11 Top Brooklyn Chefs and Food-Lovers Pick What They’d Want for Their Last Meals
Craig Kanarick, CEO of New York Mouth
Last meal? For my last meal, I would certainly make it full of comfort food, a multi course feast with no particular theme to it—except my life. The setting would be on the beach in Mustique, overlooking the Mediterranean, with The Blue Nile playing live (if Kate Bush weren’t available).
There would be a huge cheese and antipasto platter, with La Tur and other cheeses from the same maker in Italy, which are not just the best tasting cheeses in the entire world, but remind me of all the wonderful times I have spent in Italy with my wife. I also would include Vermont Creamery’s Coupole—which is outstanding and also reminds me of summers in Vermont (and it looks really cool, like a brain!). Jan’s Farmhouse Crisps and Ak Mak crackers would go on the side, and I’ll have my first drink—a michelada made with Modelo Especial and Valentina.
The cocktail hour would also include fresh vegetables and bagna cauda (a warm anchovy garlic dip).
My next drink would be an Aperole Spritz with a green cerignola olive in it.
The meal would kick off with a favorite Chinese appetizer—soup dumplings from Grand Szechuan (with the chef present of course, so they wouldn’t burst en route!) and a small sushi course delivered from Masa.
Next a salad: My kids love making them and they are always different and super creative, but this one would feature kale, arugula and watercress and would be dressed with one of their concoctions, always spiked with spices from our favorite store in Montréal, Epices de Cru, and would use Nigella, Andliaman, Isot Pepper and some other exotic spices.
I’d then move on to a holiday favorite, my mom’s Stuffed Breast of Veal, a dish she only makes once or twice a year, packed with garlic-y, onion-y mashed potatoes. I’d enjoy a cold glass of Heidi Shrock’s Muscat.
Just then, my friend Mario Batali would pop in with the Timpano like the one from the film Big Night. And how could I refuse that?
My wife is a genius when it comes to pastry, so I’d get a sampler of her creations, like lemon curd tart covered in rhubarb confit, foccaccia with concord grapes, and her magical Key Lime Pie.
Wait—one more thing! This is my last meal, so I’d want to it go on for as long as possible. I’d finish off with a Sgroppino, a combination of lemon sorbet, vodka and prosecco.
Last meal in Brooklyn? I’d go to Diner and get a bacon cheese burger, french fries and a Bloody Mary. It is one of our favorite weekend brunch spots and I love the food and vibe. It also played a crucial role in the founding of my business, Mouth, as the inspiration for the company crystalized on a visit to their sister butcher shop, Marlow & Daughters.