Interview: Claus Meyer and OUR TOWNS ART OF FOOD Presented by New York Presbyterian 2/10

"Our Town's Art of Food," presented by New York Presbyterian, will be held on Saturday evening, February 10 at Sotheby's on the city's Upper East Side. This ultimate event for food and art connoisseurs returns to Sotheby's for it's the third iconic year. More than 25 culinary titans of the Upper East Side will create mouthwatering masterpieces, each dish inspired by a work of art specially curated by Sotheby's for this one night only.

Hosting this year's exclusive evening are world-renowned chef Claus Meyer and acclaimed architect and artist Richard Meier. Claus Meyer is a gastronomic entrepreneur and culinary force behind Grand Central's new upscale restaurant Agern and the adjacent Great Northern Food Hall in Vanderbilt Hall, and best-selling author of The Nordic Kitchen and Meyer's Bakery. Richard Meier, whose selection of original collages will be on display, has received numerous awards for his work including the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, the Gold Medals of the American Institute of Architects and the Royal Institute of British Architects as well as the Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Art Association.

Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Claus Meyer about his career and the Our Town's Art of Food event at Sotheby's.

What was your earliest interest in cooking?

My grandmother was a cook, so I cooked with her since I was a very little boy.

Who have been some of your mentors?

Beyond any doubt Guy Sverzut, a baker and a chef in Agen, Gascony (France) where I spent almost a year as an au pair when I was 20 years old. He and his wife embraced me in their family, as if I was the son they never had. He taught me everything he knew and he shared with me some of the beliefs that were the most important in his life. He told me to try to always follow my heart, and he told me to live my life in the light of eternity. Le bonheur c'est savoir ce que l'on veut et le volouir passionnement. Mon fils, quoi que tu fasses il faut que tu l'aimes.

You are involved in so many areas of the culinary arts. What advice do you have for people who wish to enter the profession?

To me it has made a world of a difference from the outset to be driven by a higher purpose. Going back to Denmark after my time in France I wanted to change the food culture of my country. That simple idea guided the majority of my choices. I recommend that you spend as much time asking yourself what you can do for your community, your industry, the world as you spend on optimizing the short term profitability of your endeavors. On a more basic level; learn from the best and get your groundwork right. And, of course, I also want to pass on Guy's wise words. Follow your heart and try live your life in such a way that you will have a smile on your face, so as you grow older you will keep that smile thinking back about it all.

We are impressed with your altruism. Tell us a little about the rewards of giving back to the communities that you work with.

The days I have spent in Brownsville, with the kids in Bolivia or those moments in the state prisons back in Denmark - where we have started culinary schools and education programs through my non-profit foundation, Melting Pot - are some of the happiest work days of my life. Really you give so little, but you get so much in return.

The "Art of Food" event at Sotheby's is an exciting one. Why do you feel that this is a very distinctive evening?

We are still relative newcomers in New York and it's vibrant culinary scene, but located in the iconic Grand Central Terminal, and so at the rim of the Upper East Side. Accordingly, I feel honored and excited to have been asked to co-host this year's Art of Food event and support it to the best of our ability. Actually, my Agern team and I were invited to cook at Sotheby's last summer to celebrate their auction on impressionist, modern and contemporary art and I remember we did a Basquiat-style crown of halibut with melon, radish and pickled pine as well as a skyr dessert complementing Lichtenstein's signature red and white Ben-Day dots. It was fun experience, and we made new friends. I'm hoping to echo that feel and excitement at the Art of Food, which stages arts in its many shapes, forms and tastes.

For the future?

These days I am very focused on the present, yet I'm thrilled to see my daughters grow up.

Our Town's Art of Food will be held on Saturday, February 10 at Sotheby's New York located at 1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021. Participating restaurants include Amali, Calissa, Bistro Chat Noir, Garden Court Cafe, Il Valentino, Jones Wood Foundry, Little Frog and Mighty Quinn's Barbeque. There will be a VIP Early Access Hour from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, with General Admission from 7:30 to 10:00 pm. VIP Ticket: $195 (includes VIP Early Access Hour from 6:30 - 7:30 PM) First 50 VIP tickets include a signed copy of Claus Meyer's The Nordic Kitchen. The General Admission Ticket is $120. To purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.artoffoodny.com/.

Photo Credit: Evan Sung