Poppy Hosts the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce
Benefit dinners can be such a mixed bag. You want to help, but you can’t bear facing another rubber chicken nestled in gummy fettucini. Fortunately, the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce has a secret weapon: Jerry Traunfeld and his dynamite new Poppy. You don’t need to reminded of Jerry’s reign at Herbfarm, and I’ve raved about his Herbfarm Cookbook
Thus armed, the Chamber’s Annual Spirit Of The Hill dinner was at no risk of torturing you in exchange for support. Breaking Poppy’s usual thali format (see below), Jerry hosted a leisurely champagne reception, followed by a luxurious five-course dinner and paired with wines provided by Van Duzer. Roasted black cod with carrot vinaigrette and cucumber-shiso salad was sweet and buttery. A slice of chanterelle, leek, and chard “lasagne” was a fun play of flavor and texture: the noodles were paper thin and somehow managed to hold together the dramatic layers. The main dish was a succulent lavender-crusted duck breast, served with mushroom marjoram bread pudding, sage-roasted delicata squash, and a lavender sauce. Just the right subtlety on the lavender, too often overdone in lesser hands. The finale: dark chocolate terrine with tender and mild candied ginger, and candied pine nuts.
During dinner, Jerry talked about his travels in India, an exploration of spices building on his encyclopedic command of herbs. This journey, of course, led him to open Poppy, where his fast-becoming-famous thalis showcase these herbs and spices in ten inventive tastes. And Poppy’s sommelier Angela Isaacson spoke about the Van Duzer wines for the event, and also shared tips for pairing wine with food. Chamber Executive Director Jack Hilovsky and Event Chair Jody Laflen finished the evening with a wine raffle and auction, after which happy guests filtered out through the garden, rubbing and smelling the herbs and late-season flowers.
So next year, when you’re sifting through that stack of benefit-dinner invitations, this is one you don’t want to miss.
