Myriad Restaurant Group Rounds the Culinary Bases at Citi field's Acela Club
Last fall it was good-bye to beloved Shea Stadium, but this spring it's hello to a new playing field--not only for players rounding the bases, but for food fans in the stands as well.
Myriad Restaurant Group, working with Aramark, was invited to consult on the food and beverage services at Citi Field's Acela Club, an upscale, 350-seat restaurant on the Excelsior Level with a multitiered dining room, outdoor patio seating, and panoramic views overlooking left field. The 8,000-square-foot Acela Club is open to special ticket holders, including Delta Sky Club Platinum and Gold, Ebbets Gold, Caesars Club Platinum and Gold, Metropolitan and Field Box, and Commissioners Box. There are also flat-screen TVs everywhere inside, so not a minute of the action on the field will be missed.
The ballpark dining destination features contemporary American fare inspired by Myriad's restaurants. Myriad and its chef, Stephen Lewandowski, named Michael Sobelman, previously of Tribeca Grill, as Acela Club's executive chef. Lewandowski and Sobelman have created a large selection of market-driven cuisine featuring local products.
 The $48 prix fixe menu is a home run. Its "Market Table" features a collection of antipasti, artisanal cheeses, salads, pastas, charcuterie, and flatbreads. But some of the buffet's real stars are the al forno dishes, specifically the pastas, baked in ceramic pots using an open fire. Already, there are big fans of the White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese with Pancetta and the Baked Garganelle with Short Rib Bolognese. Big-hitters with larger appetites can slide into American classics like the Miracle Mets Burger or the Smoked BBQ Ribs with Cornbread, or go for entrées, like the Grilled Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde and crispy Sweet Potato Fries, Spit-Roasted Heritage Pork, or the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. And on the lighter side, there is a Rotisserie Lemon and Herb Chicken served with arugula, or the Grilled Swordfish with Basil Pesto.
 "The real reason I am here is because my brother Tracy and I are devout Mets fans, since 1962," Drew Nieporent says. "We are lifelong New Yorkers, and when the Mets approached us about helping them create great food at Citi Field, we were inspired by their commitment to making it happen. When the Mets step up to the plate, it will be our challenge to put great food on the plate."
With the help of Myriad Restaurant Group, the Acela Club has elevated the ballpark dining experience to a new level. How much better can it get than sitting on the restaurant's patio, eating incredible food, taking in the game, and hopefully cheering the Mets to a World Series championship!
Photos:
Top: Tracy Nieporent in uniform, 1962
Middle: Mets Official Year Book cover, 1962
Bottom: Tracy "The Fork" Nieporent at Mets Fantasy Camp, 2003
 From Pastry Chef Robert Truitt at Corton: Passion Fruit, Coffee, Banana
Ingredients
Caramel Brioche
6.5 oz bread flour
0.5 oz sugar
0.14 oz fresh yeast
2.4 oz eggs
2.3 oz milk
0.17 oz salt
2 oz butte
Brioche Ice Cream
8.8 oz milk
1.7 oz sugar
0.8 oz tuttopan stabilizer
(specialty product)
0.4 oz Pyrat rum
10 percent total weight baked brioche
Passion Fruit "Mayo"
8 oz passion fruit purée
1.76 oz water
2.6 oz honey
0.06 oz agar-agar
1.76 oz yogurt
 White Coffee Cream
10.5 oz cream
1.05 oz coffee beans
1.5 oz sugar
2.1 oz egg whites
1 gelatin sheet
Banana Pâte de Fruit
4.4 oz banana h2O
0.4 oz sugar
6.25 oz glucose
0.13 oz Nh pectin
0.06 oz citric acid
Method for caramel brioche
1. In a mixer fitted with a bread hook, combine the flour, sugar, and yeast and mix on low speed.
2. Slowly add eggs and milk. Once incorporated, turn the mixer to medium speed.
3. Knead dough for approximately 10 minutes.
4. Add salt, then slowly add the butter, making sure all the butter is incorporated.
5. Reserve dough in a mixing bowl in a refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, then remove the dough from refrigerator and knead again until it is smooth.
6. Cut dough into 7-oz. rolls and place in small loaf pans that are lightly greased with butter.
7. Let the dough proof in a warm area until it triples in size, then lightly brush the tops of the bread with egg wash.
8. Bake at 350 ºF for 15 minutes, turning the rolls after 7 minutes.
Method for brioche ice cream:
1. Place baked brioche on a baking tray and heat at 300ºF for 10 minutes.
2. While bread is heating, combine 1/3 of the milk with the sugar and boil.
3. Combine the other 2/3 of milk with the tuttopan and rum, and emulsify cold.
4. Combine both mixtures, add warmed bread, and cover and let soak for 24 hours.
5. Add to a Vita-Mix blender, and blend until smooth.
6. Strain and process the mixture in an ice-cream machine.
Method for passion fruit "mayo":
1. Combine 1/2 of the passion fruit puree with water, honey, and agar-agar and boil.
2. Strain and set in a shallow tray.
3. Once set, add to a blender and emulsify in yogurt, making sure not to overmix.
4. Strain and reserve cold.
Method for white coffee cream:
1. Infuse the cream and coffee beans overnight in a refrigerator.
2. Strain the cream and coffee beans, and bring the cream and sugar to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and emulsify the egg whites.
4. Continue to cook egg whites to 176ºF, and then add gelatin.
5. Strain and reserve cold.
6. Place in a large mixing bowl and whip until medium peak.
Method for banana pâte de fruit:
1. Combine first four ingredients and boil, making sure to dissolve everything well.
2. Remove from heat, then add citric acid.
3. Strain and set into desired shape or tray.
Garnish:
Stilton blue cheese
Fresh basil
Tribeca Grill
375 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10013, Tel: 212.941.3900
Centrico
211 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013, Tel: 212.431.0700
Mai House
186 Franklin Street, New York, NY 10013, Tel: 212.431.0606
Corton
239 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013, Tel: 212.219.2777
Nobu New York City
105 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013, Tel: 212.219.0500
Next Door Nobu
105 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013, Tel: 212.334.4445
Nobu Fifty Seven
40 West 57 Street, New York, NY 10019, Tel: 212.757.3000
Nobu London
19 Old Park Lane, London WIY 4LB, Tel: 020.7447.4747
Crush Wine & Spirits
153 East 57th Street, New York, NY 10022, Tel: 212.980.WINE (9463)
2 oz Woodford Reserve
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 dash of Angostura bitters
1 dash Peychaud's bitters
splash of cherry juice bourbon-infused cherry
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add ingredients, shake well, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a bourbon-infused cherry.
BECOME THE INSPIRATION FOR RESTAURANT SUCCESS
Anyone who operates a business starts with some kind of inspiration. Often it's memories from childhood that set a career in motion. That's how our involvement in the restaurant business began.
 Headquarters Restaurant 108 West 49th Street, near Radio City, opened in 1946.Our dad, Andrew Nieporent, was an attorney who did legal work for restaurants. Our mom, Sybil Trent, was an actress. As a result, when we were youngsters, we often went out for dinner as a family. We ate in a wide range of different restaurants, with many different themes and cuisines. We tasted the foods of diverse cultures, sat at tables in many different dining environments, and observed the work ethic of chefs and waitstaff. My brother, Drew, was fascinated by the many atmospheres we encountered and knew from his early teens that this would be his life's work. He was fascinated by every aspect of the business, in both the front and back of the house, and absorbed a wealth of technical knowledge. We always sat at the table in such a way that he would have the best view of all the hustle and bustle around us.
My passion for the business came later. During those early days, my primary mission was just to eat and enjoy the theatricality of the restaurants and the company of our family. It is no surprise that many of the happiest memories of childhood happened at the dinner table of restaurants. These restaurants of 40 years ago are now all gone and sadly forgotten in the sands of time. But they are part of our DNA and have a profound influence on us. Let me take you on a brief visit back in time to some of New York City's places in which we were raised and that made an indelible impression on us.
Continue reading CHILDHOD MEMORIES.
Highlights, Happenings, and Tasty Banter From Myriad
Tribeca Grill
Wine Spectator Grand Award
Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame
John Mariani's Top Rated Restaurants and Chefs in America,
Tribeca Grill & Chef Stephen Lewandowski
Food & Beverage Business 40 Best New York Restaurants
Nobu
Food & Wine magazine Hall of Fame inductee, Nobu Matsuhisa
Corton
"At Corton Mr. Liebrandt finds the sweet spot between disciplined cooking and intricate, imaginative leaps. ... Corton's accomplishments warrant more attention and give it a fighting chance, in a difficult economy, of success. Mr. Liebrandt deserves that, because he's pulled off his most meaningful trick yet: a place where it's a joy to eat."
☆ ☆ ☆ , Frank Bruni, The New York Times
"The best new restaurant I've visited this year ... food so finely wrought, it's more than able to hold your attention."
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ , Jay Cheshes, Time Out New York
"... as dinner progresses you get a sense of time suspended, of being pleasantly inoculated from the cares of the outside world ... it's a relief, at least for one evening, to see things being done right."
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ , Adam Platt, New York Magazine
"It's the most important restaurant to open in the city this fall. The meals I had at Corton were extraordinary, putting him in a realm with the city's greatest chefs ... Corton manages to be grown-up and hip at the same time."
☆ ☆ ☆ ½, Moira Hodgson, New York Observer
"Corton, Drew Nieporent's superb new restaurant ... is really all about great food and service. It's no surprise that the man whose Montrachet sparked TriBeCa's renaissance 23 years ago creates with even greater style and finesse for the 21st century."
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ , Bob Lape, Crain's New York Business
"Drew Nieporent Remains King of Tribeca with Corton"
☆ ☆ ☆ , Ryan Sutton, Bloomberg.com
PLUS:
Squab at Corton: Number 2 out of 100 best dishes of 2008
Time Out New York, Dec. 11, 2008
2008 All-Star Eateries in New York
Steve Forbes, Forbes, Nov. 27, 2008
 One late fall day, Aarón Sanchez, chef and co-owner of Centrico, sat down with his mother, Zarela Martinez, the fabled chef and owner of Zarela's, to discuss the past, present, and future of Mexican cooking in New York.
To Zarela: How would you describe your role in the expansion of New Yorkers' idea of what Mexican cuisine is?
Zarela: When I first opened Zarela's, I was attempting to cook contemporary interpretations of Mexican food. Then after I had traveled around Mexico extensively, I asked myself, Why reinvent? Since then I've dedicated myself to exposing New Yorkers to Mexico's rich culinary heritage, and I think I've been successful.
To Zarela: What were your early frustrations? Did you meet with much resistance? Did people come in and expect the same-old-same-old?
Zarela: I have a funny story about this, actually. One day Barbara Sinatra came in to Zarela's with her whole entourage and called me over to her table. "I want a taco," she told me. I said, "I'm sorry, we don't serve tacos." So she said, "You will serve tacos, because your whole experiment will be a failure!" And here we are, 21 years
later!
To Aarón: What about your more modern cooking? Do you find people open to it, or are they still more comfortable eating what they understand?
Aarón: What's interesting at Centrico is that, for the most part, our customers are very sophisticated. They are open to new interpretations, and they have a good base of knowledge about traditional Mexican foods. I think my mom established a real appreciation for classical dishes done well, which allows me to be a bit more adventurous.
To both: Where are we today in terms of our Mexican culinary education?
Aarón: We're in a good place these days. Contemporary Mexican food can really command the same standards as contemporary European food, which shows how far we've come.
Zarela: These days, New Yorkers want to know how to make their own tamales, how to work with fresh masa. My YouTube video that demonstrates how to make tamales gets 8,000 views a day--this shows you how far we've come! At the beginning, there was very little interest in Mexican culinary traditions, but at this point our customers have taste memories that they want to recreate.
Continue reading Interview: INHERITED TALENTS.
The psychologist James Hillman once said, "People come to New York to find the ambiance that will evoke their best. They do not necessarily know precisely what that might be, but in New York they will discover it."
Chef Paul Liebrandt's New York discovery has been ten years in the making--but with each step his vision is more focused and the cumulative experience he has amassed has undoubtedly led him to Corton.
Ten years ago, when Liebrandt first arrived in New York from England, he had no job lined up but was in possession of two key features: ambition and a resume sparkling with recent tenures at both Pierre Gagnaire in Paris and Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxford. The latter secured him a position as chef de cuisine at Bouley Bakery but the former propelled him to culinary eminence. Atlas, Papillon, Gilt--all restaurants at which
Liebrandt was executive chef--earned multiple stars from the critics and accolades from the New York dining public. Liebrandt has been described as "daring" and a "wunderkind" because of his playful use of ingredients and imaginative compositions, but it is his perfectly executed technique, firmly grounded in French tradition, that keeps the fans coming back. Among those fans is Drew Nieporent. When the time was right for both of them, Corton was born.
Continue reading CORTON.
Left: Birria al estilo Jalisco: Braised short ribs Jalisco style, ancho chile broth.
Right: Aarón outside on the Centrico patio
CHEF'S TIP
Aarón points out that although chiles such as ancho, pasilla, guajilla, arbol and chipotle are sold "dry," they should retain some moisture and for that reason he never buys them in bulk.
Developing a menu comprising dishes that use local, sustainable ingredients puts the average New York chef to the test. But for Aarón Sanchez of Centrico, the challenge is that much greater as the cuisine he is recreating is only local if you're 2,000 miles away in Mexico.
To accomplish this feat--and he does--Aarón spends a lot of time and energy seeking out the best
local purveyors of his beloved ingredients. From a family-run business in Queens to a dedicated farmer in Massachusetts, Aarón, son of the celebrated chef and ambassador of Mexican cuisine Zarela Martinez, makes it his business to get the goods.
Perhaps the best method Aarón has for keeping his menu sustainable is making sure he is not a slave to tradition; he maintains authentic roots for each dish but integrates contemporary techniques and local ingredients. Sweetbreads Two Ways, a reminder of the sweetbreads served on the cattle ranch where his grandmother grew up, is served with locally smoked bacon; sopa seca was his special birthday dish as a child and contains cotija cheese, which he buys from Marcelina, a local Mexican-owned business. The Union Square Greenmarket is a great resource for local corn, tomatoes, and other seasonal vegetables. Aarón shops there religiously, even crediting the farmers on his menu: Fried Cherry Lane Okra, Ensalada de Jitomates featuring Eckerton Farms heirlooms, Yuno's Farm Greens with Cotija Cheese, Chile Walnuts and Cava Vinaigrette. "There is no corn on my menu in the winter," he says. "I only use it when it's available!" Huitalacoche (the corn fungus known as the Mexican truffle) comes from a farmer in Massachusetts who hand-harvests his crops, while his epazote (a leaf vegetable) comes from the Essex Street Market.
What Aarón can't find, he makes in-house, like fresh chorizo, manteca (rendered pork fat used in cooking), and molé. Of course, when he's really stuck, he does the obvious: he calls his mom.
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