Del Posto's Brooks Headley Brought a Family Meal to Us
Brooks Headley makes fancy desserts at Del Posto. Butterscotch semifreddo with melon agrumato and crumbled sbrisolona. Melanzane e cioccolato alla Napoletana with sheep's milk ricotta stracciatella. Gummy-worm dirt pudding this is not. So what better way to celebrate the release of his book, the aptly named Brooks Headley's Fancy Desserts, than with down-'n'-dirty veggie burgers and "hippie" wraps in the BA Night Kitchen?
Because Brooks, when not meticulously spinning sugar into magical pastries, has a little side project: veggie burgers. The former vegetarian pops up in meat shops to dole out his uber-flavorful patties under the name Superior Burger. (Stay tuned for Brooks's tips on mastering the veggie burger—just don't wait around for the recipe. It's a closely guarded secret.) Does the renowned pastry bring any of the sensibilities of a pastry to this chef d'oeuvre? "It's hard to say," Brooks muses. "I did spent a long time designing a Parker House bun, but it was too—I don't want to say perfect." His desserts may be Fancy, but his approach is decidedly un-fancy. When this is applied to throwing a party—a mix of Del Posto family-meal favorites, Specialty Burger take-out trays, and four-star desserts in Dixie cups, plus 100 cans of Budweiser—well, he's got it just right.
Clay Williams1/16Shh...
The super-secret veggie burger, in all of its glory. The squish of the Martin's potato roll, iceberg lettuce, dill pickles. More than one person throughout the night was heard exclaiming in disbelief, "There's no meat in this?"
Clay Williams2/16No Way!
The New York Times' Sam Sifton and Mission Chinese's Danny Bowien and Angela Dimayuga just can't get over it—likely how ____ deliciously, impossibly In-N-Out-y these veggie burgers are!
Clay Williams3/16Super Salad Bar
To accompany the burger, Brooks prefers sides that are "almost virtuous." None of the fries or coleslaw nonsense (there was enough salty addictiveness in the homemade Chex mix no one could stop eating). His eggplant-and-broccoli dish with coriander vinaigrette is like that stuff in the deli salad bar, Brooks says, "but super tasty."
Clay Williams4/16Three of Cups
Solo cups are just right for Chloe Sevigny, who chats with executive editor Christine Muhlke, and Leanne Shapton, illustrator and co-author of Women in Clothes.
Clay Williams5/16Keep It Simple
A quick spaghetti al pomodoro is dished into plastic take-out containers. Not quite the mise en place Sean O'Hara would have manning the pasta station at Del Posto, but the results are just as tasty. Asks one awed guest, "Is this not just the best pasta al pomodoro you've ever had?" It is, friend. It is.
Clay Williams6/16New Wave Hot Dogs (and Veggie Burgers)
Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo survey the crowd, glasses in hand, as the sign behind reminds: This is Superiority Burger*.* That's the name. Don't wear it out.
Clay Williams7/16Hot Stuff! Comin' Through!
Cafeteria tray of said spaghetti pomodoro, coming through. Yes, people want seconds.
Clay Williams8/16Basement Biscuits
Del Posto prep-kitchen master Rosa Pacheco sprinkles salt on her famous biscuits. Get the recipe for what one of the restaurant's manager called, "the best thing I have ever eaten in America."
Clay Williams9/16Lam on Jam
Francis Lam can get down with some of Rosa's biscuit, served with super-soft scrambled eggs and fig jam.
Clay Williams10/16Sandwich of Love
The "hippie" wrap has brown rice, cabbage, tofu, and carrots, all on a whole-wheat wrap—all the makings of bland health food. "It even has the word 'wrap'," shudders Brooks. It should be disgusting...and yet.
Clay Williams11/16No Meat, No Bone
Deputy editor Scott DeSimon cracks a joke and a brew with Jon Spencer of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (and husband of our very own production manager Cristina Martinez).
Clay Williams12/16Tiny-misu
Perfectly sifted cocoa powder tops tiny plastic cups of tiramisu.
Clay Williams13/16Service Tip
A scattering of snacks in disposable containers, from biscuits to tiramisu to butterscotch semifreddo with sour apricot sorbet, beats passed silver platters any day.
Clay Williams14/16Meta Selfie
Ellen at the Oscars, Obama and Biden...file this shot along with the other Great Selfies in History.
Clay Williams15/16Two's Better Than One
Del Posto bartender Matthew Silverstein doubles up on barrel-aged Negronis, aged six weeks in Tuttletown barrels, for some very grateful guests.
Clay Williams16/16Books by Brooks
The party was so fun we almost forgot what brought us here in the first place—almost. Bravo, Brooks! Thanks for being so fancy.
