Imagine going to a secret dinner party in a NYC apartment with plenty of soul food and entertainment to top off the intimate affair.
Believe it or not, this was a regular occurrence in the 60’s in NYC’s alphabet city, where Princess Pamela took in some of the city’s shunned and fed them. Her dinner parties are legendary and recently has had a resurgence in the last few years due to Rizzoli’s release of her cookbook. To further honor her incredible deeds (and legendary parties), Eater dedicated a night of their young guns series to her.
I was invited to one of three events a part of the Young Guns series. Since 2012, Eater has honored up-and-coming talent in American hospitality through the Eater Young Guns franchise – the annual search for the most inspiring young chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, managers, and hospitality professionals in the country. The Young Guns are under the age of 30 or have to have been in the field for less than five years.
In late July, Eater hosted its first-ever massive consumer event – the Eater Young Guns Summit – bringing the EYG franchise to life, with Grey Goose as the premier sponsor, with impactful panels around the future of dining and restaurant culture, with a focus on inclusivity and diversity, for 800+ attendees. Speakers of note included chef Marcus Samuelsson, Amy Sedaris, and NYT bestselling cookbook author Alison Roman. There was also a bustling marketplace featuring the latest and greatest from the food world, from snacks to kitchenware and more. Eater designed three pop-up dinners as a part of the EYG Dinner Series, in partnership with Young Guns, who also host these dinners.
Eater’s Ode to Princess Pamela was surrounded by a lot of secrecy. Attendees did not know where the event was being held until the day before. Then when the email arrived, it was like getting the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Fig 19 was the place to be to Thursday.
As I entered, there was a bare room filled with food and a set up with photos of Princess Pamela.
The food included oyster, collared greens, crab cakes and cheese grits. Food I haven’t had in so long but hit the spot. Each of the items was curated by Eater’s Young Guns from Princess Pamela’s cookbook.
Grey Goose was a sponsor to the event, offering two great cocktails, the Black Berry and the Harlem Highlife. Each had a different vibe and highlighted different aspects of the spirit.
Francesca Chaney of Sol Sips took the mic and explained why she chose to do an event based on Princess Pamela, a figure who’s only become popular in recent years. She also informed us that some of the music from the band tonight actually came from Princess Pamela’s cookbook. We also heard from DeVonn Frances from Yardy and Amanda Kludt, the Editor-in-Chief of Eater.
These are the first of the Young Guns series. The next one is their Save our Seas event on September 16th. Purchase your tickets here.
alphabet cityAmanda kludtdevonn francesEatereater eventeater.comFrancesca Chaneynyc eventsPrincess Pamelasecret dinner partySol Sipsyardyyoung guns
what do you think?