Thursday, September 26, 2002
Harvest in the Park celebration on Union Square
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
In this climate of war tensions it was a pleasure to write about a truly joyful event, the seventh annual Harvest in the Square, a food and wine tent meeting in Union Square Park on Thursday, September 19. This major 14th Street-Union Square LDC community fundraiser, occasionally postponed - last year it was the 9/11 outrage, when Union Square became "Unity Square" and the memorial site for the victims, in 1999 it was Hurricane Floyd - was scheduled to take place under the white canvas roof, rain or shine, with 53 participating restaurants and an equal number of wineries offering tastes of their most savory and exotic products. Danny Meyer, the honorary chair and a founder of the event, was eager to tell how proud he was of this neighborhood's recovery from 9/11, with the Greenmarket, the profusion of restaurants and theaters, and the Silicon Valley of NY (his description) leading the way, despite the blows. Nearly all the restaurants have come back from the period when visitors stayed home and in many of the eateries the main activity was contributing meals to the volunteers, the policemen and the firemen at Ground Zero.
As to the Harvest fare, early arrivals had a full choice of the 20+ fine hors-d'oeuvres from Kitchen 22 (duck prosciuto, salmon tartare in horseradish gelee), Le Madri (lamb and rice dolmades, Spanish mackerel with peperonata), Chango (crab quesadillas), Havana Central (mini Cuban sandwiches) and Knickerbocker Bar and Grill (crab cakes), accompanied by flutes of Pommeroy Brut Royal champagne.
The seafood was equally outstanding; Chicama's bay scallop ceviche with coconut gelee led, closely followed by Sushi Samba Park tuna sashimi ceviche and jumbo lump crab and salmon purses from Blue Water Grill. AZ was popular, with grilled squid and melon salad, Union Square Café had Spanish mackerel marinated with currants and peppers. Metronome's grilled shrimp skewers with cilantro pesto and mango vinaigrette and Candela's pumpkin and mussel risotto,Café Deville's coulibiac (salmon roll) with lobster mousse, City Bakery fish cupcake and City Crab's crab, tomato and corn salad over crispy potato nest provided more lively taste treqats.
Among the visitors, we noted fire- fighters from two companies, Engine # 5 (14th St.) and # 14 (18th St.), truck and all, ready to answer emergency calls. The firemen cast their ballots for the hearty food, sliced filet mignon with sauteed onions at Angelo and Maxie's, dished out by two nubile servers, Cara and Marisol. In the meats department very popular were also Park Avalon's pepper-crusted filets of beef with unusual Peruvian purple potato salad (from our Greenmarket, naturally), Strip House's New York strip steak with corn, mashed potato and roasted carrot salsa, Tabla's Black Angus brisket on brioche, The Tonic's duck confit and TanDa's lacquered duck hand-rolls, and Blue Smoke's pulled pork sliders with slaw. Bambou offered curry chicken salad with cumin-mango sauce, Bondi had oven-roasted chicken breasts with mashed potatoes, comfort food. Coffee Shop's lamb osso bucco with wild mushroom risotto and herbed goat cheese. Dos Caminos chochinta pibil (Mexican roast pork), Tamarind's chicken shahi Korma (saffron almond sauce)o and craftbar's (sic) braised rabbit with olives and polenta, Steak Frites pissaladiere de thon Provencale (French fish pizza) and Café Spice's noorie Malay kebab with saag paneer (spinach) and jeera pulao (rice) provided more gourmet exotica. I missed tasting Heartland Brewery's mysteriously named buffalo-chicken spring rolls.
Actually, tasting 50-plus dishes and wines is sinful, and impossible (though I try, heavens, I try), and other visitors' answers to my "what's good" questions helped. Nearly every restaurant had at least one admirer, and many remembered descriptions of dishes, if not those of the servers. Having catchy names helps. Winery names are difficult, and I found a pamphlet or card of great value. Hint, hint...
In pastas and soups Ribollita's crespella alla Fiorentina (crepes in bechemel and tomato sauce) rated high, followed by Gramercy Tavern's orechiette (ear-shape pasta) with summer beans and walnut pesto, Belmont Lounge's pennette with sausage and wild leeks, Campagna's lasagna, and Cat 'n Chew's Smithfield ham and cheese macaroni Todd English's Olives had chilled Greenmarket tomato soup with Parmesan spuma. The adventurous owner now has 12 restaurants, spreading his cuisine to Tokyo, Las Vegas and the future Cunard luxury cruise liner Queen Mary II. Verbena, perennial favorite, had Kabocha squash soup with grilled corn and mushroom oil, and the National Arts Club had its perennial favorite, chili.
For vegetable lovers, Galaxy Global Eatery served Korean seitan and water chestnut wraps with amaranth leaf, Gotham Bar and Grill featured warm vegetable custard with shell bean salad, Bolo had neat tomato and crispy bread salad with white bean humus, L'Express presented its leak and porcini mushroom aspic, Luna Parks' arugula salad with roasted red and gold beans was neat, Tocqueville Restaurant & Wine Bar had a tomato sonata in three movements, consomme, confit and sorbet. Republic had a unique service, of takeout noodle salad with fried wontons, which we gratefully had for lunch the next day. .
In desserts, outstanding were 11Madison's opera with black currant sorbet, The Tonic's banana tarts, and Tatin, with macadamia and rum ice cream. We also liked City Bakery's pear sandwiches with peanut-beer ice cream, Patria's goat cheese natilla (Cuban custard pudding), Pippa's goat cheesecake and Fleur de Sol's chocolate cornettes. Interesting coffees, teas, waters and beers were presented by Café Atomico, Heartland Brewery, 71 Irving Place Coffee & Tea Bar, T-Salon, Sam Adams and S. Pellegtino & Acqua Panna, with Maker's Mark intriguing all bourbon lovers with a sealed bottle (alas, the festival is unlicenced).
The wines, arranged with the aid of Union Square Wines and Spirits, who featured several varieties at their stand, were truly international, Two New Zealand Sauvignon blancs ( Crossings and Villa Maria) made their debut, as did a Sardinian vermentino (Villa & Mosca) and California sakis. Long Island was ten-strong , at least, with multiple entries from Castello di Borghese-Hargrave, Osprey's Dominion and Paumanok, followed by California, Italy and France. Spain (fine Osborne solarz), Australia, Alsace, and the Seneca Lake region were there, as was Hungary with a Disznoko Tokaji. The Chardonnay, Merlots and Chiantis still lead, with interesting samples from the Muscadet, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Semillon domains
Thanks again to Eugene McGrath of Con Ed, Karen Shaw, Christina Brown and others at the BID, organizers Meyer, Eric Petterson, Michael Siry, Gary Tornberg and Martha Bell Dallis, and major sponsors Beth Israel, Buchbinder & Warren, Goshow Associates and Rothman's.
This was a week devoted to fundraisers. At the NY Historical Society, Scott Simon of WNYC's Weekend Edition described Saddam Hussein's tactics as straight out of the Dictator's Playbook,. In Albany we heard WAMC's banjoist and CEO Alan Chartock's Berkshire Ramblers deliver a rousing singalong of "Down by the Riverside (I won't study war no more)", in the new Linda Norris Auditorium (met that generous lady too). Next week we fast and save money, and worry about wars.
In this climate of war tensions it was a pleasure to write about a truly joyful event, the seventh annual Harvest in the Square, a food and wine tent meeting in Union Square Park on Thursday, September 19. This major 14th Street-Union Square LDC community fundraiser, occasionally postponed - last year it was the 9/11 outrage, when Union Square became "Unity Square" and the memorial site for the victims, in 1999 it was Hurricane Floyd - was scheduled to take place under the white canvas roof, rain or shine, with 53 participating restaurants and an equal number of wineries offering tastes of their most savory and exotic products. Danny Meyer, the honorary chair and a founder of the event, was eager to tell how proud he was of this neighborhood's recovery from 9/11, with the Greenmarket, the profusion of restaurants and theaters, and the Silicon Valley of NY (his description) leading the way, despite the blows. Nearly all the restaurants have come back from the period when visitors stayed home and in many of the eateries the main activity was contributing meals to the volunteers, the policemen and the firemen at Ground Zero.
As to the Harvest fare, early arrivals had a full choice of the 20+ fine hors-d'oeuvres from Kitchen 22 (duck prosciuto, salmon tartare in horseradish gelee), Le Madri (lamb and rice dolmades, Spanish mackerel with peperonata), Chango (crab quesadillas), Havana Central (mini Cuban sandwiches) and Knickerbocker Bar and Grill (crab cakes), accompanied by flutes of Pommeroy Brut Royal champagne.
The seafood was equally outstanding; Chicama's bay scallop ceviche with coconut gelee led, closely followed by Sushi Samba Park tuna sashimi ceviche and jumbo lump crab and salmon purses from Blue Water Grill. AZ was popular, with grilled squid and melon salad, Union Square Café had Spanish mackerel marinated with currants and peppers. Metronome's grilled shrimp skewers with cilantro pesto and mango vinaigrette and Candela's pumpkin and mussel risotto,Café Deville's coulibiac (salmon roll) with lobster mousse, City Bakery fish cupcake and City Crab's crab, tomato and corn salad over crispy potato nest provided more lively taste treqats.
Among the visitors, we noted fire- fighters from two companies, Engine # 5 (14th St.) and # 14 (18th St.), truck and all, ready to answer emergency calls. The firemen cast their ballots for the hearty food, sliced filet mignon with sauteed onions at Angelo and Maxie's, dished out by two nubile servers, Cara and Marisol. In the meats department very popular were also Park Avalon's pepper-crusted filets of beef with unusual Peruvian purple potato salad (from our Greenmarket, naturally), Strip House's New York strip steak with corn, mashed potato and roasted carrot salsa, Tabla's Black Angus brisket on brioche, The Tonic's duck confit and TanDa's lacquered duck hand-rolls, and Blue Smoke's pulled pork sliders with slaw. Bambou offered curry chicken salad with cumin-mango sauce, Bondi had oven-roasted chicken breasts with mashed potatoes, comfort food. Coffee Shop's lamb osso bucco with wild mushroom risotto and herbed goat cheese. Dos Caminos chochinta pibil (Mexican roast pork), Tamarind's chicken shahi Korma (saffron almond sauce)o and craftbar's (sic) braised rabbit with olives and polenta, Steak Frites pissaladiere de thon Provencale (French fish pizza) and Café Spice's noorie Malay kebab with saag paneer (spinach) and jeera pulao (rice) provided more gourmet exotica. I missed tasting Heartland Brewery's mysteriously named buffalo-chicken spring rolls.
Actually, tasting 50-plus dishes and wines is sinful, and impossible (though I try, heavens, I try), and other visitors' answers to my "what's good" questions helped. Nearly every restaurant had at least one admirer, and many remembered descriptions of dishes, if not those of the servers. Having catchy names helps. Winery names are difficult, and I found a pamphlet or card of great value. Hint, hint...
In pastas and soups Ribollita's crespella alla Fiorentina (crepes in bechemel and tomato sauce) rated high, followed by Gramercy Tavern's orechiette (ear-shape pasta) with summer beans and walnut pesto, Belmont Lounge's pennette with sausage and wild leeks, Campagna's lasagna, and Cat 'n Chew's Smithfield ham and cheese macaroni Todd English's Olives had chilled Greenmarket tomato soup with Parmesan spuma. The adventurous owner now has 12 restaurants, spreading his cuisine to Tokyo, Las Vegas and the future Cunard luxury cruise liner Queen Mary II. Verbena, perennial favorite, had Kabocha squash soup with grilled corn and mushroom oil, and the National Arts Club had its perennial favorite, chili.
For vegetable lovers, Galaxy Global Eatery served Korean seitan and water chestnut wraps with amaranth leaf, Gotham Bar and Grill featured warm vegetable custard with shell bean salad, Bolo had neat tomato and crispy bread salad with white bean humus, L'Express presented its leak and porcini mushroom aspic, Luna Parks' arugula salad with roasted red and gold beans was neat, Tocqueville Restaurant & Wine Bar had a tomato sonata in three movements, consomme, confit and sorbet. Republic had a unique service, of takeout noodle salad with fried wontons, which we gratefully had for lunch the next day. .
In desserts, outstanding were 11Madison's opera with black currant sorbet, The Tonic's banana tarts, and Tatin, with macadamia and rum ice cream. We also liked City Bakery's pear sandwiches with peanut-beer ice cream, Patria's goat cheese natilla (Cuban custard pudding), Pippa's goat cheesecake and Fleur de Sol's chocolate cornettes. Interesting coffees, teas, waters and beers were presented by Café Atomico, Heartland Brewery, 71 Irving Place Coffee & Tea Bar, T-Salon, Sam Adams and S. Pellegtino & Acqua Panna, with Maker's Mark intriguing all bourbon lovers with a sealed bottle (alas, the festival is unlicenced).
The wines, arranged with the aid of Union Square Wines and Spirits, who featured several varieties at their stand, were truly international, Two New Zealand Sauvignon blancs ( Crossings and Villa Maria) made their debut, as did a Sardinian vermentino (Villa & Mosca) and California sakis. Long Island was ten-strong , at least, with multiple entries from Castello di Borghese-Hargrave, Osprey's Dominion and Paumanok, followed by California, Italy and France. Spain (fine Osborne solarz), Australia, Alsace, and the Seneca Lake region were there, as was Hungary with a Disznoko Tokaji. The Chardonnay, Merlots and Chiantis still lead, with interesting samples from the Muscadet, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Semillon domains
Thanks again to Eugene McGrath of Con Ed, Karen Shaw, Christina Brown and others at the BID, organizers Meyer, Eric Petterson, Michael Siry, Gary Tornberg and Martha Bell Dallis, and major sponsors Beth Israel, Buchbinder & Warren, Goshow Associates and Rothman's.
This was a week devoted to fundraisers. At the NY Historical Society, Scott Simon of WNYC's Weekend Edition described Saddam Hussein's tactics as straight out of the Dictator's Playbook,. In Albany we heard WAMC's banjoist and CEO Alan Chartock's Berkshire Ramblers deliver a rousing singalong of "Down by the Riverside (I won't study war no more)", in the new Linda Norris Auditorium (met that generous lady too). Next week we fast and save money, and worry about wars.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 3:41 PM 
