DBD's Annual Night After Thanksgiving Party Strikes Again!

Bravo, ladies!  You have outdone yourselves yet again!

With the arrival of the holidays comes the need for festive outings and good old fashioned fun.  It has become an annual tradition for local socialites in the North County area to gather for an evening of catching up and getting down the night after Thanksgiving.  What started many years ago as a Torrey Pines reunion put together by Todd Prager, has since evolved into a social phenomenon taken over last year by none other than TP bred, New York based event planning company DBD Social.  Partners Carli Roth and Yvonne Najor have been hosting high profile events on both coasts for over 2 years, and this post-feast party has turned into another one of Thanksgiving's many traditions.  By always using ground breaking venues and bringing together only the creme-de-la-creme of North County, DBD has managed to become a household name not only in NYC but San Diego as well.

This year went above and beyond last year's event hosted at Prospect Bar & Grill.  The soiree took place at none other than the flagship location of La Jolla nightlife, Barfly.  Once used for a Hard Rock Cafe many moons ago, Barfly has been transformed into a swank bar/lounge complete with VIP tables, go-go dancing stands and flat screens boasting colorful visualizers to accompany the stellar DJ lineup.  

Guests arrived in waves between 8 and 10 pm, all bringing unwrapped toys to benefit the CyMo Foundation.  Close to heart for both Roth and Najor, among many of the guests attending the event, the CyMo Foundation was created a few years ago in loving memory of our dear friend Cyrus Moinzadeh, who was lost to substance abuse.  The mission of the CyMo Foundation is to, "bring awareness through local non-profit alliances, [and] promote and sustain local initiatives of love, health and happiness".  The toys collected at DBD Social's Night After Thanksgiving Party contributed to CyMo's third annual toy and blanket drive, benefiting at risk children that are kept off of the streets by the shelters refurbished by the Foundation.  Over 200 toys were brought for the drive, a smashing success!

As usual, the evening was filled with many run in's among friends, old and new, and if it wasn't already made clear by the sold out bottle service and maxed out capacity of the venue, it was apparent by the flashing photo bulbs, warm embraces and sparklers filled bottles of champagne that the event was a hit.  Beyond the realm of Torry Pines High, friends of DBD from La Jolla High, LJCDS, and guests from many other educational institutions and nearby cities flanked the red carpet for the social gathering of the year.

Photos, below, capture many of the highlights from the evening's shenanigans and are surely only a taste of the excitement the NYC duo of DBD Social are bound to bring us next year.  Who knows, maybe if we are on the nice list, Santa will bring us another festive DBD creation for Christmas! ;-)

Friends from Class of 05-06 

 Miss Roth and friends

DBD and friends 

Miss Najor and the Brothers Noar

 CyMo Foundation racked up over 200 gifts!  Well done Ladies!

Sear & There

An avid fan of Brian Malarkey and my desire to experience fresh new restaurants led me to this mysterious buzzed about spot for dinner a few months ago.  Everything was absolutely phenomenal.  The cheddar puffers to start, the famous shrimp & grits for round two, a delicious filet for the entree and the King Sundae complete with caramel and bacon to slide into home.  This meal, combined with the company of girlfriends and Italian wine made for one of the best dinners I have ever had.  Ever.  Led by many return visits and more "best dinners ever".  The staff is always great, the bar is glorious, and the crowd is full of successful young professionals eager to loosen their ties and let down their hair.  These components are what has kept Searsucker on top of their game and always busting at the seams with newcomers, return visitors and religious followers.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to the first round of Searsucker's soft lunch opening.  All meals seemed boring and anticlimactic in comparison to what was  to come.  And I soon found out why.  The renowned modern farm table decor, order upon entrance, and table number techniques gave it a casual vibe perfect for a quick lunch, with all the benefits of an upscale eatery.  The attention is in the details... simple serving dishes, familiar flavor combos with a bold twist, and an ambiance that is as much like a cozy home as it is a chic restaurant.

The menu was daring and delicious.  I ordered the steak and egg sandwich since I love breakfast at any time of day, and my friend Brian ordered the Crabcake Club, otherwise referenced as the C3.  Both were rich with flavor, beautiful in presentation and surprisingly prompt to the table to be devoured.  On top of the insanely flavorful sandwiches, the desserts they carried out were even simpler visually but vibrant in taste.  The chocolate dessert, which Malarkey's dubs "the most insane Twix bar you have ever eaten" is beyond rich.  The delicate lemon bar is a zesty breath of fresh citrus air.  And the carrot cake ice cream sandwich (pictured below) was definitely the crowd favorite.  The experience was a whirlwind of different flavors and scents in a hip homestyle setting and truly was the most memorable lunch I have had downtown.

"The idea is to get those with 30 minute lunches in and out in time to enjoy a gourmet lunch and make it back to work on time," stated General Manager Chris Puffer.  And with a perfect mix of fabulous food, modern country decor and the excitement of a wide open kitchen, this is just the place to be transported to on your downtime from the office, or anywhere else for that matter.

 Brittany & Brian gearing up for the meal

 The Steak & Egg Sandwich

 The Flank Team @ Searsucker

 The AMAZING Carrot Cake Ice Cream Sandwich