A Night in the Valley

A Night in the Valley 2011

Party Scene

Guests enjoyed a beautiful 4-course meal prepared and served by the instructors and students of the Culinary Institute of Charleston at A Night in the Valley, an event benefiting student scholarships and academic programs for Trident Technical College.

Known as one of Charleston’s most lavish affairs, A Night in the Valley returned to Trident Technical College for its eighth year. The glamorous black-tie event again sold out, and the poshly decorated space was flooded with over 600 exquisitely dressed partygoers. The men looked dapper in traditional attire, and their female counterparts showcased a range of chic formal dresses, ranging from elegant floor length gowns to short, sparkling frocks.

There were many excited first-timers among the crowd, which was welcomed with flutes of champagne before being ushered toward the silent auction. The extensive silent auction of truly luxurious items began near the entrance and wove its way through the pristine kitchen spaces before ending in the cocktail reception area, where guests mingled and nibbled on an array of cheeses and pates before entering the main dining hall.

The dining room was beautifully decorated in black and white with vibrant splashes of pink, setting a festive tone for the night’s 4-course meal. The opulent dinner was prepared and served by the instructors and students of the Culinary Institute of Charleston, and each course was perfectly paired with a fine wine. A first course of grilled South Carolina quail on mixed endive greens with Oregon blue cheese, toasted walnuts and a ginger-infused apple vinaigrette was followed by pan-seared sturgeon with a succotash of Cannellini beans, fennel, roasted tomatoes and house-cured bacon. The third course was a Kansas City strip steak with Béarnaise sauce, mascarpone and roasted garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and Mepkin Abbey oyster mushrooms, and the meal finished with a pecan toffee cake with spiced apples and white chocolate Wadmalaw bourbon mousse.

Auctioneer and Trident Technical College alum Tom Crawford led a live auction during the dinner, which raised a considerable amount of money for the student scholarships and academic programs for Trident Technical College, and once the meal and auction finished, guests retired out to the cocktail area and heated patio for coffee and cordials before filtering out into the chilly January night.

A Night in the Valley benefits the student scholarships and academic programs for Trident Technical College (TTC), a public, two-year, multi-campus community college that provides quality education and promotes economic development in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. TTC strives to serve as a catalyst for personal, community and economic development by empowering individuals through education and training.