It was such a pleasure to watch the James Beard Awards while I was eating my fava bean pasta last night in my caftan (it’s a lifestyle), with the warm spring air (or is this summer?) coming through the windows of my apartment. Spring fever, it’s real.
Congrats to all the winners (and nominees!), but especially to chef Corey Lee for Best Chef: West—it was so well deserved and a long time coming to one of the hardest working chefs in the biz. He’s one of the chefs you almost never see out of his kitchen, and he certainly wasn’t at my after-hours chef party in honor of Jeremiah Tower last week. (Trust me, I tried!) You can read the recap of the JT industry party in today’s hopper. Yes, there was caviar.
That party definitely took a lot out of me, and I’m not just talking about the Negronis. I almost didn’t make it up to St. Helena for the kickoff of the Live Fire series at Long Meadow Ranch with guest chef Zakary Pelaccio, but boy am I glad I got my work done on Saturday and hopped in my Fiat and GTFO. It was a dreamy alfresco dinner, from grilled fava beans to strawberry and cream biscuits; be sure to head to a future one this spring and summer. Someone has warm nights, and it sure isn’t San Francisco. (And I definitely need to hit up Fish & Game when I hop back to New York this summer.)
Okay, so it’s true, no rest for the weary. I’m leading a group of 28 U.K. restaurateurs and bar/pub owners through San Francisco all day and night this Friday and Saturday, so you can only guess at all the things I need to be doing. And writing (I have two deadlines this week). And I leave for Thailand May 18th. Mamma mia. Gotta keep the espresso pumping in my veins for the next two weeks.
One last note for today! Next Friday May 12th is the tablehopper Blue Fox vintage dinner at Alfred’s, and I just released the final 10 tickets, so hop to it! Let’s drink martinis.
Cheers! Marcia Gagliardi
The sun was just setting while the fires were burning at Long Meadow Ranch’s Live Fire guest chef series this weekend. Photo: © tablehopper.com.View tablehopper Newsletter from Tuesday, May 2 2017
