Nick & Sam’s Chef Will Prepare A Swanky Feast At The James Beard House

For an up-and-coming chef, New York City’s James Beard House is an excellent place to get noticed. The House, operated by the eminently influential James Beard Foundation, hosts more than 200 dinners a year, showcasing some of the best culinary talent in the country. This March, a Dallas chef will make the trip to NYC to show off his skills.

Chef Samir Durandhar of opulent Uptown steakhouse Nick & Sam’s, a favorite of celebrities like George Clooney, Bono, and Derek Jeter when they’re in town, will prepare a “Swanky Chophouse” menu at the James Beard House, and the dinner seems pretty aptly named. Durandhar’s menu will feature “prime cuts, truffles, and caviar,” all influenced by Indian flavors.

If you’ve got the cash to plunk down for a fancy dinner in NYC, Durandhar’s menu certainly looks worthy of the $170 ticket price. Courses include a surf-and-turf crudo of prime filet and bluefin toro crowned with truffles and caviar and a tikka masala Chilean sea bass entree. For Nick & Sam’s regulars, a $170 meal prepared by Durandhar complete with complimentary booze may actually seem like a bargain.

Dallas chefs have been making more and more appearances at the James Beard House in recent months. Last year, Graham Dodds, John Tesar, and former Proof + Pantry chef Kyle McClelland and current exec Julio Peraza all made guest appearances. Perhaps this will mean that Dallas can look forward to seeing some local names among this year’s list of winners.

Durandhar heads to the James Beard House on March 12.