Who misses Annisa, Anita Lo’s beautiful contemporary American restaurant in Greenwich Village? Well, I sure do.
I remember intimate meals at the bar, special occasions in the dining room, the soft warmth of that space, and of course, the gorgeous food – slices of black sea bass sashimi with trout roe, yuzu pearls and shiso; the foie gras soup dumplings, and a roasted rabbit loin stuffed with chopped pistachios and grape leaves with a thick and lemony yogurt sauce, a dish created by Annisa’s sous-chef, Mary Attea, who is still cooking today, at Raf’s and The Musket Room, her Michelin-starred restaurant in Nolita.
Anita’s cooking style is part biology (her mother was Chinese, from Malaysia; her father was Chinese, too, from Shanghai) and part pedigree; she did formative stints with chefs David Waltuck and the late David Bouley. Her technique is classic French, but her soul is borderless. If you like to travel and eat, she’s currently working with the Tour De Forks, hosting culinary tours around the planet. Oh, and she was recently knighted to the Order of Agricultural Merit from the French government. Not too shabby.
Now Anita ’s coming back to the kitchen for one night only, Saturday April 13th, as part of the Chef’s Dinner Table Restaurant Revival series (others include David Waltuck of Chanterelle on May 10, and Katy Sparks of Quilty’s on June 14) for the restaurant revival series.). Anita will be bringing back a menu of signatures not only from Annisa, but also from her dumpling bar Rickshaw, and her Asian barbecue spot, Bar Q.
Her second book, SoLo: A Modern Cookbook For a Party of One, which won Eater’s Cookbook of the Year and was nominated for an IACP award)will be available for sale as well with all book sale proceeds going to Common Threads, a national nonprofit organization that provides cooking and nutrition education to children in under-resourced communities.
The dinner will be held Saturday April 13th from 6-9pm at Chef's Dinner Table, a private culinary salon tucked away in a downtown NYC loft. Tickets are $350 per person. All food, drink and gratuities are included with your ticket purchase, so you don't need to worry about settling a bill at the end of the night.
Here’s the menu:
Passed Canapes
lobster and lobster tomalley custard tartlet
cod and scallion fritters
sweet pea soup shooters with wasabi
First Course
Surf Clam ~ artichoke, pistachio and sugar kelp
Second Course
Pan-roasted Breast of Long Island Duck ~ sesame and radishes
Dessert
Tofu Pudding ~ yuzu, strawberry and shiso
Anita’s dinner is April 13th from 6-9pm, Tickets here
Chef’s Dinner Table is located at 132 Mulberry Street, Suite 502. (212) 431-3468.
Questions, email your host, Ronnie Rodriguez, Info@ChefsDinnerTableNYC.com
Oh this looks great!!!!