The Next Wave In New York Fine Dining: Maggots
Maybe not a widespread wave, mind you, but enough of a thing that rich, connected people are partaking. People like James Cameron, who could reasonably considered an “influencer,” or something. But anyway, edible maggots! These are a thing that were recently served at a $55,000 cocktail hour for the Explorers Club, held at the Waldorf. Arguably, they were not the worst thing on the menu.
From the Times write-up:
“The vodka martini had three garnishes: the onion, the olive and a goat’s eye, a round black orb the size of a large marble. It had the chewy texture of scungilli, and was flavorless, except for a faint tinge of vodka. Atop the glass of Champagne was a three-inch-long goat penis, which had been steamed, dried and then coated with freeze-dried cactus honey powder. It was placed on a stick, and garnished with a blackberry.”
There were also duck toes, “barbecued beaver,” cockroaches, and alligator, among other things. As for the actual maggots, they were served as a garnish on white chocolate-dipped strawberries. I could go on about how one of the perks of living in 21st century New York is the option of food that is not maggot-based, or about all of the insane ways people with more money than me choose to spend it, but I don’t know. These dinners have been going on for 15 years, no one is getting hurt, etc. Reading about this whole thing made it harder to eat for an hour or so, sure, but it also brought this sentence into my world: “The penis was also flavorless, with the texture of a cooked, tender chicken gizzard.” For this, I forgive them everything.
Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter @vksmith.
