National Caviar Day (July 18th) is like Christmas in July for the Petrossian’s — one of New York’s nearly-royal families and the world’s largest purveyors of caviar.
And this year, they’re inviting all of New York City to celebrate.
On Friday, July 17th, from 6:00 to 8:00pm at their restaurant located in the historic Alwyn Court Building just south of Central Park, Mssr. Alexandre Petrossian is opening his doors to the city of New York. During Petrossian’s #CaviarHappyHr, you can sip Champagne or have a shot of ice cold vodka to wash down sample spoonfuls of the finest caviar from Petrossian’s very own Caviar Girl.
The Petrossian caviar legacy started with a pair of brothers, Melkoum and Mouchegh Petrossian, who moved to France in the 1920s and began distributing caviar harvested from the sturgeons of the abundant Caspian Sea. Since then, Mouchegh’s son, Armen and his son, Alexandre, have carried on the familial tradition of producing what some call, “the world’s finest caviar”. But what makes their caviar so unique, you ask? They allow their farmed sturgeons to age, in turn, giving their eggs a more robust flavor. The roe then undergoes a specific salting process by Petrossian specialists, endowing them a delicate accent of “malossol” (a “little salt”). This defines what is caviar — salted sturgeon roe.
Need more of a reason to try some fish eggs this year — beyond the fact that it’s free, at Petrossian, on this day, alongside shots of vodka? Well, it’s an über food in that it has more nutrients and minerals than any other protein by weight. And according to Alexandre Petrossian, “A good caviar has 15 different flavors in it. Each time you take a bite, you should taste something new.” Caviar expresses buttery, nutty, salty, rich, earthy, and (of course) fishy flavors. It’s one of the most complex and interesting foods you can find.
So, go friends, and expand your palates at Petrossian on Friday in celebration of National Caviar Day. Cheers to what will be a very happy hour (or two).
Steph is a native New Yorker with a love of culture, creativity, and communications. She’s a foodie, nutrition junkie, yogi, wine-lover, bookworm, world traveler, style-addict, and people person. She also runs her event planning company, Orchard + Broome.
