New York, NY –
On Thursday, September 21st, Bella Dots hosted a pop-up kitchen with Chef John DeLucie to celebrate the release of Bella’s newest line of cookware. Stacy Keibler—known to some as that long-legged WWE wrestler who finished with the ‘Spinning Heel Kick’ and to others for currently dating George Clooney— was in attendance, so the venue was buzzing with photographers when I arrived. It was a loud and bright event once guests filed in, with music from DJ Mick Boogie and the intense color schemes of the Dots cookware. At various interactive stations the appliances were put to work, creating appetizers and cocktails. The slow cooked beef short rib was exceptional- stewed in dry red wine, with button mushrooms and bay leaves and garnished with parsley. A rich and savory dish that was not cloying. The samples were unlimited and I had six. Lightly peppered Peekytoe crab with aioli and crushed fennel was spread on sourdough toast at the following station, showing off the Dots toaster.
The cocktail of the night was the Italian American. Served in an iced tumbler lightly rinsed with Sambuca, the drink was six parts chilled coffee (presumably brewed in the Dots coffee maker), three parts bourbon and one part Galliano, a sweet vanilla-anise liquor from Italy. The Italian American is traditionally garnished with an orange rind heated under a gas flame but, alas, there was no gas flame to be found.
Another amazing appetizer that stood out was the slow-roasted pork mini taco. (I hope you’re getting the theme here, the foods are either toasted in the Dots toaster or slow-roasted in the Dots slow cooker). The taco was made up of the tender, succulent pork with light fresh salsa, a potent squeeze of a juicy lime, garnished with parsley, all on a crisp multigrain chip. The avocado and caper toast was also appetizing, it was topped with trout, onion and diced egg. The dish was heavily saturated with lemon juice, giving it an intense acidic bite. The smooth and buttery avocado mousse counterbalanced the acidity, giving each bite a desirable richness.
The last appetizer I had that night was the least impressive. This underwhelming combination of undercooked potato and olive-dominated chicken stew had me running back to the short rib for sevenths. Overall Bella Dots hosted an amazing event with both bold colors and intense flavors.
Michael Lenane
Add to Google
