On a sunny late-summer afternoon in Peconic, Adam Kaufer pulls up to Chronicle Wines in his Mustang SUV and hops out. He isn’t here for a wine tasting, though; the tall, smiling chef is here to work — and, if all goes as it usually does, wow. Kaufer opens the hatch and grabs a giant vat of clam chowder — made from locally sourced clams, of course, from purveyors like Braun Seafood and Jermaine Owens — as well as trays of prepared cocktail shrimp and salmon tartare. As he sets up his station right outside the tasting room, guests clock that there’s something tasty and begin lining up to try Kaufer’s creations.
It’s just one of the many projects that Kaufer takes on via Grace & Grit (55750 Main Road, Southold), his constantly booked and ever-evolving catering company that he runs with business partner Jennilee Morris. But instead of seeming exhausted by the relentless schedule and on-your-feet demands of the crowd-pleasing job, Kaufer’s demeanor is consistently upbeat, drawing energy from the creativity involved in every project, whether he’s crafting the menu for a large-scale catering job, hosting an intimate chef’s supper, staffing a huge party in need of waiters and bussers, or working in the kitchen preparing his popular off-season pop-up takeout series.
It takes a lot to do what Kaufer does, and to do it well takes a bit of grace — and a whole lot of grit.
Try Kaufer’s cooking at this year’s Northforker Wine & Food Classic on Sept. 3 at Borghese Vineyard (17150 County Road 48, Cutchogue, 631-734-5111).
Who else is pulling out all the stops and bringing some serious savory (and sweet) bite and beverage action this year? Our list is growing by the minute:
- Art of Eating
- Balo’s Foods
- Borghese Vineyards
- DJ Chef
- Ficarra Ristorante
- Goomba Johnny’s Pizzeria
- Grace & Grit
- La Plage
- Land and Sea Smokehouse
- Oysterponds Shellfish Co.
- R.AIRE
- Seaside Grill
- The Catered Fork
- The Pike
- The Treatery
- The Village Cheese Shop
- Uncle Giuseppe’s
- Kidd Squid Brewing Co.
- Po’Boy Brewery
- Take Two Brewery
- Twin Fork Beer Co.
- Übergeek Brewing
- Borghese Vineyard & Winery
- Chronicle Wines
- Harbes Vineyard
- Jamesport Vineyards
- JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery
- Mattebella Vineyards
- Palmer Vineyards
- Paumanok Vineyards
- Pellegrini Vineyards
- Sannino Vineyards
- Casa J Tequila
- Fort Hamilton Distillery
- Twisted Cow Distillery
As is tradition, plenty of toe-tappin’, shoulder-swayin’ live tunes provided by funk master band In the Groove.
Tickets for the event start at $135 for general admission and may be obtained here. This is a 21+ all-inclusive event.
