In what was considered a giant coup for the city of Chicago, the James Beard Foundation decided to uproot its award gala from New York City for the first time and held the prestigious event at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on May 4. HMS Host, which owns Wicker Park Seafood & Sushi Bar at O'Hare International Airport, set up an eye-catching sushi bar that featured fish and marine life frozen into blocks of ice.
The Robin Hood Foundation Benefit—New York’s largest single fund-raiser—raised a record $101.7 million Tuesday night at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Guests entered the event through a giant camera lens, alluding to the portraits used throughout the decor and program.
The long-running festival made its United States debut in Las Vegas on May 15 and 16. Three so-called Rock Streets, lanes with storefront façades and three-dimensional decor, have themes inspired by Brazil, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The Rock Streets offer street food, cultural offerings, and performances from the likes of Spock Frevo Orquestra, the Street Dance Crew, and Pepeu Gomes.
At the recent Knot Gala at the New York Public Library, ribbons and bistro lights offered the illusion of a lower ceiling. At one food station, globes filled with tuna ceviche hung from trees, and guests were encouraged to “forage” for the items with help from staffers.
Be Inspired PR hosts and produces the Tassels and Tastemakers event twice each year for event and wedding industry professionals, plus media, bloggers, and other influencers. The most recent iteration on March 25 brought a Western theme to Carondelet House in Los Angeles. Underscoring the theme, dream catchers hung throughout the space. The ethereal decorations had woven-in hashtags that encouraged guests to post pictures to social media.
The April 9 event at the Target Gallery in New York celebrated Todd Oldham's collaboration with the Minneapolis-based retailer and was attended by D.I.Y. bloggers and editors. The D.I.Y. theme of the night carried over to the bars, where guests could build their own mocktail or cocktail.
On April 15, Target took over Bryant Park in New York to fete the launch of its collaboration with resort wear brand Lilly Pulitzer. A Lilly Pulitzer watercolor artist painted the scene at the space, capturing the party in the park—all done in Lilly’s classic color palette.
Escort cards on custom drink stirrers were placed in glasses of white peach sangria at a summer wedding produced by Camp Hill, Pennsylvania-based catering and events company the JDK Group.
At a sweet sixteen party produced by Magnolia Bluebird Design & Events, a hot chocolate to-go wall featuring custom mugs, gourmet marshmallows, and milk chocolate hot cocoa allowed partygoers to leave the sweet sixteen with a sweet treat.
The Revel Group in Chicago hosted "Revel Provocateur," a dinner for the area's top event planners, on March 30 at Revel Downtown. Decked in black hues and Gothic-style decor, the event eschewed seating cards and instead printed guests' names on the back of chairs.
Chicago Dine Around’s progressive dining option for private groups gives out-of-towners the chance to experience an interactive city tour aboard a luxury coach bus while en route to visit three different restaurants: one for appetizers, one for the main course, and one for dessert. Tour guides encourage interaction by quizzing attendees on Chicago trivia during the three-hour event, and there’s also the option to end with a post-meal show at a local theater. The private tour is available for as many as 450 guests; packages start from $65 per person.
Based in Dallas, Food Tours of America offers two customizable options for private groups: a two-and-a-half-hour walking tour, which costs $65 per person and includes three stops at sit-down restaurants plus a made-from-scratch dessert, or a three-and-half-hour walking tour of the city’s Uptown neighborhood, which costs $85 per person. In addition to seated tastings of local grub such as barbecue brisket nachos, chicken shawarma, fried pickles, and chimichangas, the second option also includes a visit to a local art gallery and a souvenir tour photo. Alcohol pairings and wine tastings can be added on for an additional fee. There is a maximum of 18 people per tour guide, but larger groups can book multiple guides.
Whether guests are looking to dine at a swanky restaurant or a local cheap-eats favorite, Miami Culinary Tours can deliver. The company offers guided food tours that also educate participants on local culture, history, and architecture. Private tours are customizable but typically last four hours and include five stops. Options cost between $59 and $79 per person and include the South Beach Cocktail Tour, the Wynwood, Midtown, and Design District Tour, the Cuban-Inspired Food Tour, and the Miami City Food Tour. Outings can be conducted by foot or aboard a festive Chiva bus, a colorful open-air form of transportation popular in Colombia and Ecuador.
Six Taste Food Tours in Los Angeles has relaunched, specializing in three- to four-hour guided walking tours of local neighborhoods for private groups of six or more people. Guests get the chance to sample popular dishes from as many as eight different restaurants while learning about the history and culture of areas such as Little Tokyo, downtown, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Arcadia, New Chinatown, and Thai Town. Itineraries are based on the group’s preferences and budget, which can range from $40 to $250 per person. Adding on a wine and dessert tasting at the end of the tour is an option, and all but the Delicious Dumpling and New Chinatown tours are vegetarian-friendly.
DC Metro Food Tours’ evening dine-arounds combine a multicourse, progressive meal set up with a historical and architectural walking tour of neighborhoods such as Old Town, Georgetown, Capitol Hill, Penn Quarter, and Loudoun. While private tours, which have room for more than 200 people, are customizable when it comes to the number and types of restaurants included on the itinerary, a standard three-hour tour has guests visiting two to three restaurants, including casual holes-in-the-wall and five-star eateries, with menus highlighting local specialties and ethnic favorites. Food-focused teambuilding challenges and scavenger hunts are also available. Evening dine-arounds start from $67 per person.
