Dining to Make a Difference
Janine Trusello's Report from the Dining to Make a Difference Trail

Happy Hour Scavenger Hunt:
Collecting Kissed Napkins and More at

The May 15 - June 19 Downtown Dining to Make a Difference Fest

   How does this sound for a fun way to spend Wednesday evenings in late spring? For six consecutive weeks, you can attend after-work happy hours (as opposed to those that happen during work) at a wonderful variety of eating and drinking venues downtown, and can participate in a scavenger hunt on a grand scale. Each week, one or more restaurants are selected as the featured place to be. Those venues also serve as a sort of starter-fuel to set you on your merry way -- eating, drinking and shopping at as many South-of-Chambers-Street establishments as possible…and proving it! .

The kick-off party for Downtown Dining to Make a Difference Fest was held on Wednesday, May 15th, on Washington Street...with four venues featured. This festive, balloon-filled "Block Party" made the closing of Washington Street between Rector and Albany a good thing, for some room was needed to accommodate those in attendance, and even MORE room was needed for the many marchers of Leatherneck Pipes and Drums! Also featured in the festivities were WTC site rescue worker Scott Shields and his famous rescue dog Bear Shields.

The eating and drinking venues featured this evening covered a wide range of styles and tastes in more ways than one, from the Irish-flavored pub style of Moran's and the classic Italian delights of Giovanni's Atrium (both having a very neighborhood-ish feel to them) to the dual upscale-hotel venues, Roy’s New York and 85 West, which reside in the Marriott Financial Center. All venues donated a portion of their evening’s food and drink proceeds to the charity of their choice.

As part of the May 15 - June 19 Dining to Make a Difference Fest (and ever after), participants are encouraged to not only join us at each Wednesday’s happy hours, but also to patronize as many South-of-Chambers-Street establishments as possible -- gathering POP (Proof of Presence) materials from each.

At the finale event on June 19, prizes will be awarded for the most venues visited, the most creative displays of POP materials, and more.

What constitutes good POP materials, you might wonder? Well, anything the venue gives away that has their logo or info on it qualifies. No, you cannot swipe regular dining menus or remove photos from the wall (trust me, I asked!). The idea here is not only to collect the basics, such as matchbooks, business cards and take-out menus, but to be creative with your collection efforts in order to provide the most value-added proof. One entrepreneuring hunter -- our very own Thomas H. Wiles of American Express -- scavenged quite the evocative napkin collection, complete with lipstick-coated kiss imprints and autographs! Though he may well have patented this method, all participants are encouraged to craft their own.

Feel free to have your photo taken in front of each establishment with the very happy owner beside you. Or better yet, prove that you did some solid eating and drinking inside. (If attaching credit card receipts to your collage, please do not leave the imprint numbers showing.) Also, creative presentation efforts at the final judging will get ya' points, which get you prizes. So keep those creative juices flowing, and good luck!

On opening night, in addition to all the pipers piping, marchers marching, scavengers scavenging and happy people getting happier, there was tons of yummy food that each venue provided samples of for tasting.

Giovanni's Atrium (100 Washington Street at Rector, 212/513-4133, www.giovannisatrium.com) served a wide variety of Italian appetizers outside on the street, such as focaccia with prosciutto and mozzarella, rigatoni alla Russa, stuffed peppers with rice, fresh clams and oysters, and a variety of salads, including mixed seafood with oil and lemon. This downtown dining cornerstone, open since 1974, was not only bustling outside its front doors, but inside as well. Musical duo Raffaello & Carmen played Italian-flavored house favorites in the lounge while people of all ages and tastes -- including two young girls in dresses and pink bows -- swayed in time to the music. A few people enjoyed a cocktail or two before ordering a full dinner or heading out to one of the other venues. In addition to everything this restaurant did for the community in the aftermath of 9.11, owner Giovanni Natalucci (along with his wife Suzana) participated in this DMD event because he, "needed to be a part of re-energizing and reviving downtown. The area needs people to bring in other people." A portion of the evening’s proceeds went to Windows of Hope.

Right across the street at Moran's (103 Washington Street between Rector and Carlisle, 212/732-2020, www.moransnyc.com), a different tune was being played. In addition to the periodic indoor sweep of the marching pipers, the Irish-flavored music of Dave Adams and Eirin Brogue and the spinning skills of John Hubela and The Compact Disc Jockeys added plenty of energy to the atmosphere. Owners Abby and Brian Lydon circulated through the crowd while guests enjoyed a pint or two of Fire Company Brew while munching on such upscale pub fare as spicy Buffalo-style chicken wings, fruit kebobs, fresh vegetables, tasty nachos and chunked cheese. I heard that famous rescue dog Bear Shields was so enamored with the delicious roast beef he was served, that he lost all interest in Liberty, the sleek, young black lab that Moran’s adopted in the aftermath of 9.11!

In addition, the amazing Kim Galloway of Moran's chose to host a giant "Balloon Raffle" to raise additional funds for their charity of choice, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. About 50 inflated balloons contained announcement of a prize, and for $5 a "pop," participants could choose a balloon and get the prize inside. The best part is that EVERY balloon was a winner, with prizes ranging from a pint of beer to dinner tickets for two, to the grand prize, which was tickets for two to the Battery Dance Company Benefit on May 20th.

Take a short walk up Washington Street (not too far, since the southernmost barricade to the WTC site starts at Albany Street), and you will find the recently re-opened Marriott Financial Center (130 Washington Street between Albany and Carlisle, 212/385-4900, www.marriott.com), home of Roy’s New York (www.roysrestaurant.com) and 85 West. These venues provided yet another contrast in style from the two venues down the street. People came to the 85 West lounge to relax and enjoy a cocktail or two along with such sumptuous snacks as mini crabcakes, and to take in the pleasant view of the evening sunset. Those wanting a full dinner or those who just wanted to make sure they experienced a little bit of all the venues, could stop in Roy's New York, which also provided an upscale and friendly environment. While standing at the airy, open bar (right next to the airy, open kitchen), one could take in the light, relaxing vibe and enjoy a cocktail (or two!). A plethora of tasty appetizers were served including crab and rock-shrimp pot-stickers with Korean chili-pepper dipping sauce, coconut-crusted shrimp sticks with mango-chili sauce, a variety of sushi, softshell crab tempura, "dynamite" corn-crusted oysters, and more. The word around Roy's is that famous rescue dog Bear Shields recommends the Szechuan-spiced baby-back pork ribs! A portion of the evening’s proceeds went to Children's Miracle Network.

A full menu was available at all venues for guests to order from at any time. After cocktails were enjoyed during the happy hour festivities, guests could opt, and were encouraged, to stay for dinner at any of the featured establishments.

The next four Dining to Make a Difference events (check them out at www.vergant.com/diningfest.htm) will take place at one venue per event. After experiencing the May 15th kick-off, I recommend that you get there EARLY so as to enjoy cocktails and appetizers, and that you STAY LATE so as to DINE and make differences on more levels than one. And then, DMD's June 19 Grand Finale finds us right back on Washington Street, where we began -- enjoying festivities, food and music inside and outside of 85 West, Roy's, Giovanni's and Moran's. Don't forget to be there, and to bring all the Dining to Make a Difference Proof of Presence that you can.

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Note: Dining to Make a Difference is a program of Vergant, Inc. (www.vergant.com) -- developers of pro-social programs, products and promotions for an array of companies and causes. Since October of 2001, Dining to Make a Difference has hosted toasts and happy hours at many of downtown’s hardest hit restaurants. In the process, the program has done much to strengthen community, rebuild downtown’s economy and restaurant industry and raise awareness and funds for selected charities. Following the May 15 - June 19 Downtown Dining to Make a Difference Fest, the program will expand to encompass additional neighborhoods and themes. For further information or to be on our invite list, please e-mail info@vergant.com.

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