20081205

NYC's star chefs to re-cook history

It's not news that New York City is filled with excellent chefs. What is news is the fact that 16 of them are joining forces to cook 19th Century banquets.

The "Vintage Dinner Series" will run from January through March 2009, beginning January 12 at Cafe des Artistes. There, the menu from the Danish film "Babette's Feast" (above), set in 1871, will be the model.

That means such dishes as tortoise soup, caviar with blinis and quails in pastry cases, and such beverages as Amontillado sherry, Veuve Cliquot champagne, Clos de Vougeot burgundy, port with the cheese and coffee with the rum baba dessert.

The series was organized by Tim and Nina Zagat of the Zagat Guides. The other participating restaurants:

• Bouley, January 15
• Picholine, January 21
• Adour at the St, Regis Hotel, January 25
• Chanterelle, January 27
• Daniel, February 3
• Blue Hill at Stone Barns, February 5
• Del Post, February 11
• Per Se, February 17
• La Grenouille, February 25
• Le Cirque, March 3
• Ouest, March 5
• Le Bernardin, March 9
• Gramercy Tavern, March 16
• Jean Georges, March 23
• Aureole, March 25

Stanley Lobel of Lobel's Meats and Dorian Mecir of Dorian's Seafood Market are assisting the restaurants in identifying cuts of meat, poultry, fish and drinks appropriate to the period.

Each restaurant involved in the project will present a prix fixe "Vintage Dinner Series" meal priced on par with its regular menu (food, drinks, tax and tip included). A portion of the proceeds will be donated to such charities as Meals on Wheels, City Harvest, Doctors Without Borders and the Alzheimer's Association.
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Vintage Dinner Series details
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