Cooking for a Cause

On Friday night, Allison invited me to accompany her to Cooking for a Cause at the Seaport Hotel. The event was to benefit East End House, which is an NPO that offers after-school programs that encourage community strength.

Several top chefs in the Boston area were on hand to offer samplings of their creations, from sushi to meatballs to cupcakes to wine, there was something for any and every palette. The event also had a silent and live auctions, with the proceeds going to the East End House. This was my first time ever seeing a live auction, and listening to the auctioneer ended up being the most fun part of the night.

When I got the invitation, and was told it was cocktail attire, I immediately did what most guys do: jump onto Google and see what "cocktail attire" actually meant. The answers ranged from a dress shirt and slacks, to a full suit. Not exactly very helpful.

With Allison's help, I decided to wear this shirt and tie, with my navy blue blazer, and brown chinos. I ended up fitting in just fine--except for the fact that I was 20 years younger, and made about $20 million dollars less than most of the other attendees.

Most males did wear a blazer and tie, but there was also some more casual suits with ties, jackets and no tie, and shirt and jacket, but no tie. Most females wore a nice dress and heels, but slacks and a blouse with flats were popular, too. The best advice I can give is this: when in doubt, over dress a bit--you can always take your tie or jacket off, but you can't add items to your wardrobe that you didn't bring.