Dining by Design: Top Chef Hurricane Sandy Benefit Dinner

Dale Talde and Kevin Sbraga

New York City's culinary landscape is a reflection of the city itself: diverse and dynamic.  The food encompasses everything from humble to gourmet, traditional to innovative.  The personalities behind the food range from the unknown to some of the most revered figures in the industry.  Despite the type of food, level of acclaim, or, dare I say, size of the ego, all of the people within New York's culinary community seem to share one thing: a genuine, profound allegiance to the city.  Many have spent their careers here, and have deep affection for the place in which they got their start.

When Hurricane Sandy decimated the east coast, the culinary world burst forth with an outpouring of support.  Within hours, chefs were uniting to encourage New Yorkers to return to downtown restaurants.  They flooded twitter and facebook with information about making donations.  Others, like Chef Angelo Sosa of Anejo Taquileria, used their own resources to intitiate fundraisers to aid those affected by the storm.

On Monday November 5, 2012, Top Chef alumni Angelo Sosa, Kevin Sbraga, Dale Talde, and Jennifer Carroll banded together to host a Hurricane Sandy Relief Dinner at Anejo.  Sosa began conceiving the idea on Friday night and began using social media to see if anyone in the area would be able to help him.  Within the next few hours, the other three chefs replied and came on board.  Jen Carroll had been scheduled to cook at Top Chef Kitchen that weekend, but due to storm damage it had been closed.  As a result, she was in the vicinity and eager to support the cause.  Talde, of Talde in Brooklyn, came up to Hell's Kitchen to assist.  Angelo found businesses to donate the food and spirits.  As a result, 100% of proceeds went directly to the Red Cross.

I was fortunate to see one of Angelo's preliminary tweets that contained nothing but a reference to a possible benefit and the promise of "details to come."  I quickly made a reservation and waited for a plan to emerge.  I am a long time Top Chef fan, but, more importantly, I wanted to participate in such a worthy cause.  I live in Connecticut and witnessed the horrible effects of the storm in my home state.  I also frequent New York; it's my escape and my playground.  The photographs of some of my favorite spots underwater horrified me, and listening to the firsthand accounts made me appreciate just how hard the storm hit certain areas.

Grayson Schmitz

The dinner was a Top Chef challenge come to life.  I could almost hear Padma's voice saying, "Chefs, you have 3 days to plan and execute a gourmet 4 course benefit dinner.  Your ingredients are on their way, and you will not know exactly what you have until you arrive at the restaurant.  Your time starts... now!"  Sosa revealed that they stayed up "endless hours" to create the event.

The chefs decided on two seatings: one at 6pm and one at 8pm.  I had the chance to attend the first seating.  The meal included 4 courses, one prepared by each of the chefs, and a cocktail pairing with each.  As an added bonus, Grayson Schmitz, Season 9 Top Chef contestant, made a surprise last minute appearance to help out in the kitchen.

As expected, the food was incredible!  Angelo kicked off the evening with a first course of "baby carrots with spiced white chocolate and mole."  Three long thin baby carrots arrived on plates over a colorful swirl of white and orange sauce.  I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as the hostess went from table to table, informing less experienced diners that the stems, were in fact, meant to be eaten.  The appetizer had a complex, yet fun, flavor profile.  It began softly spicy; I thought I detected ginger.  It then grew slightly sweet as my fork picked up the white chocolate.  The mole packed a great, quick punch of heat at the very end.


Angelo's baby carrots

Next, Jennifer Carroll presented Ora King Salmon with potatoes, kabocha squash, and warm squid ink vinaigrette.  What a luscious course!  The perfectly cooked salmon melted in my mouth and the kabocha squash had sweet, earthy notes.  The two adorable potatoes resembled a gourmet version of tater tots.  My favorite item on the plate was, by far, the warm squid ink vinaigrette.  I have never had it before, and was excited to see such an exotic offering.  At the risk of sounding like a pervert, I'm going to describe it as evocative and sultry.  It had depth and intensity reminscent of black truffles.  At the same time, the vinaigrette form ensured that it did not overwhelm the fish.  I enjoyed the course so much that I admit to ordering a second one before the dessert course :).

Jen Carroll's King Salmon

One of the highlights of the evening was the time I got to spend talking with Jen Carroll.  I have admired her, specifically, since her first appearance on Top Chef.  As a female food enthusiast, I have respected her abounding talent and command in what some consider a male-dominated world.  Although she is extremely skilled and a force in the kitchen, she proved down-to-earth and gregarious in person.  Up until that evening, I thought I might be the only person with a favorite... and second favorite... type of squash.  Both of us opt for the kabocha, and tossed around our favorite ways to use them.  She seemed amused- and appreciative- of the dorky ways I have gone about learning about cooking.  I never thought such a culinary icon would be so relatable, but she was!

The final two courses were the richest of the evening.  Kevin Sbraga served a crispy chicken thigh with brussels sprouts, polenta, and a truffle condiment.  A good-sized thigh with browned skin sat atop a bed of creamy polenta.  I detected an element of heat and Kevin confirmed that he used Thai chilis in the dish.  He also interspersed rosemary throughout.  For dessert, Dale served a chocolate pudding with pomelo and hazelnuts.  It was thick and almost mousse-like in consistency.  The crunch of the hazelnuts and subtle tang of the pomelo made it especially unique.

The cocktails were entertaining additions to the evening.  They complimented the dishes in some ways, but mostly they were delicious entities in and of themselves.  I am still dreaming of the Mendoza, a mix of Herradura Silver, Passion Fruit, Grenadine, and Cava, shaken.  I was informed that the drink appears on their regular menu, so you can stop in anytime and try one for yourself (which you should!!)  I also have a fond memory of the Ponche Vida, which catered to the autumn season with a touch of Oaxacan Spiced Pumpkin.  Kudos to Josh Wortman, Anejo's mixologist!

As the hour latened (and the cocktails flowed!), the evening took on the vibe of an afterparty.  Everyone was out of their seats visiting enthusiastically with the other attendees and the chefs themselves.


Men Who Dine

"This must be what it's like to be backstage at a rock concert," I remarked to my companion.  After all, these five people are my rock stars... I admire their talent and think what they do is so incredibly cool.  And here they all were: laughing, talking food, and enjoying the night with us.  Moreover, the majority of the other attendees were food enthusiasts and we found ourselves mingling with each other.  (I even got the chance to meet the Men Who Dine!)  I was grateful that we were able to come together and find some rays of light in a dark situation.

I left Anejo completely inspired.  On the one hand, I felt even more compelled to cook; the love of food was completely infectious.  Furthermore, I left with a new appreciation for our capacity to come together in the face of adversity.  I am so thankful to Sosa and the chefs for uniting so quickly and donating their time and resources.  The night raised over $10,000 for the American Red Cross!

Thank you to Angelo, Jen, Kevin, Dale, Grayson, and everyone who made the evening possible.