6.23.09: On the streets of New York ...

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On the streets of New York ...

Chefs at Street & Savory, a Global Street Food Festival for the Benefit of Citymeals-on-Wheels.

From crepes on the streets of Paris, to shawarma in the Middle East, to the classic hot dog in New York City, every country and culture has its beloved street foods – and many of today’s greatest chefs draw their inspiration from the dishes they once enjoyed at outdoor markets and festivals.

That said, a couple of weeks ago, Citymeals-on-Wheels staged Street & Savory, a Global Street Food Festival, which might just be the most glamorous street festival the world has ever seen with more than a thousand guests strolling the esplanades and gardens of Rockefeller Center, sampling the creations of thirty-five of the country’s greatest chefs, along with fare from some of the city’s most famous gourmet street vendors. This and a glass of champagne, a signature cocktail or a cold beer and dancing under the stars until midnight made for an exciting celebration that will be felt in the homes of thousands of elderly neighbors throughout the five boroughs of New York City who rely on Citymeals-on-Wheels for their lifeline of food and companionship.

This year’s grand host was Nick Valenti of Patina Restaurant Group. Chairs were Michael and Ninah Lynne, Laura and John Pomerantz, Dennis and Randi Riese.

Street & Savory guests

Citymeals co-founder (with James Beard), Gael Greene recalled that “…The first ‘American Chefs and Winemakers’ al fresco feast in the gardens of Rockefeller’ Center was planned to celebrate the 82nd birthday of James Beard. When he died a few weeks prior to the event, the gala salute to America’s harvest and American talent became our tribute to him.”

Twelve chefs who trained with James Beard, including Wolfgang Puck, Alice Waters, Bradley Ogden, Ed Brown, Edna Lewis, Alfred Portale, and Tribute founders Larry Forgione and Jonathan Waxman, gathered in his honor to prepare tasting portions of their signature dishes for a small crowd of gourmet enthusiasts. It was one of the first tasting events to take the chefs out of the kitchen and into the limelight and some of the most highly touted chefs from across the nation (and world) have joined this esteemed roster of chefs year after year.

Dennis and Randi Riese

Mari and Bonnie Yaseem

Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch

Michael Lynne, Chairperson of the Event, Jonathan Lynne, and Phil Suarez, Restaurateur and partner of Jean Georges

Brooke Jennings and Chef Larry Forgione

Scott Kasen

Donatella Arpaia and Marcia Stein

Nick Valenti and Gael Greene

Jon Johnnidis, Jason Ferris, Jenni Stokes, Christopher Lee, Christopher Wilgos, and Brett Mendl

David Rockwell and Marcia Stein

Ann Malavet and Tim Reusing

Mathew Glazier, Charlie Palmer, Bob Grimes, and Charles Phan

Drew Nieporent, Lee Anne Wong, and Roy Choi

Mathew Glazier and John Schenk

Peter, Mathew, and Penny Glazier

Myron Stein and Joe Cohen at The DessertTruck

Fatty Crab and Bruno LeMeur-Ruiba

Jonathan Lynne, Michael Lynne, Marcia Stein, Evelyn Lipper, and Bill Speck

Marcia Stein and Samantha Boardman Rosen

Larry Forgione, Jonathan Waxman, Kelly Choi, and Cesare Casella

Joe Cohen, Lally Weymouth, and Julian Niccolini

Kelly Choi, Daniel Boulud, and Susan Ungaro

Rafael Soler of Soler Dominican truck

Karen Bass

Sameh Wadi

Jean-Georges and team at station

Jim Leiken and Daniel Boulud

Marjorie and Alan Doniger

Michael Lynne, Janet Rodgers, Marcia Stein, and John Pomerantz

Marcia Stein with John and Laura Pomerantz

Ron Lasofsky and Janet Edelberg

Marcia Stein and Anne Cohen

Van Leeuwan Ice Cream truck

Susan and Elliot Black

Roy Choi at Kogi station

The Treats Truck offering up some treats ...

The American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) hosted its third annual “Freeing Voices, Changing Lives” benefit gala at the Tribeca Rooftop. AIS friend, Sam Waterston, star of TV's Law and Order hosted.

Joe Moglia, Chairman of TD Ameritrade and British actress, Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, Sunshine Cleaning) both who have personally dealt with stuttering, were the honored guests.

Susan Glessner and Seth H. Waugh, CEO, Deutsche Bank Americas served as Co-Chairs for the event. The reception was followed by dinner and a moving “Freeing Voices, Changing Lives” Leadership Award presentation. More than half a million dollars was raised to benefit the programs at the American Institute for Stuttering.

AIS had another evening of positive messages and poignant remarks. Last year's gala Honoree, then-Senator Joe Biden, said, "In my darkest days I would not trade my stuttering for what it's taught me and what it's made me. It's been the single most beneficial thing that's ever happened to me... having overcome it." The message of the evening was that the debilitating effects of stuttering can be overcome and was represented by the 2009 Honorees.

AIS is the only non-profit organization in the United States that offers state-of-the-art treatment to people of all ages who stutter, guidance to their families, and much needed clinical training to professionals. The American Institute was founded in 1998 and is directed by Catherine Montgomery, M.S.,CCC-SLP, BRS-FD, an internationally recognized speech-language pathologist with 30 years of experience dedicated exclusively to the study and treatment of stuttering. She is one of the few Board Recognized Specialists in Fluency Disorders (BRS-FD) in the United States. Ms. Montgomery created the Institute in response to the great need for a comprehensive treatment for those who stutter and for support for their families, and as a place to offer a uniquely specialized training for SLPs, which does not exist in standard educational programs elsewhere.

Barbara Walters and Sir Harold Evans

John Krasinski and Catherine Montgomery

Marc Bouwer and Emily Blunt

Byron Pitts, Barbara Walters, Sir Harry Evans, and Catherine Montgomery

Myles Mancuso

Barbara Walters

Catherine Montgomery, Emily Blunt, Joe Moglia, and Sam Waterston

Catherine Montgomery and Michael McGlone

Sam Waterston and Susan Glessner

Austin Pendleton

Sam Waterston and Emily Blunt

Joe Moglia

The New York Philharmonic hosted a special dinner for members of the Leonard Bernstein Circle at the St. Regis.

With 156 guests in attendance, the black-tie event began with cocktails, followed by a special performance by Philharmonic musicians, and dinner.

This year’s dinner, which recognized and honored the Philharmonic’s major donors, was held in celebration of Lorin Maazel’s final season as Music Director.

Guests included Maestro and Mrs. Lorin Maazel, Music Director; Mr. and Mrs. Zarin Mehta, President and Executive Director; Mr. and Mrs. Paul B. Guenther, Chairman; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Thomas, Senior Vice President; Mr. and Mrs. Matias Tarnopolsky, Vice President, Artistic Planning; Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Abrams; Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence D. Ackman; Dr. and Mrs. Joshua A. Becker; Mr. Alexander Bernstein; The Honorable Donald Blinken and Mrs. Blinken; Mrs. Philippe G. Bouriez; Mr. and Mrs. Russell L. Carson; Mr. and Mrs. Peter D. Cummings; Mr. and Mrs. Toos N. Daruvala; Ms. Florence A. Davis; Ms. Irene Duell and Colonel Jon Mendes; Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Fields; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Forman; Mr. and Mrs. Leonard S. Gruenberg; Ms. SungEun Han-Andersen and Mr. G. Chris Andersen; Mr. and Mrs. Gurnee F. Hart; Mr. Robert S. Hekemian, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Roger Hertog; Mr. and Mrs. Basem L. Hishmeh; Mr. Peter Jungen and Katharina Jungen; Ms. Michelle Kim, Assistant Concertmaster, and Mr. Brian Seung Choi; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred D. Kingsley; Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Kohn; Mr. H. Frederick Krimendahl, II and Ms. Emilia A. Saint-Amand; Ms. Honey M. Kurtz; Mr. and Mrs. Gerald L. Lennard; Mr. and Mrs. Alan S. MacDonald; Mr. and Mrs. Greg Manning; Mr. and Mrs. Peter W. May; Mr. and Mrs. William J. McDonough; Mr. and Mrs. James McGarry; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. McGrath; Mr. and Mrs. David E. McKinney; Mr. Robert B. Menschel and Ms. Janet Wallach; Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Mercy, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. A. Slade Mills, Jr.; Ms. Lizabeth Newman; Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Niemeth; Mr. and Mrs. Charles I. Petschek; Mr. and Mrs. Joel I. Picket; Mrs. Jenny Chen-Ralske; Mr. William D. Robbins and Mildred Caplow; Dr. and Mrs. Leon Root; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Rubin; Mr. and Mrs. Charles V. Schaefer, III; Mr. and Mrs. Oscar S. Schafer; Mrs. Arthur E. Shapiro and Ms. Rita Delli Carpini; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Shen; Ms. Nina Bernstein Simmons; Miss Laura J. Sloate; Mr. and Mrs. Joel E. Smilow; Mr. and Mrs. Paul Soros; Mrs. Joanne E. Spohler; Ms. Sheryl Staples, Principal Associate Concertmaster; Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Swank; Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Ulrich; Mr. Paul Underwood and Michele Fron; Ms. Mary J. Wallach and Mr. Tony Bechara; Mrs. Sandra Warshawsky; Mrs. Rhoda Weiskopf Cohen.

Rhoda Weiskopf Cohen, Carol Schaefer, Christina MacDonald, Liang Wang, and Alice Knapp

Irene Duell and Colonel Jon Mendes

Gary Neuser with Jack and Jamie Rubin

Joshua Becker, Mary Wallach, and Melanie Forman

Joel and Joan Smilow

Diane Guenther, Jon Deak, Carmen Mehta, Paula Root, and Phyllis Mills

Dietlinde Maazel, Leon Root, Phyllis Mills, and Lorin Maazel

Alexander Bernstein and Anne Niemeth

Lorin Maazel with Joel and Joan Picket

Daisy Soros with Lorin and Dietlinde Maazel

Zarin Mehta, Paul Underwood, and Michele Fron

William and Suzanne McDonough with Lorin Maazel

Sandra Warshawsky, Stanford Warshawsky, and Dietlinde Maazel

Colonel Jon Mendes, Irene Duell, and Zarin Mehta

Slade Mills Jr., Ilaria Dagnini, Jon Deak

Emilla Saint-Amand, Nancy McKinney, and Russell Carson

Eugene and Gina Levinson

William and Suzanne McDonough with Thomas and Diahn McGrath

Paul Guenther, Zarin Mehta, and Lorin Maazel

Katharina and Peter Jungen with Lorin Maazel

Marilyn and Robert Abrams

Cynthia and Herbert Fields

Paula Root and Carter Brey

Leon and Paula Root with Lorin Maazel

John French III, Marina French, and Lorin Maazel

Thomas Stacy, Judy Carson, James Buckman, and Marie Stacy

Suzanne McDonough and Lorin Maazel

Lorin Maazel

John French III, Lorin Maazel, Dietlinde Maazel, and Marina French

William and Suzanne McDonough with Dietlinde and Lorin Maazel

Janet Wallach and Mary Wallach

Eugene Levinson and Vera Blinken

Peter Cummings and Rebecca Young

John Demsey hosted a book party for designers Brian Wolk and Claude Morais of Ruffian.

With an introduction by Nicole Phelps, it is an inside look at the world behind the scenes of a successful fashion line, from beginning sketches to final runway show in New York.

Cornelia Guest and Colin Shanley

George Sotelo and Jennifer Collins

Aerin Lauder and John Demsey

Brian Wolk, Patrick Douenat, and Claude Morais

Donald Robertson, Kim Gieske, and Bruce Pask

Max Wolf and Joyce Sitterly

Simon Doonan, John Demsey, and Jonathan Adler

Sabine Heller and Serena Merriman

Roger Street and Patrick Douenat

Dirk Standen and Nicole Phelps

Marcia Levine

Brad Fisher

Bob Dunham

Julia Nasser, Brad Fisher, and Claude Morais

Tim Tareco and Nadine Luke

Tony Brand and Faith Stengel

Brian Wolk

Antonia Thompson and Claude Morais

Nicole Phelps

Blaine Trump and John Demsey

Rachel Roy

Alina Cho

The Fresh Air Fund’s Salute to American Heroes was held at the Tavern on the Green with Mariah Carey as honorary chair along with Karen and William Lauder, Martha Nelson, Donald and Susan Newhouse and Arthur Ochs Suzberger. More than 850 attended and they honored Donna Karan, Spike Lee, Marisa Tomei and John Turturro. Benefit chairs were Judy McGrath, Mary Ann Tighe and Dr. David Hidalgo.

They raised $1.2 million for the Fresh Air Fund programs. Fresh Air Fund has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million inner-city children since 1877. More than 10,000 children enjoy Fresh Air Fund programs every year.