Out & About

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The New York Sun

At Union Square Cafe’s 20th anniversary party Thursday, restaurateur Danny Meyer and chef Michael Romano danced to “It Had To Be You.” Performed by the perfect jazz duo, John ‘Bucky’ Pizzarelli and Gene Bertoncini, it was the perfect tune for the pair that produced a near perfect New York restaurant.


The shuffling of feet started just as the party was winding down. But the excellent food – lamb chops, calamari – and the fine wine were still in generous supply.


With all the tables removed, the restaurant didn’t quite look like itself, yet it was filled with old friends such as Calvin Trillin, Kurt Anderson, Ruth Reichl, and Alice Waters. Instead of the quiet whisper of book deals and romantic tete-a-tetes, there was loud kvelling.


From Mr. Meyer’s sister I learned that Danny grew up in a household that appreciated food. The family dog, a French poodle, was named Ratatouille. Both parents knew their way around the kitchen. Father used to cook on Sundays, usually a barbecued steak. The bartender, Jonny Cohen, who has worked at the restaurant for 10 years, dressed retro-1980s for the occasion, in a mullet wig from Ricky’s and a red leather sliver tie from the Housing Works thrift store.


Choosing the menu for the party was “very easy,” Mr. Romano said. “We have 20 years of people telling us what they love. The cooks were having a great time.”


***


Over in Brooklyn, new and established restaurants dished at Brooklyn Eats, an annual tastings event organized by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.


Young chefs shined in the ballroom of the Brooklyn Marriott, particularly the French Laundry-trained Adam Shepard, now the owner and chef of Taku on Smith Street, who blanched and then blackened string beans; India Ennis of Panino’teca 275, on Smith Street, who prepared 900 servings of panna cotta using 300 pounds of cheese, and Julie Farias of iCi, on DeKalb Avenue, who featured an organic salad with currants and parmesan.


For novelty, Schnack on Union Street served beer milkshakes, with one ounce of beer for every ounce of ice cream. The combinations were pumpkin ale with vanilla ice cream and chicory stout with chocolate ice cream.


Those who felt more like a meal than a nibble were satisfied with Anthony Rinaldi’s gnocchi with braised beef. The most popular dish at his eatery, the Pearl Room, is the calamari, his mother, Nancy Venturine, said.


Who knew people still ate deviled eggs? They came in flavors like “the devil made me do it” and “green eggs and ham” from Myrtle Avenue restaurant Maggie Brown, named after owner Chelsea Altman’s grandmother.


The guest of honor was the Queen of Creole Cuisine, Leah Chase, whose famous restaurant, Dooky Chase, was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina.


“I’ve had some good food here,” Ms. Chase said, mentioning the cheesecake from Junior’s, crab cakes, and yummy spinach pie.


“I love Brooklyn. And I love this event. The only way to learn about people is to understand their food,” Ms. Chase said.


Brooklyn loves Ms. Chase: The event last Monday raised more than $3,000 to help Ms. Chase rebuild her restaurant, the chamber’s president, Kenneth Adams, said.


Ms. Chase said she expects to reopen Dooky Chase January 6. A note to Brooklyn’s restaurant workforce: She’s concerned about finding help. Most of her employees have relocated.


***


Scientists at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation symposium Tuesday shared a wealth of information on genetics, early detection, and male breast cancer.


The most impressive statistic came from the foundation’s founder and chairman, Evelyn Lauder: “Twenty years ago, most treatment of breast cancer lasted two years. Today, it has been reduced to 14 weeks,” she said.


With that, the two-hour question-and-answer session disbanded, and the crowd of elegantly dressed ladies and a few men headed across the hall for lunch.


“The symposium is our gift to donors,” the president of the foundation, Myra Biblowit, said. “In this forum, you can ask personal questions. You feel privileged.”


The event raised $1.6 million for the foundation, a leader in the nonprofit sector for its efficiency: 89.4 cents of every dollar raised goes to research.


The reach and influence of the foundation was clear when 200 scientists from around the country assembled on stage to accept their grants.


Artist Chuck Close was also on stage briefly to accept the foundation’s Humanitarian Award.


“I’m sure I’ve done nothing for which I deserve celebration. The people who should be celebrated are my wife, Leslie, and her mother, Shirley, both diagnosed with breast cancer the same year,” Mr. Close said.


Mr. Close praised Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and its chairman, Dr. Lawrence Norton.


“It’s where my wife sought treatment. I wish every woman had a facility like that,” Mr. Close said.


agordon@nysun.com


The New York Sun

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