The City's Most Expensive Dinner

And you thought Nobu was pricey. Bringing with him the gridlock that is part and parcel of any presidential visit to our island, Barack Obama arrived in town last night for a whistle-stop tour that included a fund-raiser dinner at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for 200 deep-pocketed donors, each of whom paid $30,400--the legal maximum--for the privilege. (To be fair, that did include a plus-one.) The commander-in-chief also spoke at an event at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Compared to the fête at the Mandarin, entry to that fund-raiser was a steal, at $1,000 per head or less. Nearly 2,500 supporters were estimated to have turned out for the cheaper of the two presidential-viewing opportunities, both of which supported the Democratic National Committee.

Not feeling the love, however, was New York's Democratic mayoral hopeful, Bill Thompson, who got a gentle nod from the president with the comment that he is "our candidate," but nothing resembling the endorsement he so sorely needs in his race against Michael Bloomberg.

A Night to Remember

Everyone had a party to go to last night and if they didn't, they simply danced in the streets. Indeed, there was much joy on Election Evening in New York City. Supporters of John McCain and Barack Obama alike wanted to be with friends as they prepared to witness history being made. At financier David Larkin's Tribeca home, a movie-size screen displayed the results as the magic numbers moved quickly toward 270 electoral votes for Barack Obama. Over at Public House, Harvey Weinstein, Georgette Mosbacher, Cindi Leive, and GQ's Jim Nelson hosted a star-studded fete attended by James Franco, Katie Lee Joel and James Lipton, among others. And at gallery Gavin Brown's Enterprise, the art on the walls left no doubt about the curator's favored candidate. Once the night's victor was announced, cars and taxis honked their horns--well into the wee hours of the morning. On their subway rides home, delirious passengers broke into spontaneous applause. After a two-year presidential campaign, change had finally arrived.

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Obama Leading McCain 2:1

We're not talking the battle for electoral votes here, we're talking bragging rights for the best cocktail. At the Gypsy Bar in Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel, the Ciroc Obama is outselling the McCainarita by a margin of nearly two to one. (See recipes below.) If you're looking to raise a glass to the winner at the end of tonight's tally (or if you need to drown your sorrows), we recommend throwing caution to the wind and trying both of these casino cocktails. But don't bother with the Gypsy Bar's Miss Independent creation. If you still haven't made up your mind about whom you're voting for, we have no sympathy for you. Go drink some white Zinfandel instead. Lastly, if you need something to sate your your sweet tooth, pick yourself up a box of Obama and McCain cookies from Chelsea Market baker extraordinaire Eleni's and some chocolate Democrat and Republican lollipops from Jacques Torres. May the best creation win! Ciroq Obama 1 part Ciroc vodka 1/2 part Blue Curacao 1 part fresh lime juice (or sour mix) 1 part Sprite Mix ingredients and shake in a stirrer with ice; serve over ice in a rocks glass and garnish with lime. McCainarita 1 part Siembra Azul Reposado tequila 1/2 part Grand Marnier 1 part fresh lime juice (or sour mix) 1 part pomegranate juice Mix ingredients and shake in a stirrer with ice; serve over ice.

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Holding Out for a Hiro

The Hiro Ballroom at the Maritime Hotel is not the kind of place where you go to sit down (let alone watch television), but tonight, a glam crowd gathered to do just that. More than 1,000 supporters of Barack Obama gathered at the nightclub for a fundraiser and to watch the Vice Presidential debates on a jumbo screen, movie-theater style. All in all, more than $50,000 was collected for Obama '08. Downright Hiroic. %%showphotos [setid=72157607836214566]%%