| EVENT REPORT 06.08.07 2:40 PM |
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| Surf 'N' Turf |
| Barbados's sponsorship of the Central Park Conservancy's "A Taste of Summer" brought tropical touches to the foodie fest. |
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A bit of the tropics descended on Midtown on Wednesday night for the Central Park Conservancy’s "A Taste of Summer" benefit, which
this year, its 12th, brought together 38 New York restaurants
to dole out bite-size offerings to donors.
With the Barbados Tourism Authority on board as a sponsor,
the event included plenty of touches evoking the country's balmy setting,
including yellow and white linens, giant palms, seashells and starfish, and
projections of leaves on the ceiling of the main tent. (Additionally, the
massive three-tent culinary compound looked very much like a cabana.) Organizers
positioned the event as a kickoff to summer. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Hurricane lamps, sand, and seashells denoted tables featuring dishes from Barbados, or Bajan cuisine. The Barbados Culinary Team prepared food for four stations.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Decor referenced the yellow and blue colors of Barbados's flag and had what planners hoped was a summery feel.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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Meats served filet mignon with QM steak sauce. When asked about keeping
up with demand as the crowd thickened, the restaurant's Andrew Ward
said, "The busier we get, the better we'll be," noting the lack of time
for samples to cool off.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | A steel drum band, stiltwalkers (like those seen at festivals and fairs in Barbados), and dancers performed at the entrance to the Taste of Summer tent.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Among Jean-George Vongerichten's V.I.P.-area samples were caviar beggars purses, soy-cured salmon with asian pear cilantro, and crab and mango salad "chili-champagne" sabayon (shown here), from restaurants Mercer Kitchen, 66, and Jean-George, respectively.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | The event also featured a silent auction of items including a 2007 ING NYC Marathon package, several Barbados travel packages, and a seven-course tasting menu for four at Tocqueville.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Over a bed of wheatgrass and buckets of cherries, 57 Restaurant served cherry ice with almond chocolate brittle.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | The ceiling of the main tent over the dance floor was splashed with leaf projections.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Crumb Bakery offered an assortment of cupcakes in the dessert tent.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Porter House's shrimp, scallop, and calamari seafood cocktail finished with a classic Maker's Mark manhattan.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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After Jamaica’s
successful sponsorship of the event in 2005, the conservancy’s manager of
special events, Jill Pall, reached out to several tourist bureaus in seeking a
partner for 2007’s benefit. Brian A.M. Green, business development manager south and southeast of the Barbados Tourism Authority, cited a variety of reasons why the
event was “a perfect fit” for his organization, including the travel-friendly
crowd, the upcoming Taste of Barbados (the country's evening of tasting similar to a Taste of Summer) in November, and the release of Zagat Survey Best of Barbados (the
first Caribbean guide for the publisher). Additionally, “Barbados
is known as the culinary Mecca of
the Caribbean,” he said.
Restaurants participating this year (all by invitation only,
and donating their time and food) included Tavern on the Green, Blue Water
Grill, the Capital Grille, Asia de Cuba, Crumbs Bakery, Park Avenue Summer, and
Quality Meats. “We try to have the same restaurants come back every year,” Pall said, “and if there’s a hot new restaurant, we try to get them involved as
well.” New features of the event this year included a separate dessert tent and a V.I.P. tent offering dishes from all seven of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurants. (The chef upped his participation from two stations in 2006.)
Amazingly, the event raises only about one percent of the conservancy’s annual budget; this year's benefit brought in $600,000 from 1,000 attendees. “It’s a fund-raiser, certainly, but we also see it
as a friend-raiser,” said Terri Coppersmith, vice president of development and
external affairs for the conservancy. “It’s a good place to be with friends and
get to know each other in a relaxing setting. And it’s a good way to showcase
the park at night.”
—Mimi O'Connor
RELATED TOPICS
Central Park Conservancy, A Taste of Summer
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