Thirteen years ago a new temple emerged in downtown NYC, started by a small group of families who wanted a place that reflected their values and families. The New Shul is a warm vibrant community and spiritual congregation that is progressive, inclusive, independent and egalitarian and as they put it is " life affirming and spirit moving".
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| Amazing 13 Shaped Challah by New Shul Member Laurie Wessely |
On a Saturday night earlier this month, everyone was moving and dancing in celebration of New Shul's Bar Mitzvah 13th Year Celebration on Cinco de Mayo.
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| Ring Toss Game was FUN Photo Credit: Barry Adler |
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| Photo Credit: Barry Adler |
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| photo credit: Barry Adler |
and everyone knows what's a Bar Mitzvah without the HORA, FOOD and DRINKS.
The Energetic DJ from S
ummit Soundz Entertainment had the crowd up doing the Hora, playing games and dancing the afternoon away to tunes that appealed to all ages.- There were face painters, photo boothes, and a contest featuring The New Shul mixologists that ranged in age from 7 - 70 competing in a Signature Drinks Contest. The adult boozy and family soft drink mixologists poured samples of their whisically named concoctions for all to try and vote on with their dollars. Every vote counted and by stuffing dollar bills and check into your favorite mixologists boxes the winner was determined by popular choice and the New Shul raised a bit more gelt over the ticket price.
Fun drink competitors for the Adult New Shul signature drink included
A Mazel Tov Cocktail, The New Mule (an obvious play on the New Shul),
A Cilantro Rum Infused Torah-tini, the Cucumber and Basil Cooler, and a Gimlet 613
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| Andy Cohen - the Mazel Mixologist |
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Stephen Fried mixed it
up deliciously
with a refreshing
basil cucumber cooler |
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the New Shul Signature Drink Winner
Martha Spector |
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| New Shul Mixology Contestants |
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The Mock-Tail Winners
photo: Barry Adler |
CuisinEtc has been catering for New Shul events for the past three years and we were excited to be asked to coordinated all the food and as well as provide more delicious food to round out the celebration - we know this crowd who have eclectic tastes and ALWAYS appreciate great food and fantastic displays!!
The CuisinEtc culinary team brainstormed and consulted with their peers over on caterbuzz and slowly a plan started hatching. Notice of course the signature Trojan horse table but this time used a mirror as the table top, creating a second tier using a beautiful jagged shaped piece of wood, raised up above the mirror.
The design for the evening was
Elegant Vintage
offering
comfort food and
shabby chic decor that's kid friendly to kidz of all ages from 2-90.
Torahtini - Martha Spector (winner)
Gimlet 613 - Mark Philips
Mazel Tov Cocktail - Andy Cohen
Cucumber Basil Vodka Cooler - Stephen Fried
The New Mule - Karen Loew
Rockin Rozberry Shul-y Temple - Jeremy, Bellamy and Molly Richardson (winner)
Oreo Classico - Sher Family
Triskaiderkaphilipa -Max Shatan
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Check out this amazing vintage drawer display - as the guests entered through the 1960's Carnaby Street Silver Curtains - the first set of vintage drawers held a wonderful variety of chef made salsas at a station aptly named "Micah's Build a Better Chip Bar" - in ode to Cinco de Mayo.
Come on in and experiece the retro chic bar mitzvah menu for this uber hip afternoon NYC Bar Mitzvah celebration:
Micah's Salsa Bar
a selections of chips ranging from traditional corn tortilla chips, blue corn chips, whole wheat chips to lime corn chips allowing everyone to customize their own selections.
Chef Micah Fredman's
Fabulous Salsas included:
- avocado crema
- pico de gallo
- roasted tomato avocado salsa
- grape, pear + scallion salsa
- pineapple caramelized onion salsa
- black beans with jalapeño + cilantro
- crumbles queso fresco
- house pickled radishes + jalapenos
Micah's Recipes for some of the Salsa Bar Selections
and let me make a plug for my friends at Tortilleria Nixtamal in Corona who not only make the only fresh commercially available masa in NYC but also produce fresh corn tortillas - which we have often used to make our own freshly fried corn tortilla chips - a whole 'nother experience from opening a bag of frito lays... They run a small restaurant at that location and have a kiosk in downtown Manhattan, but warm tortillas hot off the presses or freshly made chips with any of the salsas that Micah made would be like taking a mini stay-cation for me and my family.
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| Grape Nut Bytes surrounding pebble potatoes with salmon caviar + creme fraiche |
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| One of the cuisinEtc Hostess with the Mostest... Miss Joni |
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Which came first?
the chicken or the egg??
Edibles by Jack Sesame Spoon
topped with Deconstructed Devil Egg |
Our Pretty in Pink Salad featured fresh mango + blackberries
you can find the recipe for this delicious dressing in the link above.
FLOTUS SHAKE IT UP !!
Salad Bar Displayed in Vintage Drawers
EGG-zactly what was offered at this Bar Mitzah Celebration you ask?
CLICK on the TV below to enlarge some the menu offerings.
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carnivale mac n cheese balls
and fried onion rings
check the cute kid in the background |
salmon caviar pebble potato with creme fraiche
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lemony scented dill deviled eggs and feta basil and sun dried tomato deviled eggs
Kidz... of all ages
... just want to have fun!
come on in and toast
some marshmallows
and
enjoy a
salted caramel
s'more on us!
Salted Caramel S'Mores Station
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Event Credits:
New Shul Bar Mitzvah Producer
Event Committee Chair: Marissa Cohen
DJ and Photobooth: Summitsoundz Entertainment LLC
Facepainting Debby Lee Cohen (member)
Executive Chef: Chef Andrew Alexander-Crossan
thanks for visiting y'all - see you in cyberspace and be sure to leave a comment below.
life is a journey
let us help you
make it a delicious one.
Lisa Teiger
Culinary Fashionista
