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  1. Venues & Destinations
  2. Canada
  3. Toronto

Outer Space

For the second annual Innovators\' Ball, the Ontario Science Centre hosted a Mars-themed party complete with a futuristic meal—imagined for 2029—prepared by renowned chef Susur Lee.

Susan O'Neill
May 30, 2008
The upcoming Ontario Science Centre exhibit “Facing Mars: Would You Survive the Journey?”—opening June 9—provided the inspiration for this year’s Innovators’ Ball, held at the Don Mills facility Thursday. “Our theme is Rock the Red Planet so we’re taking people to Mars for a really cool party and it’s 2029. We've got a time tunnel that people will walk through [and on the other side] you’re having dinner on Mars,” said Cindy Ball, associate director, development.

The evening kicked off with a dinner prepared by Susur Lee (who is closing Susur tomorrow and opening a new restaurant in Manhattan this fall) in conjunction with A La Carte Kitchen, and the George Brown College Chef School. “It’s such a great event. I was invited last year...I was looking at the food and saying, ‘Wow, I want to do this.’ And Tony Cohen [vice chair of the event], who sat next to me, said, ‘Okay, you’re in.’ So that’s why I’m here,” said Lee, who created a three-course meal for the evening.Dinner began with an amuse plate including lobster salad with chipotle Parmesan and baby arugula, marinated shrimp with sumac and orange glaze, and seared scallops with preserved lemon and Indian tomato jam. The main entrée included Soya glazed filet of organic beef served with white and green asparagus and baby carrots wrapped with pancetta, and a Swiss cheese potato. Guests dined on banana chocolate tart with hazelnut mousse for dessert.

“I don’t believe [Lee] does this kind of thing on a regular basis. We’re very fortunate to have him,” said Ball, who turned to Solutions With Impact to translate the theme into the decor. “The Science Centre and our exhibit spaces are still really the backdrop for this. It’s not like we’re going into a hotel ballroom. We want people to experience the Science Centre,” she said.

The 450 dinner guests gathered in the main lobby, decorated as a white and silver departure lounge, before walking through a long hallway and a passage designed as a time tunnel (a circular black walkway) to enter the main dining area in the great hall, dressed in red and black.

The Mars-themed colour palette continued in the Weston Family Innovation Centre—the site of the all-red after-party—where an additional 800 guests joined the dinner crowd for performances by Wade O. Brown, Lindsay Ell, Tomi Swick, and Crash Parallel. Guests also had the opportunity to visit an oxygen bar. “You might have to get an extra hit of oxygen because you’re on a different planet,” Ball said.
The reception lounge
The reception lounge
Photo: BizBash
Guests walked through a time tunnel to arrive in the dining room for a meal set on Mars in 2029.
Guests walked through a time tunnel to arrive in the dining room for a meal set on Mars in 2029.
Photo: BizBash
Balls of red roses topped tall tubular glass vases in the centrepieces created by San Remo Florist.
Balls of red roses topped tall tubular glass vases in the centrepieces created by San Remo Florist.
Photo: BizBash
In keeping with the Mars theme, Solutions With Impact dressed the dining room in red and black.
In keeping with the Mars theme, Solutions With Impact dressed the dining room in red and black.
Photo: BizBash
The reception area acted as a departure lounge where guests gathered for mars-tinis prior to entering the great hall for dinner.
The reception area acted as a departure lounge where guests gathered for mars-tinis prior to entering the great hall for dinner.
Photo: BizBash
For $100 guests could buy a Tiffany Crystal Bow Box and the chance to win a platinum and diamond bracelet weighing seven carats and valued at close to $30,000.
For $100 guests could buy a Tiffany Crystal Bow Box and the chance to win a platinum and diamond bracelet weighing seven carats and valued at close to $30,000.
Photo: BizBash
San Remo Florist filled glass spheres with red roses and silver balls as an alternate centrepiece.
San Remo Florist filled glass spheres with red roses and silver balls as an alternate centrepiece.
Photo: BizBash
Susur Lee worked with A La Carte Kitchen and students from the George Brown College Chef School to prepare the meal for 450 guests.
Susur Lee worked with A La Carte Kitchen and students from the George Brown College Chef School to prepare the meal for 450 guests.
Photo: BizBash
Menu cards topped square silver plates filled with grains of white rice at each place setting.
Menu cards topped square silver plates filled with grains of white rice at each place setting.
Photo: BizBash
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