On Monday at 1 p.m., a scrum of chauffeurs and a lineup of shiny black sedans formed along Embassy Row in front of the Embassy of Chile. The circa 1909 three-story Louis XV-style mansion and official residence of the Chilean ambassador is the regular site of a variety of events. This day, the guest of honor was departing ambassador Mariano Fernandez, who served for 28 months in Washington and who was recently named the country’s foreign minister. The embassy’s guest list of 200 included ambassadors from Central and South America, cultural and political members of international organizations, and members of the press.
Hours earlier, the embassy’s head butler, Marcelo Arcos, and his staff removed the 18-seat dining table from the formal dining room, making way for three chrome-and-glass highboys. Arcos positioned buffet tables in the European-style main salon and the Sala Chile (which seats 100 for musical performances) and topped both tables with gold-colored linen and an arrangement of tall calla lilies in a series of glass vases. Just before the guests arrived, platters of mini-desserts (think mango mousse tarts and squares of quince jelly on Monterey Jack cheese) took over the tables.
In the foyer, foreign minister Fernandez and his wife, Maria, greeted guests, who proceeded to one of two bar stations, where bartenders poured Chilean wine and pisco sours, the national cocktail. Waiters passed light and heavy hors d’oeuvres, including smoked salmon, specialty serving spoons filled with a mound of ceviche, and toast rounds topped with rare filet mignon, all made by embassy chef Sonia Salcedeo. The reception ended at 2 p.m.
Universities, think tanks, and international organizations with cultural, political, and trade links to Chile use the venue regularly. Chile’s new ambassador, Jose Goni, arrives in Washington this weekend.
