On the Menu: April 25 through May 1

by jbfauthor on April 23, 2010

Here’s what’s happening at the Beard House next week: Monday, April 26, 7:00 P.M. Sustainable Seafood Feast At the intimate Copper Beech Inn, acclaimed executive chef Tyler Anderson finds inspiration in the Connecticut River Valley, creating New England–inflected modern American dishes. An alum of Vermont’s Equinox and Colorado’s RockResorts, Anderson has designed a magnificent menu for this feast, pairing pristine local produce with the finest sustainable seafood. Tuesday, April 27, 7:00 P.M. Le Cirque Spectacular Though the recent multimillion-dollar reopening of Le Cirque marked a new era in the storied restaurant’s 30-plus-year history, the appointing of Australian-born chef Craig Hopson to the position of top toque was perhaps even more revolutionary. Since joining the NYC institution, Hopson has reinvigorated the restaurant’s menu with his forward-thinking approach. Wednesday, April 28, 12:00 P.M. Enlightened Eaters: A Reading Plant-based dishes are more and more common on fine-dining menus. With an increasing number of diners looking for vegan alternatives, every chef needs to have a tasty offering ready to go. Linda Long, food photographer and author of the award-winning Great Chefs Cook Vegan, asked 25 of the nation’s top chefs to create their own selection of vegan dishes. At this special reading she will share insights from the chefs, tips for taking your own fabulous food shots, and samples of Charlie Trotter and Mathias Merges’s delectable chocolate truffle mignardises, a recipe from the book. Wednesday, April 28, 7:00 P.M. Contemporary Surf and Turf At C-House Fish and Chops, Marcus Samuelsson’s first Chicago restaurant, the celebrity chef has stepped away from his signature Scandinavian flavor profile to create a uniquely American seafood menu. Save yourself the plane fare and taste the gutsy, palate-expanding cuisine that led Chicago magazine to declare C-House one of last year’s best restaurants. Thursday, April 29, 7:00 P.M. April Showers Bring…Champagne Welcome spring with a beautiful, seasonally inspired menu and plentiful Champagne from the folks behind Upstairs on the Square, namely über-talented Jean Georges alum Steven Brand and JBF Award–winning chef Susan Regis, whose cooking, the Boston Herald’s Mat Schaffer said, is “as imaginative as it is passionate.” Friday, April 30, 7:00 P.M. Northwest Classic Reinvented When Canlis debuted in 1950, its open kitchen, local sourcing, and team-oriented service were groundbreaking ideas for the restaurant industry. Sixty years later, this Seattle pioneer continues to wow patrons with its definitive and elegant Northwestern fare, prepared by the capable hands of Eleven Madison Park alum Jason Franey. Saturday, May 1, 10:00 A.M. Paris Façades New York City–based artist Carol Gillott travels to Paris three or four times a year to soak up inspirations and shoot thousands of photos to paint from. Her Greenhouse Gallery show, Paris Façades, features her charming watercolors of Parisian boulangeries and patisseries. Saturday, May 1, 7:00 P.M. Redefining Dallas “Dragonfly may leave you speechless,” raved Dave Faries of the Dallas Observer, who went gaga for the Hotel ZaZa’s award-winning restaurant, now helmed by chef Grant Morgan. An alum of Le Cirque at the Bellagio, Morgan, along with Adam West, presides over “one of the most impressive seasonal menus in Dallas,” as per Faries. For details and reservations, visit www.jamesbeard.org/events or call 212.627.2308.