Picnic in the Alley

I’ve been to many events this year, and one in particular that stood out was Picnic in the Alley. If you missed it, you will want to make sure to go next year. Held in the alley at Fergusons Downtown in downtown Las Vegas, this well-attended event was put together by a collaboration of women across the valley, including chefs, mixologists, wine and spirits enthusiasts, artists, production teams, and marketing professionals. The event was prepared by the tenacious Jolene Mannina. Her involvement with Las Vegas runs deep within the food and beverage industry. She is currently co-founder and president of SecretBurger.com, an online platform that allows chefs the freedom to be creative with no risk and diners to reserve one-time only dishes before they sellout. Picnic in the Alley was a night of food and drink to benefit Dress for Success Southern Nevada and was hosted by participating chefs including Gina Marinelli from La Strega, Jamie Tran from The Black Sheep, Sonia El-Nawal from Rooster Boy, Elizabeth Blau of Honey Salt, Nina Manchev of Forte and Nicole Brisson of Locale - just to name a few.  Mixologists included Juyoung Kang from The Dorsey and Sarah Gage of Corduroy. All guests received a picnic basket to collect delicious bites - most of which were conveniently packaged for toting around - which was a brilliant idea because these events can get cumbersome while trying to hold a drink in one hand and food in another while maneuvering through the crowd. Honestly, the transformation of the alley into a cozy, turf-covered area with rugs, low tables and floor pillows under fall night sky of twinkling lights provided such a memorable ambiance and boho-chic vibe.  It was unlike any event thus far and extremely successful.  I’m sure other guests would agree!