Monthly supper club takes residence at APT
(Credit: Yoni Ben-Yosef)
Walk down a deserted stretch of West 13th Street on a sweltering Tuesday evening and take a whiff—you’ll find olfactory evidence of the surviving meatpacking companies that give the neighborhood its name. But tonight, upon entering the unmarked door of the swank club APT, the real meaning of “meatpacking” kicks in: Welcome to the Chowdown, a monthly supper club where hot chefs are paired with cool DJs to create the best kind of sensory overload for a sold-out house. Tonight's meal: barbecue done up by the pitmasters from the Smoke Joint, in Fort Greene, and music from popular DJ collective The Rub.
The Chowdown is the brainchild of Joe Encarnacion and Anna B., two music- and food-loving friends who hosted eight editions of their homegrown DJ dinner party in Joe's San Francisco apartment before moving to New York in 2006. The move meant an end to the party…until they were approached by an APT booker who stumbled upon the Chowdowners through their MySpace page.
Hosted now in the club’s stylish, upstairs living-room space, the Chowdown was reborn at APT in April. Celebrated chefs like Joey Campanaro (from the highly acclaimed Little Owl) and Ratha Chau (from the Cambodian hot spot Kampuchea ), plus downtown DJ fixtures like James Friedman and Brennan Green, have made the Chowdown a coveted ticket from the start.
It has also provided a great opportunity for established chefs to try something new or experimental—the Smoke Joint guys served an upscale version their menu and crafted a four-course Southern summertime supper. The crisp, clean flavors of a grilled shrimp cocktail with watermelon started things out, while bean salad with a creamy paprika dressing made for a smoky second course. But the star of the show was the ridiculously tender pulled pork in a cloud of creamy grits, layered with crispy shoestring potatoes. The dish's slow-burning spice worked perfectly with the DJ's song selection at that very moment: the James Brown scorcher "Lickin' Stick." Hot stuff.
The music, like the cuisine, varies each month. The organizers seek out a thematic connection between the tunes and the food, and act as emcees throughout the evening. This time around, the Rub DJs (DJ Eleven, DJ Ayres and Cosmo Baker) slammed down a 'cue-appropriate soundtrack full of funk and soul.
Once the desserts are delivered, at around 10 p.m., the doors are thrown open to the general public. At this point, the Chowdown often morphs into an impromptu dance party, and luckily this is a friendly crowd who knows how to get down. Though only 50 seats are available for dinner each month (sign up for their email list to find out when tickets go on sale; they usually sell out within an afternoon), the whole night is recorded and podcast, always available on brooklynradio.net for your auditory (if not gustatory) pleasure. If you can't make it to the Meatpacking District this month, all previous Chowdowns are archived and available to stream and download at thechowdown.com.
The Chowdown
Next event: August 14, 7 p.m.
Featured chef: Paul Nanni, Alchemy
Featured DJ: Sam Valenti IV
Tickets: $45 (does not include drinks)
Tickets available at thechowdown.com
APT
419 W. 13th St.
between at Ninth Ave. and Washington St.
212-414-4245
