On the Menu: October 18 to October 24

by jbfauthor on October 16, 2009

Here’s what happening at the Beard House and around the country next week: Sunday, October 18, 5:00 P.M. Friends of James Beard Benefit: Chicago The talented team behind acclaimed Chicago restaurants Blackbird, Avec, and the Publican has designed a unique evening to benefit the Beard Foundation. For one night only guests are invited to make a reservation to enjoy this ingredient-driven menu with wine pairings at the time of their choosing. Monday, October 19, 6:30 P.M. Lunedi Cena: Monday Night Supper The weather has finally turned chilly and nothing warms you up like the soul-satisfying, rustic foods of Italy. Join us for a Monday night supper of family-style classics created by executive chef Mirco Grassini at the newly opened Trattoria Cinque. Paired with this hearty fare? Vintages from some of Italy’s most well known wine regions. Monday, October 19, 7:00 P.M. Connecticut Apple Harvest Dinner Celebrate the fall’s apple harvest with this exuberant culinary homage to the beloved biblical fruit. Executive chef Leo Bushey III of the Hartford Club has designed a masterful menu: each course incorporates a distinct preparation of a specific type of apple into Bushey’s artful American cuisine. Monday, October 19, 6:30 P.M. Friends of James Beard Benefit: Los Angeles Join host chef Eric Greenspan and a team of guest chefs and mixologists from LA and New York City at The Foundry on Melrose for this fun-filled evening of cutting-edge cuisine paired with cutting-edge cocktails. Wednesday, October 21, 6:30 P.M. Friends of James Beard Benefit: Milwaukee Join JBF Award winners Adam Siegel and Paul Bartolotta for a fantastic night of top dining and top chefs at Milwaukee's Bacchus! Top Chef winners Stephanie Izard and Hosea Rosenberg are joining in on what will surely be a memorable night of food and drink. Wednesday, October 21, 7:00 P.M. Rodney Strong 50th Anniversary To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Rodney Strong Vineyards is publishing an innovative cookbook, Down Home to Downtown, which features the very distinct culinary styles of Sonoma chefs Jeff Mall of Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar and Josh Silvers of Syrah Bistro. To honor the book and this marvelous milestone, the chefs are presenting a duo of dishes for each course. Thursday, October 22, 7:00 P.M. Celebrity Chef Tour: San Francisco Celebrity Chef Tour events are dinners produced by Inner Circle that benefit the James Beard Foundation, in which JBF Award winners and other celebrity chefs travel to private clubs, resorts, and other exclusive venues across America to prepare dinners and promote the culinary arts. Friday, October 23, 7:00 P.M. Reflections of Maremma Our friends from Apicius are back for their annual Italian fête at the Beard House. This year the school’s chefs will showcase the intensely flavorful and vibrant cuisine of Maremma, a region located on the southern coast of Tuscany. The area’s signature dish, cinghale (wild boar), will be a highlight of the menu. Saturday, October 24, 7:00 P.M. Diwali: Festival of Lights During Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, revelers celebrate with the lighting of special oil lamps and the preparation of elaborate feasts. Join us for a feast of our own when chefs Suvir Saran, Hemant Mathur, and Joshua Thomas return to the Beard House to prepare a menu of their sophisticated, flavor-packed Indian fare. For details and reservations, visit www.jamesbeard.org/events or call 212.627.2308. (Photo by Eileen Miller)