The Ocean County Library will host “At the Chairman’s Table,” a fund raiser to benefit the expansion of the Brick library branch, at 7 p.m. Friday Sept. 26 in Mancini Hall, Toms River.
“At the Chairman’s Table,” a prelude to the library’s annual BookFest, will feature some of Frank Sinatra’s favorite recipes from the famous Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in New York City along with Sal Manzo singing many of the songs made famous by Sinatra.
Specially selected wines will accompany the meal.
Reservations for the dinner can be made by contacting Harry Applegate at (732) 914-5408 before Sept. 12. Tickets for the fund raiser dinner are $100 each.
The dinner will be prepared by Chef Ian Smith and students from the Ocean County Vocational Technical School Culinary Arts Program. Smith and his students prepared last year’s seven-course meal recreated from the final dinner menu served aboard the R.M.S. Titanic.
Executive Chef Sal Scognamillo, author of Patsy’s Cookbook: Classic Italian Recipes from a New York City Landmark Restaurant,” will introduce each course and provide anecdotes about “The Chairman of the Board.”
Patsy’s Italian Restaurant serves traditional home made Neapolitan style food. It was founded in Manhattan in 1944 by Pasquale “Patsy” Scognamillo and has had only three chefs in its 64 years: founder Patsy; his son Joe, and Joe’s son Sal, who has been supervising the kitchen for the past 15 years.
Patsy’s opened a second restaurant in the Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort this past June.
Frank Sinatra was one of many of Patsy’s high profile patrons. Others include Al Pacino, Placido Domingo, Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Tom Hanks, Madonna, George Clooney, rappers Heavy “D” and Sean “Puff Daddy” combs, David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, and Keanu Reeves.
We had a great time and a great turnout Saturday Sept. 27 at BookFest 2008, the Book Festival with Literary Taste. Thanks to Carol, Scott, Heather and the committee for making it such a wonderful event.