saturday, november 17th, 2007

Diver Sea Scallop Crostini from Thalassa
On Thursday I attended The Libby Ross Breast Cancer Foundation's annual gala Taste of New York. It was held at the Prince George Ballroom, a festive space nestled into the back of a gallery on 27th and Madison Avenue. Recently reopened after extensive restoration work returned this colorful jewel box of a room back to its original 19th century neo-Renaissance splendor, it was an ideal setting for this lavish event that enticed hundreds of the city's shiniest people to throw on a party dress or black tie and step out to support the cause.

Working for so many months on the Taste of the Nation planning committee has programmed me to expect dozens of restaurants represented at an event like this but the options were limited on this night. Blue Water Grill was there serving sushi rolls, Barbounia offered a flat bread topped with an avocado salad, The Cake Studio tempted the crowd with three varieties of mini cupcakes including a red velvet number that stole the show. Hampton Popcorn handed out cups of their incredible black truffle popcorn, Vermont Butter & Cheese Company served four varieties of goat cheese including the heavenly poplar ash ripened Bonne Bouche topped with fig jam. The Greenwich Village shop Peanut Butter & Co had, what else, peanut butter sandwiches, but I'm not sure this was a PB & J type of crowd. Thalassa's offering of crostini topped with diver sea scallops, taramosalata and fried onion accompanied by a spicy aioli was my favorite offering of the evening.

Landmarc, Ivy Bakery, Aliza, Ruby Foo's, Metro Bis, Sonnier & Castle and a few other vendors were also there but the main focus of the evening seemed to be on libations, auction items, schmoozing and dancing. Rhum Clement mixed drinks on one end of the room and a variety or other open bars kept the crowd satiated on the other. The band The Tremors played eighties and nineties covers and guests danced and celebrated into the wee hours. It was a festive event and while I was disappointed with the restaurant representation, in the end, is there anything wrong with indulging in a few fizzy candy colored cocktails, bidding on a tiger shark diving trip in the Bahamas, matchmaking session or original Chagal, Picasso or Miro before dancing the night away for a good cause?

Flourless truffle cupcakes from The Cake Studio 

Gala Attendees

A chef from Thalassa  

The gorgeous ceiling of The Prince George Ballroom