Sam Talbot is known for many things β his stint on "Top Chef," his friendship with Kelly Bensimon, his work at Montauk's Surf Lodge β but his artwork is not generally at the top of that list. Until, perhaps, now. The chef, who is opening a restaurant in the new Mondrian Hotel in SoHo in February, showed off some of his nautical-themed paintings over the weekend at an intimate dinner during Art Basel Miami Beach.
Talbot hosted a preview of his upcoming Imperial No. 9 Saturday night at Miami's Mondrian Hotel. The menu β modeled on Imperial No. 9's concept of sustainable seafood β included fried oysters with chow chow and crispy ham, seared toro and braised pork belly on stecca with a dashi broth, lemon king crab a la plancha with sweet and sour butter and crispy garlic chips and a four-hour octopus with chilies, soy and lime. Talbot also served vegetable selections β including a confit of beets with lemon, thyme and fresh ginger and scrambled corn with a poached egg, comte, coffee and maple jus β as well as crispy lamb belly and braised lamb rillette with ratatouille and crispy toast.
The dinner was co-hosted alongside photographer Poppy de Villeneuve β whose photos were displayed alongside Talbot's artwork β and Art + Culture Editions, a new web platform that sells limited edition prints and original artwork as low as $50 in an effort to make great art accessible to wider audiences. Talbot's work will be sold on Art + Culture Editions, which also sells work from artists including Nick Cave, Eric Fischl and Micah and Whitney Stansell.
See photos from the dinner, Talbot's paintings and de Villeneuve's photographs below.
PHOTOS (Neil Rasmus/BFAnyc.com):
The Mondrian Hotel, a Morgans Hotel Group property, opens at 9 Crosby Street (between Grand and Hester Streets) in February.