$30.00 for all-you-can-eat-and-drink and a purple dance floor?! Clearly, the only question is: where do I sign up? The answers: aceticket.com and the Bayside Expo Center for the Phantom Gourmet’s Food and Wine Phest.
Here’s a sweet tip: if you’re really interested in the drinking and the eating at a Phantom event, get there towards the beginning. More and more people gradually fill in as the event goes on which means lines just keeping growing. Before you know it, it’s nearly impossible to fully enjoy the wine and the food between the throngs of people milling around and the long lines in front of the food and wine booths as well as the bathrooms.
My friends and I arrived within the first hour of the event and we were well rewarded for our extra effort. We just walked up to the various food and wine booths and ate and drank to our fill. The only problem I encountered: my eyes were often too big for what my hands could hold. Because there were few tables for us to put our cups and plates on, I often had to juggle and pray I didn’t spill on myself. The worst to manage was my Panera bread bowl (full of cheddar broccoli soup) and my cup of Yellowtail Reisling. Mental note: pick bread bowl or beverage but not both simultaneously. Luckily, we did find a mostly clear table before I made too big a mess of myself.
Fun was easily had; my favorite activities of eating, drinking and people-watching were readily available. Until mid-afternoon. That was when everybody else with tickets and their mothers showed up. The Expo center became so packed with people, it was impossible to go anywhere without throwing a few elbows because shouting “Excuse me” was not nearly enough to get people to move out of your way. Lines melted into one another making it more difficult to maintain a good buzz. Garbage cans were blocked from view and ended up overflowing because janitors were unable to empty them. And don’t even get me started on the lines for the restrooms!
Highlights: Merlot made at the Boston Winery (and I don’t even like red wine), Maschio Brut Prosecco, Da Vinci’s shrimp crostini and Whoopie Pies
Lowlights: long lines, having to pay for water and Dolce Indulgence
Most unexpected moment: “The Electric Slide” on the purple dance floor
Most scandalous: four ladies walking out of the “Makeout Shed” holding hands
Most disappointing: lack of outlandish costumes
Here’s a sweet tip: if you’re really interested in the drinking and the eating at a Phantom event, get there towards the beginning. More and more people gradually fill in as the event goes on which means lines just keeping growing. Before you know it, it’s nearly impossible to fully enjoy the wine and the food between the throngs of people milling around and the long lines in front of the food and wine booths as well as the bathrooms.
My friends and I arrived within the first hour of the event and we were well rewarded for our extra effort. We just walked up to the various food and wine booths and ate and drank to our fill. The only problem I encountered: my eyes were often too big for what my hands could hold. Because there were few tables for us to put our cups and plates on, I often had to juggle and pray I didn’t spill on myself. The worst to manage was my Panera bread bowl (full of cheddar broccoli soup) and my cup of Yellowtail Reisling. Mental note: pick bread bowl or beverage but not both simultaneously. Luckily, we did find a mostly clear table before I made too big a mess of myself.
Fun was easily had; my favorite activities of eating, drinking and people-watching were readily available. Until mid-afternoon. That was when everybody else with tickets and their mothers showed up. The Expo center became so packed with people, it was impossible to go anywhere without throwing a few elbows because shouting “Excuse me” was not nearly enough to get people to move out of your way. Lines melted into one another making it more difficult to maintain a good buzz. Garbage cans were blocked from view and ended up overflowing because janitors were unable to empty them. And don’t even get me started on the lines for the restrooms!
Highlights: Merlot made at the Boston Winery (and I don’t even like red wine), Maschio Brut Prosecco, Da Vinci’s shrimp crostini and Whoopie Pies
Lowlights: long lines, having to pay for water and Dolce Indulgence
Most unexpected moment: “The Electric Slide” on the purple dance floor
Most scandalous: four ladies walking out of the “Makeout Shed” holding hands
Most disappointing: lack of outlandish costumes
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