instructing guests to dress their best and show off their latest posh seasonal attire. In the name of fashion, I rummaged through my closet to find something that would pass as hip and trendsetting and still be Paigetastic. My outfit evolved as the following:
A giant Cincinnati Streetcar themed bow, ala Melanie Martinez
My favorite pair of Beetlejuice tights, which doubled as chic
Robin Thicke "Blurred Lines" tights
Robin Thicke "Blurred Lines" tights
With my wardrobe paying homage to two of this year's music icons (and one 1980s movie star), I was ready to paint the town pink... and pink it was! Arriving at 314 Broadway, the Old District 2 Police Station was illuminated from the inside out with the warm glow of fuchsia lighting, iSPYCincy's signature color.
Built in 1913, District 2 was first known as the Hammond Street Station and represents a beautiful Classic Revival era of architecture. Patrolmen referred to the area as the "Cincinnati bottoms" neighborhood along the Ohio River. Once home to a correctional facility, it merged with District 1 in the 1970s. What remains is a stunning historic venue perfect for hosting a few hundred guests.
Lining the three gigantic rooms were small plates from local eateries such as Holtman's Donuts, Bakersfield OTR, Kaze, and Embers. Bakersfield brought their signature Al Pastor taco and tortilla chips alongside the best guacamole in Cincinnati. Other savories included gourmet weenie tots, Kaze's pork bun sliders, miniature reubens, and seven kinds of sushi rolls (which I think were from Embers?) While I enjoyed the variety of rolls, nothing compares to the freshness and tastiness of the sushi I order at FUSIAN. Its been my favorite since they opened in 2010 and I still hold it in the highest of praises.
Meanwhile, over at the dessert bar, guests had an assortment of mousses, cheesecakes, and tiramisus to choose from, as well as donuts from Holtman's. If you've delighted in the sweets that are Holtman's, you'll understand why the tray was half empty by the time I reached it to take a picture. All dough aside, the portable dessert cups made it easy to cure a chocolate craving without carrying around a plate of cake. It was simple and elegant; perfect for a large social gathering.
In addition to all this, there was an open bar with endless champagne, Meier wines, Moerlein beers, and Bulleit bourbon. The servers provided speedy delivery to keep lines short, and other staff would collect empty plates from guests' hands instead of leaving folks searching for a trash bin. They even had servers bringing around trays of food! All I needed to do was stand around and have a good time. iSPYCincy sure knows how to throw a classy event!
Between sipping and socializing, DJ Matt Joy was spinning a custom iSPYCincy playlist featuring hits from the Top 40, including (you guessed it) Blurred Lines. Yep, the song I modeled my Beetlejuice Robin Thicke tights played as a group began line dancing. Did you know it has the same beat as the Electric Slide? I knew those sweet dance moves would come in handy again!
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| Dancing with my friends Maureen and 5chw4r7z |
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| Stephen Colbert and Macklemore on the iSPYCincy dance floor |
