NEW YORK'S CULINARY AND PHILANTHROPIC LEADERS FLOCK TO THE NEW 'MOFAD LAB' FOR A STAR-STUDDED OPENING GALA

October 26, 2015 by Infiniti

◾Featuring Chefs from Balaboosta, Del Posto, El Quinto Pino, and Contra and sponsored by Infiniti, the event celebrated the founding of a new Museum of Food and Drink in NYC

◾Museum of Food and Drink's highly anticipated design studio will open on October 28 with the exhibit, 'Flavor: Making It and Faking It'

Brooklyn, NY – MOFAD Lab, the Museum of Food and Drink's highly anticipated exhibit design studio sponsored by Infiniti, welcomed some of New York's preeminent philanthropists and culinary luminaries with a star-studded opening gala touching on the theme of flavor and taste earlier this week.

The crowd was there to celebrate the Museum of Food and Drink's first brick-and-mortar space, which will open to the public on October 28, 2015 with 'Flavor: Making It and Faking It,' a multi-sensory exhibition that will show how the flavor industry transformed the food we eat. In Flavor, visitors will go on an adventure through the physiology, science, history, and culture behind flavor — tasting and smelling the entire way.

'When it comes to food, everyone has some level of expertise — and that is at the heart of what makes MOFAD Lab so exciting,' said Dave Arnold, founder and president of the Museum of Food and Drink and innovator in the field of culinary technology. 'MOFAD Lab will use an accessible subject, the food we eat, to delve into complex questions of culture, history, science and art — and will provide an incredible springboard for a full Museum of Food and Drink in New York.'

Made possible by a generous sponsorship from Infiniti, and a programmatic partnership with Eater NY and Vox, the 5,000-square-foot exhibit design studio at 62 Bayard Street along McCarren Park will enable MOFAD to design, create and present its exhibit concepts. It represents a critical first step toward MOFAD's ultimate goal of opening the world's first large-scale museum with exhibits you can eat.

Once open, MOFAD Lab will host a dynamic calendar of public programs aimed at sparking curiosity about the food we eat — including guided tastings, panel discussions, food science demos and interactive workshops for visitors of all ages.

'Infiniti has always been inspired by the human spirit and our desire to improve upon the status quo,' said Allyson Witherspoon, director of Marketing Communications and Media, Infiniti USA. 'Through this exciting partnership with MOFAD and Eater, we're supporting a truly one-of-a-kind museum and reaching a unique and curious consumer audience in those who visit the MOFAD Lab space in Brooklyn and elsewhere through a variety of compelling online content.'

---

Trending News

• One Car, Two Souls: AGTZ Twin Tail chassis #00 makes its static debut at FuoriConcorso
• New Renault Master available from £33,500
• Suzuki announces new dealership in Maidstone
• BYD's Global Premiere: All-new double deck bus with Blade Battery chassis, customized for UK market
• New MINI John Cooper Works to Debut at 24 Hours of Nürburgring Ahead of its World Premiere

---

Amanda Kludt, editor-in-chief of Eater, said that MOFAD's mission of connecting visitors with the food they consume is closely aligned with Eater's commitment to culinary innovation and exploration.

'Eater is thrilled to join MOFAD and Infiniti in uncovering the history, culture and science behind the food and drinks we love writing about,' said Kludt. 'The exhibit will bring food and drink to life, while adding another dimension to the New York City food scene.'

Co-hosted by Scott Conant, owner and operator of L'Impero and Alto, the event gave attendees a sneak-peak of some of MOFAD Lab's most highly anticipated exhibits, including the 'SmellSynth' — a machine that allows visitors to press combinations of buttons to smell the compounds that make up the smell of a strawberry, both individually as an ensemble. The ability to construct and deconstruct a strawberry aroma reveals the incredible complexities that underlie everything we smell and eat. Attendees were also guided through a taste test of natural flavors and their artificial counterparts, challenged to determine which ones were better, more familiar, or if they could even tell the difference.

'MOFAD Lab is a brilliant addition to the New York cultural scene and the food world in general,' said Harold McGee, legendary food science and history author, and member of the MOFAD Advisory Board. 'As a dedicated gathering place for catalyzing discussion, debate, experiment and hands-on education about food and drink in all their richness and complexity, it's unique, and much needed. I can't wait to get involved and be a part of the process that brings the Museum of Food and Drink itself to life.'

For the first night of many, the industrial space in Williamsburg swirled with festive music, food and guided tastings. The evening's meal included four courses from a lineup of distinguished chefs, each tasked with a dish representing one of the five known tastes:

◾Dave Arnold prepared a gin and tonic with cinchona bark from his high-tech East Village cocktail bar, Booker & Dax, to start off the evening with 'bitter.'

◾Chef Einat Admony (Balaboosta, Bar Bolonat, Taim), chose the course representing 'sour,' for which she prepared a sabich tostada with eggplant, egg, and amba aioli.

◾Chef Alex Raij (El Quinto Pino, Txikito, La Vara) prepared 'Txipirones en su Tinta,' a Basque-style Long Island squid in ink sauce, to represent 'sweet.'

◾Chef Mark Ladner (Del Posto, winner of 2015 James Beard Award for Best New York Chef) prepared Pasta Puttanesca with anchovy, capers, olives, and spicy tomato, his nod to the flavor 'salt.'

◾Chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske (Contra, Wildair) prepared kelp mousse with elderflower and pistachio to represent 'umami.'

MOFAD exploded onto the scene two years ago with its first mobile exhibit BOOM! The Puffing Gun and the Rise of Cereal. At its most recent appearance at the World Maker Faire in September 2014, BOOM! drew more than 10,000 visitors to watch the cereal puffing gun in action. Since then, the nonprofit has grown dramatically, drawing the support of such distinguished advisors as Mario Batali and Questlove, as well as support from city government.

Tickets are available for pre-order online. Adult tickets are priced at $10.00; youth tickets are available for $5.00. Children under five years old can visit MOFAD Lab free of charge. Reduced rate tickets are also available to students, senior citizens and low-income New Yorkers. For a complete list of membership and ticketing opportunities, and for more information about MOFAD Lab, please visit lab.mofad.org.

About Infiniti

Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States and China. Production in the UK will start in 2015, bringing with it significant expansion of the brand's portfolio. Infiniti plans to also expand manufacturing into Mexico by 2017.

As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Infiniti has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the four-time FIA Formula One World Championship winning Team.

More information about Infiniti, its Total Ownership Experience® and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infinitiUSA.com. For the latest news on Infiniti, visit InfinitiNews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.

About MOFAD

The Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is launching the world's first large-scale food museum with exhibits you can eat. Its mission is to change the way people think about food and inspire day-to-day curiosity about what we eat and why. MOFAD has drawn accolades for its innovative exhibits and programs, including its explosive first exhibition, BOOM! The Puffing Gun and the Rise of Cereal, which featured a 3,200-pound breakfast cereal-puffing machine, and MOFAD Roundtable, its ongoing series of debates on food issues such as the future of meat and the role of GMOs in food.

About Vox Media

Vox Media is redefining the modern media company by empowering the smartest digital voices with the technology to create and distribute premium content, and connect with an audience of 165 million affluent and educated young adults worldwide. Vox Creative is Vox Media's in-house group of designers, directors, storytellers, and creative coders whose mission is to help its clients build custom advertising experiences that are as appealing, engaging, and powerful as the editorial content across Vox Media.

Vox Media is eight distinct media brands: Vox.com (General News), SB Nation (Sports), Polygon (Gaming), The Verge (Technology and Culture), Re/code (Technology and Business), Eater (Food and Nightlife), Racked (Shopping, Beauty and Fashion), and Curbed (Real Estate and Home).