December is literally knocking at the door, and the team from Immaculate Infatuation are ready to answer it. On Wednesday night the LocalBozo.com crew hit the chilly NYC streets and headed to the west side venue Hudson Terrace to experience the 2012 “Turkey Leg Ball.” It would be a night where east literally met west as Texas mainstay, Foreign & Domestic prepared a sprawling selection of choice eats displaying their unique and delicious sensibility. 

At 7:30pm on the nose, the doors opened and the elevators lifted us to the seasonally lit room. Hudson Terrace is a truly remarkable venue, allowing hosts to really show off and impress guests with a spacious main room and stunning roof top. Once inside and warmed up, it was time to grab a few spirits to properly kick the night off right. And in keeping with the Texan theme, some of the booze represented our favorite Southwestern state.  If you haven’t guessed we’re talking about beer. Our team grabbed two ice cold Shiner Bock beers, which is not only our favorite variety from the Lone Star State but a solid brew in it’s own right. If that wasn’t enough to get the party going, the great people from “The Macallan” were on hand to provide guests decadent samples of one of our favorite brands of scotch. With suds in hand we scanned the room, scoping out exactly what we were going to indulge in first. This part of the evening was seriously the calm before the storm.

When you think of traditional Texas style food, steak and BBQ come to mind. But even though we adore both of these hearty dishes, one has to expand their palette.  And much like the Empire State, Texas is quickly becoming a foodie paradise.  The great people at Foreign & Domestic made this apparently clear with the first dish we sampled. A circular formation of deep spoons lined the edge of the table filled with a very unexpected creation. This delicacy came in the form of “Beef Heart Tartare with Cured Quail Eggs.” Each spoonful of this deliciously small bite presented a bouquet of salty beef with a satisfying vinegar finish. The adventurous eats continued mere steps away with a slider unlike anything you have tried and we opened our mouths wide for the “Crispy Beef Tongue Slider with Yogurt, Pomegranate and Watermelon Radish.” As a huge fan of tongue, this slider had a ton of character, but nothing matched the juicy crunch that sent us back for more. Next, it was only fitting for us to tone it down a bit, leaving “Meat Town” for healthy pastures but without losing a drop of flavor. Even the presentation of the healthier dish displayed that Bold Texan charm we have come to love over the years. In a shot glass sat a “Smoked Pumpkin Soup Shooter with Tapioca, Lime Raita and Crispy Black Kale.” All around us we saw event goers pounding it back with huge smiles, and following suit, we did the same. The sweetness of the pumpkin paired brilliantly with the salty kale. A true veggie favorite, indeed.

With stomachs getting very satisfied, we made our way upstairs to the warm inclosed rooftop for more festivities. Moments after ascending the stairs it was quite apparent how packed the entire party was, helping round out an especially lively evening. A terrific selection of Indie music favorites like “The Knife” put everyone into a chilled out, social mood as strangers met and chatted over drinks. And speaking of drinks, the rooftop space featured a tasty assortment of choice red, white, and sparkling wines poured by highly knowledgeable representatives. Amazing eats wasn’t far away either. The “Ball’s” much bandied about raw bar was in high gear doling out briny oysters and divine Bloody Mary shooters! Even though this event was all but sold out, food lines moved at a solid pace allowing everyone to get enough to eat. And luckily they did, because there was literally no shortage of alcohol which we have blatantly laid out.

We can’t stress it enough how much fun the “Turkey Leg Ball” truly was. As a yearly tradition it truly captures that perfect middle of the road moment where Thanksgiving meets the holiday season. Few events have been able to pull off such daring measures, but the folks at Immaculate Infatuation got it right. It may have been freezing outside on Manhattan’s west side, but inside Hudson Terrace the heat was on.

- Jay Rubin