jack’s Gourmet were serving Chorizo Tacos, Pepper and Onion Soup with Sweet Italian Sausage and Bratwurst Sliders. We sampled all three and and loved them, here is an easy recipe they shared with us:
Bratwurst Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 package (4 links) Jack’s Gourmet Cured Bratwurst Sausage sliced 1/4″ thick on an angle
- 12 slider buns (4 burger buns can be substituted instead)
- 1/2 cup sauerkraut
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 4 tablespoons grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Directions
- Combine the sauerkraut and caraway seeds and reserve.
- Combine the mustard and tarragon leaves and reserve.
- Heat a saute pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons oil. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, about 3 – 5 minutes.
- To serve, slice the buns in half. Spead a small amount of mustard on the bottom half of each bun. Top with sausage and sauerkraut and place other half of bun on top. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.
Some other friends with a great product are Valerie and Robert Groper from My Brother Bobby’s Salsa. SYR finally got to taste their salsas, she fully agrees with me they are superb. Can’t wait until they are available in Brooklyn!
Shalom Bombay was there as well, I had a selection of their Chicken Pakoras, Chicken Biryany and the Chicken Tikka Masala liberally sprinkled with the Mint and Tamarind Chutney and loved the whole combo. Noi Due still makes the best Espresso I’ve ever tasted in the US.
A new discovery was got cholent? Inc. I had their Moroccan Dafina and the Polish Cholent (just like my mamma used to make!!!). They have 16 different types of cholent, wish I could taste them all… The same people folks also own Gemstone Catering and we were very impressed with their Eve’s Apple and Hickory Wood Smoked BBQ Pulled Brisket Sliders. Tammy Polatsek from Aristocratic Design Co. told us these guys make superbly delicious food, well… they do!
There were so many restaurants to choose from, so much looked, smelled and tasted great I could write a very long post extolling the virtues of each, suffice it to say that the choice of eateries and caterers represented was tops. We also talked to cookbook authors Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum, Chef Jeff Nathan, Chef Susie Fishbein, Chef Jamie Geller. All in all a delightful evening, amidst delightful people.
CS
The Kosher Scene 
I absolutely loved the lamb meatball at Pardes (and I’ve never even heard of the restaurant)!
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A Jewish friend insisted I come and taste the food and wines, since he bought the tickets I couldn’t refuse… Who knew kosher could be this good? Pardes’ Lamb meatball was incredible, I’m now longing for it! I guess I have no choice but to visit them in Brooklyn.
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This event made for one of the best date nights of all time. Twenty some-odd restaurants and hundreds of wines to choose from. I agree, the lamb meatballs from Pardes were out of this world, as were those sausage sliders from Jacks…WOW. For us the best thing in the room that night was from Gemstone Catering, the new kid’s on the block. Their seared tuna over mango and jicama and Smoked BBQ Brisket Sliders were hands down the best things in the room. We can’t wait to do this again next year!
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