the weekend buzz

“Katy Sparks at Rose Water, Brooklyn Food Conference, Ayurveda at Devi, Peru at Onda, and the Ultimate Derby Party at Eleven Madison Park”

Thursday: Spring Dinner with Katy Sparks

at Rose Water, 787 Union St. (at Sixth Ave.) in Park Slope, 718-783-3800, www.rosewaterrestaurant.com.

Chef Katy Sparks (10 Downing, Quilty’s, Sparks in the Kitchen) is known for her affinity for seasonal, sustainable cooking. If you’ve dined at Quilty’s or more recently at 10 Downing, you know what I mean. Tonight, Katy will be cooking a five-course early spring menu paired with natural wines at Rose Water in Brooklyn and after she’s done making dinner, she’ll sneak out of the kitchen to chat. Tickets are $90 a person (all inclusive) and proceeds will be donated to the Brooklyn Food Conference (for more on the BFC, see below, under Saturday).

—Bao Ong

Friday: Ayurveda Dinner at Devi, 8 E. 18th St. (between Fifth Avenue and Broadway), 212-361-9477

There’s good reason why comfort foods like a warm, gooey mac-and-cheese or a perfectly crisp piece of fried chicken make us feel better. Nalini Mehta, a founder of Jiva foods and an Ayurveda nutrition consultant, takes it several steps further (and healthier). She draws upon Ayurveda, the science of life often connected with yoga fans, to offer people advice about living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. On Friday, May 1 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and from 8 to 9:30 p.m., a $30 prix fixe menu will be individually customized for your body type. The dinner, served at Devi Restaurant, is aimed at enhancing your prana — recharging your mind, body and soul. If your body is more like “fire-y” (you’re Type A perfectionist), you’ll eat dishes that calm you down or if you’re more “earth-y,” some South Indian-spiced croquettes could perk you up. RSVP’s are required for this dinner showcasing Ayurveda cuisine.
Devi Restaurant is located for more information, call Nalini Mehta at 212-361-9477, or visit www.routetoindia.com.

— Bao Ong

Friday: Taste of Peru at ONDA,  229 Front Street, 212-513-0770.

Peru makes me think of Machu Picchu, pisco sours, and people throwing colorful woven blankets over their shoulders. What it doesn't evoke for me is one particular, heavenly dish. But that could change at chef Raymond Mohan’s ONDA, where a Taste of Peru will be held on Friday evening highlighting the cuisine of Peru, as well as the country's art and Latin music. On the menu you’ll find appetizers like Chupe, a Peruvian corn and seafood chowder with mussels, clams and crabmeat, and crispy octopus with olive aioli and corn nuts. Larger plates include crispy whole fish with cilantro, sweet and sour garlic lime sauce, and Lomo Saltado, a beef stir fry with fries served over huacatay (black mint, an herb commonly used in Peruvian cooking) rice and sweet plantain.  In addition, for two weeks beginning on May 1st, ONDA will feature artwork by Peruvian artist Braddy Romero.  

—Susan Kane Walkush

Saturday: Brooklyn Food Conference

There’s never been a better time to eat in Brooklyn. On Saturday, May 2nd the Brooklyn Food Conference celebrates its culinary scene with free panels, workshops, demos, family-friendly events, food and dance. Sure, some of your friends balk at the idea of crossing the river to dine but serious foodies know restaurants dotting everywhere from Williamsburg and Red Hook to Park Slope and Carroll Gardens are entering their prime. Young and creative chefs, local and sustainable cooking, affordable haute cuisine, emerging ethnic cuisine — it’s all in Brooklyn.

WNYC’s Leonard Lopate will moderate a panel with NYC chefs Bill Telepan (chef/owner of Telepan), Dan Barber (chef/owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns), Peter Hoffman (chef/owner of Savoy and Back Forty), David Shea (chef/owner of applewood) and John Tucker (owner of Rose Water) to discuss Brooklyn’s sustainable restaurants. Be sure to clear your calendar!

The Brooklyn Food Conference will take place at John Jay High School  (237 Seventh Ave. between Fourth and Fifth streets) and PS 321 (180 Seventh Ave. between First and Second Streets), http://brooklynfoodconference.org.

— Bao Ong

Saturday: Celebrate the Kentucky Derby at Eleven Madison Park, 11 Madison Avenue (between East 24th and 25th streets), 212-889-0918, www.elevenmadisonpark.com.

If you can’t make it to the Kentucky Derby (the “greatest two minutes in sports”), for the next best thing join Esquire magazine and Eleven Madison Park for their “Ultimate Kentucky Derby Celebration,” which promises to captivate for more than two minutes.

Esquire editor-in-chief David Granger and Union Square Hospitality Group’s Danny Meyer will co-host the event featuring live coverage of the Churchill Downs race. Eleven Madison Park’s art deco dining room will be decked out with red roses, racing silks and vintage horse racing memorabilia. Nosh on chef Daniel Humm’s creative interpretation of Southern cuisine: Kentucky Derby chicken wings, horse race pie, Bourbon balls and of course a raw bar offering fresh oysters, clams and shrimp. Four Marker’s Mark Bourbon bars will dot the restaurant serving up mint juleps and other Bourbon-based cocktails, while Nat Sherman will transform the restaurant’s patio into a sleek cigar lounge, complete with live Kentucky bluegrass music.

The event, which goes from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., is $250 per person, plus tax. Visit www.elevenmadisonpark.ticketleap.com to purchase tickets. Questions can be directed to derby@elevenmadisonpark.com.

—Bao Ong

And that's your Strong (weekend) Buzz for this week! Don't forget to check in with the Strong Buzz every day for cutting edge news, reviews, events and more!

READ IT AND EAT! 

Posted: April 30, 2009

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