Todd English Does a 360

Chef Todd English has already taken to the seas (lending his famed name to one of the restaurants aboard the Queen Mary 2). Apparently, it was only a matter of time before he took to the skies as well. At a jam-packed event this evening, English, along with Whiskey Bar founder (and hubby of Cindy Crawford) Rande Gerber celebrated a new partnership with Delta Airlines.Yep, for those of you who rue the day that flight attendants started serving peanuts and calling the little foil bags a meal, there is nutritional hope on the horizon. English, chef and founder of Olives restaurant, has designed new menus for the formerly flagging airline, and Gerber is offering specialty cocktails. Venue for the announcement was Sky360, a pop-up lounge space that has been created in a vacant storefront the corner of 57th and Avenue of the Americas. From today through November 12, the lounge—with its reading area, WiFi Internet access and cell-phone/iPod charging stations— will be open to the public throughout the day. Insider tip: Free samples of Todd English's cuisine will be served on Wednesdays. %%showphotos [setid=72157602528833110]%%

Posh Partying at the Plaza

Celebrating 100 years since it took its rightful place at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South, the storied and much-endeared Plaza hotel was feted in grand style this evening, with a centennial cake, a massive fireworks and laser-light extravaganza (billed as the largest pyrotechnic show ever launched from a building), cocktails in Grand Army Plaza and a performance by crooner Paul Anka, who adapted the lyrics to his song "My Way" to commemorate the historic birthday. The cake, which was twelve feet tall, was created by Ron Ben-Israel and looked nearly too good to eat. (Of course, party-goers quickly got over their initial resistance and happily downed slices.) The evening's host was Matthew Broderick and among the special guests were Hilary Knight, illustrator of the Eloise series of books which, during the 1950s, brought the glamour and panache of the Plaza to the attention of young girls the world over. (Macaulay Culkin pushed the edifice to the forefront for a new generation of kids, in 1992, with Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.) The historic hotel, one of only two in New York to sit on the National Landmarks Register—the other being the Waldorf Astoria—was built in 1907 at a cost of $17 million and its owners have included Conrad Hilton and Donald Trump. The imposing structure was sold in 2005 to developer El Ad Properties for $675 million and is in the final stages of conversion into a luxury condominium complex with a prominent (but significantly reduced) hotel component. Expect parties aplenty starting in January 2008. %%showphotos [setid=72157602658551772]%%

GOOD Golly!

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian on Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan played host to a massive consciousness-raising party last night for GOOD magazine, one of my favorite reads. (GOOD's contrarian business model entails donating 100% of each reader's $20 subscription to one of twelve possible charities.) The museum was positively rocking as several thousand twenty- and thirty-somethings came out to show how much they like to party with fellow do-GOOD-ers. Entry was for subscribers only, though anyone who had yet to sign on for a sub to one of the year's most-buzzed about new mags had the chance to do so in exchange for a coveted wrist bracelet. The choice of venue was an interesting one for a publication devoted to promoting philanthropy, because the building—which once served as the city's Customs House—sits on the site where the Dutch are said to have bought Manhattan for the decidedly unphilanthropic sum of $24 (in beads). None of that seemed to bother party-goers, however, who enjoyed drinks, dancing, mingling, deal-making and stopping in at various booths where they could learn more about giving back. One such set-up was run by moli.com, which encouraged passers-by to do brief videos detailing a cause about which they were particularly passionate. View one of those videos (starring good friend Dina Kaplan and me) right here.

Regal Eagles

Spirits were soaring at the New York Public Library tonight, where Scottish whiskey brand Chivas Regal took the wraps off Chivas 25, a highly anticipated liquor a quarter century in the making. The blend was fêted in high style during the black-tie gala, with a cocktail-party appearance by Lucy Liu, a post-dinner performance by Grammy Award winning vocalist Diana Krall and a special presentation to Scottish-American actress Julianne Moore, who took the stage in a pink Lanvin dress and bedecked in Fred Leighton diamonds. But the celebrity action wasn't limited to the stage. At my table, presided by Chivas Brothers president Christian Porta, were the ever-charming Broadway actor James Naughton (who hopped on stage to sing two songs in tribute to New York), hot-shot Bollywood director Karan Johar and the stunning model and actress Deepika Padukone, star of the upcoming Bollywood film OmShantiOm. The event served as a sort of homecoming for Chivas 25, which had its original debut in 1909—a time when tonight's venue, the Fifth Avenue library, was still under construction. It's probably safe to say, however, that in the NYPL's near-100-year history, never before have so many smiling faces left the premises in one swoop: the 400 revelers rejoiced when they learned that all goody bags contained a numbered bottle of Chivas 25 (retail: $299), which goes on sale tomorrow. %%showphotos [setid=72157602658491838]%%

For Those With an Iron Constitution…

New York's fooderati were out in force tonight to celebrate the launch of The Next Iron Chef, premiering October 7 on the Food Network. Always hungry for a chance to watch their favorite chefs in action, this crowd of journos and other culinary-scene regulars noshed on capapés and cocktails in the Food Network's Kitchen Stadium to wish the élite group of chefs well. John Besh (Restaurant August, Besh Steak, Lüke, La Provnce); Chris Consentino (Incanto); Jill Davie, (JOSIE); Traci Des Jardins (Jardinière, Mijita and Acme Chophouse); Gavin Kaysen (El Bizcocho); Morou Ouattara (Farrah Olivia); Aarón Sánchez (Centrico, Paladar); and Michael Symon (Lola and Lolita) are the eight masters of cuisine who will be duking it out this season, with the winner revealed on November 11. The following week, the newly crowned Iron Chef will take his or her rightful place on the new season of Iron Chef America, which premieres on November 18. Gentlemen (and ladies), start your burners. %%showphotos [setid=72157602529521049]%%

The Prince of Denmark Comes to New York. (No, Not Hamlet.)

Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, made a special appearance last night at SoHo's Culinary Loft to add a touch of royal glamour to a dinner designed to change the way the world perceives Scandinavian cuisine. Thanks to the creativity of chef Claus Meyer, host of New Scandinavian Cooking, there wasn't a shred of smoked herring in sight. (Much to my relief.) "I'm not here to do pizza better than the Italians or sushi better than the Japanese," said Meyer, but to show off the potential of Scandinavian dishes and to add them to the "beautiful chorus of world cuisine." Meyer's tasty courses got progressively more interesting as the dinner wore on, aided in no small part by the beers of Carlsberg, including that company's newest entry, an organic ale called Jacobsen. Meyer's show debuts this Saturday on PBS. %%showphotos [setid=72157602640478850]%%

Seventy-Five Years of Saving the Children

George Bush, Senior, Bill Clinton and Melinda Gates were the honorees tonight at a gala held at Avery Fisher Hall to mark the diamond anniversary of international relief organization Save the Children. Among the celebrity attendees included a ravishing Julianne Moore and the stunning Idina Menzel as well as Captain von Trapp himself, Christopher Plummer, Mischa Barton and Roberto Cavalli. The evening's master of ceremonies was Samuel L. Jackson. Entertainment for the night was provided by Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, who, through interpretive music and dance conveyed the experience of living in that war-torn country. (You may recall their music on the soundtrack of Blood Diamond.) %%showphotos [setid=72157601938736041]%%

Fashion Week Reality Check

Supporters of Brooke Geahan's Accompanied Literary Society took a break from the whirlwind that has been Fashion Week to attend the New York premiere of In the Valley of Elah, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Susan Sarandon and Charlize Theron and written directed by Paul Haggis, the man responsible for the Best Film of 2004, Crash. His newest is loosely based on the article "Death and Dishonor," by Mark Boal, first published in Playboy in May 2004, and recounts the tale of a father's search for answers to shed light on the murder of his son, just returned from service in Iraq. A particularly haggard-looking Jones turns in a standout performance as the soldier's anguished ex-military dad and Theron does her empathetic best as the local police detective whose determined efforts to crack the case are thrown off course by the army's investigators as well as her sexist male colleagues. The film is intense, but is an absolute a must-see. I'm putting money on Haggis garnering another Academy Award nomination. Following the screening, attendees decamped to Jour et Nuit, where silent and a live auctions were held for the benefit of a new cultural center in downtown Manhattan. Among the items on offer were a stay at Casa Genotta, onetime home of Eugene O'Neill on Sea Island, Georgia, and dinner with a Victoria's Secret model (plus two of her equally bubbly friends). %%showphotos [setid=72157602749707995]%%

Tennis Anyone?

The stars came out this evening, a beautiful weather night, for the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, in Flushing Meadows, Queens. With everyone from Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, Martha Stewart, Judd Hirsch, Tony Bennett, Anna Wintour and Oscar de la Renta, sprinkled in plum seating around the stadium, spectators weren't sure whether to scout for celebrities or gape at the amazing action on the court.

I was a guest of Lexus, and from the automaker's luxury suite (where I had the chance to chat with Martina Navratilova, had a perfect line of sight from which to witness it all, not least of which was the phenomenal victory of number-twelve seed Venus Williams over number-three seed Jelena Jankovic, of Serbia. Her win, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6, had the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium going wild. The intense (though polite) match between Jankovic and Williams was but a prelude to the rivalry between brusque American Andy Roddick (vexingly, the clear crowd favorite) and the number-one seed, Roger Federer, of Switzerland. Watching Federer is such a treat...he glides over the court like a dancer and his effortless choreography steadily overcame Roddick's one ace in the hole, his powerhouse serve. Federer took the match in straight sets, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-2 Phenomenal weather. Stars aplenty. Fierce match play. And lots of happy campers in luxury suites. Nearly everyone left smiling tonight. Even Jankovic seemed to be at peace with her loss and sounded genuinely pleased for Williams. Perhaps the only one to walk out of the stadium with a frown on his face was A-Rod. Maybe next year, Andy. %%showphotos [setid=72157602750880635]%%

Sake + Sports Stars = One Heck of a Party

In a private Park Avenue home that was once the love nest of William Randolph Hearst and his mistress Marion Davies, party-goers gathered this evening to sample something even sweeter than the forbidden love between a legendary publisher and his Ziegfeld Follies paramour. Courtesy of master mixologist Allen Katz, revelers tried a trio of cocktails featuring Ty*Ku, the new sake created by entrepreneur Kirk Spahn and his business partner Andrew Chrisomalis. Among the notables who showed their affection for the savory summer concoctions included New York Giants linebacker Brandon Short and the world's number-ten ranked tennis player, Tommy Haas. No word yet on whether Haas will down a White Lotus (recipe below) to prepare for play in this year's U.S. Open. Speaking of which, tune in on September 5 for my report live from the Lexus hospitality suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium. WHITE LOTUS RECIPE 1 oz. Ty*Ku 1 oz. Plymouth gin 1 oz. peach purée 1/2 oz. fresh lime 1/4 oz lavendar syrup