I love hosting and I get especially excited about Turkey Day. It’s one of my favorite holidays—family, friends, and food are always the focus (and pair that with your favorite wine/beer/cocktail). If you feel prepping for one of the biggest meals of the year can be challenging, don’t worry. I’ve created a guide of recipes, resources, and more you’ll have at your fingertips so you can plan the best Thanksgiving.
If you’re looking for the perfect event space for this year’s holiday party or maybe you have a special event on the horizon in 2016, you should start considering the Empire City Casino. Sure, the casino is known for record-breaking jackpots in New York (a player just hit big, turning his $20 bet into a $1,473,503 million), but tucked between those slot machines are these hidden gems—from chic lounge spaces to retro-style red rooms—that will leave your guests feeling like a winner.
Hal Wolin, NYC mixologist and brand ambassador for Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky, shook things up in the studio (literally!), whipping up some holiday cocktail recipes just in time for Thanksgiving.
I have to admit—before taking a sip of the creative cocktails below, I would not classify myself as a fan of scotch. But apparently, even the devout vodka lover can be converted. I thoroughly enjoyed the sweat oak-hint of honey flavor, that had a slightly smoky finish.
Check out Wolin’s recipes below:
If you’re worried about the upcoming season, don’t worry! The IntoxiKate Guide to the Holidays in Westchester and Fairfield Counties is here. Flip through the online pages to find resources, recipes, and restaurants for Thanksgiving and onwards.
Plus:
– Planning a holiday party or special event? Check out the Empire City Casino’s hidden gems—a list of beautiful, private venues perfect for you. PAGE 20
– This year brought us more than a few new eateries. Check out “Restaurants to Love” to take the IntoxiKate quiz to discover your perfect match. PAGE 8
– The fall favorites features a roundup of a few of my favorite seasonal dishes from our area. PAGE 15
– Learn how you can help the Food Back from Westchester. PAGE 13
Don’t forget! As always, this guide is interactive, so look for those live links (underlined) and purple buttons to access videos, sound clips, and more information. Click on the button below to read the magazine full screen.
Reminder: The discounted tickets to the IntoxiKate Silver & Gold Party are only offered through Friday. Tickets are going fast, so make sure you grab yours now.
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Last year, I invited followers and fellow foodies to join me for lunch, dinner, drinks, and great conversation. I had a great time meeting new people and talking restaurants in the lower Hudson Valley. When Hudson Valley Restaurant Week (#HVRW) promos started popping up, I was pleasantly surprised to find more than a few requests to repeat the communal dinners. So here goes!
#HVRW runs Nov. 2nd to Nov. 15th with an impressive list of restaurants reaching from Newburgh, NY, to Greenwich, CT. My selects for this year are below. If you’d like to join me for one (or more) meals, simply click the “READ MORE” button and fill out the forms. Please do so as soon as possible, so I can make reservations with the chefs. If you’re just looking for a few great places—and dishes—to enjoy, scroll down for a few photos that will tempt those tastebuds.
The Hudson Valley Restaurant Week rates are as follows:
Three-Course Lunch: $20.95
Three Course Dinner: $29.95
Cedar Street Grill’s Chef Matt Kay (Dobbs Ferry) and Yonkers Brewing Company teamed up to host a Beer Dinner Tuesday, November 17th at the brewery. The event, which runs from 7-10 p.m., features food stations and accompanying beer pairings and benefits the Food Bank For Westchester. The menu includes:
Generally, Halloween leaves us with thoughts of candy-filled plastic pumpkins and disjointed skeletons dancing in our heads. But this year, my favorite holiday lands on the weekend, opening up a little room for some adult fun. I challenge you to get in the spooky spirit and celebrate with some fun Halloween cocktails. Don’t worry, there’s no trick here. We’ve got a treat for everyone. Happy haunting!
Fall is the season for Westchester events, and often times, these events fall on the same evening. This was the case Thursday evening—in a three-hour span I had three events to go to (all including food and drinks!), but I was game for the task at hand…
Check out the photo recap of The Food Bank for Westchester’s 25th Annual “An Evening in Good Taste,” the YoFi Fest, and the press opening of the Royal Regency Hotel in Yonkers.
Leiberts Royal Green Appliance Center and IntoxiKate hosted the Give Thanks, Give Back Chef Series last week, featuring Love Hospitality Group’s Leslie Lampert cooking on Viking’s new Tuscany Line. Benefits from the evening’s raffle and silent auction went to the Food Bank for Westchester.
Thank you to Leiberts Royal Green, Vino 100 White Plains, Cafe or Love and Viking for an INCREDIBLE end to this year’s chef series. I also want to thank the Empire City Casino and Yonkers Brewing Company for their donations.
And a big thank you to those who attended the event. Thanks to you, we raised over to $1300 for the Food Bank of Westchester!
Click below to view the photos from the event!
I could lead in by telling you Les Barnes’ story—how he grew up at the Fulton Fish Market, buying fish with his father for the family-owned restaurant. I could tell you how, in another world, I was already obsessed with Barnes’ philosophy on aquaculture and views on hospitality, dining almost monthly at London Lennie’s, his hot spot in Queens. I could tell you how the Willett House was gutted to the core, how the interior was magically transformed into this chic new spot, with nods to the trendy industrial look, but added elements that make a vibe of its own. I could tell you everything you need to know about Saltaire Oyster Bar & Fish House. But all you need to know is…
You.
Need.
To.
Go.