A 75th anniversary is a momentous occasion. So when it came time for the Orange Bowl Committee to celebrate its own, it did so in a fashion that harked back to the good ol' days of the 1930s, the decade of its founding, on Sunday night at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami.
Humphrey Bogart and Shirley Temple-or at least their look-alikes-welcomed guests as a band playing '30s standards and ballroom dancers from Shredder Entertainment performed.
Designed and created by 2Taste Catering, centerpieces of faux orange sidecars-real versions served at the bars as signature drinks-topped the tables throughout the theater's lobby. When it came to serving hors d' oeuvres, John Rossetti, president of 2Taste, got creative.
"In dealing with 500 people in a tight space, the question is, how do you get food into the crowd?" Rossetti said.
He had servers on the second floor lower food trays over the railing down to another server. When the food was gone, the tray was pulled up, the food was replaced, and the tray was lowered again.
On the second floor, an organ grinder entertained the crowd with his monkey, who shook hands and posed for pictures with guests.
Mayor Manny Diaz later took the stage to thank and congratulate the Orange Bowl Committee on its many accomplishments over the years. His remarks were followed by a 30-minute movie compiling testimonials and landmark events.
