Chilling Out at the U.N.

It enjoys no diplomatic representation, but the continent of Antarctica managed to take center stage at the United Nations tonight in the form of an exhibit by photographer Sebastian Copeland. An environmentally conscious crowd gathered in the mighty building's main lobby to toast Copeland's just-published book, Antarctica: The Global Warning. The lensman's arresting images—from icebergs to ice shelves—are sure to inspire the uninitiated to ponder a trip to the great white continent. (As one who has been, I cannot recommend the journey highly enough. There is no place on earth like it.) But until you find the time to head to the land where penguins roam, find an excuse to get over to the U.N. to view these photos. To that end.... INSIDER TIP: Make a lunch reservation at the U.N.'s Delegates Dining Room (which is open to the public) and on your way out, check out Copeland's arresting landscapes. The exhibit is at the far end of the main hall, just past the entrance to the elevators that will bring you to the Dining Room. Call (212) 963-7625 for a reservation. %%showphotos [setid=72157602743517415]%%

The First Supper

A gregarious group of New York gadabouts gathered at the National Arts Club on Gramercy Park this evening to commemorate the New York launch of the Supper Club. This London-based members-only group throws a rotating roster of parties and exclusive events for UK-based up-and-comers. It was only a matter of time before the concept crossed the Atlantic and if tonight's party was any indication, it will be a great success here. The group, founded by Tamsin Lonsdale, in 2005, claims to have signed up 300 members for the New York chapter. One word of advice to the nascent group: Next time you host an event for 500 people, make certain the venue has air-conditioning. As the National Arts Club became more crowded, the mercury rose to uncomfortable levels, forcing stylish sorts to shed Brioni jackets and Burberry shawls like so many American Idol cast-offs. %%showphotos [setid=72157602741397656]%%

Flavor of Love

Flavor Flav was not in the house, but the Spice Market launch party for Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges brought out everyone from architect David Rockwell to chefs Eric Ripert and Wylie Dufresne. They and a batch of lucky guests descended on the Meatpacking District eatery to sample some of the new book's culinary highlights. Funny....as tantalizing as the passed hors d'oeuvres were, the evening's crowd-pleaser was not an Asian flavor at all, but the chocolate dessert. Its magic ingredient? Ovaltine. For more party pics, click here.

Judgment Day Lands on Le Bernardin

After being chased down a labyrinthine corridor by a belly dancer, you emerge in the back of a kitchen guarded by two Lenny Kravitz lookalikes, barechested twins who direct you past a sea of chefs. You emerge in the dining room of Le Bernardin, which is populated by scantily clad whispering angels and surveyed by an ominous-looking Grim Reaper. The room flickers with the glow of votive candles placed atop two extra-long tables, set for 100 diners apiece. Before long, the room starts to fill up with the stars of the world of fine cuisine....Daniel Boulud, Anthony Bourdain, the Lidias (Shire and Bastianich), Eric Ripert, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Anita Lo, April Bloomfield, Tom Aikens. Martha Stewart breaks out a point-and-shoot camera and starts clicking off pix of a suckling pig. The Moët & Chandon flows. And then the food begins to appear....white tuna poached in extra-virgin olive oil; Santa Barbara spiny lobster curry and hearts of palm meuniere; stuffed capon with truffles and foie gras; and for dessert, milk-chocolate pot de crème with caramel foam and maple syrup. An angel approaches to whisper in your ear that she has a surprise for you. Guiding you to the farthest reaches of the kitchen, she shows you a towering sculpture into which Da Vinci's Last Supper has been frozen. "Tequila shot?" another woman asks, pouring the Mexcian liquor into the chilly creation, and you catch the newly cold liquid in a shotglass as it exits the ice. Back in the main room, a false-eyelashed torch singer by the name of Lady Rizzo entertains the revelers with her slinky version of Billy Idol's White Wedding. By the end of the night, the Steinway that Rizzo so gracefully stands upon will (temporarily) bear the weight of an ebullient table-dancing Daniel Boulud, who (sadly) breaks the piano in the process. Is this the apocalypse, you wonder? Either that or the launch party for Melanie Dunea's just-published My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and their Final Meals (Portraits, Interviews and Recipes). The star-studded, over-the-top and downright unbelievable event has got to be the most fun book party ever thrown. Yes, I go to a lot of amazing events, but this one I will remember for a long, long time. It's also gotten me pondering my final meal. I'm thinking Chateau Lafitte and a Fluffernutter. %%showphotos [setid=72157602611420817]%%

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]%%