Le Fooding- Let's do it again.

I attended New York's first Le Fooding d'Amour event in 2009. The party was held in front of MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. Set in the middle of MOS' afterparty, Le Fooding was not only an visual success, but first and foremost tasteful. Graphic images were projected on to the walls and the long lines for the chef's plates were worth the wait. 100% of the $30 admission fee was donated to Action Against Hunger.

Fast forward to Le Fooding's third event in NYC, Campfire Session #01. The number of tasting tables, donation to Action Against Hunger, and tickets available were decreased. The price of the event went up and a concert element was added. I was in. The musical value was enough for me and $15 would be donated to charity. I believe it was a fair price to pay. If anything, it was definitely a bargain. The ticket granted 3 plates (we may or may not have got extra ribs), 3 drinks (we may or may not have got extra drinks), 2 musical acts, ice cream (we may or may not have got extra scoops), and a dj party by DFA all set in the mysterious and romantic Elizabeth Street Garden. I've walked by Elizabeth Street Garden many times at night. Once, I watched through the gates as a wedding reception took place. It felt nice and exclusive to finally be on the other side of the fence.

Overall, I found Le Fooding Campfire Session #01 to be a smashing success. It was a small and intimate event where we were able to mingle with the chefs and have a clear audio of the music. Wylie Dufresne of WD~50 was really friendly and may I just declare that I am smitten with Norwegian crooner Sondre Lerche? He was amazing acoustic and incredibly down to Earth.

Let us relive Le Fooding in pictures.

Elizabeth Street Garden

Root Beer Ribs (AndrewAndrew, Wylie Dufresne WD~50)

Sasha Petraske (Milk & Honey) making Irish Bucks

Irish Buck and Westside (Richard Boccato Dutch Kills)

Square ice cubes and candied ginger for the win!

Beef and Chive Salad (James Murphy DFA + Inaki Aizpitarte Le Chateaubriand)

Sock-It-To-Fried Chicken 
(Muhsinah The Golden Girl + Dante Gonzales Dante Fried Chicken)

Hanni El Khatib

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Jameson Whiskey break

Sondre Lerche

DFA DJs

In memory of DJ Mehdi

Notes

-The root beer ribs were fall off the bone good. Marinated in root beer, they reminded me of Filipino family recipes where we put 7-Up on our meat for flavor and tenderization. The cherry kombu relish was a nice addition.

-I am not a big alcoholic drinker but I did enjoy two Irish Bucks. I loved the sharpness of the ginger and the Jameson went down smooth. The Westside was also nice and for the classic cocktail of Jameson and ginger ale or plain on the rocks it was a tad bit too strong for me. Definitely one for the drinkers. They were quite generous on the Jameson.

-The beef and chive salad was my favorite dish of the night. The beef was cooked perfectly, still bloody, just how I like it. The chive salad was a burst of flavor and texture. I really enjoyed the crunchy bits of coriander.

-The fried chicken plate was my southern beauty. The chicken was actually a piece of boneless chicken breast. It was juicy and had a crispy coating. They squeezed spicy apricot sauce over it and served it with cheddar grits and a coconut honey biscuit. The plate also had an endive with black-eyed pea hummus. This dish was the substantial side filler of the night. That was a good thing. After all of this, I would say one would have been full.

-I've always been a fan of Van Leeuwen ice cream. We got to try all four flavors: Roasted Banana, Salted Caramel with Makers Mark, Michel Cluizel Chocolate, and Red Currant.

-DJ Mehdi from Paris was supposed to dj Le Fooding but passed away in a tragic accident a few days prior. At the end of the night, everyone signed a banner in honor of him.


Le Fooding

Action Against Hunger

Elizabeth Street Garden/Gallery
226 Mott Street
New York, NY 10012