Need an Excuse to Buy Those Fancy Hats? Go to a Kentucky Derby Party

I happen to have one taking place in New York City:   It's being thrown by MaroonEffect.org, a charity that is affiliated with the NYC Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association.  Details below:

May 7^th, 2011 – 5^th Annual Kentucky Derby Charity Event @ The Village Pourhouse on Restaurant Row

A unique charity event that combines Southern Charm and Manhattan Sass as the Kentucky Derby experience comes to life in Midtown.  Ladies in hats and heels mingle with gents in seersucker, sipping mint juleps, while placing bets on the Derby’s outcome and anxiously awaiting the live charity auction and best dressed competition.  All proceeds from the event benefit scholarships for area students.

Tickets are $40 online and can be purchased at www.kentuckyderbynyc.com

Location: The Village Pourhouse on Restaurant Row
            46^th St and 9^th Ave
            Nearest Subways: Times Square 1,2,3, 7, A, C, E, N, Q, R, S
Date: May 7^th 2011
Time: 4pm – 8pm
Price: $40 pre-order
          $50 at the door
Website: www.kentuckyderbynyc.com
Twitter: @derbynyc

Oyster Saloon at the New Amsterdam Market This Weekend

photo credit: http://www.newamsterdammarket.org/

This Saturday, April 9, from 5PM-9PM, the Old Fulton Fish Market in Lower Manhattan will be transformed into a night market with oysters, oysters, and more oysters on the menu.

The Oyster Saloon, aims to raise the necessary funding to promote economic development by reintroducing a new generation of markets in Lower Manhattan. As the title suggests, the event comprises of food tastings with oysters as the stars of the show.  The menu comprises of freshly shucked oysters, and special dishes made by chefs such as Scott Bridi of Brooklyn Cured and King Phojanakong of Kuma Inn.   Admission is reasonable at $50 and includes 20 tickets to select which dishes you would like sample. To see the menu, visit: http://www.newamsterdammarket.org/events_bill-of-fare.html