1770 House Chef Michael Rozzi Presents Sold-Out Dinner At James Beard House in Manhattan
- Jenna Mackin
- Oct 14, 2015
- 3 min read
Chef Michael Rozzi of The 1770 House Restaurant & Inn in East Hampton will present his signature cuisine, in a sold-out six-course tasting menu, themed “East End Land and Sea,” on Thursday, October 29, at the historic James Beard House in Manhattan.
The renowned Hamptons chef is known for his New American cuisine or what he calls “Hamptons cuisine” — reflecting local customs at the root of slow food practice in which Rozzi is an expert.
The third generation East Ender grew up shucking oysters on Shinnecock Bay, watching wildlife in the fields of Bridgehampton and visiting the Halsey family’s Milk Pail Country Store in Water Mill for local apples and cider. At the James Beard House, as with his menu at The 1770 House, Rozzi will bring to life his philosophy that distinguished cuisine begins with appreciation and balance of the freshest local ingredients, blending exceptional flavors and finishing with flawless presentation.
“I’ve been working for months to capture several seasons and display a range of cooking techniques,” said Rozzi about preparing for his special October dinner. “In addition to preserving peaches and cherries, pickling summer squash and making extra visits to local farmers, I’ve even had a hand in the raising of the local pork that will be used working with Art Ludlow at Mecox Dairy Farm. Of course, his cheese will be on my menu too as are Holly Browder’s chickens and eggs, Jenn Halsey’s Milk Pail fruits and Alex Balsam’s farm produce.”
Rozzi’s menu will also showcase bounty from East End waters. Montauk scallops, striped bass and lobster will be straight from Gosman’s Dock and Cornell Oysters from the North Fork’s Hog Neck Bay.
Wine pairings, by The 1770 House sommelier Michael Cohen, will be chosen to enhance the meal. Selections will be from Long Island, California, France, Italy and Spain reflecting the restaurant’s award-winning wine list under his aegis.
The James Beard House, one of New York’s best-kept gastronomic secrets, is located in the former Greenwich Village townhouse of the late and celebrated cookbook author and television personality James Beard. Dubbed the “Dean of American cookery” by The New York Times, the mission of his eponymous Foundation is to celebrate, nurture, and preserve America’s culinary heritage and future. Culinary masters from across America and the world are invited to “perform” at the Beard House by presenting a dining experience to Foundation members and the public in a dinner for up to 74 guests.
Upon arrival, guests will be invited to walk through the Beard House kitchen to meet and see Rozzi and his team at work. The evening opens with a canapé reception in the greenhouse or, weather permitting, in the outdoor garden. In the upstairs dining room, guests will experience Rozzi’s remaining five-course tasting menu with Cohen’s wine pairings. The evening concludes with a Chef Q&A session. The invitation to cook at the James Beard House, a sell-out six weeks in advance, tops a season of accolades for Chef Rozzi and The 1770 House.
Rozzi was also invited to cook a private dinner at the historic Pollock-Krasner House. This was after testing scores of handwritten recipes by abstract artists Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner as featured in Dinner with Jackson Pollock: Recipes, Art & Nature written and photographed by Robyn Lea and published by Assouline.
Again in East Hampton, Rozzi joined a Guild Hall panel discussion exploring the relationship between art and food and tapping his experience about cooking with local ingredients and traditions. Also this year, The 1770 House received a new Zagat rating as one of the top five restaurants in the Hamptons and top-rated in East Hampton.