The "New Shoes" Dinner

At long last after multiple rescheduling, Ken and I attended the First Annual New Shoes Dinner on Friday evening at Rover’s.  We were joined by ZINO Society members and co-celebrants Steve Kutz, Courtney Womack, Dana Reid and Larry Hitchon and an incredible menu was prepared by talented ZINO Society sponsor Chef in the Hat, Thierry Rautureau.  See top photo with all the participants.

The menu included Thierry’s amazing organic scrambled egg with lime crème fraiche and caviar, seared foie gras atop a sautéed apple slice, lamb rillette in a miniscule cucumber wrap, a seared scallop, grapefruit sorbet with rosemary granite, roasted venison, poached King salmon, an oyster atop marinated seaweed salad, all with special sauces and garnishes that were as artistically beautiful as they were delicious!  The dessert was a medley of five tiny portions of different sweets including panna cotta, a molasses gingerbread cake, a rich chocolate bite, and two others that I cannot remember now after also consuming all the associated wine tastings.

Of course each of us wore the requisite new shoes (see bottom photo) which included shoes by Hermes, Gucci, Valentino, Prada, Giuseppe Zannoti and an unknown brand of athletic shoes made in Viet Nam.  Obviously, the Hatchman did not understand the basics of fashion when it came to selecting his shoes for the “New Shoes” dinner.  Next time, he is lobbying for an “Old Shoes” dinner where no shopping is required and we all wear our oldest and most comfortable pair.