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Anthony Bourdain Wine Dinner

Cape Cod Life  /  July 2019 / , , ,

Writer: Allyson Plessner / Photographer: Pedro Blanco 

Anthony Bourdain Wine Dinner

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Cape Cod Life  /  July 2019 / , , ,

Writer: Allyson Plessner / Photographer: Pedro Blanco 

From pig ear torchon with pickled vegetables and a chardonnay gelée crafted by Chef Patrick Gilmartin of Su Casa in Plymouth as the opening meal, to a chocolate panna cotta with a blue cheese crumble and port wine gelée made by Chef Shakira Rock of Mallebar Brasserie for dessert, all paired with Maison & Domaines Henrot wines, each bite served as a delicious complement to and remembrance of an amazing chef and man—and all for a great cause. Other menu items included a savory pork belly, paté and fois gras dumpling prepared by Chef Stephen Coe of the Hilton in Boston and Woburn, a “spicy as f***” pollo verde by Chef Marc Swierkowski of Ella’s Wood Burning Oven in Wareham, a pastrami sandwich and pastrami ravioli, both prepared by Chef John Ricardo of Solstice in Kingston, and a fan favorite: braised lamb presse over a scallion pancake topped with long horn chili by Chef Johnny Sheehan of Salt Raw Bar in Plymouth. In total: eight tasting dishes perfectly paired with eight wines—all crafted in one restaurant over the course of just a few hours. The teamwork it took to successfully prepare these dishes, to make them both mouthwatering and eye-popping, was astounding and a true testament to the culinary culture of creativity and camaraderie that Bourdain cherished. 

As Bourdain famously said, “Your body is not a temple. It’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” And if this event, complete with a silent auction and raffle, was an amusement park, the food was the roller coaster, plummeting guests into a flavorful ride, delicious and exciting from start to finish—much like Bourdain’s life. From savory squid ink risotto with oxtail marmalade by Chef Jim Casey of Mallebar to a crispy pork-seasoned rice cake tatsoi with a sweet barbecue flavor by Chef Dan Delancy of The Lobster Trap in Bourne (Bourdain also wisely pointed out once, “Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start”), each bite was a tiny piece of an amazing journey—one that surely would have made him proud.

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Allyson Plessner

Allyson Plessner is a former editorial intern for Cape Cod Life and now works for the publication as a staff writer and digital media coordinator. Born in Florida, Allyson has been a lifelong summer resident of the Cape. She is a recent alumna of the College of Charleston, located in Charleston, South Carolina, where she completed bachelor’s degrees in both English and Spanish. In her free time, Allyson is an avid sailor, beach-goer, and—like her fellow Cape Cod Life colleagues—a dog-lover.