The mag's honorees in attendance included “Comic of the Year" Kristin Cavallari, “Comeback of the Year” Kris Allen, “Victor of the Year” Adam Lambert, and the cast of Glee, which Us named “Cast of the Year." Wenner Media's Keira Ford oversaw the event, tapping Caravents to produce it once again.

"It's an opportunity to buy work without being intimidated and going into a gallery," Katherine Needham, OCAD's manager of fund-raising events, said of the institution's signature fund-raiser.

Now in its 11th year, the tasting is "built around its talent," said Food & Wine's special projects producer, Devin Padgett, referring to the 20 local chefs who dished out sample-size entrées. Padgett said the first chefs he asked to participate were locals who have been highlighted in Food & Wine's annual "Best New Chefs" feature. On Monday, nine such chefs—including Boka's Giuseppe Tentori, Alinea's Grant Achatz, and Tru pastry chef Gale Gand—showed up to man tasting stations.

1. Cabo Wabo is the new two-level, 15,000-square-foot live music venue, cantina, and restaurant owned by Sammy Hagar at Planet Hollywood. The original, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, became the inspiration for Cabo Wabo tequila, and the Vegas cantina has the same lively atmosphere. The Tex-Mex and coastal Mexican menu was developed by Texas native and executive chef Jerrold Heinz.

1. Maialino, the hotly anticipated new eatery from Danny Meyer, opened its doors November 11, in the Gramercy Park Hotel. However, unlike its swanky surroundings, the Roman-style trattoria sports a warm and comfortable interior designed by David Rockwell. Amid oak wainscoting, beamed ceilings, wood and tile floors, and leather banquettes, chef Nick Anderer (former sous chef at Gramercy Tavern) serves a selection of traditional dishes from Rome, using locally scourced seasonal ingredients. In the rear of the cozy restaurant is a private room with a communal table for 22 people and views of Gramercy Park.

1. The Mandarin Oriental recently made over the Asian-inspired MoZu restaurant into the contemporary Sou’Wester, which has an American menu with a southern lilt. For small lunch or dinner gatherings, the 3,500-square-foot venue has a 12-seat communal table in the main dining room and a 14-seat semiprivate room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stellar view of the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial. The homey menu, created by award-winning chef Eric Ziebold of the Mandarin’s CityZen restaurant, includes sautéed pork belly with pickled watermelon rind and chicken with dumplings.

The company, which has provided decor for spaces like ET Canada's TIFF lounge in Yorkville and events like Flare magazine's 30th anniversary gala, currently offers four distinct collections, including pieces they designed themselves. Event and company logos can be added to white Louis chairs, ribbon detailing can be added to table and floor lamps, and throw pillows can be accented with pearls and jewels.

1. At the Museum of Fine Arts, "The Secrets of Tomb 10A" explores Egyptian concepts of the afterlife through artifacts and other findings from the largest burial assemblage from the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 B.C.) ever discovered. The tomb was filled with the funerary equipment of a local governor and his wife, including meticulously painted coffins, a mummified head, and everyday items like walking sticks and food storage jars. The exhibit opened on October 18 and runs through May 16. Group rates are available for 10 or more people and after-hours private tours can be arranged by calling 617.369.3310.

1. For Laughs: Comedian and impressionist Frank Caliendo became a permanent headliner with his new show at the Monte Carlo, which opened on October 12. Caliendo and Monte Carlo have signed an exclusive 10-year agreement for the act, a mix of high-energy comedy and impressions backed by live music and video sketches. The impressionist is known for his take on celebrities like Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, John Madden, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Tickets begin at $59, and group discounts are available at all price levels; groups of 15 or more receive $10 per ticket, and groups of 100 or more receive 20 percent off.

Last week, I wrote about the plethora of food festivals happening this month in New York, most of which have no problem filling kitchens, dining rooms, stores, and other venues with paying, eager eaters. Yet at the same time, the industry’s oldest and most prestigious magazine, Gourmet, up and folded, and downtown, perennially top-rated Chanterelle closed its doors.

But at the New York City Wine & Food Festival this past weekend, it was as if those closings happened on an altogether different planet. The four-day affair kicked off with “Celebration,” a V.I.P. event on Thursday at the Food Network studio. There were so many celebrity chefs that festival founder Lee Schrager found himself in trouble when, during his speech, he began thanking present network personalities Alton Brown, Guy Fieri, and Sandra Lee, and suddenly a bunch of others started shouting out their own names. Lee wisely widened his thanks to “everyone at the Food Network, including the security guard, who five years later still doesn’t recognize me.”

It is 4:15 on a Saturday afternoon at the French Culinary Institute, and I’m sitting in on a New York magazine-sponsored deluxe weekend of instructional cooking, the New York Culinary Experience, with some of the world’s leading chefs. In addition to Monsieur Pépin, fellow F.C.I. deans André Soltner (formerly of Lutèce) and Alain Sailhac (formerly of the 21 Club) are sauntering around the room, assisted by six sous chefs, by my count. In two days, the announcement that Gourmet is closing will shock this community, but today we are all blissfully enjoying Food Month.

Of all the annual events you oversee, which one is the most difficult?
I would have to say the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration. The sheer number of people and mass media coverage create a much more challenging job for me—I wouldn’t say it’s more challenging, it just requires much more planning and overall coordination. It takes a good six to nine months of preparation, but [the event itself] is seamless. All the parties know our roles, and we all know each other. We do it so much we’re always ready to transition into the next event because of the simple fact that we’re always doing large events here.

"We thought if ever there was a year to change things up, this was the year," said Childs, whose day job is senior meeting planner for the National Telecommuincations Cooperative Association. Added Suriani, who is the director of meetings for the Meetings Management Group, "We wanted to see if this event is better as an evening event. And apparently it is, as our numbers are up from 300 last year to 340 this year."

Online bidding for the works, which include costumes by artists and designers Frank Gehry, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Miuccia Prada, and Vezzoli, will run through the end of the month, with proceeds benefitting MOCA’s exhibition and education programs. Specifically, the hat worn by Gaga and designed by Gehry, masks worn by Gaga and Vezzoli and designed by Luhrmann and Martin, and costumes worn by Gaga and the dancers and designed by Prada and Vezzoli are among the one-of-a-kind offerings.

Toronto chapter president Rachel Mangal presented the dedication award to Lara McCulloch, author of the event blog Ready2spark and chapter president for 2008-09. Larry Cuthbertson of Cuthbertson Entertainment received the supplier of the year award, James Nienhuis of the Butler Did It was named member of the year, and Carolyn Luscombe of Eclectic Events took home the leadership award.

The $2.4 billion budget for the games calls for six new athletic venues in Toronto and the surrounding region and an athletes' village in the West Donlands, which will be turned into affordable housing. New venues include a stadium for athletics and an indoor velodrome (to be built in Hamilton) and a sports training facility at the University of Toronto's Scarborough Campus. An aquatics centre and two additional 50-metre pools will also be built.