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Heart and Soil event @ James Beard House in NYC

Posted by Peter Eskow on 6/20/2013 at 8:19 PM under Libations

This week, I had the pleasure of attending a "Heart and Soil" event at the James Beard House in New York City.  The event featured chef Michael Carrino from Pig & Prince Restaurant & Gastrolounge in Montclair NJ, and wine maker (and rock star extraordinaire - from bands Tool, Puscifer, and A Perfect Circle) Maynard James Keenan.  Having never been to such an event before, I must say I was a bit unsure of what to expect.  Never the less, I had a great time. 

The venue was located in a narrow building down on 12th street.  James Beard, the foundation's namesake, was an accomplished chef who lived there until his death in 1985.  The foundation took over the building and turned it into a cooking school and foodie destination. 

The food ran the gamut from "Lamb Heart Tartar with Dehydrated Strawberries and Caciocavallo Crisps" as one of many appetizer, to "Pancetta-Wrapped Escolar Cannelloni with Foie Gras, Watermelon Radishes, and 35-Year-Old Balsamic" as one part of the main course.   Dessert was a "Blueberry Bombolone with Salted Pistachio Butter and Lime Gelato."  Every single bite was delicious.  The variety and flavor of the dishes certainly put my cooking skills to shame!

Download a scan of the menu.

Some of the main courses (sorry - no shots of the appetizers):

And the wines, each of which was better than the last:

And, to top it off, a couple photos of the man himself, Maynard James Keenan:

Very nice, down-to-earth gentleman.  I was even able to shake his hand. 

-Peter