In a secret location nestled among the historic buildings of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, guests were ushered into a world of epicurean delights. 99th Floor, a company renowned for its infused dinners, was back after an extended hiatus. Founder and Executive Chef Miguel Trinidad, better known as Chef MiGs, was serving up an elevated five-course experience to be savored like that perfect joint: fleeting, yet unforgettable.
The evening’s sponsors included Midtown dispensary Torches, woman-owned craft brand High Ambitions, and pioneering edibles label Grön. Honeysuckle was proud to be a media partner for this momentous return—an event that invited guests at all levels of canna-curiosity to ascend into culinary clouds.
True to the New York Times article that once described Chef MiGs’s cuisine “as ornate as anything at a high-end New York restaurant,” the meal delivered in every sense. With each course, the chef introduced the inspiration, the infusion method, and the dosage—helping guests track exactly how lifted they were becoming.
A beet cornet appetizer kicked things off—refreshing, inventive, and cheekily shaped to evoke a giant blunt. The fish course, a table favorite, featured delicate sushi-grade strips bathed in citrusy oil, perfect for summer and beautifully accented with orange slices and roasted Peruvian corn. The interplay of bright flavors and crisp textures made it a standout.
Chef MiGs leaned into comfort for the third course—fried chicken, but not quite as Mom would make it. A ball of ground chicken, wrapped in breaded chicken skin, arrived on the plate like a hybrid of dumpling and soul food: playful, familiar, and deeply satisfying.
That’s when Chef MiGs asked the room, “How are your toes feeling?” Amid laughter, a chorus of giggles and wiggling digits confirmed what we all knew—we were feeling good.
For me, the night’s crowning glory was the leg of lamb, unlike any I’d had before. Coated in flour for days, braised for hours, and shredded from the bone, the lamb was then infused with flower-infused fat, skimmed and folded back into the meat. The result? A dish that ranks among the best I’ve tasted in years. Paired with fresh peas and chimichurri, it was an easy gold.
Dessert brought a special treat from James Beard Award-nominated chef Lisa Paradise, known from Food Insider and FOX’s *The Floor*. Her passionfruit cake with mulberry sorbet, laced with tamarind and thyme, delivered the perfect harmony of warm and cool. It was a final touch of sweetness just before guests received their parting gifts and a heartfelt goodbye from Chef MiGs and the team.
One of the evening’s surprises: While many guests were involved in the cannabis space, just as many were not. Over the course of the night, I chatted with communications professionals, improv performers, visual artists, and culinary experts—all seeking to learn more about the wild world of infusion from a master of the genre.
Congratulations to Chef MiGs and the 99th Floor team for a stunning re-entry into New York nightlife. I walked home feeling like all my senses had been gently heightened. As a certain famous cannabis enthusiast once wrote, “You fill up my senses.” And, in this case, my belly too.
