To celebrate its 50th birthday this year, Bon Appetit threw a two-day bash in Beverly Hills. And we mean all over Beverly Hills: An extensive series of lunches, cocktail receptions, seminars, cookbook signings, and sit-down affairs took place at Maison 140, Mosaic, Avalon Hotel, Raffles L'Ermitage, Beverly Hilton, Peninsula, Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive, Regent Beverly Wilshire, and 20 retailers on Rodeo Drive.
One of the biggest challenges during the five-month planning period for Pam Warr, the magazine's senior special events director, was that she and her staff are based in New York. As the primary liaison between the magazine and all the partners involved with the event, Warr made regular trips to Beverly Hills to meet with city representatives and the convention and visitor's bureau, and to coordinate with the properties.
“The magazine is published in Beverly Hills so it made sense to have the anniversary celebration there,” says Warr. "We wanted to show all the different sides of Beverly Hills and Bon Appetit, plus make it all-inclusive. So, if someone didn't want to go to a glorious sit-down dinner, they could go to an informal cocktail reception, a walk-around tasting, or a free book signing.”
Events included a cocktail reception hosted by Food Network host Giada De Laurentiis, a backstage kitchen tour hosted by editor in chief Barbara Fairchild, Kristine Kidd, and Selma Morrow, and cocktails with Hugh Garvey. One highlight was a dinner on the roof of the Raffles L'ermitage hotel where chefs Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Todd English, Cat Cora and Raffles Singapore chefs Kristoffer Luczak and Jean-Charles Dubois created a multicourse feast. The weekend ended with a Grand Tasting at the Beverly Hilton ballroom, which showcased 50 Los Angeles-area chefs, like Govind Armstrong (Table 8), Suzanne Goin (A.O.C.), Jane Lockhart (Sweet Lady Jane), and David LeFevre (Water Grill).
The magazine team worked closely with L.A.-based Extraordinary Events, who produced several events throughout the weekend, including "Shop, Sip, and Stroll" on Saturday afternoon. Twenty businesses welcomed the public with food prepared by Someone’s in the Kitchen and hosted book signings with Barbara Fairchild and Cat Cora.
—Lesley Balla
Posted 10.18.06
Photos: Jesse Grant/WireImage (test kitchen, serving board), Amy Graves/WireImage (chandelier, desserts, grand tasting room, rooftop)
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