Seared Foie Gras and Doughnuts! A pairing of two of my favorite foods. That decadent dish stood out to me amidst over a dozen other delicious items. Yet that is also not to slight all of the other treasures I found at the recent StarChefs Rising Star Revue.
I previously mentioned this event, and in brief, 14 of Boston's chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists received a Rising Star award. These individuls are thought to have the "attributes that make us believe they will be the future leaders of the country's culinary scene." Each of the award receipients prepared a special dish, cocktail or wine for the event, and attendees had the opportunity to taste all of these fine items. Plus, while tasting the food and drink, you got a chance to speak with the chefs too.
It was also a fun social event, and I got to mingle, chat and meet several other local food media people, including Jackie of Leather District Gourmet, Paul of BostonChefs, Lynne of How2Heroes, Aaron of Eat Boston, and Patrick of Groupon Boston. It is always a pleasure to converse with such people about food and wine, as well as other stimulating topics.
I'll list some of the special highlights of the evening, though understand these are not the only items I enjoyed:
Seared Foie Gras and Doughnuts with Rhubarb created by Chef Wil Gilson of Garden at the Cellar. A silky piece of foie accompanied by a sweet donut hole. An excellent and decadent dish which had me wanting seconds, thirds and more. I have never been to Chef Gilson's restaurant but will make the effort to check it out now.
I finally had the pleasure of meeting Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery and Myers & Chang. We had spoken before on Twitter and by email but had not yet met. It was great to finally meet in person. Plus, she was serving Asian Braised Short Rib Taco with Asian Pear and Sesame-Cilantro Salsa. I have had that taco before at Myers & Chang, and it is delicious, with tender meat and a nice spicy finish to it.
Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Lamb-Fennel Sausage was prepared by Chef Jodi Bernhard of Longwood Events. Moist, tender and flavorful meat. I love lamb and this was prepared perfectly.
White Bean Gazpacho prepared by Chef Richard Garcia of Tastings Wine Bar and Bistro at Patriot Place. A creamy and flavorful treat, which also intrigued me sufficiently that I need to check out his restaurant too.
Sommelier Theresa Paopao of Oleana paired the wines for the various dishes, and there were plenty of excellent choices, including the 2004 J. Vidal-Fleury Chateayneuf-du-Pape, 2008 Gurrutxaga Txakoli, Emilio Lustau East India Sherry, Nicolas Feuillate Rose, and 2006 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir.
Mixologist Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli of Craigie on Main created two cocktails, the Camino Cocktail and Northern Lights. The Northern Lights contained Highland Park 12 Year Old Scotch Whiskey, St. Germain, Clear Creek Douglas Fir Eau de Vie, Tiki Bitters, Demerara syrup, lemon juice and orange juice. It had a very intriguing taste, herbal with restrained citrus flavors and a slight hint of smokiness. It was not overly sweet, and was actually refreshing.
Highland Park also had a table where they were pouring their 18 year old Scotch Whiskey. This was an amazing Scotch, incredibly smooth, full of flavor, and with a nice, smoky finish. A perfect sipping Scotch.
If you missed this event, you missed a fascinating and delicious time. Boston possesses some fantastic chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists and these events, which gather together a group of such talented individuals, give proof.
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