Photo by Robert WadeI had no intention of celebrating the Oscars, but when I received an invite from Hotel 1000 (1000 First Ave., 957-1000) to attend their first annual “A Night at the Oscars” party as their guest, I obliged. I mean, I had a dress, a date and absolutely no plans Sunday night. What I didn’t have was something for this column. Some problems just solve themselves, but very few solutions come with drink tickets, I always say. With red carpet waiting, my friend and I rolled in just as the Oscar telecast was starting. We bypassed the “swag bag room” and made a dash to the elevator which would take us to the fourth floor party. Awaiting us can only be described as a food and booze wonderland. Bartenders were shaking up cotton candy cocktails, pouring wine and mixing martinis. There was also lots of champagne. Goat cheese and lavender panna cottasServers were armed with large platters of chicken wings, finger sandwiches and some sort of delicious looking fried thing on a stick. There was also a DJ, a magician and a dominatrix giving out spankings. Inside one of the rooms was a buffet filled with beet salad, charcuterie, sliders, flatbread, cheese platters, spice crusted chicken, duck prosciutto salad and a ton of other stuff prepared by BOKA chef Angie Roberts. I assumed the price of admission ($65) included a limited amount of food, but to my delight, the hotel staff was constantly replenishing the spread with new items.We took a seat at one of the tables within perfect viewing of one of several large screen televisions. Each table was decorated with beautiful rose bouquets and flickering candles. We were also seated next to yet another bar — the third one I saw since exiting the elevator. The entire, mostly female, crowd was decked out to the nines. I have never seen Seattle dressed so elegantly, even while dining at Canlis and The Herbfarm. I felt underdressed. Nearly 300 people attended the event and consumed (are you ready for this?): 10 cases of oysters, three cases of caviar, 50 pounds of crab legs, more than 20 cases of champagne and 10 cases of Ciroc vodka. Stella beer and wine were also thrown back like water that night.

CandyAbout an hour into the show, I started seeing people carrying plates of shrimp and oysters into the room. Where were they getting those? Turns out, there was an entire room serving just seafood. A seafood room! There was also a “white room” outside on the covered patio adorned with crystal chandeliers, white couches, a bar with Oscar statue ice sculptures and jars of white jellybeans and white chocolate to match. I returned to my seat, told my friend about my recent discovery and then proceeded to grab a bunch of treat bags to go shopping for candy. The Oscars ended somewhere between the pink-coated chocolates in the seafood room and the white Lindor truffles in the white room. It was while I was in my self-induced sugar coma that I had an epiphany: I was having a really good time — a good time while wearing uncomfortable heels, sitting at a table with strangers, watching an awards show. That says a lot about the caliber of this party. On the way out, we grabbed some of our friends and hit the photo booth, then went downstairs to collect our swag bags. A few treats inside: a can of Red Bull, coupons for BOKA and Teatro Zinzanni and a one-week membership to a local gym. My friend and I, clearly not having eaten enough (we’re disgusting), stopped at BOKA for a beer and some mussels and frites before leaving.It was a super fun time. So fun, I’d be happy to pay to attend next year’s bash, which the Hotel 1000 staff is already planning.