I've been to one of the Astor centers dining events, the Head to Tail dinner, and was totally blown away by it. Here's a chance for you sake lovers to have the best of both worlds, food and sake. On July 10, 2008 East Meets West has Tim Sullivan, sake expert, pairing premium sake to non-Japanese food prepared by Chef Alex Sorenson. I met Chef Sorenson at the Head to Tail dinner where he was one of the many chefs who volunteered to help put the amazing dinner together. I was very impressed with his skills and since then we have emailed back and forth a few times as I have asked him various questions. I wish I could be at this dining event myself, but I will be traveling extensively during the middle of July. The seating is extremely with only 16spaces, located in the Astor Center kitchen so you can observe Chef Sorenson while he works.The menu looks mighty tasty and there will be two premium sake's paired with each course. Six courses, twelve premium sake's? Now I really wish I could be there.

Here's a sneak peek at the menu.

Market Lettuces and Pickles
Scallop Tartare, beets and caviar
Seared Tilefish, pea-shiso stew and guanciale
Roast Quail, black pepper-cherries, rice and wild morels
Grilled Pork Belly, roast turnips and radishes
Fresh Berry Soup, ice cream

On July 1, 2008 at 6:30 pm the Astor Center in New York City will be hosting the seminar The Wonderful World of Sherry: A Food Pairing. Roger Kugler, Sommelier of Suba Restaurant and Wine Director of Boqueria Restaurant will lead a discussion and tasting of those beautiful and complex fortified wines and how they pair so well with various foods.

Roger has an extensive background in wines, with a strong focus on those from Spain. He is interviewed often and has been mentioned in, and tasted wines on panels, for the New York Times. This seminar looks like it will be a fun, entertaining, and educational event for those who want to know more about his oxidized elixir from Spain. The courses and dinners at the Astor Center are truly marvelous, and having been to quite a few, I heartily recommend them.

As you may know I am a fan of the classes, seminars, and workshops given at the Astor center in NYC. They have a fantastic crew of presenters from all over the country and world, usually the top folks in their field. this Sunday, June 15th, is no exception with the PDT Home Bar Basics seminar.

PDT is my all time favorite cocktail bar in New York City. Hidden inside a small hot dog restaurant, with the only access through an old fashioned wood telephone booth mounted in the wall, they are the epitome of mixology, in a cool speakeasy style bar. Small, limited seating for a dozen at the bar and about the same amount in reserved seating. The full name is Please Don't Tell, and it is with great difficulty that I tell you this now. I hate the fact that they may become even more busy. The last two times I was in NYC they had become so popular that I couldn't get in a few times. At least I did get in once or twice each trip.

I'm very friendly with all the mixologists there, including the two who will give this workshop on building your home bar, so you can keep up with the best. John Darragon is an extremely gifted mixologist known for his work in recreating the famous abbots Bitters. Don Lee has won numerous awards and medals for his cocktail genius and I have seen him stir and shake like a madman, turning out some fantastic drinks. Besides what I expect to be a great seminar, all attendees will get a goody bag with just about anything you could need to get you off to an amazing start in building your home bar. I know because I got a similar goody bag last week when I attended the summer cocktail workshop.Mine was full of great tools like paring knives, muddlers, Boston shakers, Hawthorne strainers, glasses, bar spoons, and a dozen small sample bottles of premium spirits and liqueurs. So if you want to learn the basics, this is the place to be on Sunday from 3-5pm.

In the past I have mentioned my friend and renowned mixologist Jonathan Pogash here on Slashfood. You Slashfoodies even helped us name a cocktail.

I just found out that there are a few more seats available for what looks like a great cocktail workshop at the Astor Center in New York City tomorrow evening. Jonathan Pogash, the "Cocktail Guru" will be teaching a hands on workshop on mixing and creating summer cocktails. Crafting Summer Cocktails: A Hands-on Workshop will be a great chance for the budding home mixologist to study with one of the cocktail worlds best. It sounds like so much fun that I'm going to drive eight hours and 450 miles to be there.

So if you are in a cocktail mood tomorrow evening, Saturday June 7th at 6:30pm, join us at the Astor Center for what will be a shaking good time.

Dave Wondrich is one of the leading mixologists and experts on cocktail history in the world and author of Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar. On March 30th at the Astor Center in NYC he will be leading a hands on workshop called Resurrecting Historic Cocktails (And Drinking Them With the Professor).

That's right, hands on! You will get a chance to sling back the shaker in the kitchen at the Astor Center, as you learn from Dr. Dave how to make drinks from the best recipes of the Golden Age of Cocktails (1820-1920.) Folks, this is a once in a lifetime chance to learn from the best, to stand side by side with the expert on cocktails and their history, and have him teach you to make drinks that haven't seen the light of day in over a century. Two hours of shaking, stirring, muddling, mixing, and of course tasting the results. Please make sure you have a designated driver or taxi for afterwards. I predict it's going to get drunk out.

I can't think of anything better to do on a Sunday afternoon in late March. Can You? As a special bonus from Slashfood and the Astor Center, we offer you a special 15% discount. Just use code SF033008 when you sign up for the course online. See you there.

Not long ago I posted about an event at the Astor Center in NYC, the annual Head to Tail Dinner put on by Chris Cosentino of Incanto restaurant in San Francisco. I was lucky enough to attend and want to tell you all about it. We'll go behind the scenes in the kitchen before, and just prior to the meal; and follow all the way through the dinner itself. It all started three days prior when I was invited to join the chefs in the kitchen as they started prepping for the dinner.

Chris and his pal, Chef Jonnatan Leiva of the Jack Falstaff Restaurant in San Francisco had flown in on a red-eye after finishing work late the night before. With what little sleep they had on the plane, they went straight to work in the Astor Center kitchen, as they engaged on a three-day binge of Red Bull to keep them alert and local microbrews to keep them sane. Other chefs from around New York state showed up to volunteer and help put the event together.



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I just have to tell all you Slashfoodies about the new Astor Center in New York City. Some of you may have heard me mention one of my favorite shops, Astor Wine & Spirits before; like when I reviewed St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. When I lived in NY I stopped by there on a weekly basis, now it's more like 6 times a year, which is pretty good when you consider it's over 400 miles from my new home in Mid-Coast Maine.

For the past three years I have been hearing rumors about the Astor Center being developed by Astor Wines & Spirits and they finally opened just last month. The Astor Center is a state or the art culinary education and events center where they have panels, workshops, symposia, seminars, courses on every aspect of the food and beverage world. They have three beautiful spaces for their events, courses, and seminars. The Study- a seminar hall with stadium seating looking down to a teaching kitchen and podium from comfortable seats set at counters set up for professional tastings; with a light box, running water, and a sink for every seat. No spitting in nasty slop buckets here. The Kitchen- A huge, top of the line teaching kitchen with every gadget you can imagine. The Gallery- a multi-use space for wine pairing dinners, food festivals, lectures, and other events.

Their presenter list is nothing short of amazing with top experts in all areas of the culinary world joining together to explore both the cutting edge and historical aspects of food and beverages. There is a strong focus on wines, spirits, and cocktails; something you would expect from the Astor Wines folks. F Paul Pacult, Jim Meehan, Maximilian Riedel (of Riedel Crystal), Kara Newman, Brian Van Flandern, Timothy Sullivan, Henry Sidel, and more experts on various libations are on hand to delve into the glorious world of all that is wet and tasty; for beginners and experts, consumers and those in the trade.