On a warm, breezy early August evening, Chef’s Expressions chef/owner Jerry Edwards marked his 50th birthday with an al fresco party for 330 guests at the Silo Point residences in Locust Point. The party was the centerpiece of a full weekend’s worth of events to celebrate the occasion, and raised $6,500 for Jerry’s pet charity, Meals On Wheels. (The prior evening he hosted a seated, five-course wine dinner for family, close friends and staff at the Tremont Grand, and the day after this party he held an open house brunch at home for 70, including most of the staff who’d worked the other events.)
Edwards spent several months planning the party along with his wife, Julie, and executive chef John Walsh. Guests were welcomed to the party with glasses of white peach sangria and then led through the lobby to the outdoor terrace spanning the rear of the complex. Open-air tents held service bars and six stations with wine and food pairings; another tent was reserved for dancing, courtesy of the band Powerhouse.
At a midpoint in the evening, longtime friend Jay Block sabered a magnum of champagne (opening it by slicing off the top of the bottle with the stroke of a sword) to the delight of the crowd and the host took the microphone to thank his family and guests. The menu included grilled Red Angus tenderloin filets and Thai chile steamed mussels. A four-layer cake— designed by local TV celebrity chef Duff Goldman— provided a sweet ending to the evening’s festivities.
