Conference Days 2013: Flappers and Fireworks

The opening night of our conference was a smashing success complete with a throwback theme celebrating our hotel's heyday in the Roaring 20's. Our cocktail servers Tabitha and Courtney were way-fun flappers and our bartender Patrick completely brought to mind a Prohibition-era barkeep.  Our Director of Operations John didn't just work his Sicilian heritage and resemblance to former Elms guest Al Capone but outright channeled the guy.

The cocktails were creative for certain, including the Pendergast (bourbon, Benedictine and sweet vermouth)  and the Prohibition cocktail (gin, Lillet and apricot brandy).  The hors d'ouerves for the evening, displayed with finesse by having Shawna Mulls' vintage cigar-box guitars as a backdrop (see last post for a closer look at these), were quite tasty. I am a big fan of Chef Jordan's hummus, particularly the tomato pesto one with housemade pita chips, but my new obsession might just be her sliders.  I'm torn between the crab cake slider with remoulade sauce and the black bean slider for killer flavor....guess I'll just have to keep trying them both out to settle this internal dispute.  The caramel blondie brownies for dessert had many swooning (see last post for a closer look at these as well).  

(photo courtesy of Kevin Morgan)

The party rolled on in grand fashion, the music filled the room and the flappers danced with abandon.  The Tavern, our party's location, features a wall of glass that overlooks the outdoor pool, hot tub and back lawn.  Outside this window there was a sudden flicker of flame outside this window started capturing the attention of the attendees. Soon, everyone was peering through the glass to see our Spa Director Kevin and his Pyrosapiens troupe (which also includes Shawna, the cigar box guitar creator...the creative minds in this group are awe-inspiring) spinning fire poolside for all to see; and the room was filled with oohs and ahs.  

(photo courtesy of Kevin Morgan)

The party rocked on but I retired to the solitude of my room and settled in with the evening's sophisticated amenities courtesy of the Woodcliff's brilliant pastry chef: Earl Grey truffles and spiced walnut biscotti.  There was so much more to come after all...