Cover girl Padma Lakshmi may have graced the front of Haute Living’s Miami edition, but the issue’s celebration took place in the much less humid destination of Manhattan. The Top Chef star and Love, Loss, and What We Ate author pulled up to Bagatelle in a Rolls-Royce Ghost, courtesy of the luncheon’s haute auto-making sponsor. The other luxe transportation partner was JetSmarter, a unique mobile marketplace for private jet charter—but landing one in front of Bagatelle might have attracted the wrong kind of attention.
Before New York VIPS like Swizz Beatz and Lauren Day Roberts, Ambassador Paulo Zampolli, Edward Mermelstein, artist Roberto Dutesco, Material Good Owners Rob Ronen and Michael Herman arrived, Lakshmi had a chance to get a private tasting of Remy Martin’s Louis XIII with CEO Yves De Launay.
To impress the cookbook author and professional foodie, Bagatelle put together a gourmet menu of Ceviche de Flétan made with halibut ceviche, micro cilantro, lime, frisée salad, aji amarillo. The second course gave diners a choice between a delicious Filet de Branzino å la Niçcoise or Bavette de Wagyu—a French-style grilled top sirloin of wagyu along with asparagus risotto. Dessert was a sweet, citrusy yuzu tarte. Bon Apetit!
