On Thursday November 8, 2012 there was a time warp back to the mid-1920s. Ladies got dolled-up in flapper dresses and the gentlemen dressed to impress in their pinstripe suits for the event. It was Sage Restaurant’s 1st Annual Gala Dinner.
“The theme is the Roaring 20s. We have a speak-easy going on, and we have a five-course wine dinner. And we have some cocktails. What happened during Prohibition was that people were making their own alcohol and it was really bad. So during that period in time the cocktail was invented People would make this bad alcohol and then add stuff to make it better and that is how the cocktail was born,” Chef Joseph Gaal explained. “This is the start of our wine dinner season. We will be doing one a month starting tonight through February. Tonight is the only themed dinner.”
The dinner was a replication of the 1924 Inaugural Dinner for Calvin Coolidge which took place at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, with a few awesome twists! Things started off with a Waldorf salad and crostini on the side, a homemade Italian sausage and bean soup, seared sea bass in a ginger broth, a candied walnut-crusted chicken breast served atop creamy risotto, pork tenderloin medallion served with roasted potatoes and asparagus, and for dessert was a decadent French toast bread pudding topped with maple gelato and candied bacon.
What? Bacon?! Did this really happen? Yes. Was it everything that I hoped and dreamed it would be? Oh, yes!
Local wines were expertly paired with each course, and mint juleps were served toward the end of the meal to add to the authenticity of the night. After dinner the Larry Spurlock Little Big Band entertained guests with some lovely tunage. The aforementioned speak-easy opened at 9pm, and members from Duneland Ballroom came to cut a rug with the guest at the Gala.
Shelley Seely was one of the dinner guests. She came looking gorgeous in a fringy flapper dress.
“I thought it would be fun to dress up and one of my really good friends, Theresa Potesta, is here and she and I love to go out and have fun. So this is a great experience. And I love Sage’s food,” Seely said.
Seely was right, it was a great experience. For those that missed out, be sure to attend next year! For the 1st Annual Gala Dinner was the bee’s knees, the cat’s meow, and just plain awesome!
Click here to view more photos from the event!!
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