event recap

Event Recap | #NCMAEbony ‘Behind the Seams ~ Girls in Gowns in the Gallery @ncartmuseum 

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Disclaimer: Thank you to NCMA for providing tickets to facilitate this recap by blog contributor, Kiara Ruth @kiararuth

Beautiful gowns and heels adorned the halls of the North Carolina Art Museum for the Ebony Fashion Fair Behind the Seams, Girls in Gowns in the Gallery event. Burst of colors and personal closet picks were the hallmarks of the night. Celebrating Inspiring Beauty 50 years of Ebony Fashion Fair exhibition, the sold-out event featured a lip print analysis by Ariana Lightningstorm who has been featured on Dr. Oz, delicate candy floss provided by Mama’s Sugar Shack and methods for fashion illustration with live demonstration by visual artist Karen Campbell. 

During this event you were able to sip and stroll the galleries with your girls dressed in their best gowns. We were able to view the 40 stunning outfits by Christian Dior, Givenchy, Alexander Mcqueen and many more. Designs from the 60’s to the early 2000’s vibrantly worn by the most beautiful mannequins filled the North Carolina Art Museum. 

This portrait was drawn by Karen Campbell. She was gracious enough to make me look like a Disney Princess. She is amazing, and her talent is out of this world. Visit her website at www.karencampbellartist.com for illustrations and live demonstrations.

During this event my favorite thing to eat was the blue raspberry cotton candy from Mamas Sugar Shack; It was just the right amount of sweet and the perfect addition for any party.

I went with this off the shoulder rose gown from Swoon, a local boutique in Holly Springs, NC. Here are more photos from this lovely event:

Overall the Behind the Seams, Girls in Gown Night was simply amazing. I am extremely grateful that I attended this event. ~Kiara Ruth

If you missed the Behind the Seams event, check out NC Museum of Art’s photo stream >>>>here. Be sure to follow @SobeSavvy, @NCartmuseum and share your experience on social media using hashtag #NCMAebony. 

North Carolina Museum of Art

East Building

Meymandi Exhibition Gallery

October 28, 2017- January 21, 2018

Event Recap|Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival @drinkeatrelax @theyardsdc #oysters #beer #fun

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Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival DC | Photo Credit: SobeSavvy.com

Hi, my name is Leslie and I am a seafood lover. Considering I was born in Maryland and lived there for 23 years of my life, seafood from the Chesapeake Bay is most likely in my DNA! So when I heard about the Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival, I knew this was going to be a shucking good time!

Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival DC -Capitol Riverfront/The Yards DC

It all went down on October 21, 2017 from noon-6pm at the Capitol Riverfront, next to Nationals Stadium at The Yards Park in Washington,DC . It was the perfect day..sunny skies, high 70s..for an outdoor festival filled with seafood and libations. There were over 30 wines, beers, and spirits to sample along with over 15 types of oysters. The motto of the day was SHUCK. SLURP. REPEAT..oh and watch out for the Angry Mermaid!

Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival DC “Shuck,Slurp,Repeat” ..and 1 Angry Mermaid

FOOD

Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival DC | Oysters served Raw, Grilled, Steamed

Whether you like oysters raw, grilled, or steamed (or if you are like me and enjoy them in all ways), then this festival is for you! Some of the world’s best shuckers were there handling the 1000’s of bivalves with care at this All You Care To Taste event. If oysters are not your thing, there were food truck options, restaurant samplings and other types of seafood such as mussels, clams, shrimp and lobster*(if you were one of the lucky ones to get some). 

Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival | New England Clambake, Charleston Seafood Boil & Lobster Steam

Per the Oyster listing, these were served at the festival:

Double T’s ● Shore Things ● War Shore Oyster ● Battle Creek Oyster ● Rocky Shores ● Tatamaguche ● Malpeques ● Fire lakes ● Caribous ● Blues points ● Delaware Bays ● Shooting points ● Bullseye’s ● Salt ponds ● Well fleets ● Duxburys ● Naked cowboys ● Sugar shacks ● Arrow heads ● Caraquets

If I had to choose one (which is a blasphemy to a seafoodie like me) the Blue Points were my favorite served raw. There was a condiment station with lemons, cocktail sauce and horseradish to add to the taste of those briny beauties. The Grilled Oysters with Goat Cheese +BBQ and Garlic +Parmesean were also amazing! I hope to recreate those at home to serve sooner than later.

Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival | Freshly shucked Blue Points and Oysters from the grill

DRINK

Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival DC | Souvenir Glass

Upon arrival, VIPs and General Admission guests received a Souvenir Glass to taste over 30 Beers, Spirits and Wines.  That’s right, the event is not all just beer. Included with the ticket price was access to the wine pavilion, where attendees could enjoy pairing with Champagne, Chablis, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and many more!

Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival | Wines,Spirits,Beers

 FUN

Friends enjoying the Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival

If you have ever been to a Drink Eat Relax event or festival then you know their goal is to provide a fun, value -oriented experience that wows you and is worthy of your valuable weekend time. I can say after attending this one, between the games, music, drinks and flavorful seafood, I left feeling like the world was my oyster! 

If you saw my Twitter, Instagram, Facebook , I shared more photos from this fun event!  You can also click below to see the following: 

Watch “2017 Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival” on YouTube

Fun Times at Chesapeake Oyster & Beer Festival

Be sure to follow Drink Eat Relax on Facebook , Twitter , Snapchat, Instagram and drinkeatrelax.com to find out where their next event on the East Coast (from NYC to Tampa) will be! You don’t want to miss it!

Event Recap|@Whiskey_Kitchen #SupperClubNo2 #JapaneseWhisky + #WhiskeyKitchen Eats!

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On October 18, 2017, Whiskey Kitchen hosted a private (SOLD OUT) event -‘Supper Club No.2- featuring curated selections of Japanese whisky paired with inspired dishes created by Whiskey Kitchen’s culinary team. SobeSavvy.com was there to capture the celebration and give you an inside look of Japan’s finest offerings at this wonderful event!  

THE INVITE

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 Invite

THE SETTING

Located in Downtown Raleigh, Whiskey Kitchen is the perfect restaurant for hosting group & private events. Guests who attended Supper Club No.2 sat in reserved seating at long communal tables, which allowed for talking and sharing dishes family-style. The table was nicely decorated and each chair had a Japanese paper fan as a keepsake!

Whiskey Kitchen | Guests seated for Supper Club No. 2

THE WHISKY

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No. 2 Reception Cocktail made with Suntory Whisky Toki      

When we arrived, we were advised to head to the bar to receive our reception cocktail which was hand-crafted and curated especially for the evening. In this video, bartendar legend Johnny Berry explains how this refreshing cocktail was made!

We all received a menu which listed the selection of whisky we would be tasting along with notes for proof, color, nose and finish. In addition to the reception cocktail, there were four types of whisky to try. My favorite was the Suntory Whisky Toki , which is a blended whisky that has hints of vanilla. I just happened to be sitting next to two reps from Beam Suntory who shared that Suntory Whisky Toki is a blend of 3 different Japanese Whiskies aged in different casks.

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No. 2 ‘Suntory Whisky Toki’

THE FOOD

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 Menu

The culinary team at Whiskey Kitchen did an excellent job at creating Japanese inspired cuisine with a southern touch. We enjoyed 8 dishes created specifically for this event, but some of them may make its way onto the permanant menu because it was that good! Everything was AMAZING….just feast your eyes on the following food pics from the event (which I also shared on my Instastories on Instagram) :

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 ‘Onigiri’ Rice Ball w/Andouille Sausage and Pickled Plum

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 ‘Takoyaki’ – Savory Cake w/ smoked octopus,scallion, vesta aioli, bonito flakes

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 ‘Roasted Cauliflower’ w/Shishito, Wakame Butter, Crispy Garlic and Edible Flowers

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 ‘Green Tea Soba Salad’ w/edamame, mushroom,radish,seaweed, ginger/whisky dressing

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 ‘Tuna Tataki’

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 ‘Smoked Lamb Shank’

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 ‘Mochiko Pork’ w/Tonkatsu Sauce, Oriental Sweet Potato, Kohlrabi, Turnip

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No.2 ‘Koshian Cake’ Hakushu Poached Golden Pear, Red Bean Cake, White Chocolate, Yuzu Ganache, Miso Caramel


THE NEXT EVENT

Whiskey Kitchen | Supper Club No. 2 =Whisky+Food+Fun

This was Whiskey Kitchen‘s second large scale celebration of whiskey and food and I highly recommend going to their next event. You don’t have to be a big fan of whisky to appreciate the experience with other foodies. This renowned Raleigh restaurant has already made plans to host Supper Club No. 3! More information about more event happenings can be found out by visiting this link.

I had an amazing time meeting new people, trying new things and learning about a variety of whisky from Japan. The food was really good as always with Whiskey Kitchen. You should definitely make plans to visit Downtown Raleigh and dine at this restaurant or hang at their beautiful bar, which serves not only whiskey but wine, beer and uniquely crafted cocktails! Hope to see you at the next event. Cheers! 

WHISKEY KITCHEN

201 Martin Street

Raleigh, NC 27601


Event Recap | Sip + Savor -A Wine & Food Experience @DPAC #SipandSavor #Durham

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On October 15, 2017, SobeSavvy.com was invited to join other foodies and oeneophiles at DPAC for the inaugural Sip +Savor -A Wine & Food Experience. This new food and wine event brought together North Carolina’s restaurants & culinary talents and paired them with fine wines from around the world! This was also a fundraising event to benefit Keep Durham Beautiful , a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with Durham to conserve and enhance the appearance and environment of the city/county.

Admission to this event included: 

  • Souvenir Glass
  • Live Music on Stage
  • Food Sampling from North Carolina Restaurants and notable Chefs like Scott Howell of Nana’s, Michael Lee of  M Sushi, Bill smith of Crooks Corner, Eric Montagne of Standard Fords, Charlie Deal of JuJube, Brandon Sharp of Carolina Crossroads at the Carolina Inn, Aaron Benjamin of Gocciolona, Jim Wald of Glasshalfull, Tim Lyons of Blue Seafood and Kevin Callaghan of Acme …just to name a few!
  • A limited number of VIP Ticket holders enjoyed all elements of regular admission plus a private entrance/restrooms, exclusive VIP lounge where speciality spirits, rare beer and wine tastings were available to Imperial ticket holders only. 

With sample areas on all three levels guests never had to walk more than a few steps for their next delightful bite or sip of wine. Every varietal imagined was represented here by a winery. Most tables paired their food with the wine right next to it, which allowed for guests to engage with restaurants and wineries at the same time. We also had the opportunity to attend wine seminars and learn more about the wines being shared from the wine producers and Sommeliers. I really enjoyed how intimate and informative this event was! 

 

Not only was the event informative but I had so much fun meeting other food & wine lovers from the community who all enjoyed sharing stories about what was the favorite bite at this event and how wonderful our local culinary scene is here in the Triangle. We are so fortunate to live in North Carolina with its amazing Agriculture as well its own Wine Industry.

Smiling Faces at ‘Sip + Savor’ – A Wine & Food Experience

Sip + Savor – A Wine & Food Experience | Food Sampling

On-Stage at Sip + Savor – A Wine & Food Experience

Before leaving, we checked out the on-stage experience inside the actual venue which is where I ran into some friends as well as dessert samples. That was the perfect sweet ending to this fantastic foodie event! It was such a great way to spend a beautiful Sunday Afternoon in the Bull City. 
Enjoy my photo recap of this event >>here as well as my video of Sip +Savor >>here. 

CHEERS! 🍷

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