FOODIE JOURNAL
Culinary News & Notes
BY:
Claire Ruhlin
Kimpton Sylvan Hotel’s chef shares pro tips for outdoor entertaining
EASY BEING GREEN CHEF JONATHAN WAXMAN SHARES HIS KALE SALAD RECIPE
A
Andrew Thomas Lee
t Buckhead’s new Kimpton Sylvan Hotel, outdoor dining is the name of the game. Among the hotel’s three food and beverage concepts are two indoor-outdoor spaces, both opening this spring: Willow Bar, a garden lounge, and St. Julep, an open-air rooftop lounge. Chef Brandon Chavannes, formerly of St. Cecilia, shares his advice for effortless entertaining outdoors. What’s important to keep in mind when setting the mood outdoors?
What are some common mistakes in outdoor entertaining?
People naturally tend to gravitate towards one area at gatherings. If you’re entertaining outside, try to place snacks and beverages in different areas so people move around organically and mingle with one another. This will create a more relaxed environment and allow people to break away without feeling obligated to stay in the center of the goings-on the whole time.
People try to do too much. Keep it simple so you have time to focus on being a good host. No matter what, there's going to be plenty to do. Keep drinks full, introduce people to each other and even pass around a few dishes. Hosts often get sidetracked by trying to create some giant, ornate spread and consequently lose sight of the hospitality.
How do you make an outdoor gathering feel special?
Any tips for those with a smaller outdoor space?
Roasting whole ingredients, like a fish or a large joint of meat, is a surprisingly easy way to bring a sense of occasion and drama to a backyard party.
Plan and prep your menu up to a week in advance. All the little knick-knacks and tools that you need to put together a party really add up, and with
all the distractions, they tend to get left lying around, cluttering your setup. When space is a premium, you want to keep extra stuff out of the way. What types of cuisine lend themselves to outdoor dining?
Middle Eastern food is a go-to for me. Kofta, baba ganoush and other Middle Eastern staples are great for the grill and leaving out on a table to snack on. I also love making a big paella for a summer night dinner party with the perfume of saffron and pimenton lingering about. n The Kimpton Sylvan Hotel 374 East Paces Ferry Road N.E. Atlanta 30305 877.984.6548 thesylvanhotel.com
FOOD NEWS Storico Vino is the latest concept by Michael Patrick, Pietro Gianni and Stephen Peterson, the owners of Storico Fresco and Forza Storico. It’s now open in Buckhead Village and bringing the feeling of an Italian wine bar to the neighborhood. storico.com/vino
@rankstudios
Hoping to learn a thing or two about cocktails? Kyma’s Manager and Beverage Connoisseur Andrej Pop is sharing his secrets with the restaurant’s “Mixology Experience” classes, held Tuesday
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March/April 2021 | Simply Buckhead
through Thursday. A ticket comes with three cocktails per person and a lesson on mixology. buckheadrestaurants.com /restaurant/kyma
Dunwoody gets a new food hall this spring when The Hall at Ashford Lane is expected to open on Olde Perimeter Way. The Atlanta location follows in the footsteps of its Tampa, Florida, counterpart, The Hall on Franklin, with nine restaurant stalls offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails. explorethehall.com
Award-winning chef Jonathan Waxman combines Italian-Californian cuisine with Southern ingredients with his latest restaurant, Baffi (Italian for “moustache”), which opened in West Midtown’s Stockyards development this winter. Here, Waxman shares his famous kale salad recipe, also available in his cookbook, The Barbuto Cookbook: California-Italian Cooking from the Beloved West Village Restaurant.
Kale Salad Serves 6 8 ounces kale (leave the stems intact) 6 fresh basil leaves, patted dry and rolled like a cigar 2–4 salt-cured anchovies, rinsed and deboned 2 cloves garlic, peeled, green shoots removed, and smashed 1 egg yolk, at room temperature 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Sea salt 1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil Freshly ground black pepper ¹⁄ ₃ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese 1 tablespoon toasted breadcrumbs Wash the kale well and dry in a salad spinner. On a wooden (this is important advice—plastic is impossible) cutting board, julienne the kale as thinly as possible. Place the kale in a salad bowl. Keep cold. Clean the board and wipe it dry. On the cutting board, finely mince the basil. Add the anchovies and garlic, and continue to mince until you achieve a paste. In another bowl, combine the basil and garlic paste with the egg yolk, mustard, 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt, red wine vinegar and the lemon juice. Use a whisk and mix well. Drizzle in the oil, whisking continuously, until you achieve a broken emulsion. Pour 4 oz. of the dressing over the kale, enough to coat the leaves well (reserve the rest for another day). Using as much force as possible, crush the kale and dressing. This will release the enzymes from the kale to interact with the dressing’s acid and salt. Add a pinch of salt and a few turns of pepper. Sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs. Toss well, taste for seasoning and serve within an hour. Letting it sit for a little while does wonders for the flavor.
Baffi 976 Brady Ave. N.W. Suite 110 Atlanta, 30318 404.724.9700 baffiatlanta.com
Jen Davidson
GARDEN PARTY
