May 13, 2016: How White House Chefs Prepared for the State Dinner, Video Game Publisher to Bring Live E-Sports to Facebook, Why Jagermeister Built a Treehouse

1. HOW WHITE HOUSE CHEFS PREPARED FOR THE STATE DINNER: As President Obama's 12th state dinner will honor the heads of five Nordic countries tonight, White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford decided to prepare the meal by honoring Nordic cuisine style—which included foraging wood for a baby radish dish. Washington Post: In developing the multi-course state dinner menu, Comerford couldn’t integrate culinary traditions from all five countries—Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland—so instead she and White House executive pastry chef Susan Morrison prepared American dishes with Nordic touches. Comerford singles out her canape of chicken and waffles, a classic soul food dish with a faint echo of Scandinavian cuisine. ‘In reading, I realized that waffles are such a big thing in the Nordic countries,’ the White House chef said. ‘So we’re doing chicken and waffles, which is a American thing.’ The menu freewheels between American and Nordic cooking traditions. Rather than gravlax, the Nordic dish of cured salmon, the White House kitchen is preparing salt-cured ahi tuna with baby radishes and a watermelon-juniper granita. Rather than a reindeer stew—using a meat next-to-impossible to source in the United States—Comerford is serving a venison tartare with truffle vinaigrette. Rather than having guests knock back shots of aquavit, the kitchen is incorporating the spiced spirit into a seafood cocktail.” http://wapo.st/27jlquw

2. VIDEO GAME PUBLISHER TO BRING LIVE E-SPORTS TO FACEBOOK: Video game publisher Activision Blizzard has announced it will partner with Facebook to broadcast live e-sports events on the social network in an effort to broaden the sports category's audience. The Guardian: "The company is pushing e-sports out on as many channels as possible, but says Facebook offers the most effective route to break out into the mainstream. 'Based on our tests so far and our existing partnership for Facebook it's where we see our greatest capability to introduce a new audience to e-sports,' said Mike Sepso, co-founder and SVP of the company’s Activision Blizzard Media Networks division. … The features will debut at a two-day Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 tournament on 10 June, which will also see the start of a 'deeper collaboration' with Facebook. Sepso said e-sports would soon rival traditional sports, despite sceptisicm from some quarters." http://bit.ly/1Om2GUU

3. WHY JAGERMEISTER BUILT A TREEHOUSE: Since many associate Jagermeister as a college party liquor, the brand is determined to change its reputation with a branded treehouse-inspired installation that will serve craft cocktails at certain music festivals this summer. Titled Haus56, the two-story activation will debut at the Electric Daisy Carnival in New York this weekend. Adweek: "The company flew its designers to the headquarters in Wolfenbüttel, Germany, for inspiration. What they came up with will include typical festival attractions, like themed photo booths, body painting, temporary tattoos and a station for making bracelets and head crowns, but it also will celebrate the brand's history. The tree house is outfitted with chairs made from oak barrels, highlighting Jäger's century-old practice of aging its alcohol in oak. And upscale craft cocktails will be on offer." http://bit.ly/1T8f0Z8

* LOCAL NEWS *

AUSTIN:  Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa has appointed David Jurcak as managing director.

BOSTON:  Trace One, a private label development management solutions company, has appointed Kelly Thompson as director of the company's strategy on retailer and supplier collaboration.

CHICAGO:  The badges for the Democratic National Convention will be designed by Chicago-based firm AgencyEA. Chicago Tribune: http://trib.in/1s2zqbC

LAS VEGAS:  The Lounge at Lakeside, the seafood and steak restaurant on the Lake of Dreams at Wynn Las Vegas, has introduced a new Hawaiian-inspired small plates happy hour. Executive chef David Walzog offers favorites such as poke and oysters.

LOS ANGELES:  W Hotels Worldwide has just debuted the first-ever "W Sound Suite” in Bali, a private music studio and writers' room for professional recording artists, studio musicians, and producers, in addition to hotel guests, to record while on the road. A similar studio is slated to open at the W Hollywood later this year.

The Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions' annual benefit art auction will take place on Wednesday.

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

NEW YORK:  The Good Dog Foundation, a therapy dog training nonprofit, will host its fifth annual fund-raising gala and live auction on Tuesday at Gustavino's.

To kick off Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's two-week engagement at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, the company will host the Ailey Spirit Gala on June 8. Sponsored by FedEx, the benefit will feature Black-ish actor Anthony Anderson and journalist Roland S. Martin as honorary chairs.

The 16th annual Building Brooklyn Awards will take place July 20 at Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn.

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  STK steak house will open at Disney Springs May 25. The 14,000-square-foot restaurant will be one of the largest locations for the brand, with seating for about 260 people on the first floor, 157 on the second floor, and nearly 80 on a balcony.

PHILADELPHIA:  The Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention has announced that PoliticalFest will take place June 22-27. The festival will feature a non-partisan exhibit combining historical objects, special guest appearances, and multimedia and interactive displays. Participating venues, which each focus on a different theme, are the National Constitution Center, Hall F of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the National Liberty Museum, the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent, the Philadelphia Library Company, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the Heritage Center at the Union League.

TORONTO:  The Dixon Hall Youth Centre Campaign launch will take place Monday in an underground Toronto Community Housing building slated for demolition. The event will include a performance by the Regent Park youth, and catering will be provided by the Show Love Café.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Rosslyn Jazz Fest, set for September 10 at Gateway Park in Arlington, Virginia, has announced its lineup. Performers include Grupo Fantasma, Glen David Andrews, Vieux Farka Touré. More than 8,000 fans are expected to attend the event.

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin and Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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