Foodievents

Per Se Finds a Way to Make Dinner Even More Expensive

Photo: RJ Mickelson/Veras for New York Magazine

If you thought Per Se’s salon menu signaled a shift in a populist direction (well, as much as a $40 scallop can, anyway), consider a new series it launches next week, “An American Table at Per Se,” in which American winemakers will pair their offerings with six to seven courses from Jonathan Benno. The price of each dinner is $325 plus tax — a good $50 more than the nine-course prix fixe you already can’t afford. Granted, the regular prix fixe doesn’t include wine — much less a standing reception — and Babbo’s wine dinners (to take one pricey example) cost $295 to $695 per person — so, relatively speaking, this could be a steal rather than a case of fiddling while Rome burns. Here are the details — you decide!

Copain Wine Cellars and the Significance of Old World Influences / Thursday, May 28, 2009
Reception: 6:30pm, Dinner: 7pm
Renowned winemaker Wells Guthrie of Copain Wine Cellars (Headsburg, CA) will lead an informal discussion throughout the evening on his mentors and old world inspiration. Guthrie will share how the culmination of these factors have shaped his wines, leading to a collection designed to enhance the overall dining experience.

Additional selections from some of his most beloved French winemakers and influencers, Jean-Louis Chave, Sylvain Cathiard and Thierry Allemand, will be featured to illustrate Guthrie’s inspiration behind the techniques used to develop his own collection.

Wines will be served alongside a seven-course tasting menu, specially crafted to highlight the old world nuances and flavors reflected in the wines.

Per Se celebrates the Wines of Greg Brewer and the Importance of the Land / Thursday, June 11, 2009
Reception: 6:30pm, Dinner: 7pm

Evening will feature Greg Brewer of Brewer-Clifton, Melville Winery and Diatom Wines (Santa Rita Hills, CA). The featured six-course tasting menu will be designed to bridge the regional reference points, from Japan to Chablis, reflected in Brewer’s accompanying wine pairings.

An informal discussion will take place throughout the evening, during which Brewer will share his inspirations behind his wines and the influences he draws from the land.

Challenging Modern Winemaking: Abe Schoener from Scholium Project / Monday, June 22, 2009
Reception: 6:30pm, Dinner: 7pm

Named “California’s most radical winemaker”, Per Se is pleased to host an exciting evening with Abe Schoener of Scholium Project. A variety of wines from his groundbreaking portfolio will be featured, including selections from his Southern France collection and a preview of wines from his latest project, Red Hook Winery, an urban winery in the Red Hook region of Brooklyn dedicated to producing wines exclusively
of New York State grapes.

For more information, contact Per Se’s private-dining-room office at 212-823-9349.

Per Se Finds a Way to Make Dinner Even More Expensive