Beyond Shelter Gala [Boston]

“Home is where the heart is…”

Thursday night’s Beyond Shelter Gala was certainly a celebration beyond my expectations. The event, whose proceeds benefit the Friends of Boston’s Homeless (FOBH) organization, was held in the State Room at 60 State St. When I arrived at 60 State, I was greeted by a man in a tux at the door. I look down at my business casual attire and my driving shoes and immediately feel nervous. Oh shizzle….was this supposed to be a black tie affair? Am I going to be “That Girl” – the foolish one who dressed not to impress?


Luckily, the man’s attire downstairs was not the proxy for the dress code of the evening. When I enter the State Room, I immediately run into Mariann Bucina, the Executive Director of FOBH, who looked lovely in a bright red wrap dress, and Yoon Lee from Boston World Partnerships, who looked classy in black. Mariann tells me more about her organization (a great cause btw!) but I think we both become distracted by the delicious smell of roasting meat. We say our goodbyes and I set out on my evening’s culinary quest.

I followed my nose to the Redbones table where they platted baby back ribs, complete with their special sauces. Mmmmm…..now this definitely brings back fond memories of Texas!

Gargolyes on the Square, who served a black truffle soup topped with potato foam, produced the most delicious and interesting dish of the night. When I asked the chef how many times he had already been asked what was in his dish, he said “exactly 647 times”. What an excellent offering served with a side of humor!

I turn around and saw event attendee Lynne Smith festively decked out in a homemade “Beyond Shelter” logo earnings and necklace. Now there is a die hard supporter! She was joined by John Rosenthal, president and founder of FOBH.

I sampled a few more of the booths, but really am ready for dessert. I spotted the Flour Bakery and Cafe table and Flour owner Joanna Chang (also of Myers + Chang). Her cream puffs topped with chocolate were absolutely divine!

The next booth I visited ended up becoming my favorite dessert of the night. Rancatore’s cherry + chip flavored ice cream was super rich and creamy without being greasy. Owner Joe Rancatore was manning the booth and scooping the ice cream in his suit and apron. Awesome!

All and all, a beautiful event held in a beautiful venue overlooking a beautiful Boston night.

For more pictures, please click here: Party Pics