As a very generous thank-you for volunteering at the
All Vegan store, Joy was a Bronze Food Sponsor and invited us to come join her at the Paramount Pictures studio lot on the New York City stages. I have been anticipating this day for weeks and it’s finally here! As if the gala was not enough, we had a thai massage at Pho-Siam and then brunch at Madeleine Bistro. More on that later, back to the gala.
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We met at the Paramount Pictures studio lot and stopped for a picture in front of one of the many entrances. Adrianne and Bill (bookends) helped hand out the delicious
Rose City Chocolates at the gala event. Joy (third from left) treated Carolyn, Alyse, me and Allison to an evening of great food and entertainment. Yes, yes, bad grammar, but that’s our order in the picture.
We arrived right when the gates opened at 6:30pm. Good thing, unless you like queues, because others in our party arriving later had to wait over an hour in the airport screening-like security lines. This was the only bottleneck in the whole evening. It was organized very well, probably looked good on paper, but the “arrival gate” was too small for the 2000-plus in attendance.
While waiting in line, I introduced myself to the other alphabetized individuals around me. Low and behold, meet Paul Wenner, inventor of the Gardenburger! The woman next to me was kind enough to take our picture. It was here night out, husband at home with their 4-year-old son.
The gala was held on the New York City stages. Many New York town houses lined the streets. Many delicious foods were offered by the food sponsors. We strolled around for two hours, sampling the many tasty vegan treats. Fortunately I was born with hollow legs. PlayFood offered delicious raw ice cream made from just cashew nuts, vanilla, and agave nectar (and water). That’s a lot of cashews, so creamy, and ow! head freeze! Maggie Mudd’s from the San Francisco area offered up their hard ice cream. I took Joy’s recommendation and sampled the Coconut Pecan ice cream. Dorell and Carolyn asked for a three-scoop sample. Many eyes rolled skyward as the chocolate, espresso, and pumpkin flavors were so luscious.
The more savory fares were quite extraordinary being that they were not in their own kitchens. Madeleine Bistro, where we were heading the next day for lunch, was easily my favorite. Very complex flavors in their beet tartare appetizer, grilled shitake mushroom skewers, and tacos. They really catered it right by offering many finger foods. Native Foods may have brought their entire restaurant to the Gala. They had table seating available and offered a menu of five full items from their regular menu including the Baja burger and spicy fries.
We were then asked to proceed to the front of the lot to where the stage was set up for the awards presentations. Pamela Anderson and Fred Willard hosted the event which went much like any other awards show you may have seen on TV. Big screen video presentations helped to break up the format. Many big names were not present to receive their awards, but offered video clips expressing their gratitude. Sir Paul McCartney and Morrisey were not able to attend. Andy Dick was very amusing and Jamie Lee Curtis was exceptional. We were then treated to a live performance by Polyphonic Spree and their bouncy hit “Light & Day”.
After the awards show, Sheila E. performed on the back stage. Showing my age, I’m not familiar with any of her work, but I love a live performance on the drums. She engaged the crowd with her heart-pounding tunes. She also held a live “American Idol” by inviting performers up on stage. One woman displayed great vocals! We danced, we tango’d, we ate more desserts.
Joy’s sponsorship of Rose City Chocolates from the All Vegan Store was a big hit. The delicate chocolates were a nice bite-size, but still rich taste. It was great to see chocoholics express their love for this confection.
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We didn’t get back to the hotel until 3:30am. The coffee and chocolate kept me going throughout the night and into the next day as I had a fitful night’s sleep. Thank goodness I only needed to muster the energy for a thai massage and brunch. The one-hour Thai massage was the best thing for working on my tight shoulder area. Yes, they apply pressure with their hands, arms, elbows and feet. Like a thai restaurant asking the heat of the dish, you can have your pressure applied soft, medium, or hard. The session ended with a little lazy yoga where they guided you through some heart-opening poses.
At the Bistro, Dorell said that I looked radiant. I felt very blissful, not doubt aided by the beautiful decor and table settings. The food was amazing for that fact that these people worked the gala the night before and only got two hours of rest in between. I sat next to Dorell’s Mom-in-law and we agreed to split two dishes. We also order beignets for the table. More eye-rolling in ecstasy as we sampled these little donuts with a raspberry compote. The French Toast Napoleon was also served with the raspberry fruit compote layered in between, served with home fries, maple syrup, and whipped creme. Too much rich food in the past two days! I wrapped my half of the Madeleine Club to go to bring home to Larry.
Thank you, Larry, for covering the All Vegan Store while we were up enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime event. So many thanks to Joy and all you do to increase awareness, bringing the Last Chance for Animals San Diego information booth to street fairs and other events around San Diego. Volunteers talk to people about how to live cruelty-free, what to eat instead of meat, and other animal rights issues. More on Larry’s adventures next!