Bourbon Steak Goes Mad For Don Draper; Washington Channels '50s and '60 Fashion!

GEORGETOWN -- Don Draper might be ready to head-off into the sunset on his honeymoon, but the team at Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak wanted to throw him one last party before he left!

Indeed, Washingtonians were invited to join the top-rated restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel on Sunday night for a special Mad Men viewing party celebrating the finale of the TV show's fourth season.

Executive Chef David Varley had prepared a special menu just for the occasion that had its roots in the culinary tastes of the 1950s and '60s.

Upon arrival, guests were quickly ushered into the restaurant's private dining room where barback Kaz Sakamoto was waiting to prepare them one of the evening's specialty cocktails. Some guests opted for a Belvedere Grapefruit Gimlet, while others chose a Maker's Mark Perfect Manhattan. For the traditionalist, there was a Classic Beefeater Gin Martini and for the adventurous a special Donga Punch was available, using Chairman's Reserve Rum as the foundation.

As the diners sipped, mingled, and discussed the show's various plot foibles, trays of canapés were liberally passed around. While the Sustainable Shrimp Egg Rolls and Chicken Liver Mousse with Whole Grain Mustard Gelée were clearly the more innovative dishes, the individual spoons topped with Gryffon's Aerie Swedish Meatballs nevertheless proved to be the most popular.

With less than an hour to go before the start of the show, guests were invited to take their seats so that the dinner service could begin. An Iceberg Wedge Salad featuring Allan Benton's Bacon started the meal off with a light but hearty twist, thereby leaving plenty of room for the main Beef Stroganoff course with buttered noodles and green bean casserole -- all dinnertime staples back in Don Draper's day. And in a nod to the preparations of Julia Child, dessert consisted of "To Go" Orchard Pears with fluffy Croissant Bread Pudding.

Mad Men naturally commands an avid fan base and approximately half of the guests in attendance last night had dressed the part of residents of the '50s and '60s.

Always one to reward creativity, the staff at Bourbon Steak presented Toya Johnson with a prize (a bottle of wine and a Michael Mina cookbook) for having worn the most creative costume that night.

The clincher in her opinion? Her hat, which she bought more than a year ago, and a pair of "lady gloves" straight out of the mid-twentieth century.

Skinny tie cool!