City Paper’s 15th Annual Cosmic Cocktail Party

My boyfriend and I went with another couple/​great friends for my birthday. They took über and I parked around the corner since I was working there for the day. We knew to arrive before doors. We were in line at 6:30pm (Doors opening at 7pm). It was freeeeeezing! There was atleast 100 people infront of us already. We must have gotten in the doors a little past 7:15 — 7:30pm then waited in line to put our jackets in the back. The good thing about couples is that while two waited for coats, the other two grabbed food and drinks for them as we all waited. ;-) I LOVE the Visionary Art Museum. In fact, one day I hope to have the «big day» there… but it’s too small for such an event. It was tightly packed with people. ¾ of us have been in the food industry so I think its safe to say we knew how to work around a large crowd which was helpful. Also, I didn’t appreciate that when you went upstairs people had started one big line for like 6 tables of food… that’s not how these things work! One line per table, people! Pixilated Photobooth was there-​always a good time! Also, we bought the city dining cards!!! So excited they have them in Baltimore now! We received a deck of city dining cards for Xmas last year from my sister for Philadelphia Restaurants. A deck cost $ 20, but there is 50 cards for $ 10 50 restaurants. There was more cards than we could use! We ended up giving some out to friends or adding them to Bday presents, housewarming gifts, etc. Baltimore City Dining cards have $ 10 off or you can get the deck that does 2 for 1 drinks. WE BOUGHT BOTH!!! They are so worth it — especially if you are the kind of person who love to eat and drink. :-) Don’t we all?
As for the food, it was good. I was super full. I do not think anything stood out particularly to me because I was having such a great time with great friends.

The American Visionary Art Museum is a beautiful venue. Avant-​garde and modern exhibits mixed with esoteric Americana are engaging to the senses. However the rest of the 15^th annual City Paper’s Cosmic Cocktail Party was less engaging. The entrance line stretched around the block and an hour after the event started, there was still a massive line. Around 8:30, food stations were closed down because they ran out of food or drinks. The advertised 35 local restaurants were MIA or closed down early because I only saw 16 total on all the floors. The stand outs were Nick’s jambalaya, Ryleigh’s Oyster’s, TenTen, The Point, and Rocket to Venus. The event was way oversold. If there had been 30% less attendance it would have likely made the whole thing more tolerable.

What a disaster — easily the worst of the big parties this year. Tickets were $ 50 and the event was supposed to last from 7 – 10. However, arriving at 7, we couldn’t get into the venue until 8 because of the ONE HOUR LONG line. By 8.30 most of the better food venues were closed down. The lines for drinks were 10 minutes for a small portion. It was so crowded you could barely get through *to* the stations.
All in all, my date and I spent $ 100 for 1 hour of outdoor line-​waiting, 3 glasses of champagne, 1 mini-​slider, 1 oyster, 2 beers and a handful of stripper cards.