I attended an exclusive dinner and discussion for Amex Platinum cardholders with one of the best chefs in the world - here's what the once-in-a-lifetime experience was like
The afternoon involved a small presentation with Bottura describing the inspiration for a few of his famous dishes, and taking questions from the 20-30 of us in the audience.
The talk took place in the afternoon. Later in the evening, we reconvened for dinner, which took place at the Peninsula Hotel. While there were a number of attendees, the room was laid out in a way that felt small and cozy, rather than overly large and wide open.
As we walked in, we were handed a glass of champagne, shown our seat for the evening, and directed to a table where Bottura was greeting diners and offering a sampling of aged parmesan with a rare, aged balsamic.
The cheese was tasty, but the balsamic was unlike anything I've tasted before. Thick and sweet, Bottura poured a dollop in our champagne glasses — I was shocked to find that it went well (although I shouldn't have been surprised, since the mix was made by the world's best chef).
Soon, we sat down. After a few opening remarks, waiters came around to pour the first of three wines...
...And put out some shockingly good breadsticks. I realize it's a bit odd to focus on the breadsticks when you're discussing fine dining, but they were incredible, perfectly crisp and buttery. The focus on even the small accoutrements showed that we were in for a treat.
Soon, the first course came out: "Aula in Tempura." This dish was a fish-and-chips-inspired freshwater fish, fried and served with an onion carpione ice cream. The menu described the dish as intended "to remind of traditional preservation methods while looking through a contemporary lens."
The next course, "Insalata di Mare,"was a delicious salad filled with seafood. The menu read: "The classic Italian antipasto reinvented like a game of hide and seek where octopus, shrimp, cuttlefish, clams, oysters, bottarga, yuzu, seaweed, and aromatic herbs delight and surprise."
The "Baccalà Mare Nostrum" was meant to evoke the Mediterranean Sea. A baccalà filet, or a traditional Italian salted cod, floated in a "verdant broth of Vesuvian tomatoes and green olives infused with Sorrento lemons, wild oregano, and extra virgin olive oil."
Next was Massimo's famous "Autumn in New York" dish, named after the Billie Holiday song and inspired by the sight of the Union Square Farmers Market. The menu described the vegetable medley as focusing on "the color and flavor palate that defines the spring season. White and green asparagus, creme fraîche, lemon jam, and aromatic herbs are accompanied with a sweet onion dashi broth." Although it was spring, bordering on summer, Bottura told the diners "you can listen to 'Autumn in New York' even when it isn't autumn in New York."
Then, we got to enjoy Bottura's famous "The Crunchy Part of the Lasagna," a dish meant to evoke the eponymous part of the traditional Italian specialty, specifically based on his grandmother's recipe. During the talk in the afternoon, he described the painstaking process of trying to get the taste and texture just right.
Next was my favorite dish of the night: "Beautiful, Psychedelic, Spin-Painted Veal, not Flamed Grilled." The menu described the misleading nature of the dish, "a tribute to English artist Damien Hirst." Not actually veal, the "beef filet takes on the Tuscan tradition of grilled meat without lighting a flame." The meat was marinated in milk, like veal, brushed with vegetable charcoal to emulate grilling, then cooked at a very low temperature to preserve the integrity of the meat. Then, it was dressed with creamed potatoes, a puree of orange and yellow peppers, a red beet reduction, and aged balsamic vinegar that Bottura brought with him from Modena.
The not-veal was probably my favorite dish. The presentation was stunning, the concept was fantastic, and the beef itself was delicious.
The last two dishes were dessert, starting with "In the Cherry Orchard," which was inspired by ingredients found in the Modenese countryside. A cherry sorbet was blended from three local varieties of cherry. It was sprinkled with "crumble from a local chocolate and coffee delicacy called Torta Barozzi," which represented "the rich agricultural soil while an almond-infused ricotta from the foothills of the Apennines covers the dish like the Emilian fog."
The final dish was Bottura's "Oops! I Dropped The Lemon Tart," a celebration of "the poetry of imperfection." Bottura shared the story of this dish during the afternoon session, relating after a sous-chef accidentally broke one of the two lemon tarts he was plating. The lesson, according to Bottura, was that "in the journey of creativity, you always have to keep the door open for the unexpected."
Overall, the event was a fascinating example of the kinds of experiences American Express provides through the By Invitation Only program.
Massimo Bottura is an all-star of the culinary world, and card members seemed thrilled to have the chance to meet him, learn more about his process, and sample food that they otherwise might not have a chance to try, prepared by the master chef himself. While it's not an event that I would normally see myself attending, I can easily imagine a scenario in which I would be tempted to partake (if I could afford it, of course).
This was the fifth or sixth event that Bottura had done with American Express. During a brief interview, Bottura expressed how much he enjoys doing the events:
Within minutes of reservations opening at the restaurant, we'll be booked up for five months. It's impossible to get a reservation. Traveling around the world and being able to offer Osteria Francescanato people who otherwise might not be able to go is something I really care about.
At the time of publication, there were 11 similar events open to registration, including two more with Bottura (in Modena and Singapore), a curated weekend away during harvest season in Napa Valley, exclusive access to the US Open and New Years Eve party in Times Square, a shopping event and conversation at the SJP pop-up shop with Sarah Jessica Parker and George Malkemus, and a four-day wine tour through Bordeaux with sommelier Daniel Johnnes.
Past events have included things like tickets to a small, intimate insider's discussion with designer Christian Louboutin (and a shopping credit); VIP access to the Cannes Film Festival (including private lunches with prominent film critics, access to talks by film industry insiders, and a VIP invite to the American Pavilion gala); and an intimate wine tasting and dinner at the famous Per Se restaurant with chef Thomas Keller.
Click here to learn more about the Amex Platinum Card from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.Popular Right Now
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