On May 16, Rienzi’s ballroom will be transformed with elegant seating, sparkling Champagnes, and a fine French meal carefully crafted by Chef Brandi Key of Clark Cooper Concepts. The evening event, Widows and Winemakers: A Culinary Experience featuring the Women of Champagne, celebrates the women who revolutionized the celebratory beverage of Champagne. Chef Key chatted with me about creating a menu that brings 19th-century France to Houston.
Chef Key, what can guests expect at this special dinner?
We want them to take a journey through time and learn about the incredible women who created and influenced the Champagne houses over the years. We are focusing on four of the great Champagne houses, and we’ll tell the story by combining food and atmosphere. Our goal is for everyone to forget we’re in Houston, in 2017, and transport us to a different time and place.
Which Champagne on the night’s menu is your favorite?
Bollinger’s La Grande Année is one of my favorite wines of the night. It has an amazing history. The first Grande Année was bottled in 1976 because of the exceptional year and fruits harvested. The tradition has…
