Back in February, we told you that chef John Griffiths had been invited to cook at the coveted James Beard House in New York City. Well, the time has come, and Griffiths will travel to New York later this month to prepare a dinner for members of the Beard Foundation and the media on June 26.
Bummed you can’t be there? Join the club! But here’s the good news: You can enjoy the same five-course meal Griffiths will be preparing for the esteemed eaters at the James Beard House without ever having to book a plane ticket. Intrigued? We thought so.
Griffiths, who left his post as the executive chef at Truffles in March to open his own restaurant, will be holding two James Beard House Preview Dinners to allow St. Louisans to experience the meal he has worked so hard to create. The first dinner will be held this Sunday, June 10, at Modesto Tapas, while the second will be held next Sunday, June 17, at Sidney Street Cafe. Both evenings will feature the five-course menu Griffiths is set to prepare at the Beard House, showcasing Midwestern ingredients that have been given his signature Italian slant. Each course will be paired with a wine, including two bottles from Missouri’s own Augusta and Montelle Wineries. (Check out the full menu below.)
Both dinners will begin with hors d’oeuvres at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are just $89 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and proceeds from the dinner will support Griffiths and his crew for the New York event. To reserve your spot at either preview dinner, call Modesto at 314.772.8272. Seating is limited, so be sure to hop on the phone and reserve your spot now.
And now, for the food …
THE JAMES BEARD HOUSE PREVIEW DINNER MENU
Passed Hors d’oeuvres
House-made salume
Chilled tomato, smoked olive oil
Oysters with cucumber tapioca
Goat milk ricotta with blueberry mostarda on walnut toast
Domaine Saint Vincent NV Rose, New Mexico
First
Trout Crudo
Missouri pecans, lemon and trout caviar
Quattro Mani “Toh-Kai,” Brda, Slovenia, 2010
Second
Panzanella Salad
early summer vegetables
Montelle Winery, Dry Vignoles, Missouri, 2010
Third
Casoncelli Pasta
ricotta-escarole filling
wild mushroom and charred sweet corn ragù
Giacomo Borgogno Dolcetto d’Alba, Piemonte, Italy, 2010
Fourth
Jones Farm Lamb “Stufato”
fava beans, cipoline onions, mint
Augusta Winery, Estate Bottled Norton, Missouri, 2009
Fifth
Olive Oil Shortcake with local blackberries
Elio Perrone, “Bigaro” Piemonte, Italy, 2011
— Photo by Carmen Troesser
This article appears in June 2012.