An Afternoon Affair: Inside The New York Public Library's Annual Library Lunch

Tory Burch, Candice Bergen, David Remnick and more mingled under the glass dome of the Celeste Bartos Forum last week, stepping out to attend The New York Public Library's annual Library Lunch.

Attendees put a spring in their sartorial step - bright suits, floral dresses - to support the library's mission (one that has been victim to enormous budget cuts from the mayor’s office over the last year, bringing about the closure of the library’s Sunday services across all branches), and to listen to a captivating discussion on the link between food and travel with the overarching theme of Food for Thought. The conversation featured Chinese cuisine cook and food writer, Fuchsia Dunlop, writer and bespoke travel curator, David Prior, and Editor in Chief of Bon Appétit and Epicurious, Jamila Robinson and was moderated by The New Yorker editor David Remnick. 

Each tablescape at the event, artfully designed by Susan Miller Smith, was distinctly different, stacked with books reflecting the afternoon affair's theme of discovery and exploration through food.

Tory Burch

Gillian Miniter, Valerie Artzt, Elyse Newhouse

David Remnick, Jamila Robinson

Deborah Royce, Daisy Prince, Darcy Rigas, Mahnaz Bartos, Zibby Owens, Abby Milstein, Louise Grunwald, David Remnick, Nanar Yoseloff

Fuchsia Dunlop, David Prior, Jamila Robinson

Alyssa Shelasky, Zibby Owens

Abby Milstein, Iris Weinshall