I have started this new thread to try to pull things together and make it easier for me, so please keep serious on point and useful comments here. Jokes, insults and other stuff can go on the other thread.
The basics
Saturday afternoon and evening, May 15, Grillin in the Burbs. My house. 52 Sammis Lane, White Plains, NY 10605. Start at 1:00-ish for lunch and continue until well after dark. Food and wine all day and night.
Transportation
MetroNorth Train to White Plains from Grand Central Terminal - that’s the big building between 42nd street and 44th street straddling Park Avenue. There are a lot of trains. I will target the following two trains for pickup at the station - 12:48 pm train arriving at 1:20 and the 2:48 train arriving at 3:20. There are lots of other trains and plenty of cabs at the station, so if you come some other time, you can just grab a cab and tell the guy from Jamaica or Pakistan where you want to go.
From points east, train to Harrison on the New Haven line. We can try to arrange a driver for pick up with advance notice. From points north - get to the MetroNorth stations at Southeast or Wassaic and get a train that stops in White Plains.
By Car - ONLY with a designated driver. I have not decided how to enforce this, but I will. Park on Lana Circle East, which is a dead end alongside my house. Limo from Manhattan in groups is not a bad plan.
By Plane - you can fly into Westchester County Airport and take a taxi from there.
Food
Five courses. I am willing to take suggestions, but here are my thoughts
White wine/lunch course - Risotto (wild mushroom or seafood or both) and fish (I’m thinking salmon burger sliders). Maybe some smoked fish from the Mt. Kisco smoke shop. It’s expensive, but it’s real good.
Transition course - Deep fried turkey and fried onion rings and pommes frites. And a field green salad. Turkey may come from Quattrocchi’s fresh poultry ranch, depending upon whether I can arrange it.
Smoked food course - smoked pulled pork butt sandwiches with choice of mustard or tomato based BBQ sauce and choice of mustard or mayo based cole slaw. Smoked brisket with carmelized onions. Rockland Bakery Rolls.
The Flannery course - To Be Determined. I have sent an email to Mr. Flannery asking for his recommendations. With ratatouille nicoise.
The cheese and desert course. Assorted artisanal cheeses and chocolate marble cheesecake.
Wine Theme
This is a free for all. Anything you want to drink, so long as you are convinced that it is really good. There will be special points (and secret extra special food) for anyone who brings something special that I have never had before - the nominees for that are DRC, Petrus, Screaming Eagle, anything else you can convince me belongs in that category that I have not had.
If you want to get things to me in advance so they and settle down, send me a PM.
Stems
If possible, bring some. We have a lot, but not enough for this group for an entire day.
Cost
This is the tough one. I figure two meals, with Flannery Beef, how about $30? If there’s money left over, we’ll donate it to some appropriate charity for people who are hungry. If I’m short, I’ll make up the difference and put out a big jar. Payment method. How about sending me a good old fashioned check. You remember those. They’re the little paper things that say “pay to the order of.” Stick one in an envelope to the address above and put one of those stamp thingies on the front and then give it to the nice man with the AK47 who is mad at his boss. Beats giving money to those blood suckers at Paypal. I hate middle men.
Accomodations
The hotels in this area are The Rye Town Hilton; the Renaisance; The Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza White Plains and the Ritz Carleton White Plains. The cheapest, and actually the closest, is probably the White Plains Esplanade, which is an elder care facility that also has a hotel wing. We stayed there for a night when the power went out and it is acceptable if you do not want luxury and do not mind people in walkers sitting in the lobby. There is no Motel 6, Red Roof Inn or similar facility anywhere near us.
Attendance
This is the list from the other thread. Please post your confirmation of attendance below. If you are not on the list, please post your name and I will add you.
Jay Hack + 1 (confirmed)
Todd French +1 (confirmed)
Ken V. (confirmed)
Father Saxon (confirmed)
Dan Hammer (confirmed)
FreakMount (99% confirmed)
Manlin + 1
Aboooood + 2! (confirmed)
Daniel Moritz + 1
PMC (confirmed)
Suzanne Camhi + 1 (confirmed)
Jim Gallagher (confirmed)
Brad Kane + 1 (confirmed)
Jorge + 1 (confirmed)
Brent Clayton (late)
Diane Elam
Mark Jahnke + 1 (May wimp out)
Veroinca Castro
WetRock
Alan Chan + 1 (confirmed)
Drew T + 1 (confirmed)
MShivers + 1
The Croatian Cuddler + 1 (confirmed)
Jordan Cabezablanca (confirmed)
Chris Kravitz + 1 (confirmed)
Dawn Bayles + 1
Mitch Smith
Mike Dildine
Posner (brief stop to say hello)
Tyler Rico + 1
T-Bone
Jeff Mazen + 1
Mark Golodetz
Ricca + 1 (confirmed)
Craig Ganzer
David and Caroline Lazer (confirmed)
Brad with Spikey Hair (+ 1 ?) (confirmed)
Lisa Loveyouall-Oh (confirmed) (PAID)
Michael Torahscribe and his +1 (confirmed)
The Secret Person that Aboo-Boo Doesn’t Want You to Know About (confirmed)
Christian Davbavie +1 (confirmed)
Mike (please put me back on the list) Stoneking (confirmed)
Bells and Whistles
Golf - we are in the middle of eastern golf heaven. Unfortunately, I am not a member of any of the applicable clubs, but within 7.5 miles you have at least 7 country clubs that have hosted PGA or LPGA events - Winged Foot, Westchester CC, Quaker Ridge, Wykagyl, Ridgeway, Westchester Hills, and Knollwood. And many many other private courses that are just as good. Elmwood was Babe Ruth’s club and you can see the special tunnel under the train tracks that they built for him so he could play golf and then rush to the Stadium to play a game. There are also some acceptable public courses within almost walking distance. If you want to organize a BF 2.5 Golf Tournament (especially if you are a member of one of the clubs) and think that people will be able to get up Saturday morning for golf after the debauchery the night before at the PDH, you are welcome to do so. I will provide limited assistance due to the need to do everything else I have described above.
Outdoor sculpture - If you have an artistic bent, and you are from out of town, you really should not miss the Pepsi International Headquarters outdoor sculpture garden. It is one of the best outdoor sculpture exhibitions in the world. You can go Saturday before coming to my house. It is about 15 minutes from my house on Anderson Hill Road in Purchase just across the road from SUNY purchase. Here are some links for photos and info:
http://www.sirpepsi.com/pepsi1.htm
Wine Shops: If you absolutely positively have to check out where you have been buying stuff from, there’s Posner’s place about 4 miles up the road and there’s Zachy’s about 6 miles in the other direction. Max’s place is also not far as the crow flies, but you can’t get there from here. You should be able to get free wine at most of those places on Saturday, but I think you’ll have enough of that without having to travel to a wine shop.
Shopping - If your designated driver, SO or other hanger on doesn’t want to spend so much time with hedonists, there are many alternative ways to throw away money including the Westchester Mall (anchored by Nordstroms and Neiman Marcus - a/k/a Needless Markup) and Bloomingdales, which is on Bloomingdale Road because the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum used to be there in the early 1900s. All within 3 miles of my house.
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