SCENE + HEARD: Hearts—and Stomachs—Were Full at Garden Party 27

(Garden Party 27 at Pier 54)
 
Kicking off Pride Week—and the start of summer—Monday night's Garden Party 27 saw more than 50 restaurants, caterers and food trucks bringing a cornucopia of delights to Pier 54, where some 2,000 philanthropic foodies were on hand to help raise money for the LGBT Center. And of course, to sample wares from some of the best kitchens in New York City.
 
As the sun began to set, we started our evening at the free-flowing Ketel One vodka bar (made entirely of ice) and checked out the bidding booths, which offered prizes including gourmet food baskets, wine classes and tickets to Broadway shows. Chad Carns, was on hand to sign copies of The Gourmet Bachelor and offer up the chance to win a private cooking lesson. The auction’s premier package included lunch for four at Food Network and a seats at a taping of Iron Chef America.  North Square offered little cups of tomatillo gazpacho with poached shrimp, which was almost as good as the chilled watermello variety served up by Barcelona-influenced eatery Boqueria. We loved the mini kobe beef brats from Klee. (Chef Daniel Angerer himself doled out the little sausages on a brioche roll with cranberry mustard) as well as the grass-fed meatballs from Colors, served with a piquant chimichurri sauce.
 
We continued drinking with tasty rum punch from the South African restaurant Braai (a.k.a. Vlada's next-door neighbor) and La Bottega Trattoria's fabulous white sangria. Deciding more solid food was a good idea, we followed our potent potables with refreshing grilled Asian chicken salad tossed with lemon ginger vinaigrette and a green-chile mac and cheese from Good. The underground supper club On The Plate came aboveground to serve some wonderful Low Country-style butterbean paté with pickled onion.
 
We're diehard believers that there's always room for dessert, so it was with great joy that we descended upon Peanut Butter & Co.  for a fantastic PB&J. The rice-crispie treats from the Treats Truck  were delightful and This Chick Bakes' red velvet whoopie pies were totally worth the hours in the gym it will take to burn them off.
 
What a great way to start our Pride Week. Congratulations to the LGBT Center for throwing the marvelous Garden Party—such an important and delicious evening! —Peter Sherwood
 
Peter Sherwood is the Dining Editor for Next Magazine and the author of the blog EveningsWithPeter.com.