Arnold Myint to Cook a Meal Honoring His Mom at the James Beard House in NYC

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pneumatic swords of Damocles, jackhammers are working constantly around the International Market on Belmont Boulevard prior to the Nashville fixture's anticipated closing this summer. I live close enough to feel the rumble of blasting behind the restaurant every morning at 9 and 11, and each time my autographed Shea Weber hockey stick falls off the threshold to my office door where it is (usually) precariously balanced, I am reminded that opportunities to experience a certain beloved menu that has sustained me, innumerable other neighbors and Belmont students are limited and shrinking. I’ve done a pretty good job at keeping my promise to go to the International Market once a week until the bulldozers finally roll in.

It’s all even sadder knowing that the matriarch of the Myint family who owned the property, Patti Myint, is no longer there to greet me when I visit. But I do consider myself lucky to have asked her to personalize my copy of her staple-bound cookbook of recipes from the International Market a few weeks before she died. Her son Arnold has continued to live a bicoastal lifestyle, commuting from L.A. to Nashville to juggle his career as a celebrity chef with the day-to-day operations of the Myint family restaurants, but Patti is always on his mind.

On his Facebook page, Arnold shared a sweet story that will end up leading to what should be a tremendous tribute to his mother. He was in New York City last year attending a chef event centered around Pride Week when he found himself in a conversation with the director of programming of the prestigious James Beard House. They spoke about inviting Arnold up to cook a meal with his mother, but unfortunately she passed away before they could finalize plans.

When Arnold reconnected with the Beard House earlier this year to share the sad news, they suggested he come up anyway to cook in his mother’s honor. He was enthused about the idea, and as Arnold often does, he decided to see if he could take it to the next level. A fabulous level! He threw himself into the project and discussed the possibilities with his talent agency, some creatives, other folks in the restaurant and television industries, and trusted friends. Together they came up with an even bigger and better way to honor Patti’s legacy.

The current plan in collaboration with Fathom Co. and the Tourism Authority of Thailand is for Arnold to take a trip to Thailand to shoot a documentary, where he will gather inspiration to plan the most important meal of his life, a meal to honor everything his mother taught him and meant to him. The project will culminate with an event for the general public at the James Beard House in Greenwich Village on June 19, titled “Heritage: A Tribute to a Nashville Legend.” Tickets for the dinner will be $140 for James Beard House members and $180 for the rest of us civilians.

If you want to be a part of history, you can make reservations at the James Beard House website or by calling 212-627-2308. Ironically, mid-June might be exactly when International Market shutters for the last time, so maybe I’ll have to fly up for one last fix!