Thursday night I attended the Boston Center for Adult Education‘s (BCAE) Beyond Beef Food for Thought event with my good friend Jaime. This was BCAE‘s 3rd annual fundraiser raising money for the BCAE and Jordan S. Ruboy M.D. Scholarship Fund and my 2nd time attending the event.
This event featured nine of Boston’s premier chef’s each creating a unique dish using a specific cut of beef. I knew we had a lot of great dishes to try just by looking at this list of amazing and talented chefs:
Michael Scelfo of Alden & Harlow
Tiffani Faison of Sweet Cheeks
Jason Bond of Bondir
Karen Akunowicz of Myers + Chang
Kevin O’Donnell of The Salty Pig
Sam Monsour of #True28 (previously of JM Curley)
James Disabatino of Roxy’s Grilled Cheese
This night could not have all come together without the hard work of the extremely talented Becky Brackett of Pop & Circumstance. You could see her hard work in every detail of this event down to each and every hand made sign and decoration!
When we first arrived we sipped on a very tasty Cran Fizz cocktail from Deep Eddy Vodka. I love their slogan “From Austin to Boston“.
To make this drink you need vodka, fresh cranberries, lime juice concentrate, Cranberry Lime Polar Seltzer, agave nectar and lime wedges for garnish.
While sipping on drinks we tried the New England Charcuterie from Moody’s Delicatessen & Provisions as well some Rosemary and Lavender Bud cheeses.
Each table at the event had beautiful floral arrangements hand crafted by Krissy of Pollen Floral Designs. I loved how she tucked tomatoes, artichokes and kale into the arrangements to keep with the foodie theme of the night.
Our first chef stop was Michael Scelfo from Alden & Harlow. I loved the beautiful succulents on his table.
His dish was a Smoked Goat Steak with Buttermilk Pistachio and Kumquat. I have never had goat steak before and it was so tender. I loved the kick from the kumquat at well. Alden & Harlow is on my list of new restaurants to check out and after tasting this I know it will not disappoint!
We walked by to check out the Farmers Table. For $200 a ticket you can score one of 14 seats here along with VIP early access to the event with a special reception as well as a Wüsthof sponsored gift bag.
Our 2nd stop was to the Sweet Cheeks table. I was bummed that Tiffani Faison was not there like last year but as always the dish they served was outstanding. They called this the “Royal with Cheeks” and was a beef cheek burger on a homemade biscuit with a pepper jam.
Yes. It is a burger on a biscuit.
In between dishes we checked out some of the auction items. I loved this piece from artist Sarah Wormann.
Jason Bond from Bondir definitely had the most beautiful table of the night.
His dish was a Lady Apple with Meyer Lemon-Tofu, and Gilfeather Turnip leaves.
Kevin O’Donnell from The Salty Pig wowed us with a Lamb Shoulder “in Porchetta” with Baqna Cauda Sunchoke.
Another restaurant on my list to try, especially after tasting this dish!
Just a quick shot of the cute oven mitts that decorated the chef’s tables!
Myers + Chang, how I love you. I am currently working on a full post from a recent visit there. For now you just get to see this perfect Duck Dumpling with Ginger Winter Spices and Duck Broth from Karen Akunowicz. I could have eaten 100 of these if we weren’t getting so full!
Michael Leviton from Area Four wowed us with a Braised Bison Short Rib with Root Vegetables and Malted Celery Root Parsnip Puree. The meat was so tender you could cut it with a fork.
West Bridge‘s Matthew Gaudet‘s King Oyster Carbonara with Pickled Chestnut Mushrooms was the most unique of the night. All I kept thinking while eating this was “Top Chef Worthy”.
Matthew told us how us all about how he used some mushrooms to create a “pasta” while smoking others to take the place of they bacon that is typically found in a carbonara. What appears to be a cracker is actually dehydrated mushrooms, and was packed full of flavor. All topped off with an edible flower. Stunning.
James Disabatino is the founder and owner of Roxy’s Grilled Cheese. You have probably seen his famous grilled cheese truck around town but there were no grilled cheese to be seen at this event! Instead he served up Colt 45 Braised Chuck Flap on an Iggy’s Pain De Mie with Crispy Leeks and Funyun Aioli with a shot of some of the best tomato soup I have ever tasted.
Our last stop before the dessert table was Sam Monsour of #True 28 (formerly of JM Curley) for his take on Bacon and Eggs: Pork Belly, Caraway, Orange Glass, Bourbon Barrel and an Espresso Egg.
Again, “Top Chef Worthy”. Another unique and beautiful dish packed full of flavor.
Sam is a really cool chef who was telling us about his move from JM Curley to take time to cook on his own and see what new adventures come his way. I am looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next!
Somehow we managed to squeeze in a little room for dessert. Dustin Rennells from the BCAE served up Fresh Fruit Swirls with assorted shortbread cookies. I tried the blackberry one and it was nice and light. The perfect dessert after all of the meat dishes we sampled.
I had such a great time and this event and got to talk with some really talented chefs! A huge thank you to Becky Brackett for letting me take part in this amazing night. You did such a fantastic job and I am looking forward to what you do next!
For more information on the BCAE check out their website. They have a lot of great classes on a variety of topics so you can be sure you will find one that strikes your fancy.
BCAE
122 Arlington Street
Boston, MA 02116
617.267.4430
Emily J. Goodman 
my mouth is watering looking at these dishes again! still cannot get over how good that mushroom “cracker” was.
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