• by Kelly Samardak , August 28, 2008

End Of August Cheesefest, New York
The Dead Last Week Of August, 2008

Amy Corr, illustrious writing talent here at MediaPost,  once sagely stated, "Whenever there's cheese around, there's a party."  This was in response to me waffling on what to write during a really slow party week a couple months ago.  I ended up writing about Grandpa's Cheesebarn (which brought quite a few Ohio readers out of the woodwork!)  Here we are again.  It's the final week of August. All the big wigs and fancy pants are running around The Hamptons in linen trousers or lounging with George Clooney on their Target-Super-Center-sized reflective yachts in the Mediterranean.  What's a piddling social diarist like me supposed to cover in these tough times?  Cheese.

Because the media industry owns my life six days a week (I do dream/thrash about the week ahead), I took advantage of this week to do the things that I used to do when I was unemployed (minus looking for a new job), like cooking and hanging out with my non media friends.   On the same day that I received a box of purple bulls from Steak, I was watching something incredibly lame on the telly.  I glanced at Twitter to see an @reply from good ole Matt Caldecutt.  He and Nichelle Stephens were at Shoolbred's in the East Village.  Without giving any stalkers my exact coordinates, that place is right around the corner from my pad.  And they have 2 -for-1 drafts.  So I went.

We sat outside and snacked and yakked about the industry and how he and Niche met (at a blogger reading thing - back in the hot and heavy "this is so new" days that I'm sad I missed out on).  I may have said this before, but they both hit more than one social gathering a night.   I think it blows their minds that I decline sometimes for my own life things (like grocery shopping... I really love grocery shopping.  Maybe I just like squeezing the tomatoes).  Niche ordered the pepperjack mac 'n' cheese (cheese!), Matt began with "bacon and eggs" (deviled eggs with little bacon hats on) followed by "Bangers in a Blanket"(much different than bankers in a blanket), and I had lamb sliders with feta and mint jelly.  

Oh hey, as we sat there, a fellow sporting many brassy sleeve buttons popped over.  Turns out he writes for Esquire and Radar (and maybe another pub).  When I found out his Radar affiliation I grimaced and dumped my Radar Mag/Campari party experience on him.   Would you believe that he, Matt, and Niche were at the same party?  Believe it, it's true.  

Evening two of "End of August Social Cheesefest" was last night at Tortilla Flats in the West Village.  See, at the Virgin Mobile Festival, VIPs had access to all kinds of stuff -- including free queso!   I missed out because of Lil Wayne's tardy tendencies, thus necessitating a redo.  Sparkly multicolored lights and metallic ribbons of technicolor paper dangled from the ceiling at Tortilla Flats, while waitstaffers hooted, hot-footed, and soft-shoed to The Doors, Thompson Twins, and GNR. 

Over a stone bowl of the worst chili con queso ever (alongside stomach-lining-singeing margaritas), we observed a bachelorette party just about to get into the swing of things... that is, until the 2008 Olympic gold-medal-winning US women's rowing team showed up.  There is something so "proud to be an American" about being near to Olympic greatness like that.   The Women's 8 hadn't won a gold since 1984, so they didn't need to dig deep for reasons to celebrate.  They wrapped the whole restaurant in a gold leaf blanket of happiness. And, not one to stop at Olympic gold, Mary Whipple, the coxswain, was the first to grab a hoop and, of course, outlast the timer in the hula-hoop contest.

If you're reading this on your iPhone, Blackberry, or crystal ball while on the beach gazing at Regis Philbin from behind in his sky-blue banana hammock, thanks, and enjoy this languid read of low-pressure, real-life socializing.  Why?  Because I know September is about to grab us all by our media necks  and wipe the floors with our souls.  See you next week; I'll be the one in body armor.

Invite kelly@mediapost.com to your swank gathering and get covered in Just An Online Minute!

See all the hula hoop action in the online photo set !

Want to see how crazy September is? Follow me on Twitter .

Mark your calendars for September 20, 2008 - the next Online Minute Mashup is in the pipe!