The Food Maven Diary
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Entry: James Beard Walking Tour
James Beard was the first person I wanted to meet when I became a food writer in 1969. Even then, three years before the publication of his towering work, "American Cookery," he was the father of American gastronomy, as he is now called. He lived in Greenwich Village. I worked at Newsday. I assigned myself the story of going shopping with him at his favorite Greenwich Village stores. You can read the whole story in my new book, Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food. Or, you can take a walking tour with me and Addie Tomei on April 2. We call it "James Beard's Greenwich Village" and because -- after filling up two sessions already – we still have more interest in the walk, we have set a third date. As I said, it's April 2.
We start at Addie's townhouse in the Village at 2 p.m. I offer up the James Beard story and some of the gossipy stuff that isn't in the book. While I talk, you nibble and drink – James' favorite sparkling wine and some hors d'oeuvre he liked to serve. We then stroll through Greenwich Village, stopping at both stores that James shopped in and that Addie and I like to shop in. All along, Addie gives us some Greenwich Village history, and I continue to gossip. We have some snacks along the way. Finally, we end up at the charming restaurant Provence, on the edge of SoHo and the Village, for an early dinner (about 5:30 p.m.), where chef Alain Eigenman, who is from Alsace, will prepare a special dinner for us centered on his region's famous choucroute garni, a James Beard favorite. For reservations, call Addie at (212) 691-7314. The cost is $300a person.
Don't forget
I'm back on the radio – every Tuesday, 11 a.m. (rebroadcast at 11 p.m.), on WWRL, 1600AM. I'm sponsored by Invite Health. Check me out. Check them out.
