Sandy, Sean Brock and the Before and After of Governor Restaurant

If you aren't familiar with what five feet of water does to wood floors, paneling, refrigerators, ingredients... it's not good.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

We held a dinner at Governor in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn last Thursday to celebrate Season 3 of The Perennial Plate. The theme was "Foreigners make Japanese food," in coordination with our first trip to Japan and China with partners Intrepid Travel. The event was a success. The location was beautiful. The chefs I collaborated with (Sean and Brad), were generous, laid back and made delicious food. By the end of the night, we had cooked for 110 people, showed four videos and had a night to remember.

The menu:
Course 1
- Shrimp and Carolina Gold rice crackers, uni, shiso
- Toasted rice dashi and paddlefish roe, citrus coriander blossom
- Grilled chicken skin w/ ponzu
- Grilled Carolina swordfish with green peanut miso
(Tombo Barley Shochu, pickled plum)

Course 2 - Mackerel sashimi, garlic tempura, yuzu, fermented black bean aioli, mustards
(Yoshinogawa Echigo Junmai sake)

Course 3 - Matsutake, chestnuts cooked in green tea, egg yolk, soured root vegetable broth
(Matsunoi Tokubetsu Honjozo sake)

Course 4 - Udon noodles w/ miso, bottarga, parmesan, chickweed, pickled sunchokes
(Toyo Bijin Ohkarakuchi Junmai Ginjo sake)

Course 5 - Wagyu Beef marinated with farro koji, cabbage cooked in rice milk
(Koten 1997 Koshu sake)

Course 6 - Miso pan perdu w/ red bean ice cream and tapioca/grape jelly
(Momokawa organic Nigori Junmai Ginjo sake)

As you know, a few days later, some crazy hurricane madness happened to New York. The elegant restaurant that hosted this epic event was invaded by five feet of water. If you aren't familiar with what five feet of water does to wood floors, paneling, refrigerators, ingredients... it's not good.

So although this post was intended to share with you the great pictures from our Japanese themed dinner last week. Instead, you get the before and after. The dinner and the destruction. As Sandy fades from the headlines, remember to share your support. Donate to the Red Cross, or to Governor's refurbishment efforts.

The kitchen bar

Gaijinner at Governor and Storm Aftermath

Pictures by Mirra Fine and Michael Harlan Turkell

In case you missed it, the Season 3 Premiere:

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE