Woo-eee…we knew we should have laid off the latkes at last night’s Fourth Annual Latke Festival at BAM after, oh say, the 15th one, but they were just so good! There was the Latke with house smoked salmon, salmon roe and chive creme fraiche from Clinton St. Baking Co., the Spud Maccabee with pickled fennel jam, butternut squash and creme fraiche from The Farm on Adderley and the Potato Latke with juniper-spiced venison and Fuji apple-huckleberry jam from The Plaza–need we say more? These weren’t just any old potato pancakes and you would have eaten them all, too!
This was a “festival,” but perhaps “slam” would have been a better word. Sixteen chefs and one amateur (see our post on Micah Fredman, the winner of our amateur latke recipe competition here) went head to head to see who’s latkes were the best in town. After sampling the goods, the crowd and the panel of judges cast their official votes. Once the ballots had been tallied, Fredman emerged as the People’s Choice winner with his Yucca and Sweet Potato Latke with apple plantain sorbet, queso fresco, pickled onion, cilantro and spicy green hot sauce (delish…). The judges, however, chose Balaboosta’s Potato, Yam and Carrot Latke with honey, preserved lemons and yogurt sauce as their fave.
After we stuffed ourselves silly with potatoes, we couldn’t help but grab one of Dough’s Sufganiyot (jelly donuts) for the road. And, full as we were, we were awfully glad we did.
