Not just Nourishment: Trustee Dinner for The Hudson School at Amanda’s

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Since 2008, the Trustees of The Hudson School have hosted a multi-course dinner at Amanda’s Restaurant to raise funds for the scholarship fund for the school.  Tuesday, February 7th was no different. It is a delightful and delicious affair, studded with board and staff members, parents, longtime donors, and old and new friends to the school. This year, the new Head of School, Paul B. Perkinson, kicked off the event with a speech and a new tradition. Not only was there good company and great conversation, but there was also remarkable food for a worthy cause.

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2.7.17

passport to PARIS: Verjus

RER 7.27.15

Indulgence can be overrated, and in fact, moderately pretentious, demolishing modesty and humility. Luxury can be over-drawn, where extravagant elements intertwine disharmoniously.

This, however, is not Verjus. The Parisian restaurant is unassuming with light rushing in like a sunroom off of a kitchen. Technique, ingredients and assembly speak to indulgence minus the bad connotations. The warmth of the orange-pink evening light is reflected in the atmosphere— the staff, the pacing, even the familiar foods refined to elegance.

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Each amuse bouche was constructed to be savored and ephemeral, catering to both texture and flavor. The crispy chicken skin swathed with creamy meaty chicken liver or the crunchy sourdough crostini topped with fera and popping orbs of pickled mustard are prime examples. The four bites melted in the mouth, leaving the residue of freshness and a quiet innovation.

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Some of the courses were confusing in a mysterious and magical way, in that they almost combined the unimaginable. The way different varieties and stages of tomatoes played together with the green purslane and the house-made toasted fresh milk cheese, dusted with a powder of dehydrated tomato, evoked the feelings of salad, unconnected but willing to converge. Two silvery sardines topped with tiny cubes of summery zucchini and new potato effortlessly brought together the briny with the mild, embellished with herbal dill and scientific dehydrated egg yolk.

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Others looked familiar but guaranteed an inexplicable flourish of decadence. Plump yellow cappelletti nestled with nutty chanterelles evoked memories, but middles made of studded ricotta and cervelle created new ones.  A polite pile of sirloin tartare exuded fineness, but the crisp nature and bite of the cucumbers and beans toned down the decadence while elevating the appeal to the tongue.

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Dessert, too, only looked disjointed and unprepared: common oat moments and fresh peaches and pretty wild blueberries, spun into dreams with a sweet and creamy white chocolate mousse.

The insightful courses compounded expectations and anticipation with surprise and whimsy, manifestations of profound flavor profiles, thoughtful layered texture and attentive aesthetics. Verjus presented a deep knowledge of the complexities and simplicities of food and experience, resulting in more than just a meal.

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7.27.15

RER 7.27.15

re.CAP: YELP's for lovers & friends

RER 2.4.15

The Yelp Elite Event, Yelp’s for Lovers & Friends, was absolutely delectable. The beautiful restaurant, Maritime Parc, made for a perfect venue for the Valentine’s Day inspired event. The place is gorgeous with incredible views, contemporary décor and a knack for the delicious.

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Beautifully orchestrated bites were passed around to the yelp elites and their guests. Each taste underlined and highlighted the aesthetic and the culinary vision of the restaurant.

A singular seared scallop rested on a tangy sauce with a delicate moment of micro greens, lush, elegant, and faultless.

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Rounded mounds of briny and succulent lobster risotto floated on wooden spoons, chewy and luxurious and studded with fatty chorizo.

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Oyster shells served as the ideal vessel for meaty grilled oysters drowning in cream with creamy leeks and salty bacon.

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Each slider with a buttery bun, caramelized onions, quality beef and special sauce was like sinking into something solid and familiar.

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Fat crab dumplings swam in pretty teacups, doused in sweet and spicy broth and floating goodies with an exotic flare, similar to the braised pork belly “Kung Bao” style.

The bar offered mixed drinks that were fresh and tropical, boasting pineapple and tequila, gin and sunshine, and rum with a red wine float. These cocktails spoke to the curated seafood landscape of the menu.

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The exquisite tasting was rounded off with sultry desserts. Bite-sized hot fried dough rounds filled generously with blueberries and ricotta cheese, brought on sophisticated sweetness, while the sticky toffee pudding with nuts and fruit evoked strange comfort.

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We were so lucky to get another taste of Maritime Parc and chat with other Yelpers and their guests. The event only made me want to visit the eatery again for a proper Valentine’s Day date night.

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2.4.15

RER 2.4.15

 

not just nourishment: food for FUNDS

RER 3.20.13

Just a few weeks ago, the Hudson School threw their annual Trustee dinner at the Hoboken favorite, Amanda’s (I have mentioned this restaurant a bunch check it out here, here and here…). Each year the school and the board of trustees pull together a tasting like dinner accompanied by matching wines to help raise money for student scholarship. The tickets are a pretty penny, but considering the quality of the event and the cause, it is worth it.

Many of those attending the annual dinner have some connection to the school; former student, former or current parent, teacher, board member or even friend of the school. Both my younger sister and I are what we call “Lifers” (students for the full range of the school, grades 5 through 12). My mother is still affiliated with the school so she invited me, my father and her friend to go support the school and its cause. Having gone to the school, I can understand its importance and appeal to those within and outside the community. Building funds for scholarship allows for more diversity and the character the school prides itself on. The private school is not cheap but much of the experience and education it bestows is worth it in the aide of cultivating individuals.

The event was a nice social arena; many people knew each other and many were eager to meet those who were strangers. Teachers mingled with former students, while parents chatted over wine and the tingle of dishes. There were a few speakers, highlighting the good aspects of the school that many in attendance already knew. The principal of the school since its inception told the crowd stories of the children in need of the scholarship, reinforcing the reason we were all there indulging in the fancy and sophisticated food presented to us.

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And then there was the food, the excuse that brought the people together, the gift back for the indirect donation. We were tempted with five courses created by the executive chef, Rodney Peterson. And each, save the dessert, were paired with an appropriate wine, perfect to highlight and emphasize.

1^st The first was a thick and heavy pea soup, light green and grainy, sprinkled with gravlax and crunchy croutons. The cured fish and the croutons added necessary salt and diversion in texture. It was a challenge to not devour the whole bowl in anticipation for the following courses, even though it was a warm and heavy start.

2^nd The second course consisted of red roasted beets, and an avocado and frisee salad topped with a nearly imperceptible citrus vinaigrette. The dish desperately needed a heavier dose of the citrus to cut the smooth fattiness of the large amount of avocado and the monotonous sweetness of the beets. It was definitely lacking, unfortunately.

3^rd This third course was a small cube of grilled salmon on top of a crisscross of asparagus and a nice scoop of light potato salad. All of the elements blended extremely well together; the potato salad was a lighter refined version of the picnic variety we are used to and the salmon was salty and deliciously crusty but mildly overcooked.

4^th The fourth dish was the heaviest, comprised of a perfect round of mushroom polenta and beef fillet. The comfit shallot and parmesan fricco echoed the round theme. The mushrooms on the plate were meaty and perfectly complemented all of the other elements in the dish, the creamy polenta, the crunchy fricco and the soft succulent onion.

5^th Dessert was delicious, but a mild let down. It was a safe spiced apple cake, studded with raisins accompanied by a sweet melty mound of Ducle de Leche ice cream. The two elements coupled well but the desert was lacking the punch that the third and fourth courses had.

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This little tasting also had a different feeling than the normal menu at Amanda’s. The chef stuck to many of the elements that Amanda’s is known for, like the creamy polenta and succulent salmon, but the four bite sized portions looked completely different. They seemed more curated and refined with and aesthetic edge to their presentation. Perhaps this is linked to the event specifications, smaller portions and a tasting character, but it also made the meal more special, invigorating the fundraiser quality of the meal.

This was not meant to be about the food in its specifics per se, but how food in this case is not only about experience and nourishment but the cause, the less tangible reasoning behind it. This fancy feast was to raise money for a school that does good and wishes to open its doors to many different kinds of minds. We came and ate five delicious courses and drank four pungent wines to help kids better their lives and futures through education at the Hudson School. As always, Amanda’s was an excellent venue where the Flinns served as our hosts. The food, refinement, company and service rose to the occasion.

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2.27.13

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