Off to the Races!
Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 4:36PM The whirlwind of the social season has us thrashing about from one social gathering to the next, and in this maelstrom of activity, have you wondered whether you have whacked your head or whether every party you attend is playing out the same script? Well, fret no more and mark your calendar for the 3rd Annual Kentucky Derby Celebration at 11 Madison Park. Once you read on, you’ll understand why you’ll want to buy your tickets the second the event is announced...in 2011!
Yesterday marked the second time Esquire magazine and Union Square Hospitality Group joined forces to create the Derby Day party in New York, a festivity that in a very short time has become an extravaganza. In fact, days before the event New Yorkers were jockeying for a way to get their hands on tickets, just as if they'd been trying for the highly-coveted wreath of roses bestowed upon the Derby winner.
The frenzy was understandable. With USHG founder, Danny Meyer, and Esquire editor-in-chief, David Granger, involved, the event could not be more masterfully run.
The doors to 11 Madison Park’s sublime art-deco dining room opened at 3:00 pm to usher in the most creative, audacious, and fabulous fashion parade seen there since Big and Carrie lunched there in Season 2 of Sex & the City. Everyone from David Diehl of the NY Giants, Chef Wylie Dufresne of WD-50, cocktail great David Wondrich, Don Lee, from Momofuku, and Jenny Slate of Saturday Night Live, dressed to impress. And when I say impress, I don’t mean the trite dress code we see starlets don at Churchill Downs. I am talking more Ascot, England, racing-day-spectacular! Men were bedecked in their own creations and interpretations of what the traditional seersucker suit meant to them, and women opted for fanciful headdresses by Leah C. Millinery that featured feathers and bold colors rather than the meek watercolor palette might have expected.
Indeed, many aspects of the afternoon involved unexpected twists. Who'd have ever thought that Chef Daniel Humm’s fried chicken on French toast could be the most delectable incarnation to ever cross your mouth? Or that the most lavish raw bar you'd ever see would be at a Derby party? And what of the libations, you ask? Thanks to Maker’s Mark, not only did we have mint juleps, but also cocktails that rarely come out to help us play: Old Kentuckys (bourbon, mint, and Champagne) and Seelbachs (bourbon, bitters, and Champagne). Yet, the winner of the afternoon was Joaquin Simo’s Double Barrel Julep...with round peach flavors that kept all of us coming back for more. (And, if you are now longing for one, head to Death & Co., where it is part of their spring menu!)
To add to the buzz of the liquid spirits flowing through the room, Nat Sherman organized a cigar lounge outside, where one could select from a myriad selection of cigars while a blue-grass band played long past the 7 pm closing time. (Courtesy of the Nat Sherman folks and as a tribute to the amazing time had by all, the lounge remained packed until 9 pm!) ELIZABETH DA TRINDADE ASHER
