By Christine Arpe Gang

The Rendezvous is going to New York!

But only for a day. Nick Vergos and his band of chef-helpers will give 72 diners at the James Beard House a taste of Memphis on Monday.

Vergos will fill the Greenwich Village neighborhood where the late and great Beard lived with the aroma of smoke from barbecued pork shoulder, ribs, chicken and beef brisket.

Jose Gutierrez, chef at the Peabody’s Chez Philippe, will prepare the first course: grilled tuna and fried green tomatoes.

Stan Gibson, chef at University Club, is preparing a soul food dessert – butter rolls. He’s adapting the method of Verna Carey, a Memphian whose butter roll recipe was featured in the Commercial Appeal in 1998.

Judd Grisanti, formerly a chef at Ronnie Grisanti & Sons, is going along to help. Grisanti is now a partner of Premier Seafood.

The Beard House, which holds dinners by chefs from all over the country, contacted Vergos in February.

“I called Jose to see if it was for real and he said it was and ‘I’m going to help you,’” Vergos said.

Gutierrez has cooked at the Beard House several times; Gibson has been twice. This is the first time for Vergos and Grisanti.

The meat and poultry for the event will be shipped to New York. Vergos is taking the sauce and seasonings.

“We’re going to cook on the spot,” he said. “They’ve got to smell the smoke.”

Like all barbecue events at the Beard House, the event is a sell-out.