The Pig Pig-Out at Mémé

Pork, the other white meat. I eat it, occasionally. I like it, but for certain parts like, tongue, trotter, head cheese, ribs, and definitely bacon more than the actual white meat itself. I have an Asian background but I have never developed the craze that people in the old country have in making it a regular staple in their diets. I usually bypass pork dishes in restaurants unless it is truly unique and well prepared. My curiosity perked, however, when I learned of a five course pig dinner at Mémé with each course prepared by a different chef. Not just any five chefs but five of the highly respected chefs in the city.

I left a message with the restaurant for a reservation. We called again the next day when we hadn’t heard from the restaurant, “We have your information, somebody will call you back and let you know…” I didn’t know that we had to be approved by some higher authority!

We had the 8:30 seating but everything was running late when we arrived for the seating. A look around the people waiting around outside the restaurant were mostly industry peeps, bloggers and food writers, plus a few restaurant regulars.

Chefs Pierre Calmels, Peter Woolsey, Michael Solomonov, and Johhny Mac busy getting the next dinner seating going.

Hor’s D’Oeuvres: Foie Gras and Pork Cheek Sausage; Prosciutto Croquette; Fried Bread, Pig Crackling

David Katz and crew, Mémé

The foie gras and pork cheek sausage was made in-house. The meat was tender with the soft texture of the foie gras mixed in, lightly pan fried and served warmed. The croquette sat on top a bed of diced melon marinated in a minty sauce. The pig crackling was served on top of a piece of fried bread with a tooth pick holding both items together. It was crispy, crunchy, and delicious. We were starving and had eaten ours before realizing that we had forgotten to photograph it. I am still not sure if Tourist Tree knew what she was eating before she wolfed down that pig skin. But she did enjoy it.

Barmes Buecher, Crémant d’ Alsace, 2007

We enjoyed this Alsatian sparkling wine very much. This wine was supposed to be paired with the yet to arrive first course but the very small pour in each glass for the thirsty crowd in the dining room pretty much ensured that the wine would be gone before the dish hit the table.

Green Pennsylvania Yorkshire Suckling Crepe, Roast Huitlacoche, Sweet Corn Emulsion, Fresh Coriander

Steve Cameron, Noble American Cookery

The crepe was filled with absolutely tender and juicy pork. It was wonderful. Huitlacoche is corn fungus. It has a slimy, pulpy, bitter texture and taste. It is also definitely an acquired taste. I liked this fungus a little better with the crepe. I did not so much enjoy it on its own.

The dryness and crispiness of the Crémant worked very well with this dish.

Braised Pig Foot, Foie Gras Stuffed, Lentils, Bacon, Carrot

Pierre Calmels, Bibou

Foie gras stuffed pig’s foot sat on top of a bed of lentils sprinkled with bacons bits and diced pieces of carrots. I have always enjoyed this signature dish from Bibou. It’s a heavy dish but the meat, the foie gras, and the glutinous substance were such a delight in the mouth; except the lentils. I liked the bacon and the carrots which added flavors in the sauce but I did not like the lentils swimming in it. I am just not a lentil person

This dish was served with the Le Roc, Rosé 2008. Sweet with a sour apple follow-up taste. We didn’t like the wine but it went well with the gelatinousness of the food and the heaviness of the sauce in the dish.

Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout


This is one of my favorite beers of all time. However, couldn’t they pour a little more in the glass? I have an 8 oz. glass and I didn’t even get 1/3 of a pour!

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

Black Pudding

Johnny Mac, Pub & Kitchen

It was served with soft scrambled eggs and the “noble” ketchup which was made with beets instead of tomatoes. The pudding entertained my mouth with lots of spices even thought it was a bit heavy on the salt side. The egg was sprinkled with a mixture of bread crumbs, sage, coriander, garlic mace, and pork skin. I absolutely enjoyed this dish. It was delicious and wonderfully entertaining to eat. It’s like the perfect brunch comfort food. Too bad Tourist Tree had decided not to eat the pudding after she realized that “black” = “blood”. Her loss = my gain.

St. Canut Poached Loin, Seared Scallops, Black Garlic

Michael Solomonov, Zahav

One of the main reasons I am never too much into pork is the fact that most people over-cook the meat. It gets too dried out with the texture gone completely downhill for me. That was not the case with this tenderloin which was beautifully wrapped in grape leaves and prepared perfectly. The use of a quality meat was evidenced here. The paired scallop was seared crispy with a caramelization on both sides while the middle was still tender and juicy with the piece topped with a few small pieces of vegetable. I was very much intrigued by the delectable purple carrot puree. I never knew there was a purple carrot!

The dish was paired with a Cantina del Castello, Soave Classico 2008. It had a nice clean light floral and apple noise and taste. We both liked this nice pairing which matched the characters of the dish quite well.

Bodega San Telmo La Cosecha, Pedro Ximenez, NV


I am never a too big a fan of port or sherry. Their tastes could be a bit too overwhelming for me.

Serving this sherry with a dollop of cream was ingenious, although it did make it a bit hard to drink. The cream certainly cut the sweetness to a more comfortable and enjoyable level for me. After this photo was taken, Tree spent a few intimate minutes with her Tide Stick to remove the overflow spilled onto her blouse.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Summer BBQ Dessert:

Rhubarb Pie, Orange Raspberry Jello, Chocolate Popsicle
Peter Woolsey, Bistrot La Minette

Trained as a pastry chef, it was not a surprise that Peter Woolsey made the desserts. However, the surprise was the rhubarb pie.

After biting into the warm flaky pastry shell, we discovered meat in the rhubarb filling! It’s a dessert meat pie! The jello consisted of two layers with the orange sitting on top and a separate layer made with raspberry puree on the bottom. It was delicious and I loved this concoction which had a heavier texture than the usual jello. The chocolate popsicle was sprinkled with tiny bits of bacon and sat on top of a dollop of [what I think was] ricotta cream, the kind that’s similar in a canoli filling. It might sound odd but the addition of this bacon had enhanced a new dimension to the popsicle.

It was a pig pig-out. Course after course of ingenious uses of an animal by each chef who showcased his own style through his innovative interpretation of the subject. Each course represented its chef and his restaurant. David Katz and his hor’s d’Oeuvres; Steve Cameron with his use of local ingredients; Pierre Calmels’ traditional bistrot cooking; Johhny Mac’s refined pub fare, Michael Solomonov’s sophisticated style; and Peter Woolsey’s “meaty” dessert.

With a direct sight of the open kitchen, I could pretty much see each course expertly prepared right in front of my eyes. All the chefs helped each other with the dishes. It amazed me at time how everybody plus the assistants could crowd into Mémé’s small kitchen which usually only housed a few people.


Yes, they could had pour a little more wine into the glasses; but considering the amount and the quality of food served plus the amount of talent involved, I could not complain about this $75.00 dinner. That's $75.00 including tax! I would not even have complained if there were no wine involved. The best part was the opportunity to eat all those dishes from six different chefs/restaurants with my butt fully planted in one place! Several of the chefs have told me after the dinner that they were thinking of holding another themed dinner in the foreseeable future again. I can’t wait!

Above: Posting for a group picture. Pierre Chalmels, Michael Solomonoe, Peter Woolsey, David Katz, unknown assistant, Johnny Mac, Steve Cameron.


The After-Party

We were invited to the after-party at The Pub and Kitchen after the dinner. With the clock ticking past 11:00PM and Tourist Tree’s need to go to bed for her 5:30AM alarm, we elected to pass the kind invite. Plus, I was quite stuffed from eating her portion of the black pudding and pig’s foot (although mysteriously, there was no meat or foie gras in her pig’s foot, just the gelatinous substance).

Only if I knew what was awaiting for the crew at The Pub and Kitchen: Cherrywood-smoked sucking pig and seared pork belly. I would have thrown up on the way to the Pub & Kitchen so I could eat again!                     
(Photo courtesy of Drew Lazor/Meal Ticket)