It can be hard for busy women to find time for friends and food, but Lynne Weems Ryan (wife to the President of the Culinary Institute of America) makes networking and eating well easy with the dinners she hosts four times a year.
The most recent example of the dinners Lynne hosts featured drinks at The Apple Pie Bakery followed by dinner at the Escoffier Restaurant – both venues are great local restaurants, and over sixty-five women attended. All the women there have such interesting stories, from the fitness trainer who was originally from Russia to the jet-setting single mom who owns a farm and raises exotic animals, such as ARAPAWA Goats – not to mention the fifth generation of family running a venerable local store. There were all ages and types of moms at this event: married, single, divorced, working, “ladies who lunch,” and more!
Lynne’s guest list is full of distinctive mothers from the Hudson Valley, and with each guest permitted to bring along a plus-one, it just keeps on growing! And a good thing too, because this is definitely an invitation you want to receive.
These dinners epitomize my idea of what’s important in a Hudson Valley event. Even with sixty-five women in attendance, it was a smaller event which delivered outstanding service (for example, each course was delivered to our table with expert synchronization from the four waiters) – each course arriving simultaneously for each woman sitting at our table. In addition to delicious food, we had the opportunity to meet new friends, especially due to how we were asked to change seats after the starter and main course so that we had dessert with a whole new group of ladies. Thanks to a hectic week, I was feeling network fatigue, so I took advantage of the chance to spend time with some good friends who had accompanied me to the dinner.
With all these smart, motivated women as a captive audience, maybe it’s time to add some kind of learning experience, lecture or fun activity to the evening, which could then culminate with Moulard Duck Breast a L’Orange, Wisconsin Wild Rice, Halibut Filet Boullabaise Style with Fall Vegetables, and other concoctions full of fresh local ingredients, enlivened by good company at this sophisticated Hudson Valley event. This could add a new dimension to an already selective and highly-anticipated night out in the Hudson Valley.
Tags: Arapawa Goats, Event Planning, Hudson Valley Event, Hyde Park NY, Mom's Night Out, The Apple Pie Bakery, The Culinary Institute of America, The Escoffier Restaurant, The Hudson valley
