Wednesday, October 29, 7:00 pm
Members $90, guests $115

It either takes a lot of chutzpah or a lot of self-confidence to name a restaurant Triomphe. But for Steven Zobel’s kitchen at the Iroquois hotel, the name just makes sense. New York–bred Zobel, a former pupil of Andrew D’Amico at the critically acclaimed Sign of the Dove and former executive chef of its sister restaurant, Contrapunto, found his niche at this tiny French-American eatery in the Theater District. Triomphe offers “an eclectic selection, thoughtfully composed, splendidly presented and absolutely guaranteed to spoil the most delicate of palates,” according to Marc-Yves Tumin of New York Resident.

William Grimes loved the “small menu that abounds in small pleasures supported by big flavors,” with dishes such as sherry-braised chicken livers, rabbit stew in red wine sauce, and squash wontons in herbed broth. Grimes continued: “Again and again, Mr. Zobel quietly strikes the right note.” Writing in New York, Gael Greene declared everything “first-rate,” Forbes experienced “a happy surprise,” and Moira Hodgson wrote in the New York Observer that Triomphe is, “as the Michelin Guide would say, worth a detour.”

Zobel will be joined by pastry chef Ayse Dizioglu of the Polka Dot Cake Studio, a custom-cake bakery, retail shop, and espresso bar that opened a year ago in Manhattan’s West Village. Dizioglu, who opened the Studio with French Culinary Institute grads Judiaann Woo and Paulette Goto, learned to bake while managing a high-end coffee shop in her native Istanbul. After crossing the Atlantic and attending the CIA, Dizioglu worked in catering management on Wall Street until she decided to follow her dream of opening her own bakery. Now, at the Polka Dot, a darling of New York magazine and The New York Times, the trio of pastry chefs are producing fun, tasty, and beautifully decorated small cakes, tarts, cheesecakes, brownies, cookies, and other yummy treats.