Nespresso Pixie

You might remember a previous post or two regarding Nespresso, the espresso-in-a-single-serve-capsule company owned by Nestlé. With promises of food, music, and Ted Allen, we at The Feisty Foodie were invited to take part in a launch event at their SoHo store for the newest model, the Pixie.

Like the CitiZ featured in those previous posts, the Pixie makes one “shot” of espresso at a time via Nespresso’s proprietary capsules. The Pixie differs from that CitiZ by being portable (the mechanism that opens the pod bay door also acts as a handle!) and, in the interest of size and weight, does not come with the nifty frother, which can be purchased separately.

The store is actually quite spacious, with a cafe area, espresso bar, and an upstairs loft decked out with the latest machines and sleeves of capsules for sale. We signed in, filled out a card, received name tags, and were ushered into the bar area to partake of hors d’oeuvres and perhaps an espresso as we waited for the speakers to present.

The entire shop was decked out in capsule art for the big unveiling. While sitting, or even leaning, on these was really not a good idea, oohing and aahing at the displays made solely from capsules and admiring the machines atop many tables was encouraged.

Downstairs, the bar area has all sixteen flavors represented in the sampler pack artfully arranged along the wall. This area was reserved for mixed drinks, featuring Nespresso espresso, while the main bar, consisting of several older, workhorse Nespresso models, handled espresso and espresso drink duties.

This concoction, a raspberry-flavored sparkler, was “enhanced” by little gel balls of Nespresso, chewy, gummy blobs like tapioca balls which were more a feat of molecular gastronomy than added flavor.

I started off with the Ristretto, the strongest-flavored capsule in the repertoire, garnering a 10 on the “strength” scale. I was amused to see the bartender/barista prepare this, as all he had to do was pop the appropriate black capsule into the machine and wait. Naturally, it tasted as rich and strong as the one I made for myself at home previously.

Cater-waiter time! Lots of bite-size appetizers were being passed around, and I started with the most unusual of them: scrambled egg and trout, topped with trout roe, served in the warmed eggshell. Although the sum was less than its parts, it made for a visually striking treat.

Yvo says: I actually thought this was quite a lovely dish, but I have a strong fondness for fish roe. Loved the presentation but I would never, in a million years, attempt to do the same. The fussiness this requires should be reserved for events like this. But the edible portion itself: I may recreate this at home for a light breakfast sometime.

This adorable little morsel consisted of puff pastry, mozzarella cheese, and a wee roasted tomato with a leaf of… basil, I believe. I’m a sucker for mozzarella and tomato appetizers at Italian restaurants, so naturally I enjoyed this. Multiple times.

The cubes of tuna tartare coupled with wasabi roe on a tortilla chip? Genius. Or at least, a great taste combination with a bit of a spicy kick, and the juxtaposition of textures was a highlight.

I don’t remember much about the taste of this steak concoction besides the singed edge; the too-crispy parts overwhelmed the chunk of Italian bread with the Nespresso gel balls (also used in the drink) and creamy base.

As master of ceremonies for the evening, Ted Allen gushed good-naturedly about Nespresso in his usual self-deprecating, humorous style. I haven’t done the research, but I think I was correct when I wondered aloud if he’s the only member of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” who still works regularly.

Frederic Levy, on the left, runs Nespresso North America, and was more than happy to speak with me while we drank espressos made with the new seasonal flavor, Onirio, made from Ethiopian beans and judged to be redolent in white flower aromas and jasmine flavors. While my palate isn’t quite as refined as Frederic’s, we got to talking about opening the Nespresso capsule manufacturing process to third parties — he’s against it, mainly for quality issues, not publicly because it undercuts profits, as of course there are “black market” outfits currently producing both capsules and machines — thoughts on tacking on “fair trade” and “organic” labels (not really necessary in Nespresso’s case, considering how rigorous their sourcing process is), and how often to expect seasonal releases — he’d like there to be several per year. I appreciated the time he could spend to “talk shop”, and sometimes I wish there were more of that at some of these dog-and-pony shows.

On to the dinner portion of our evening. I wasn’t expecting so many courses, as such, but out they came, starting with a pleasant enough scallop-based ceviche. I don’t tend to enjoy scallops, but, yeah, raw, “cooked” by citrus, worked pretty well.

Yvo says: Sometimes at press events, you go home hungry. That wasn’t going to be the case here; during the initial mingling portion, the cater waiters came by frequently with fresh bites for us to munch. I easily could have eaten enough to fill me up in just hors d’ouevres (sp?), though I showed some restraint. I wasn’t really expecting more food, though, until during Ted Allen’s patter about the Pixie and how great Nespresso is*, he mentioned what we could expect to be eating shortly… and made it sound like a full sit down meal. Awesome. As for the scallop ceviche, I so wanted to eat it because it was pretty and looked great, but one bite and yep, that’s coconut, so I had to sadly put it down. Wah.

*This is now the second time I’ve met Ted at a press event. Both times, he displayed a genuine interest in the products for which he was speaking; this time, he told us cute stories of drinking Nespresso in Europe and how, while Nespresso might not be that big in the US just yet, it really is huge in Europe. Hmmm. In any case, I never got the sense he was doing this just because they paid him; he seems to genuinely believe in this product and enjoy it, even before the endorsement deal. And though I’m way small potatoes next to him, I know how amazing that feeling is; being asked to promote something in which you truly believe.

The beef in this salad was helped tremendously by the spicy guacamole found on the bottom of the dish.

Yvo says: This little bowl of beef strips with guacamole on the bottom was great – the beef was sadly overcooked, but I don’t expect it all to be perfect when the kitchen is producing these things en masse. But the beef was coffee-marinated or rubbed, which gave it a really nice kick in flavor. Yum.

My favorite main dish, the lasagna, had layers of tomato, eggplant and ricotta, laden with herbs, balanced very nicely, full of flavor, and completed with a shave of parmesan gracing a dollop of ricotta as garnish.

The evening’s entertainment was provided by 20-year-old British up-and-comer Pixie Lott. She’s charted multiple times in England already, so while the name might have been the first reason she was chosen to sing for us, she had the talent to back it up. Her gorgeous voice lilted its way through three songs, including an acoustic version of “Isn’t She Lovely,” a Stevie Wonder standard (she’s working with Mr. Wonder currently).

Yvo says: Pixie Lott is 20 and immensely talented. As Ted Allen said, “How annoying is that?” (paraphrased) Haha. Seriously though, she has a lovely voice, and I look forward to hearing her light up our charts here stateside.

After the singing and applause, it was time for a little dessert. Espresso-laced push-up pops, with a tiramisu-like cake at the bottom, provided entertainment for those inclined to indulge. I contented myself with another espresso, the Roma this time.

Yvo says: Yeah, that’s my hand shaking in excitement. That was one damn good push pop – not ice cream, mind you, it was just mousse on top of super moist cake – and I really wanted another one, but I’d been avoiding caffeinating myself (I’d not had any espresso) because there was no way I’d be able to sleep after that. Ah well…. I did manage to eat the whole thing in one bite though, hahaha.

There was plenty of time to mingle and wander, so we decided to check out the loft upstairs. Here, the wall was filled with 10-pack sleeves of Nespresso flavors, just waiting for someone to purchase one and upset the delicate balance of the display. Ted Allen was quite down-to-earth, and our group of food bloggers (Cindy, aka Chubby Chinese Girl, Jason of Me So Hungry, and Blondie from Blondie and Brownie) managed to talk to him for a few minutes before he was whisked away to be interviewed by yet other press people.

We were encouraged to, wedding-reception-style, load up a takeout container with various types of candy for home use on our way out, in case the caffeine required a sugar rush to keep us awake on the trip home.

Besides candy, we were given a bag including a lot of Nespresso literature, certificates good for breakfast and espresso at the cafe, a bag of tasty gourmet flavored popcorn, and a branded leather picture frame. I will take a picture of my Nespresso and me to place in this.

My Nespresso? Yes, the reason we filled out that card on the way into the event: Nespresso graciously wished to know which color Pixie we’d like to have sent to our respective homes. A week later it arrived, in “Electric Titan” as promised, and it currently graces my kitchen counter.

The Nespresso Pixie launch was exceptionally well-run and a pleasure to attend (even without the generous gifts). While I thought more attention could have been paid to the machine itself, the store employees I did talk to were very knowledgeable and helpful, and the ample press materials made up for whatever else I needed to know. For those of you who enjoy espresso and espresso drinks, but don’t like to keep coffee on-hand in your home, the Pixie is a fairly foolproof, to say nothing of attractive, accessory for your kitchen!

Yvo says: Thanks again to Nespresso for their amazing hospitality and generous gifts. I’ve never been an espresso drinker (unless you count the double shot I have in the bottom of a big cup of foamed milk, aka my grande soy latte), but I have to say I did go back to the cafe a week later – post to come – and I may become a convert. Thank goodness I have a machine to feed my addiction at home! I also appreciate how much smaller the Pixie is than the CitiZ – precious counterspace in my kitchen of limited real estate. I had a lot of fun and learned a bit about the brand and the machines. Thank you!

Thank you, indeed!

Please note that the event was Nespresso and their PR. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor was I obliged in any way to post about the event, positively or otherwise. This is my own opinion and I feel it was unbiased; you are free to take from this what you will.