Pairing dinners usually emphasize the food with various drinks, but Bompas & Parr’s Le Savoir is all in the service of Stella Artois — and even if you’ve had it a hundred times before, it’ll be new again at least once during the night.
The British culinary magicians have created an enchanted greenhouse filled with botanists, their science experiments and plenty of Stella to create an all-senses-on-deck reimagining of the Belgian lager. Improbable things are the norm as you experience all four seasons in one night, from the lightly sweetened barley soda aperitif to fruits that play music when touched, garden plots where the soil is as edible as the vegetables and raw mushrooms that made the beer taste sweet.
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The magic doesn’t stop when guests sit down inside an enchanted greenhouse to dinner, which is completely delicious — this evening is not just about food tricks. Cirque du Soleil’s 45 Degrees entertainers enchant diners between the two courses (the press preview also included a set by The Roots), while the seasons shift from summer to fall on the greenhouse walls.
The evening, according to the hosts, is meant to inspire attendees to host memorable experiences of their own. But it’s not the erupting centerpieces or kooky botanists who made the evening memorable; it was how everything from prosciutto di parma to carrots and goat cheese brought out facets of a beer that, frankly, isn’t the most complex on the market. You don’t need Bompas & Parr to consult on your next party either — just ask a butcher, farmers market vendor or cheesemonger for a little guidance.
Le Savoir is going on Aug. 17-22 at Skylight Clarkson Square, with three nightly seatings. Tickets are $70 through Gilt.
