Unique venues are a trademark of Food & Wine’s annual Best New Chefs event, and this year’s celebration, held at 7 World Trade Center on Wednesday, April 4, was no exception. Shanette Vega, the magazine’s promotion manager, and Sonia Zala, senior creative service manager, were so taken with the views from the 52nd floor space that they decided to keep the decor minimal and make the location itself the theme. “The view is just breathtaking,” Vega said. “When I walked in, I thought, ‘Ninety percent of my work is already done.’”
“This year’s theme is about looking into the horizon and seeing the future of cooking, so we kept the decor transparent and muted, to keep the focus on the chefs and the amazing view,” said John Rice, the magazine’s marketing director. Unfortunately, April showers and a blanket of fog put a damper on that plan, obscuring the view so much that the windows looked like frosted glass for the first half of the event.
View or no view, the tasting stations (as well as multiple bars and tables from sponsors such as Häagen-Dazs and Cacao Reserve by Hershey’s) were the real highlight. Although the turnout was high (Vega said the magazine received 950 RSVPs—its most yet), lines for the stations were fast-moving and remained short throughout the night. Past honorees Michael Anthony (from Gramercy Tavern), David Chang (Momofuku and Momofuku Ssäm Bar), Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park), and Christopher Lee (Gilt) prepared their signature dishes, ranging from steamed pork belly buns (Chang) to a cappuccino of foie gras (Humm).
Rice said the shorter lines were partly due to the addition of two new stations manned by Top Chef winners Harold Dieterle and Ilan Hall. Other than Chang’s raved-about sandwiches, the reality TV stars were the most popular attractions of the night. The chefs posed for pictures with fans as they handed out dishes of crispy lamb with poi (Hall) and poached rock shrimp with roasted mushrooms and coconut milk froth (Dieterle). Mood Food, which has catered the event for the past eight years, provided passed hors d’oeuvres like Korean beef on kimchi pancakes and bite-size desserts including mini cheesecakes.
To get everyone’s attention for the award ceremony, the Malcolm X. Shabazz High School marching band worked its way through the crowd, leading this year’s best new chefs up to the stage. As if on cue, the clouds finally dissipated to reveal the glittering city as Food & Wine publisher Jean-Paul Kyrillos and editor in chief Dana Cowin introduced the honorees, including New Yorker April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig.
—Lisa Cericola
Posted 04.05.07
Photos: Francine Daveta for BizBash
