Calendar

Dec
16
Sat
Breakfast with Mrs. Claus
Dec 16 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Guests join The Ritz-Carlton, Boston for an elegant breakfast buffet with Mrs. Claus and her friends from Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker for live music, storytelling, and interactive holiday activities.

WHEN:
Saturdays, December 16 and 23

10:30 am to 12:30 pm

$72 per adult, $44 per child

Reservations are required

*Special Donation Note: Guests are welcome to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Catching Joy, who is The Ritz-Carlton, Boston’s Community Footprints partner. Catching Joy will donate all toys that are collected to children in need prior to the holidays. For every toy donated, guests will be entered to win four tickets to see Boston Ballet’s production of La Sylphide, backstage passes to meet principal dancers, and dinner for 4 at Artisan Bistro.

Dec
20
Wed
Holiday Bacchanal
Dec 20 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Fairmont Copley Plaza will toast the holiday season with a lavish four-course Holiday Bacchanal dinner featuring a special menu from Executive Chef Laurent Poulain — North Country bacon wrapped local monkfish, winter pickled vegetable salad with candied Marcona almonds and 50-year-old sherry, coffee braised all natural beef short ribs, and warm milk chocolate & coconut brioche bread pudding will be served. American Idol finalist (Season 13) Sam Woolf will provide live entertainment.

Join us on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. as we transform the hotel’s dramatic 105 year-old lobby into an elegant ambiance suited for contemporary times with guests dining at tables running the length of the space

Cocktail attire is suggested.

Dec
23
Sat
Breakfast with Mrs. Claus
Dec 23 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Guests join The Ritz-Carlton, Boston for an elegant breakfast buffet with Mrs. Claus and her friends from Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker for live music, storytelling, and interactive holiday activities.

WHEN:
Saturdays, December 16 and 23

10:30 am to 12:30 pm

$72 per adult, $44 per child

Reservations are required

*Special Donation Note: Guests are welcome to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Catching Joy, who is The Ritz-Carlton, Boston’s Community Footprints partner. Catching Joy will donate all toys that are collected to children in need prior to the holidays. For every toy donated, guests will be entered to win four tickets to see Boston Ballet’s production of La Sylphide, backstage passes to meet principal dancers, and dinner for 4 at Artisan Bistro.

Mar
2
Fri
The European Conference
Mar 2 – Mar 4 all-day

The European Conference

On its sixth annual occasion, this student-led conference, the largest of its kind in North America, will bring together a thrilling and unique combination of policy, academic and business leaders to explore what, going forward, the “European way” might be: its challenges, opportunities, and specifics.

Now that the European crisis seems largely passed, or so it would seem, where is the European Union headed? There are many reasons to be positive about the changes happening on the continent. Not only is growth back, but populism appears on the wane, pro-European leaders are elected, pro-European coalitions are structured, and overall confidence has made its way back within the European Institutions.

European Conference

 

Where does the EU go from here? Societal, economic, defense and constitutional questions are quick to arise. The 2018 European Conference’s panels will investigate these issues from multiple perspectives and whenever relevant, disciplines. Each panel will feature world class speakers in their field, including Thomas Greminger, Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, DavidO’Suillivan, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States, and Professor Danuta Hubner, Member of European Parliament (Poland), Chair of the European Parliament Constitutional Affairs Committee, who contribute to shaping tomorrow’s EU and transatlantic relationships. Their kind participation is a unique opportunity to shed light on some of the prime questions facing Europe today with ways of analyzing and offering solutions that may cross-fertilize U.S. approaches.

This year’s program of events is our most diverse to date. It features a full-day negotiation simulation on Friday (sign up via this form, positions are limited), a black-tie Opening Reception on Friday at the Havard Art Museums featuring our opening Keynote Address by European Commission for Competition Margrethe Vestager, a full day of panels, and for the first time ever, the conference will conclude with a piano recital by virtuoso Simon Ghraichy.

For more information, please click here.

Mar
8
Thu
Migrating Colors – Opening and Cocktail Reception
Mar 8 @ 6:30 pm – 8:45 pm

Migrating Colors – Opening and Cocktail Reception

Join us for an enlightening panel discussion and presentation on Haitian art and culture as we celebrate the Le Mois de la Francophonie 2018 and the opening of Migrating Colors, our March exhibit on view in our gallery.

Charlot Lucien, President of Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts (HAAM), will introduce us to Haitian art, while several artists will lead a discussion regarding their origins and influences.

This panel discussion will be followed by a book signing and cocktail reception. All proceeds from the book sale benefit HAAM.Migrating Colors

About Migrating Colors: This book is the result of 20 years of cultural advocacy and partnerships with cultural, state, city institutions, poets and storytellers throughout the New England area. It benefited from the support of professional photographers, editors and art partners from Rhodes Island to New Hampshire. The books contains foreword comments by Haitian American author Edwidge Danticat, recipient of the 2009 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, Massachusetts State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry and Edmund Barry Gaither, Director and Curator of the National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) who has since the Haiti earthquake helped curate various exhibitions of the Assembly.

Mar
14
Wed
Author Talk and Book Signing with Marie-Josée Duquette
Mar 14 @ 6:30 pm – 8:45 pm
Author Talk and Book Signing

 

Le Mois de la Francophonie continues with an evening of literature featuring Québécoise author Marie-Josée Duquette. We will learn about her two latest books; one that explores Boston through the eyes of a foreigner, while the other chronicles the difficult story of losing the father of her child to a cruel disease. This discussion will be led en français (in French).

About Marie-Josée Duquette: Marie-Josée Duquette is a Quebecer who has been living in Boston since 2010. Holder of a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and a DESS in communication-marketing from HEC, she writes articles on a blog that tells the different facets of American life.

Apr
22
Sun
Earth, Wine, & Fire Dinner at OAK Long Bar + Kitchen
Apr 22 @ 5:00 pm – Apr 23 @ 1:00 am

Celebrate Earth Day at OAK Long Bar + Kitchen

OAK Long Bar + Kitchen is celebrating Earth Day on Sunday, April 22 by turning off its lights from 5 p.m. through closing to conserve energy. More than a hundred candles will be placed throughout the dining room to illuminate the space for an unforgettable “Earth, Wine & Fire” candlelit dinner experience in one of Boston’s most beautiful restaurants.

 

OAK Long Bar + Kitchen

A special à la carte menu by Executive Chef Graham Lockwood will feature sustainably sourced courses and replace the regular dinner menu for the evening. Each dish will highlight ingredients from New England farms and purveyors (see select farms noted below), and the menu’s wine pairings will spotlight New York State and Oregon wines that are produced and grown with sustainable and biodynamic farming practices. A three-course wine pairing will be offered for $30, or these wines can be ordered by the glass for $13-$18 depending on the selection. Those dining between 5-7 p.m.will receive a complimentary taste of rosé upon arrival. The regular bar menu will also be available.

Sunday’s customers will be some of the first to enjoy OAK as a non-plastic straw establishment. The restaurant is permanently ditching plastic straws starting this Friday, April 20. OAK has already been mindful to create cocktails that don’t require a straw, but for those that do and all other straw requests, Hay! Straws will be used moving forward, which are made from natural wheat stems and are 100% biodegradable. The special “Earth, Wine & Fire” dinner menu will be printed on plantable seed paper, and no single-use item (like cocktail napkins) will be offered to tables.

 

OAK Long Bar + Kitchen

MENU

APPETIZER
Pea & Carrot, pea and ricotta dumplings, charcoal roasted carrots and pistachio – $14
Soter “Planet Oregon” Chardonnay

*   Carrots sourced from Ripley Farm, Dover-Foxcroft, ME

South Bay Blondes, egg yolk jam, pickled daikon, radish greens – $18
Brooklyn Oenology “Social Club White”

*   Oysters sourced from Onset, Cape Cod, MA

Pate en Croute, pickled vegetables, cranberry gastrique – $15
Forge “Classique” Riesling

*   Pork sourced from Alderbrook Farm, South Dartmouth, MA

ENTRÉE
Pan Roasted Monkfish, local bacon, Russian banana potatoes, pickled ramps – $29
Brooklyn Oenology “Broken Land”

*   Monkfish sourced from Georges Bank off the coast of MA

*   Potatoes sourced from Green Sunshine Farm, Hodgdon, ME

Braised Short Rib, cassoulet, haikuri turnips, radish – $32
Brooklyn Oenology Merlot

*   Beef sourced from Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, ME

Chicken Ballotine, wheat berries, spring dug parsnip, cipollini jus – $28
Forge “Classique” Pinot Noir

*   Parsnips sourced from Fish Boot Farms, Bowdoinham, ME
*   Wheat berries sourced from Maine Grains, Skowhegan, ME

DESSERT
Crème Brûlée, duck eggs, maple sugar, almond  – $10
Pacific Rim Riesling Vin De Glaciere

*   Maple sourced from Highland Sugarworks, Barre, VT

*   Cream sourced from Maple Line Dairy, Hadley, MA

Reservations are encouraged for this “lit” dinner and can be made here or by calling 617-585-7222.

May
12
Sat
Le Bal Révolution
May 12 @ 6:30 pm – 11:00 pm

Ticket Perks

Individual Tickets*: $175 | $95 is tax-deductible
*Under 40 ticket price changes to $225 on May 1, 2018
This special ticket price is designed for ascending philanthropists (under 40 years of age) this year. Perks include complimentary open bar and hors d’œuvres throughout the evening, and buffet. 

Individual Tickets: $500 | $420 is tax-deductible
Perks include complimentary open bar and hors d’œuvres throughout the evening, and exclusive access to Private Seating with private buffet dinner. 

Patron Sponsorship: $1,500 | 100% tax-deductible (less $80 per guest)
Perks include complimentary open bar and hors d’œuvres throughout the evening, and access to complimentary Private Seating with private buffet dinner. Name recognition on all Le Bal materials. As a Patron Sponsor, you and a guest are invited to join us for an exclusive pre-event cocktail party at a private residence on May 8, 2018. Details to follow.

 

Jan
11
Fri
Eat Well, Live Well with the French Cultural Center
Jan 11 @ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm

Join the French Cultural Center for a series of cooking and wellness workshops for women.

French Cultural Center Wellness Series Boston Back Bay

Is living healthy at the top of your resolutions this year? Join physician and Certified Health and Wellness Coach Martine Vounatsos for a series of three cooking workshops. We will discuss ways to incorporate wellness into every aspect of a woman’s mental and physical health, from exercise and supplements to sleep habits and cooking methods.

Participants will craft and enjoy a traditional and healthy French meal with Martine in a convivial environment.

Each workshop will begin promptly at 11:10 AM. Aprons, ingredients, and will be kitchenware provided.

Please note, this event is intended for women only and in English.

About the Workshops
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Come learn about nutrients, water intake, and dietary habits, then enjoy preparing soupe de poireaux et pommes de terre avec une salade en vinaigrette (potato leek soup and salad with homemade vinaigrette).

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

In this discussion, we will learn about sleeping better and exercising—how and when? For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare velouté d’asperges et salade de carottes râpées (asparagus soup and homemade carrot salad).

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

For our last discussion, we will learn about vitamins, supplements, and meditation. For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare soupe et crème de champignons et salade frisée au vinaigre balsamique (mushroom soup and frisée salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette).

Jan
18
Fri
Eat Well, Live Well with the French Cultural Center
Jan 18 @ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm

Join the French Cultural Center for a series of cooking and wellness workshops for women.

French Cultural Center Wellness Series Boston Back Bay

Is living healthy at the top of your resolutions this year? Join physician and Certified Health and Wellness Coach Martine Vounatsos for a series of three cooking workshops. We will discuss ways to incorporate wellness into every aspect of a woman’s mental and physical health, from exercise and supplements to sleep habits and cooking methods.

Participants will craft and enjoy a traditional and healthy French meal with Martine in a convivial environment.

Each workshop will begin promptly at 11:10 AM. Aprons, ingredients, and will be kitchenware provided.

Please note, this event is intended for women only and in English.

About the Workshops
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Come learn about nutrients, water intake, and dietary habits, then enjoy preparing soupe de poireaux et pommes de terre avec une salade en vinaigrette (potato leek soup and salad with homemade vinaigrette).

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

In this discussion, we will learn about sleeping better and exercising—how and when? For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare velouté d’asperges et salade de carottes râpées (asparagus soup and homemade carrot salad).

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

For our last discussion, we will learn about vitamins, supplements, and meditation. For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare soupe et crème de champignons et salade frisée au vinaigre balsamique (mushroom soup and frisée salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette).


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