November 8, 7:00 P.M. Dinner: A Levantine Dinner with Michelin-Starred Albi Restaurant
November 08, 2023 07:00 PM
Featuring James Beard Award–Nominated Chef Michael Rafidi and Wine Director William Simons
25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA
Albi, meaning “my heart” in Arabic, is the debut restaurant from 2023 James Beard Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic Award nominee Michael Rafidi. The Michelin-starred, D.C.-based Levantine restaurant was inspired by chef Rafidi’s family’s roots in the Levant region and honors Arabic culinary traditions while celebrating local, seasonal ingredients with modern technique.
Helming Albi’s beverage program, William Simons creates a rule-bending wine list that spotlights small, artisan importers and distributors, and he is slowly but surely expanding the restaurant's Levantine inventory. The regional selection reflects Rafidi’s approach to the menu, with emphasis on the traditions and producers from across the Levant. Alongside the Levantine-focused wine menu, Simons also highlights unique vineyards and producers from around the globe.
At this special wine-centric dinner, guests will experience Palestinian cuisine paired with wines selected by sommelier William Simons, who will lead guests on a global wine journey that will tour the Levant, Europe, and Australia.
Dining Table: $150 / Inside Chef's Counter: $165 / Outside Chef's Counter: $120
Menu
Hors d’Oeuvre
Sunchoke Arayes with Green Shatta
Warak Dawali with Goat Awarma
Smoked Valiant Oysters with Arak Butter
Heya Wines Grapes & Apples 2022
Dinner
Yellowfin Tuna Kibbeh Nayeh with Puffed Bulgur, Toum, and Lettuces
Assortment of Dips with Pita:
Coal-Fired Mushroom Hummus with Black Garlic and Egg Yolk Confit
Maryland Crab Hummus > White Bean ‘Msabaha’ with Pickled Green Tomato
Harissa Labne Tabat with Smoked Apricot ‘Mish Mish’ and Crumbled Pistachio
Marco de Bartoli Integer Zibibbo 2018
Grape Leaf–Wrapped Flounder with Black Harissa and Palestinian Maftoul
Bink Wines Little Red Blend 2022
Barbecued Lamb Kebabs with Cinnamon Kefta, Charred Carrots, Carrot Mutabal, and Fermented Chili Honey
Fattoush with Autumn Orchard Fruit, Preserved Radish, and Smoked Feta
Philokalia Red Blend 2020
Brown Butter Knafeh with Concord Grape Sorbet and Pistachio Powder
Assorted Levantine Sweets
Bodegas Los Bermejos Malvasía Volcánica Seco NV
About Michael Rafidi:
Michael Rafidi is the chef and owner of Albi and YELLOW in Washington, D.C. A second-generation Palestinian American, Rafidi grew up in Maryland learning to cook in his grandparents’ kitchen. Many of the dishes he learned from them come together in the vision of the restaurant’s menus, and his grandmother remains on speed dial for culinary queries.
Michelin-starred Albi, his debut restaurant in the Navy Yard neighborhood, opened in 2020. It is rooted in his family’s culinary traditions but informed by contemporary techniques and the very best Mid-Atlantic ingredients.
In each of his restaurants, Rafidi celebrates the Levant’s fire-cooked cuisine–creating a platform to promote, reimagine, honor, and advocate for the culinary traditions of the Arabic-speaking world.
Before opening Albi, Rafidi spent many years at The Mina Group in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. He also spent time in the kitchens at Blue Duck Tavern, Talula’s Garden, and Noma. In 2017 Rafidi was named Eater DC’s Chef of the Year. Since opening, Albi has earned a Michelin star, been named Eater DC’s Restaurant of the Year, and dubbed a Best New Restaurant by Esquire, Robb Report, and Eater. In 2022, Rafidi was named a semifinalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic by The James Beard Foundation, and a finalist in the same category in 2023.
About William Simons:
William Simons is the director of operations and wine director at Albi and YELLOW. A Baltimore native, Simons brings more than a decade of experience as a wine professional, sommelier, and restaurant manager to the team. He holds the advanced certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers and was awarded both the Walter Clore and Rudd scholarships for top marks on his exams.
Simons’ wine lists draw from a bevy of sources, regions, and varieties to complement Albi’s hearth-fired cuisine. Both irreverent and bookish–and a little bit punk–he divides the list by style, featuring an impressive vertical of Chateau Musar, quotes from Freddie Mercury and Emily Dickinson, grapes familiar and niche, historical tidbits, and a bent toward artisan producers from both the Old World and New.
Tickets to events held at Platform at Pier 57 by the James Beard Foundation cover the cost of food, education and a unique dining experience. Meals are prepared by culinary masters from all regions of the United States and around the world. Unless otherwise stated, alcoholic beverages are provided on a complimentary basis and are not included in the ticket price.
James Beard Foundation events permit guests age 21 years and older to attend events where alcoholic beverages are served.