SATURDAY June 6
If you live in New York, you’ve already seen food prepared a lot of ways. You’ve seen foam, and neurocuisine (remember neurocusine? That was a terrible mistake) and a piece of artichoke presented in a pig’s bladder (go to Eleven Madison Park if you haven’t). So seeing the world-renowned chefs at the Iconoclast Dinner come up with something new is pretty exciting. You can expect lamb belly dumplings with cilantro chutney, lobster ceviche with jalapeño gazpacho, banana, avocado and crispy plantains and braised goat with West African peanut sauce, corn mash and cherry cilantro salad. For dessert, and we all know the rest of the meal is simply pretense, you can expect lemon verrine with lemon sherbet and caramelized feuillete made by Craft Guild of Chefs’ Pastry Chef of the Year, Graham Hornigold. And, if you’re not put into an immediate food coma, there will be an after-party with music, award winning artisanal doughnuts by chef Kamal Grant, and casino tables on which you can presumably win back your ticket price. We’re betting it will surpass any of the other foodie trends you’ll try this year. James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, 7 p.m., $1,000, $150 for after-party
SUNDAY June 7
I’m absolutely convinced that people who sign up for things like the Tough Mudder run aspired to be Pigpen when they read Peanuts as children. I always aspired to be Red Baron, which is why I sign up for activities that allow me to sit atop houses pretending to fly a plane (and I wait, eagerly, for these activities to present themselves). Either way, it was pretty great to have a childhood where you could just sit around reading comics. That brings us to The Race For A Cure Mud Run to support pediatric cancer research, the only muddy run I will endorse. The two-mile run is open to seasoned mud runners, as well as families, and anyone over the age of 6 (though kids under 13 need to be accompanied by an adult). Proceeds go toward two nonprofit organizations, Hope & Heroes and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. The organizers suggest bringing
