Row 7’s CHEFS x BREEDERS Dinner
January 2019. New York City, Pioneer Works, Red Hook
In late January, Empire was proud to produce CHEFS x BREEDERS, a Dinner from the Ground Up, to celebrate Row 7, a seed company co-founded last year by chef Dan Barber, plant breeder Michael Mazourek and seedsman Matthew Goldfarb. This inventive seed-to-table dinner at Pioneer Works, visual artist Dustin Yellin’s non-profit cultural center in Brooklyn, featured world-renowned chefs, plant breeders, writers, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and friends of Row 7 for a conversation celebrating the future of food.
The collaborative menu featured new and experimental vegetables— all bred for deliciousness— prepared by renowned chefs including Dan Barber, Daniel Humm, Dan Kluger, Christian Puglisi, Heinz Reitbauer, Ana Sortun, Daniela Soto-Innes, Alex Stupak and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The chefsworked side-by-side in a built-from-scratch kitchen to serve more than 300 guests.
As each course was served, three large screens surrounding the transformed space showed live footage of each chef preparing and plating their dishes, transitioning into live watercolors by artist Leanne Shapton. As guests enjoyed each course, animated versions of the paintings by video artist Austin Switser filled the screens. These surround videos added vibrant color and light that reflected the future-forward work of Row 7. Floral designer Emily Thompson created sculptural floral and root installations throughout the space to create contrast and juxtaposition of materials in the space.
In addition to remarks by Barber and co-founder and breeder Michael Mazourek, various Row 7 friends and collaborators gave toasts between each course, including writer Adam Gopnik, Martha Stewart, poet Kevin Young and farmer activist Karen Washington.
Row 7 brings chef and breeders together to create vegetables to develop flavorful, disease-resistant crops and to push forward the conversation surrounding the intersection of seed conservation and innovation. Row 7 is “grounded in the notion that deliciousness might just change the world.”
Empire was proud to work closely with Row 7 to create this inventive dinner. Empire served as overall producer, providing technical production, lighting, screen content, scripting, graphics, partnering with Raduno on culinary logistics and hospitality.
Empire is a leading producer of standout culinary events and experiences.
https://www.row7seeds.com/