Impressed by Padma Lakshmi's decolletage, my table neighbor at the $500 Jean-Georges Vongerichten tribute dinner Saturday night at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel went to have his photo taken next to the celebrity chef, Salman Rushdie's ex-wife and the event's hostess. The evening had other delights.
A tomato ''tartar'' by Michel Richard had diners surprised there was no meat. Nobu's bonito tiradito was complimented by a range of Asian flavors, and Wylie Dufresne's langoustine, served scarily undercooked, was matched with floral and herbal notes.
Trouble with this kind of multiple wine dinner is that one can get addled. Oscar Echegaray opined that two of the food-wine pairings did not work. When pressed for details, he confessed, ``I don't remember.''
Nicole Ferrier, a Canadian and self-identified foodie, liked the ''pairings of wine,'' but ''there was a lack of warmth,'' which she meant literally. ``The soup [ Guy Savoy's artichoke black truffle] was cold.
Still, ''better than last year'' was the general feeling expressed about the food and the vibe.
Dessert was by a man fellow diner Chris Germaine of New Jersey called ''the greatest chocolatier,'' Jacques Torres. She's been following his New York career for a long time. ``Years ago he was in Williamsburg, then under the bridge in Manhattan, and the Upper East Side.''
When the confections arrive, she can identify each one: ``This is filled with passion fruit. This one with crunchy stuff.''
Indeed, her devotion is justified. The little truffles are wonderful. And so are the malted-milk balls -- half encased in dark chocolate. A bowl is passed around containing chocolate covered Cheerios. The diners regress to childhood and beyond. Bliss.
At the end of the evening, when Jean-Georges was introduced, Ferrier, the Canadian foodie, noted that the crowd seemed oblivious, and said that "at this point everyone should be on their feet appauding wildly." Another guest, reflecting on the champagne reception and the wine pairings with the multiple courses, observed: "That's because they're all drunk."
-- ENRIQUE FERNANDEZ
