New York, NY –
For the 4th annual Le Grand Fooding Fling, it took over the Brooklyn borough for the first time. Throughout the past week Brooklyn was filled with tastings, tours, music, drinks, and movies all of which highlight the spirit of the borough. Sunday, September 23rd closed the week of wonder with “The Campfire session #2” that was held at the Williamsburg Flea Market. This event was the perfect way to introduce New York to fall with the collaboration of food and music around a Campfire!
I started this fireside adventure by heading straight to the San Pellegrino tent with the Picasso of Pastries, Chef Pierre Herme. He was a very calm and regal character, leaning on the counter and scoping out the massive Jameson cocktail line that was colliding with his dessert line. I must say that lines were the theme of the evening. I went in for a quick handshake before I picked up my perfectly sculpted dessert that was inspired by the San Pellegrino Fruit Beverages. The dessert reminded me of a modern and fruity take on a smores, which was very appropriate for the Brooklyn campfire. The cream was fluffy with beautiful hints of citrus, the crisp cookie on the bottom contrasted perfectly with the cream. Hiding in the center was a few small pieces of candied orange that rounded out the perfect texture to the dessert and also paired nicely with my fizzy Orange San Pellegrino. Having eaten my dessert I headed towards the smell of charcoal and sizzling sausages.
The smell leads me to the next line that was for The Meat Hook tasting. This company is all about only using and selling local sustainably raised meat. Tonight they were serving up some grilled spicy sausage with a bright green sweet sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top. This plate fell short on presentation but the spicy sausage and sweet green sauce was the perfect harmony of flavors.
Having waited long enough to brave the drink line I finally went for it. The wait was long but the Jameson did not disappoint. There were two cocktails created by Mixologist Maxwell Britten. The first was the Jameson Grand Royal Buck- Jameson Irish Whiskey, fresh ginger syrup, fresh lemon juice, orange flower water and a splash of club soda. The Grand Royal Buck was light and refreshing. Although I enjoyed the cocktail, I’d prefer it on a hot summer day for this light and frilly whiskey concoction. The second was the Jameson Black Star, the name alone gets me excited to take a sip. It is made with Jameson Black Barrel, Demerara syrup, and Creole bitters. This is the kind of whiskey cocktail I want fireside. It was bitter with a kick! Warming me up on the chilly evening. I prefer the Black Star…but maybe because it was a double.
At this point in the evening the lines were still long and the music had began to change from the soft swooning guitar songs to something with more of a beat. There were still more lines to wait in and artist stands to peruse, I stood by the fire and enjoyed the evening air. The ambiance of the night was beautiful, stringed twinkling lights and lamps illuminated the artist stands and across the way you can spy on the restless Manhattan skyline. Towards the end of the evening vendors were starting to pack up and the music took a turn. It began to turn into a straight up dance party, everyone including myself piled next to the stage to let loose. Le Grand Fooding Brooklyn Fling was a huge success truly capturing the essence of Brooklyn.
Nicole Simper
Add to Google
