If you’re after a food writer’s heart, invite them to dinner in the heat of tomato season and present them a plate packed with a bounty of summer’s best.
When tomatoes are at their finest—right now!—they belong on the table, which is why AG Catering’s Alex Garfinkel first welcomed his recent dinner guests to a vibrant dish rich with Gradyville’s Green Zebra Farm’s heirloom tomatoes. As if inspired by a stroll through a local garden, the dish’s landscape was crafted with both juicy slices and whole, sweet cherry tomatoes, with equally attractive accessories (grilled cucumber slices, fennel sprigs and a cooling pool of basil puree) completing the just-ripe creation.
This full-flavored prelude set the pace for what was to come in the chef’s latest supper club, staged in his hometown of Media, at Sage Farmhouse. Garfinkel, although 30 years old, immediately illustrated the culinary prowess of a well-seasoned, new-age chef. And, considering his past chef stints with those of notoriety (Le Bec Fin, Lacroix, Amada and Morimoto), Garfinkel isn’t just any kitchen crusader.
Monthly Supper Clubs—Grab a Seat
As an avid eater, it’s an exciting endeavor to scout out a chef like Garfinkel, who hosts a variety of monthly pop-up dinners among the greater Philadelphia region. Each feast hosts an inventive theme, always flooding a unique space (from a farm, to a restaurant, to even a secret location) and touting an intriguing menu available for just one night.
At the recent “After Dark” supper club on July 19, orchestrated within Sage Farmhouse’s summer mansion, strangers-turned-friends traveled through a thought-provoking tasting journey, with the chef acting as our season-focused tour guide.
We had the great pleasure of forking into the delicate, hickory-smoked tilefish that was piled high with generous chunks of grilled summer squash and popped with flash-fried raisins. The stream of tangy yogurt gracing the plate’s perimeter, as sourced from local Fair Food Farmstand, balanced its counterparts, with the snappy, savory pine nut butter adding a much-welcomed interlude to its textural playground.
Then, there was the lamb belly—which provoked waves of conversation throughout the well-attended dining room. Muskier and perkier than the average pork belly, the lean meat was thrown into the spotlight, with Alex encouraging diners to join him in his admiration for the under-the-radar belly. Here, he first sous vided the tender chunks, and then sautéed them in a cast-iron pan to guarantee crispy edges. He didn’t stop there, either. Sigaretta di bergamo pepper and lamb shoulder were stuffed inside, with homemade tomato jam and dollops of spicy carrot puree added as dynamic accompaniments.
Never Skip AG Catering’s Dessert
With the chef capable of captivating masses not only with his entrees but also with his pastry techniques too, he promised a duet of sweet endings. First was the course sculpted around Valley Shepherd’s remarkable Crema de Blue. (Alex later revealed that this particular cheese course was an homage to a(Muse)., a restaurant he helped open in Rehoboth Beach, Del.) The 65-day-aged blue was elegantly rolled paper-thin, elevated with high-powered accessories like a trio of brown-butter lavash, blueberry gastrique, intricate honeycomb and a spoonful of fennel pollen.
Since Garfinkel is as much of a teacher as he is a chef, he sealed the deal on his feast by hosting a mini-cooking demo in preparation for the final course of the night—ice cream! With his KitchenAid perched in the dining room’s corner and dry ice in hand, he guided his guests through the on-site prep of his hazelnut ice cream (secret’s out: the hidden ingredient is saffron!). Soon, the mini scoops neighbored his molten chocolate cake and assumingly the best chocolate crunch bar of our lives. Fierce and fun, the cocoa-forward finale illustrated what we’d been experiencing all night long: the incredible talents of an up-and-coming chef that pushes boundaries, cares for quality and has mastered the artistic approach to the plate.
What’s Next?
Just because you missed the enchanting Sage Farmhouse After Dark supper club doesn’t mean your opportunities with AG Catering are up!
Upcoming events include: Supper Club at Swarthmore Co-op, on Aug. 22; Tomato Tasting at COOK, on Aug. 29; Food for Foodies Dinner, on Sept. 11; and Red Hill Farm Supper Club, on Sept. 21. Full list of AG Catering Events here.
Learn more about AG Catering and chef Alex Garfinkel. In addition to AG Catering’s ongoing supper clubs, they are available for weddings, private events, cooking classes and demos and corporate catering.
- Photography: Nubia Oliveira Photography
