Entourage Oscar Party

The Academy Awards have become a bit of a marathon of for those binge TV watchers just a normal viewing time.  You start watching the red carpet arrivals at 6:30pm and the show doesn't end until after midnight usually.  I watched the hours of pre Oscar shows on E before I headed out to the Restaurant Bar Drums and Flats in North York to watch the show with my fellow Film Festival Entourage Team.  We were light on our usual team's attendance so one of team members brought a bunch of his friends who may not be as interested in what is being said on the show as we were.   We take our viewing pretty seriously because we all participate in the Oscar Pool and also because we may or may not have seen or met a lot of the celebrities that are up for awards.  We try and see as many films as we can during the Toronto Film Festival and we try and get together to see as many nominated films as we can during the lead up to the awards.

This year we switched venues because our usual spot wasn't available.  The event manager Lisa at Drums and Flats was very accommodating with our group and I think she really enjoyed the whole Oscar Theme Party in the Bar.  I arrived early to set up some of the decor and props I had and Lisa had already had gold balloons scattered around the bar and the entrance and had hanging decorations strung up from the ceiling.   I added my red carpet at the entrance and another one in front of a photo wall that I set up for a bit of fun.  I took a bunch of photos but I think I missed a few people.   I also brought a film real, fake Oscar, and had some bags of popcorn and gold glitter decorated sugar cookie stars.  You can see them in the previous blog post.   I had set up the bags of popcorn along the very long 20 person deep table that we had and people munched on it after their dinners.  At that time of the Oscars when everyone starts to get bored and the energy level starts to dwindle I brought out the sugar cookie stars and some gold chocolate coins to get everyone's energy back up.

Drums and Flats is a bit of a sports bar that has only been opened for less than a year or so.  They have pizza, wings and various other bar style foods on the menu.

I ordered the Chicken Tenders and had onion rings on the side.  The chicken was very tender and I think it was made from fresh chicken.  It didn't seem to be frozen ones.  I have to admit that I enjoyed it but was still a bit hungry afterward and probably should have ordered something else to go with it.  My friend Lisa ordered this pizza and she could only finish half of it.

And now to the Awards.  I couldn't decide on a few picks so I did some research which all failed me so I only got 15 right this year.  So I didn't win the Oscar Pool.

But Norma from our Entourage Team won the Big 1st Prize which included the Oscar Pool money, we each contribute $5 so she won $85 and also got gift cards donated by Aroma Espresso Bar and I filled up a gift bag with some other swag and more cookies.  Unfortunately she wasn't feeling well and left early so she wasn't there to get the prize at the end of the night so we will have to get that to her this week. 

Brian who arranged the venue and brought a bunch of friends won the 2nd Prize of a $50 gift card for Drums and Flats and a Gift card from Aroma Espresso Bar and I put in some cookies as well.

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of Lucy who won the 3rd prize of a $25 gift card for Drums and Flats and Aroma Espresso Gift Card and cookies.

Bur here's a photo of Lisa our great Drums and Flats Host who helped me make the place look like a Hollywood Oscar Party.

Thank you very much to Drums and Flats and Aroma Espresso Bar for providing our Oscar Pool prizes and to Drums and Flats for providing their great space for our Oscar Party.

Maybe I will win the Pool next year.  It's always a crap shoot, you never know who's going to take all the unexpected wins until the last minute.

More Oscar Fun same time next year.   Now it's back to real life until September when it all starts to rev up again.