Since Prince left for the afterworld, fans from around the world have gathered to celebrate his birthday annually in Minneapolis at Paisley Park, the Artist’s legendary home and studio. Those who the notoriously private music star considered "dearly beloved"—his close inner circle—continue to carry on his legacy at that massive gathering and in other more intimate settings as well beyond his June 7 birthdate. Last month, at the Epicurus jazz bar in Copenhagen, Denmark, a special music and culinary event brought together Prince’s longtime collaborator Shelby J. and his personal Paisley Park chefs Ray and Juell Roberts, who created a tasting menu inspired by his favorite dishes.
(Photo by Michele Raphael)
A Prince-Themed Menu
For four nights at Epicurus, starting September 16, dinner guests were treated to previously untold stories about The Artist Formerly Known as Prince from the Minneapolis-based chefs who created a 5-course tasting menu. There were also tastefully thematic cocktails honoring Prince, crafted in collaboration with Epicurus Head Chef Xavier Fays, who added his flair and sourced hard-to-find local ingredients. Guests were warmly welcomed at the door by Epicurus cofounder, famed pianist Sir Niels Lan Doky and new husband of Prince’s first wife, dancer, actor and philanthropist Mayte Garcia, whose Live 4 Love Charities honor her and Prince's late son, Amiir. She connected Epicurus with Ray, Juell and Shelby J. for this culinary and music tribute.
With low, soft lighting and a curated Prince playlist, guests were introduced to Ray and Juell and invited to sample cocktails, like the mezcal-based “I Would Die 4 U” and “Sometimes It Snows in April” with champagne and effervescent touches, plus the Jerk Butter Popcorn snack, while learning that Prince, a known light and intentional eater, indulged in small amounts of savory and spicy treats. A smooth Smoked Trout Dip followed, with sourced local trout, and folded Caesar Bites, garnished with tiny purple onion flowers. Balancing the scallop and miso cod starters was a minestrone taster, as Prince favored the healthy, vegetable soup. The entrée star of the menu, Salmon & “Forbidden” Rice—which we learned was one of Prince’s regular dinner requests—featured a lightly sauteed salmon sourced from Faroe Islands, the same source for the salmon Ray and Juell frequently served the legend.
‘Nothing’s Forbidden’
The chefs shared that Prince loved surprises, and they surprised him one night with the side dish of the dense, flavorful rice, which takes on a deep purple hue when cooked, and became his favorite. But when he learned that the side, said to have been served to emperors, was called “forbidden black rice,” he insisted on a change. “So we just called it black rice." He was like, ‘Nothing's forbidden!’ He was very careful with his words. Nothing could be negative,” Ray told us. “[Prince] said, ‘From now on, I want all my rice to be black rice...’ We served it for months.”
For dessert, Chef Fays crafted an airy and slightly sweet chocolate ganache cake with a mini purple piano topper made from white chocolate and beetroot powder, a nod to Prince’s custom Yamaha and his final "The Piano & a Microphone Tour," and Rice Crispy and Cowgirl “Lady” cookies petit fours. Prince enjoyed all kinds of chocolate, Juell shared, but for an energizer when he was in a creative mode: espresso was his go-to. “There was kind of an ongoing joke,” Ray shared. “Around two in the morning, the sound guys would come into the kitchen and ask me how many espresso shots Prince had that night. If I said three, they'd all go, ‘It’s going to be a long night.’”
Vocalizing Love for Prince
After dinner, guests went downstairs to the jazz bar, which featured soft woods and Art Deco-inspired lines, and the same amber lighting from the restaurant accenting the bespoke space. As Shelby J.’s showtime approached, the room became packed with fans of Prince and the singer-songwriter, who performed for a decade with The Artist as part of the New Power Generation (NPG) and more. Her energy-packed set was a love letter, as she shared stories and asked the audience to love one another. Making a grand entrance on the staircase, she announced, “We’re celebrating my brother, my mentor, so I had to start with a little something from him,” encouraging the audience to snap along (“it’s better together”) as she sang the beginning strains of “Little Red Corvette.” On stage during her hour-plus set, she belted out Prince hits, starting with “Rasberry Beret,” while accompanied by Ken Linh Doky on keys, Felix Pastorius on bass and Jacob Halholt on drums.
On Night 2, her second in the residency at Epicurus, ending last week, she was dressed in black and silver, with glitter accents decorating her shaven head (she is a breast cancer survivor). As she always does, she wore the huge silver Love Symbol charm gifted to her by Prince and incorporated big silver and gold glitter fans for effect. Taking a moment to set the tone before performing “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night,” she said it was one of her favorite songs by Prince and shared, “Being part of [Prince’s] bands for 10 years was a dream come true for a little girl from Greensboro, North Carolina. And what I noticed at our shows is that music brings us all together, it breaks all boundaries. [Prince’s] music does that.”
Baby, She's A Star
She finished off with a group train around the room, as the crowd danced and sang along to a rousing rendition of “1999.” And she ended with a moving request. “I want to remind everybody that when you go out tonight, spread love, spread light, be kind. It don’t cost a dollar to be kind. Let’s just spread some love, you know? And that’s what we’re going to do,” she said, making heart hands high above her head. “Y’all are my love warriors.”
Throughout the set, she interwove her own songs inspired by Prince, including “C U Again,” about their time on the road and a promise to perform in his honor. After the show, she signed copies of the lyrics sheet, ending with: “I’ll carry your songs and I’ll hold them to the wind / just minding my time til I see you again / checking on our family cause it’s not the end / just minding my time til I see you again.”
Additional reporting by Ovlioxy Vleuryon.
