Registration for this event is now CLOSED!
Throughout human history, people have been dreaming of a perfect world. And it should be no surprise that these dreams of a perfect world have often included dreams of perfect foods. What may be surprising though is that some of those perfect foods have turned out to be spectacularly delicious!
Harvard History Professor Joyce Chaplin has teamed with the Down Town Association's new--and superb!-- Chef Joel Reiss to devise a menu of some of the most delicious of these, ranging from the French Revolution through the Congress of Vienna, and all the way to Chez Panisse (a Utopian project in its own right)—even the bread, Pain Levain (first made in 1789) will have its historical significance. And, as we enjoy a very special dinner, Professor Chaplin will guide us through the history of what we're enjoying.
Joyce Chaplin is Harvard University's distinguished James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History. Her books include The First Scientific American: Benjamin Franklin and the Portrait of Genius, which won the Annibel Jenkins Biography Prize. Evan Thomas calls her "a great historian with a fresh eye and a sure touch. She is a story teller with keen insight, command of the material, a sense of whimsy, and a flair for portraying human drama." Of her most recent book ROUND ABOUT THE EARTH: Circumnavigation from Magellan to Orbit, Walter Isaacson wrote, "Joyce Chaplin shows the interplay of aspirations and technology, from sail and steam to jets and rockets. More profoundly, she explores what it means to circle our globe, act on a planetary scale, and encompass, both figuratively and literally the whole earth." She is the co-editor of Food in Time and Place.
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Menu
Mysteriously Delicious Restorative Soup (1790)
Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne 1er Cru Blanc de blancs NV
All You Need is Love and Canard aux Olives (1971)
with Self-Regenerating Solar Powered Nicely Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes (around 1650)
Maddalena Zinfandel Paso Robles 2015
If Salad Were Made in the Garden of Eden (1825)
Ciderboys Hard Cider First Press
Wiener Kongresstorte, the Cake of Perpetual Peace (1815)
with Abolitionist Honey'd Cream (around 1800)
Coffee or Tea
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This is a joint event with the DOWN TOWN ASSOCIATION, and will take place in their beautiful landmarked 1887 Clubhouse.
Advance Registration is REQUIRED—no tickets will be sold at the door. The cost is $150 per person for dues-paying Harvardwood members, and $175 for all others.
Dress Code
The Down Town Association requires JACKETS and TIES for men and comparable attire for women (no sneakers, denim, etc.).
Directions
The Down Town Association is easy to reach at 60 Pine Street. Just take the #2 or #3 train to the Wall Street Station, and leave by the Pine Street exit. You'll be across the street from the Down Town Association.
Or you can take the #4 or #5 train to the Wall Street station. Walk three blocks east on Wall Street to William Street. Turn left on William Street and walk one block to Pine. Then turn right on Pine Street. 60 Pine Street is on the left side of the street. (It's simpler than it sounds!)
Special thanks to Anne Griffin!