Culture, Cupcakes and Cocktails at the Chelsea Art Museum

Social networking site Yelp.com, together with the Chelsea Cultural Partnership threw a fabulous launch party at the Chelsea Art museum to kick off the Passport to Chelsea campaign.

The “Passport to Chelsea”  offered guests discounts and special offers to sample the culinary, artistic and athletic specialties all found in the neighborhood.

The three-level museum housed several art and design exhibits that I enjoyed.  One was “Sustainability” presented by a collective of Italian design brands. It showcased furniture, art, living and functional pieces made from sustainable materials and concepts.  The second was “Dream in a Contemporary Secret Garden”. This was an exhibit of 12 contemporary Asian artists, using mixed media to interpret the concept of “garden” in their own way.

There was a lovely pianist on the third floor playing for guests of the exhibits, and a DJ in the reception room.  Top restaurants from the Chelsea neighborhood provided the nibbles.  Crema, an upscale modern Mexican restaurant served up a truffled chicken tortila goat cheese tart as well as coconut scallop ceviche.  Late night favorite, Cafeteria, served up delicious red velvet cupcakes.  Elegant Matsuri, could barely keep their spicy shrimp siu mai on the banana leaf for a few seconds before being ravaged by hungry guests.

Sake2Me, a new company, served up fruit and tea infused sake beverages that were light and flavorful withough knocking you on your butt.  My new favorite liquor brand, Domaine de Canton, a ginger-infused cognac, also spread some cocktail love with their drink of the evening, using lemon and bitters.

Posted in Culinary Outings, Design Inspiration, Fashionable Events, The Arts - High and Low Brow Tagged: cafeteria, crema, matsuri, sake2me, yelp.com