Last month's stand-out Beard House dishes brought us decidedly verdant plates that served as a much-needed nod to spring. Below, our editors' picks for the best of March.
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Sweet English Peas with Bittersweet Chocolate, Virgin Butter, and Mint / Bay Area Spring
After suffering through New York's agonizingly long winter, I found a cure for my seasonal fatigue in Mark Liberman’s Beard House menu, replete with Bay Area asparagus, leeks, and artichokes. I especially loved his play on the homey classic of peas and butter, reimagined as a modern dessert: a bright orb of English pea ice cream, accessorized with pea shoots, butter mousseline, chocolate sablé crumble, and a mint, chicory, and pennyroyal granita.
—Anna Mowry, Senior Editor
Ash E-Reshteh > Spring Herb Soup with Puffed Grains and Black and White Squid Noodles / Norouz: Persian New Year Celebration
Snow frosted the windows of the Beard House on the night of the vernal equinox, but thankfully the promise of a new spring was served by the spoonful, as the Bread and Salt team carefully balanced influences of the past with techniques of the present. This bright and bold noodle soup is an integral part of the celebration of Norouz, the Persian New Year, but chef Josh Lewin’s take on the dish was anything but traditional. His contemporary spin on a Persian classic swapped wheat for wildlife with a tangle of two-toned squid noodles that added a burst of briny flavor and a bit of chew for textural contrast.
—Maggie Borden, Assistant Editor
Green Eggs and Ham > Deviled Quail Eggs with Ham Consommé Caviar and Fried Pork Toasts / Bern’s at the Beard House
We've observed that deviled eggs are undefeated crowd-pleasers, and the team from the acclaimed Bern’s Steak House supported our claim by earning rave reviews for an inspired dish served during their recent Beard House event. A whimsical riff on the famous Dr. Seuss favorite, the bite-sized quail eggs were stuffed with a rich parsley crème, served atop a perfectly crispy morsel of fried pork, and finished with glistening spheres of luxurious ham consommé that burst in your mouth—making this an exceptional version of everyone's favorite canapé.
—Elena North-Kelly, Senior Editor
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View all upcoming Beard House events at jamesbeard.org/events.
For more from these authors, find @annamowry, @maggbo, and @enorthkelly on Twitter.
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