Behind the Mask: Coat Room's Masquerade Ball

Meet the guests at last weekend's hottest party, from the country's best rememberer to the coffee roaster who's ready to take over the world.

When I walked into 385 Broadway last Friday, I wasn’t in the mood to party, mainly because I hadn’t had time to pick up a masquerade mask beforehand. As I slumped down the hall toward Coat Room’s post-Halloween masquerade ball, maskless, I ran into Dan Cohen, the bar/restaurant’s director of guest services. “Need a mask?” he asked, pulling an intricate gold one seemingly out of his back pocket. “Here you go.”

Consider this guest serviced.

Inside, I was handed a glass of Champagne from a dancing woman’s bedazzled skirt, and before I’d even taken two sips, a bartender asked me if I’d like a cocktail from the open bar. Needless to say, in the 30 seconds since I’d arrived, my mood made a complete turnaround.

And it only got better as Coat Room’s esteemed guests filtered in. Here’s a look behind their masks.