Black Tie Dinner

For the fourth year now, Mark and I have been able to attend the Black Tie Dinner. It is a wonderful event sponsored by the Hospitality and Tourism Management students in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences at Purdue. The students plan the menu, the decorations, the wine pairings, the speaker -- and it's all done with impeccable service by the students who are studying to work in the hospitality industry. The food is presented in unique and creative ways and it always includes something I've never tried before. And Mark, being the foodie that he is, loves to analyze the flavors and combinations. It was a really fun evening!




This shows my favorite course -- the soup course. It was a butternut squash soup with two kinds of salsa on the spoon. You put the spoon in and swirled it around to add the rich salsa flavors. It was outstanding and by far my favorite course of the meal.



The speaker this year was Gale Gand of the Food Network and I think she's one of the owners of Tru in Chicago -- a very famous restaurant. Probably the best speaker I've heard at this event in terms of her message and passion for what she does. She really encouraged the students to follow their hearts and their passion for the hospitality and service industry. It was clear that she loves, loves, loves her work and sees it as a calling. Everyone received a copy of her Brunch book and we got our copy signed by her.



Another favorite part of the evening is spending some time with my co-workers outside of the office. It's always fun to get dressed up and enjoy an evening out! Here I am with Denise and Christina. Don't we look like good?? : ) Always a fun time with these two!

Next year, we'll need to get a babysitter in order to enjoy this event! It was a fun date night for Mark and I and we really enjoy supporting the outstanding HTM students who make this all possible.