Mark Loren Designs Blog

Mark Loren Designs Blog
November 25th, 2015
Imagine plunging your fork into the stuffing of your Thanksgiving dinner and pulling out a 2-carat diamond engagement ring. That scene could play out for up to three couples who take advantage of The Old Homestead Steakhouse's $45,000 dinner package.

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The seven-course meal for a party of eight includes a mountain of luxury gifts, including two tickets to grandstand seats at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a $7,500 Black Friday shopping spree at Bergdorf Goodman, a two-night stay at the Waldorf and a dancing lesson at Fred Astaire Dance Studio. A videographer will be on hand to capture the moment of the marriage proposal and, yes, limousine service will be provided to whisk the couple throughout the city.

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The principles of the famous 147-year-old New York City restaurant are taking great precautions to make sure the bride-to-be doesn't consume her ring. A waiter will be stationed nearby to make sure the discovery occurs without a hitch.

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“We’re going to conceal the ring so that it’s not obvious,” owner Marc Sherry told Forbes.com. “We want her to actually feel something with her fork.”

Sherry noted that the ring would feature a 2-carat emerald-cut diamond, but the engagement bling used in the Forbes.com photoshoot appears to be a pear-shaped diamond.

Nevertheless, Sherry explained that he came up with the clever "hide-the-engagement-ring-in-the-stuffing" concept after watching so many guests proposing at his restaurant over the years.

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Sherry accurately noted that Thanksgiving weekend kicks off the proposal season that runs until Valentine’s Day.

"Too many guys wing it on Thanksgiving when it comes to popping the question,” he explained to the New York Daily News. “They could use a little creativity, so we're planning everything from soup to nuts — and the engagement ring, too."

He compared the excitement of finding a ring in a turkey dinner at his restaurant to popping the question at other famous New York venues.

“It’s along the lines of people who propose on the mound at Yankee Stadium or at the top of the Empire State Building, something really different,” he said.

The dinner itself features the following culinary delights...

• Two 20-pound, free-range, organically raised turkeys seasoned with saffron and basted in artisanal, locally produced butter;
• Stuffing infused with one pound of foie gras, two pounds of Wagyu beef and four sourdough loaves;
• Mashed potatoes made with Swedish Moose House Cheese;
• Pappy Van Winkle bourbon-infused gravy;
• Cranberry-orange relish, featuring cranberries that have been soaked in Grand Marnier;
• Sweet potatoes topped with Royal Osetra 000 caviar;
• Butternut squash covered in winter black truffles;
• Pumpkin ice cream served with a $4,200 bottle of private reserve rum-infused eggnog sauce and edible, 24-karat gold flakes;
• Cristal and Dom Perignon champagnes, Opus One and Silver Oak wines (a six-liter bottle) and a 40-year-old Taylor port.

Credits: Screen captures via forbes.com.