Single Digit Temps Don't Deter Sammies From Steakhouse Meetup
- Sammy TriState
- Jan 28
- 2 min read
NEW YORK CITY, JAN 27 2026 — The 2026 Sammy Tri-State Business Networking Dinner Group is off to an auspicious start.
Fifteen Sammies braved single-digit temperatures to break bread and build business bonds at Royal 35 Steakhouse. More were slated to attend but blizzard-related flight cancellations precluded their attendance. OG Jeff Beal was missed.
Diversity across decades and chapters is a feature of this group. Some new faces made a first appearance and many regulars returned for another year.
Serendity sometimes takes a seat at our dinner table: IU chapter brothers Jake Krassner and William Reddick who missed each other in undergrad by more than 4 years, met for the first time. Nu chapter bros Michael Kawochka and Eric Waite reconnected at dinner after a decade-plus hiatus and picked up right where they left off. For Eta brothers Scott Bloom and Dean Mandel, it was just another day at the office -- they talk all the time, and this was yet another reason to get together IRL and write it off as a bona fide business expense.
A curated agenda kept the conversation robust and relevant. Joey Flanagan presented a blockchain briefing, Ã la Crypto for Dummies, which segued into a discussion about AI use cases and apps, namely Notebook LM and Google AntiGravity. Our resident CPAs discussed tax-aware hedge fund strategies. SMEs sitting next to novices and dropping science is what goes down at these dinners. In fact, oftentimes the teacher becomes the student -- a tax expert might be an AI novice.
The dinner group roster resembles that of a boutique professional services consultancy. During dinner hours, we avail ourselves to each other pro bono. It becomes a sounding board for business issues and opportunities. We try not to get too bogged down on a topic and take stuff offline as needed, often in a one-to-one scenario.
Despite meeting for drinks at the bar an hour prior to our 6pm dinner reservation and finishing before our 8:30 end time, everyone lingered well past 9:30 pm, as we were all enjoying each other's company. Adem lets us stay as late as we want.
Sammy swag was sold, in support of the Alzheimers Association. Our Charity of the Month: Cycle for Survival: MSK rare cancer research for Fra Cary Gertler https://secure2.convio.net/mskcc/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=4372&px=4226752Some
We are planning an off-site bourbon tasting (date TBD), as well as a McSorely's get-together (February). Past off-sites include Nier's Tavern (NYC's oldest tavern).
Like all Sammy TriState committees, the business dinner group is staffed 100% by unpaid volunteers. We budget our events to break even (with a minor surplus or loss).
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