Shiraz NYC’s executive chef, Tessa Liebman, did a feature on Plato Putas.wordpress.com. She gave great holiday gift guide ideas from an authentic foodie perspective. Enjoy!
Tessa & A Food Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide
December 21, 2009 by shirazeventsGladiator Themed 50th Birthday Party
December 3, 2009 by shirazeventsShiraz Events catered a gladiator themed 50th birthday party for a Miami socialite! Check out these great photos!
Shai in Miami: Limited Edition Experiences and 2009 Design Miami for Art Basel
December 2, 2009 by shirazeventsLast night was the opening of the 2009 Design Miami for Art Basel. Design Miami is located on 39th St. in the Miami Design District and the whole district was energized with events. Shiraz Events catered the VIP event for the Bass Museum exhibition and the Fendi Pop Up store at the Moore building, Shai met Calvin Klein and Christian Louboutin and found some interesting designs.
Moss Booth at Design Miami
Fan by designer Maarten Baas
Snake like candle holders, came in black and white, by Jeff Zimmerman.
Lighting art by Ayala Serfaty
Stay tuned for more from Shai and Shiraz Events Miami!
Microsoft Windows 7 Launch: Design Concept from Brazil!
November 17, 2009 by shirazeventsShiraz Events had a blast celebrating the highly anticipated Windows7 launch with our friends over at Microsoft. In addition to passing our new Fall hors d’oeuvres, Shiraz created interactive stations for guests including a multi tiered brochette station, individually packaged pita’s with swordfish and grilled vegetables and a rice bar with fun toppings for guests to choose from.
Microsoft Windows 7 Launch in BizBash!
Shai is always incorporating his travel and cultured experiences into Shiraz event design concepts. See above, the fruit display behind our bartenders: this concept came from a trip Shai took to Rio, Brazil! He couldn’t get enough of the fresh fruit shakes he would get from local vendors, which display the fresh fruit for people to choose from for their shakes.
From this, Shai created an artisitic way of displaying the fruit in the cubby above The Juice Bar, which offered fruit juice drinks as well as Prosecco if guests wanted Bellinis.
Skewered shrimp tastes amazing at room temperature with a light sprits of citrus.
A choice of sauces elevates it from great to genius: guests chose from Tahini, Tomatillo, Barbeque, Tamarind, and Honey Mustard Sauces. Delicious!
Our lovely staff 
Stay tuned for more design insiders from Shai and Shiraz Events!
October Weddings!
November 6, 2009 by shirazeventsOctober weekends were intense but fulfilling for Shiraz Events NYC and clients, as wedding planning was in full swing, in venues including the Glass Houses, Battery Gardens Restaurant and a private house in the Hamptons.
Also look out for our Wedding Report newsletter which will include Shai’s insider styling concepts for incredible wedding production and design!
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Shiraz ‘Latin Accent’ in Newsday Bridal Planner
November 3, 2009 by shirazeventsExciting exciting– our blog was fished through for a great cocktail idea for the Bridal Guide in Newsday!
Check out the placement and the awesome caipirinha!
The Observer Guide to Restaurants & Party Planning
November 3, 2009 by shirazeventsHow delinquent we’ve been with our blog posts! It’s been a hectic, but incredibly productive and a fulfilling couple of months at Shiraz Events NYC and Miami. With exciting clients left and right, including The American Ballet Theatre, Microsoft Windows 7 launch, Rocco Dispirito and SNL, Absolut, ELLE Magazine and many more, we’ve been quite busy!
Otherwise, to kick off the Fall season, check out this great entertainment advice from Shai, as well as his recommendations for venues that set aside space for smaller private parties.
Check your local newsstands for this piece, as it’s published in The New York Observer, page R10 in ‘The Observer Guide to Restaurants & Party Planning’!
With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to start planning your party. There are some great places in the NYC that offer great pricing for your budget friendly needs.
“Right now, everyone is a little more flexible, so you can ask for more.” For example, if you come with a big group, you can ask for a prix fixe menu, and you can negotiate adding some dishes to the main menu as well as different wines. “And you can do the same thing with service,” Shai says, “ in galas or dinner parties, ask for at least a server-and-a-half per table of ten people to make sure that you have really great service.”
For larger parties, you can even ask them to decorate the table, “even if they won’t do it as part of the package, they can probably apple the special rate that they get from their florist.” You can also ask the restaurant to print the guests’ names on the menu in lieu of place cards, “…it looks a little bit more custom made and more invested.” If you’re using a private room you can always bring your own music as well to set the mood.
Shai’s venue picks that cater to smaller parties too:
1. Aquavit 65 East 55th Street (bt. Park and Madison Avenues) Special Events 212-957-9045
2. Buddakan 75 Ninth Avenue (bt. 15th and 16th Streets) Special Events 212-989-7049- Manager: Deborah Yeom
3. Eleven Madison Park 11 Madison Avenue (at 24th Street) 646-747-2583 (Dana Kane)
4. Bottino 246 Tenth Avenue (bt. 24th and 25th Street) 212-206-6766 ext 6 for Danny Emerman
Shai’s Top Trends Part 2!
August 25, 2009 by shirazeventsShai’s summer entertaining trends were so great that we had to split them up. Last week Shai suggested setting the mood with different music and great cocktails. But we can’t stop there, your ambiance and décor is pertinent to a well planned and enjoyed gathering.
“3. This is a time to show your true colors, especially over the weekend. People want to have fun and forget the stressful economic situation and/or any other drama. Bring in bold colors like fuchsia and orange as accents in table cloths or flowers to set a playful mood. This trend is very strong in current designs for fashion and home.
If you are a minimalist, a black and white color story with a green accent can be fresh and elegant.
4. Add centerpieces to your table by trekking outside to your garden or the local greenhouse. Purchase a few herb plants and replant them in a beautiful vase or clay pot. Depending upon your style, use it solely as a centerpiece – or replant it in your garden after the event! H Groome in South Hampton is one of my favorite venues outside of the city for sourcing these décor items.”
Don’t let these indoor table settings throw you off; they’re both doable indoors and outdoors! Both tables have bright and vibrant aspects to them, certain to WOW your guests!
Happy planting and styling!
Shai’s Picks and Trends from Istanbul
August 19, 2009 by shirazeventsFor the past couple of weeks, shiraz Events president Shai Tertner was on a little summer getaway in Istanbul. Aside from the unforgettable selections of lamb steaks, tahini sauce and incredibly delicious fruit cocktails, Shai visited dined and resided in astounding places — adding to the “spice” and culture found in the Shiraz office and the unique ideas that go into shiraz’s events. Check out his picks:
“Istanbul is one of the most romantic cities I’ve ever visited in my travels, the combination of the old with the new, Asia and Europe, is very charming, especially at night. Here are my top three picks for romantic restaurants that will take your breath away and a special room with the most incredible view at a boutique hotel.
Ulus 29 is a local chic restaurant with a magnificent setting. The menu has a combination of great local and global contemporary food to choose from. If you get a bit chilly, your waiter will lay an ivory shawl over your shoulders, talk about special treatment! Design fanatics will love the sophisticated interiors. This is where you ask me to marry you.
Mikla at the Marmara Pera Hotel is a roof top restaurant with views that seem like they’re from your dreams, especially under a full moon. Ask to sit by the edge, have the bottle of rose, order the sirloin and embrace the birds-eye view of the main historical peninsula on the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. This is where we can celebrate our one or tenth year together.
Surprise your love with a speed boat and arrive ‘Bond’ style from the river at Zuma, with the grand bridge view at night. This contemporary Japanese restaurant is tres-chic and fun, and is on the Bosphorus with wonderful views. This is how you do it if you want to impress me.
At the Witt Istanbul you can find an incredible view from your room. This is a wonderful boutique hotel, very centrally located, room 61 specifically, has the most amazing views, and a wraparound corner terrace and king sized bed to put all that romance to work or rest from it.”
With these great places in mind, your next vacation should very well be to Istanbul! If you take Shai’s recommendations into consideration you’ll clearly be basking in utter beauty and culture.
