The James Beard Foundation Gala kicked off on Friday November 7th. The Pierre, a Taj Hotel in New York City hosted this black tie extravaganza. This year, the JBF Gala for Good celebrated the 40th anniversary of the founding of the James Beard Foundation. JBF honoured visionary Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Colossal Impact at this year’s event.
JBF Gala for Good Reception
There were so many moving parts to this Gala. And it all started at The Pierre, a quintessential luxury hotel on Fifth Avenue, adjacent to Central Park.
The Rotunda transformed into a “photo studio.” Guests had pictures taken in front of a backdrop. Similar to the red carpet scene, flash bulbs went off constantly. The mural painted by Edward Melcarth added depth and beauty to the Rotunda, a perfect dining spot as well.
When you attend a JBF gala, you won’t go hungry. Well, at least that has been our experience.
By the time the dinner bell rang for guests to migrate into the dining hall, we indulged in over 10 varieties of lite bites during the cocktail reception.
Whilst many delectable choices, the clear winner for us was the Bulgogi Waygu Beef Short Ribs!
James Beard Foundation Gala Dinner
Dinner was a four course menu, sans dessert. A separate “dessert room” awaited guests. At this point, some of the guests needed a “designated driver.” Spirits were high and so was the alcohol content. The Servers did an excellent job keeping tabs on the wine pairings. Additionally, the Servers refilled water glasses consistently. After all, we all needed to keep hydrated!
The menu courses arrived like clockwork, without significant downtime. This is the type of menu we do expect from James Beard Foundation. A delightful medley for the palate. No additional seasoning needed. Well thought out and executed.
However, The Social Diary recommends consuming the Millet-Papdi by hand. This disc shaped “biscuit” is too “hard” to cut and eat with a fork and knife. Treat the Millet-Papdi like asparagus, considered a “finger food” if not drenched in sauce.
Thank you Chefs!
A menu can make or break an event, especially a black-tie gala. We have seen our share of events that missed the mark. JBF Gala for Good hit the Brief, and The Social Diary thank all the culinary talents that made this evening a smashing success. Wait until you see dessert!
James Beard Foundation Gala Auction
Guests received a numbered “paddle” during check-in for the live auction bids. Moreover, the live auction was fun, thrilling and ahead of schedule too! By far the best live auction we witnessed and hats off to the Auctioneer, Letitia Frye! See her in action!
James Beard Foundation Gala Dessert
As children, we used to drive the adults crazy by eating our dessert first. Whenever we ate something sweet, we wanted something savoury. Well, there were two large bowls of mini Macarons that had no chance.
