Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Harvest Festival on Union Square, our County Fair
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
While the world was waiting for thunder and lightning at the UN, with Presidents Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi having preannounced their words of anger to descend on the proceedings, the people of Union Square had more immediate concerns, about forecasts of a heavy rainfall potentially disrupting the 14th Annual Harvest in the Square, our Midtown Manhattan County Fair, on Thursday, September 24. But the clouds turned away, and another sweet and perfect September day greeted our proceedings. Some 1,200 New Yorkers gathered in the white tent that had sprung up overnight at the west edge of the Union Square Park, to taste the best farm-fresh ingredients in the best dishes assembled - and donated to the cause of the Park’s renewal - by the best chefs of Manhattan’s “best-tasting community.” That is a quote from the late Eugene McGrath, former head of the 14th Street-Union Square BID/LDC, now Union Square Partnership, host of the Harvest celebration. It is a joyful event, a giving of thanks for the bounties of the season.
The joys began at the entrance, when Mionetto Prosecco people greeted arrivals with flutes of their Italian sparkling wine, and servers of L. A. Burdick Chocolate Company (New Hampshire, available in East Coast shops) walked around with platters of bonbons, truffles and small chocolate tarts sprinkled with honey-lavender Anglaise and bee pollen, while Jack[‘s] Bistro offered mango-glazed skewered shrimp.
The buffet ambiance was crowded but friendly. Restaurants had tables of food, both in the center and lining the walls of the long tent, the small servings on plastic plates being constantly replenished by chefs from their backup hot tables and cold hampers. The 58 participating restaurant food tables were interspersed with stands of wine from 22 vineries, and beverage displays from Dallis Coffee Company, Fiji Water, GuS Grown Up Soda and Heartland Brewery.
Visitors, were cheerful, many darting between tables, tasting and exchanging impressions. The more sedate filled their plates and found a table and chairs for a leisurely picnic, at the ends and along the sides of the tent.
In the choice of favorite dishes, this was a year of basics. My hardly scientific poll shows that beef and pork predominated. The restaurant receiving the most kudos was BLT Prime, serving slices of American Vagyu (Texan version of the Japanese Kobe buttery beef), cut from flatiron (shoulder steak), with bacon chimichuri (Argentine green parsley/oil sauce). Primehouse had grilled filet mignon with bleu cheese fondue, while Angelo and Maxie’s Steakhouse version was served on sandwiches, with sauteed onions. Fans praised T-bone steaks from Knickerbocker Bar & Grill, Blue Smoke’s Texas style beef ribs, Barbounia’s lamb kebab, with tahini, and Hill Country’s smoked pork spare riblets. Pork sliders from Wildwood BBQ (with chipotle sauce) and Big Daddy’s (“fully loaded”), and pulled pork from Casa Mono/Café Jamon added a new meat favorite, to compete with the beef varieties. In the world of sea-food, Black Duck, a four restaurant operation, had oysters on the half-shell, with tomato-jalopeno granite (a whoopee horseradish/sour cream concoction), Café Spice offered pepper shrimp with tamarind rice, Almond, soon celebrating its 1st year here, offered house-smoked bluefish with dill and goat yogurt. The big B. R. Guest flagship, Blue Water Grill (14 restaurants in the empire, eight in NYC), had bacon-wrapped lobster sausage avec fennel pollen aioli {garlic mayonnaise baste, from Provence).
In what the Partnership calls the veggie category, Danny Meyers’s flagships excelled, Union Square Café with its zucchini in scapece (marinated Amalfi style), and Gramercy Tavern, souffleed crackers with zucchini, reported to melt on your tongue (I only write what they say.) Tamarind had nilgiri korma (Hyderabad curry dish), Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon at Irving Place had sliced apple with brie and cranberry chutney on seven-grain bread, but the added attractions were Harvestini martinis from her Cibar Bar. Of the unsung heroes, City Crab had good crab cakes, Cat ‘n’ Chew featured pulled shrimp tacos, BLT Fish served tuna with aioli, and Eric Peterson’s Coffee Shop offered roasted chicken tamale with salsa verde. Our restaurants still have magic.
Not forgetting the soups and desserts, Back Forty featured cold corn soup, National Arts Club served chili, and Tocqueville chilled some tomato consommé. Ciao Bella Gelato also had sorbets, Stand served a toasted marshmallow milkshake, and Todd English’s Olives featured flavored sno-cones inspired by the Union Square Greenmarket (also an exhibitor, featured in several restaurant offerings).
In wine, North Fork LI vineyards predominated, with Lieb Cellars, Shinn Estate, Marta Clara and Paumanok offering merlots, and viogniers. Finger Lakes had riesling from Ravines Cellars, Standing Stone and Dr Constantin Frank Wine Cellars. Hudson Valley was represented by Brotherhood’s Rieslings and Millbrook chardonnays (still the most popular varietals). Vina Casas Patronales from Chile offered sauvignon blanc and carmenere, and there were vouvrays and sancerres from Loire Valley (JC&CH Pichot, Vincent Delaporte). The locals, Southern Wine & Spirits and Union Square Wine & Spirits, had some of each.
The Harvest was successful, thanks are due to the givers, sponsors, partners, organizers – Matthew Hughes (Blue Water Grill), Gary Tornberg (Southern Wine), Danny Meyers, Eric Peterson, the 30 local and 9 ex-officio members of the USP board, and to Jennifer Falk and her USP staff.
The proceeds of the Harvest In The Square will be put towards the renewal of Union Square North End Project. A pamphlet by that title, printed May 2008, states that the new huge playground will be on a single elevation , and that the rehabilitated Pavilion ‘s upper level will accommodate a seasonal concession and off-season community space, with access by elevator for the disabled, and US Parks Dept office space below. If the two above statements are current, they should go a long way in settling the years-long strife between USP/NYCDPR on one side and CB5/USCC/BP Stringer on the other. On the positive side – let’s hope those words are correct; Union Square economics are up (18 new businesses). And the UN did not erupt, a good sign.
While the world was waiting for thunder and lightning at the UN, with Presidents Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi having preannounced their words of anger to descend on the proceedings, the people of Union Square had more immediate concerns, about forecasts of a heavy rainfall potentially disrupting the 14th Annual Harvest in the Square, our Midtown Manhattan County Fair, on Thursday, September 24. But the clouds turned away, and another sweet and perfect September day greeted our proceedings. Some 1,200 New Yorkers gathered in the white tent that had sprung up overnight at the west edge of the Union Square Park, to taste the best farm-fresh ingredients in the best dishes assembled - and donated to the cause of the Park’s renewal - by the best chefs of Manhattan’s “best-tasting community.” That is a quote from the late Eugene McGrath, former head of the 14th Street-Union Square BID/LDC, now Union Square Partnership, host of the Harvest celebration. It is a joyful event, a giving of thanks for the bounties of the season.
The joys began at the entrance, when Mionetto Prosecco people greeted arrivals with flutes of their Italian sparkling wine, and servers of L. A. Burdick Chocolate Company (New Hampshire, available in East Coast shops) walked around with platters of bonbons, truffles and small chocolate tarts sprinkled with honey-lavender Anglaise and bee pollen, while Jack[‘s] Bistro offered mango-glazed skewered shrimp.
The buffet ambiance was crowded but friendly. Restaurants had tables of food, both in the center and lining the walls of the long tent, the small servings on plastic plates being constantly replenished by chefs from their backup hot tables and cold hampers. The 58 participating restaurant food tables were interspersed with stands of wine from 22 vineries, and beverage displays from Dallis Coffee Company, Fiji Water, GuS Grown Up Soda and Heartland Brewery.
Visitors, were cheerful, many darting between tables, tasting and exchanging impressions. The more sedate filled their plates and found a table and chairs for a leisurely picnic, at the ends and along the sides of the tent.
In the choice of favorite dishes, this was a year of basics. My hardly scientific poll shows that beef and pork predominated. The restaurant receiving the most kudos was BLT Prime, serving slices of American Vagyu (Texan version of the Japanese Kobe buttery beef), cut from flatiron (shoulder steak), with bacon chimichuri (Argentine green parsley/oil sauce). Primehouse had grilled filet mignon with bleu cheese fondue, while Angelo and Maxie’s Steakhouse version was served on sandwiches, with sauteed onions. Fans praised T-bone steaks from Knickerbocker Bar & Grill, Blue Smoke’s Texas style beef ribs, Barbounia’s lamb kebab, with tahini, and Hill Country’s smoked pork spare riblets. Pork sliders from Wildwood BBQ (with chipotle sauce) and Big Daddy’s (“fully loaded”), and pulled pork from Casa Mono/Café Jamon added a new meat favorite, to compete with the beef varieties. In the world of sea-food, Black Duck, a four restaurant operation, had oysters on the half-shell, with tomato-jalopeno granite (a whoopee horseradish/sour cream concoction), Café Spice offered pepper shrimp with tamarind rice, Almond, soon celebrating its 1st year here, offered house-smoked bluefish with dill and goat yogurt. The big B. R. Guest flagship, Blue Water Grill (14 restaurants in the empire, eight in NYC), had bacon-wrapped lobster sausage avec fennel pollen aioli {garlic mayonnaise baste, from Provence).
In what the Partnership calls the veggie category, Danny Meyers’s flagships excelled, Union Square Café with its zucchini in scapece (marinated Amalfi style), and Gramercy Tavern, souffleed crackers with zucchini, reported to melt on your tongue (I only write what they say.) Tamarind had nilgiri korma (Hyderabad curry dish), Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon at Irving Place had sliced apple with brie and cranberry chutney on seven-grain bread, but the added attractions were Harvestini martinis from her Cibar Bar. Of the unsung heroes, City Crab had good crab cakes, Cat ‘n’ Chew featured pulled shrimp tacos, BLT Fish served tuna with aioli, and Eric Peterson’s Coffee Shop offered roasted chicken tamale with salsa verde. Our restaurants still have magic.
Not forgetting the soups and desserts, Back Forty featured cold corn soup, National Arts Club served chili, and Tocqueville chilled some tomato consommé. Ciao Bella Gelato also had sorbets, Stand served a toasted marshmallow milkshake, and Todd English’s Olives featured flavored sno-cones inspired by the Union Square Greenmarket (also an exhibitor, featured in several restaurant offerings).
In wine, North Fork LI vineyards predominated, with Lieb Cellars, Shinn Estate, Marta Clara and Paumanok offering merlots, and viogniers. Finger Lakes had riesling from Ravines Cellars, Standing Stone and Dr Constantin Frank Wine Cellars. Hudson Valley was represented by Brotherhood’s Rieslings and Millbrook chardonnays (still the most popular varietals). Vina Casas Patronales from Chile offered sauvignon blanc and carmenere, and there were vouvrays and sancerres from Loire Valley (JC&CH Pichot, Vincent Delaporte). The locals, Southern Wine & Spirits and Union Square Wine & Spirits, had some of each.
The Harvest was successful, thanks are due to the givers, sponsors, partners, organizers – Matthew Hughes (Blue Water Grill), Gary Tornberg (Southern Wine), Danny Meyers, Eric Peterson, the 30 local and 9 ex-officio members of the USP board, and to Jennifer Falk and her USP staff.
The proceeds of the Harvest In The Square will be put towards the renewal of Union Square North End Project. A pamphlet by that title, printed May 2008, states that the new huge playground will be on a single elevation , and that the rehabilitated Pavilion ‘s upper level will accommodate a seasonal concession and off-season community space, with access by elevator for the disabled, and US Parks Dept office space below. If the two above statements are current, they should go a long way in settling the years-long strife between USP/NYCDPR on one side and CB5/USCC/BP Stringer on the other. On the positive side – let’s hope those words are correct; Union Square economics are up (18 new businesses). And the UN did not erupt, a good sign.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 11:23 AM 
