by Joleen Zanuzoski, Eatery Expert
The tastes that come to mind when I think of New Year's celebrations in America are champagne, tuna tartare and some type of decadent chocolate. Needless to say, your celebratory foods may be very different than mine because Americans don't have dishes that are notoriously known as New Year celebration fare. However, new year's meals around the world celebrate with feasts both big and small, and signature dishes are laid out with grandeur. We really missed the mark on this one, America! Thankfully, we have chefs like Jehangir Mehta to show us the way.
Chef Mehta kicked off his global dining series at his TriBeCa restaurant Mehtaphor on January 23rd with a Chinese New Year-inspired tasting menu of six courses that showcased the year of the dragon with fanfare. If this meal was any indication of what is to come with Mehta's new year's menus, we will be back to celebrate again for the Persian New Year on March 20. Want to know more about Mehta and his new year's menus? Check out Jeff Feuerstein's piece on Food Republic. We're a fan.
Take a peek at Chef Mehta's Chinese New Year Tasting Menu, and the spot-on wine pairings, courtesy of Verity Wine Partners.
Wine Pairing: Hi Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
Sesame Scallion Shrimp with a Chickpea Bitter Gould
Wine Pairing: La Bastide Saint Dominique Roussanne, 2012, France
Wine pairing: Morgadio Albarino 2010, Rias Baisas, Galicia, Spain
Wine pairing: Birgit Braunstein Blaufrankisch Heide 2008, Burgenland, Austria
Wine pairings: Brunco Porro Dolcetto di Dogliani DOC 2008, Piedmont, Italy (Organic)
Chocolate Steamed Bun with Red Bean Ice Cream
Paired with Castilla Diva Monastrell, Principe de Salinas 2006, Alicante Spain
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