January 22, 2015
Instagram Diary: The SD26 James Beard Foundation Fundraiser Bash Recap
On Tuesday night, we were thrilled to attend SD26’s James Beard Foundation Fundraising Bash. After five years of creating expert, classic Italian food in NoMad, owners Tony and Marisa May have started the Tony May Scholarship for Italian Culinary Studies, dedicated to keeping the legacy of fine Italian cuisine alive and well.
We arrived at what we thought was a fashionably late 6:30 p.m., only to find that the party was already well under way.
The Hoffman Basetini Ensemble and Alice Ricciardi were set up in the main dining room, keeping the atmosphere smooth and soulful.
It was hard to know where to start! Every corner of the restaurant was beckoning with buffet tables of delicious dishes, from the fresh caprese salad by the prep kitchen to plates and plates of steaming pasta. Not to mention the whole roast suckling pig.
Once we had worked our way through a majority of the dishes offered, it was time to make our way downstairs. In the bakery, Pizzaiolo Alfonso Caruso was demonstrating his expert and extremely entertaining pizza-making techniques.
The end result was just as satisfying as the process.
(We also learned that you can, and definitely should, buy truffles by the jarful.)
By the time we had sampled more fresh pies and made our way out of the extensive wine collection, desserts were out in full force. SD26 pulled out all the stops, offering perfect bite-sized samples of their entire dessert menu. The fig and clover honey semifreddo stood out as a particular favorite, but really, who could choose.
The entire night was a huge success. Wonderful entertainment, exquisite dining and money raised for an exceptional cause. If this benefit was any indication, we look forward to tasting the extraordinary achievements of the recipients of the Tony May Scholarship.