New York Taste 2008

I've just returned from the 2008 edition of New York Taste, a/k/a "The Most Dangerously Gut-Busting Event in NYC." This year, the gala was held in the 18,000-square-foot Skylight. Somehow, in the midst of all the food and drink and fabulous people, I ran into HungryMan and Nosher, my buddies from NYCNosh. "So, Salli Vates, what is a must-try?" they asked me.

"Well," I began, "you've got to have Le Bernardin's brown butter cream topped with sweet potato caviar and pistachios, with a bottom layer of red wine caramel. Maybe you're not ready for dessert yet, but it's one of the most spellbinding dishes I've tried tonight." HungryMan and Nosher hurried over to the Le Bernardin table (well, as fast as you can hurry in a crowd as dense as the 6 train during rush hour). They heartily agreed with me. "What else?"

"Hmm. Well, I really liked the two chefs from across the pond, Tom Aikens and Anthony Demetre. Aikens has a delicious salt cod brandade salad; it looks like a miniature English garden with dill, scallions, cucumber and yellow edible flowers. And Demetre is serving a tender smoked eel with horseradish. Oh, and you must eat Adour's chocolate-hazelnut croustillant with orange granita!" Nosher thought the granita had a bit too much ginger, but everyone agreed about the brandade.

Some other dishes I really enjoyed were: The Spotted Pig's flavorful haddock chowder topped with a homemade cracker; the goose breast with chestnut dumplings of Table 8, a restaurant due to open at the Cooper Square Hotel in December; Anita Lo's subtle tea-smoked salmon, Allegretti's Provencal deboned rabbit; and Eighty-One's plump seared scallop with truffled celery root puree in a chestnut bacon broth. Wait, I'm forgetting something. Well, Craftsteak was serving up Wagyu brisket and truffled grits, and Riingo had a miso-cured salmon, and Craig Koketsu featured some wild savory caramel apples in bacon, pumpkin seed and sage flavors.

Of course, there was alcohol galore, both edible and drinkable. Chef Carmen Gonzalez, who is releasing an exciting new cookbook, served a full menu using Bacardi flavored rums. I loved her flan with orange Bacardi-spiked salsa. Her other offerings were pork bites, seared tuna and coquitos. I had to be careful, though - last year, I indulged in too much drink. So, even though there was a lot of Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur and red wine, I mostly stuck to the Fiji water! All the better to eat it with, my dear.

Finally, it was time to focus on dessert. HungryMan, Nosher and I missed the presence of Payard, but we made sure to dig into Oceana's rectangle of chocolate/peanut butter mousse with green apple gelee and the one-bite hot chocolate "lollipop" donuts from Blaue Gans. HungryMan dared me to have another helping of the brown butter cream - but I couldn't.

However, I made sure to enter the Virgin Atlantic raffle. If I win two tickets to London, I'm heading straight to Tom Aiken's restaurant! By that time, I will have regained my appetite.