Hailing from a campus known for PETA approved vegetarian cuisine, Andrew Dermont ’09 and Derek Silverman ’09 broke the mold when they threw their first beefsteak. On Sunday, November 8 in Brooklyn, NY, Dermont and Silverman filled the Bell House—a current popular music venue and former paper factory from the 1920s—with beef, beer, and the sounds of a room full of people pigging out.

The beefsteak is a New York/New Jersey tradition that began in the 1800s as a type of fundraiser and networking opportunity for political campaigns and politicians. In a January 2008 article, Paul Lukas of the New York Times described beefsteak parties as “a vegetarian’s nightmare,” complete with “roasted whole sirloin and roasted potatoes (as well as lamb chops, bacon-wrapped kidneys and crabmeat).” According to the article beefsteak began to decline in 1920 when women started to take part after being granted suffrage. It was after reading Lukas’ article that Dermont and Silverman decided that the beefsteak needed to make a comeback in New York City.

The beefsteak is not a sit down dinner. It is a guttural, all-you-can-eat smorgasbord featuring pink slabs of beef tenderloin and unlimited pitchers of beer. Utensils are not involved. In fact it is absolutely mandatory that there is a complete absence of silverware of any kind. McSorley’s Beer signed on to officially sponsor the beefsteak, and provided Dermont and Silverman with 12 kegs of light and dark ale.

The dynamic duo decided it was up to them to revive the old New York City tradition.

“Our goal [was] to recreate the raucous atmosphere of New York docks, backroom saloons, and Tammany Hall political fundraisers of years past,” wrote Dermont in an e-mail to the Argus.

Dermont and Silverman became friends as students. Dermont did a lot of cooking during his time on campus, and both alums cater to make ends meet and pay for the apartment they share. This past summer the pair ran concession stands at the US OPEN in Queens, NY. They plan on continuing to throw beefsteaks, hopefully as often as two to four times a year.

“We are organizing this event to bring back what we feel is a beautiful New York tradition and to subtly remind people that eating beef does not have to be inhumane and unhealthy,” wrote Dermont in anticipation of the event. “We hope and anticipate our guests will enjoy celebrating New York, free-range cattle, and New York’s oldest beer as much as we do.”

Both Dermont and Silverman feel that their experiences at Wesleyan helped to prepare them for the organization it would take to distribute good beef and ale to as many people as possible.

“I was the senior class officer, and throwing concerts at Psi U and organizing cocktails was a big help,” wrote Silverman in an e-mail to the Argus. “Tim Shiner made an entrepreneur out of all of us.”

And, despite their alma mater arguably heavily leaning towards vegetarian tendencies, Dermont feels that the University’s emphasis on tradition is what is most relevant to his and his partner’s commitment to the beefsteak.

“Wesleyan is indeed a vegetarian friendly school,” Dermont said. “It is also a school that prides itself on maintaining a few traditions, as wacky as they may be. Derek and I think the beefsteak is a fun and interesting way to bring people together. The event’s success shows that there are hundreds of other people who agree.”

So how do the beefsteak’s organizers, having freshly graduated from PETA’s highest ranked Vegetarian-Friendly University, feel about people who shun meat altogether?

“We both feel really good about vegetarian/veganism,” wrote Dermont and Silverman in an e-mail to the Argus. “To each his own.”