Soviet Chefs to Take Grand Holiday Tour

In the avalanche of mail that precedes the coming holiday, one letter stands out.

Just think about this: The Chef de Cuisine Assn. of California is sponsoring the first-ever visit of Soviet chefs to this state, Thursday and Friday. The Century Plaza is sponsoring their Los Angeles stay.

The chefs will be touring Disneyland, Universal Studios, Beverly Hills, the Irvine Ranch Market and “L.A. night life.”

For those of you hungering for black bread and borscht, the chefs will not be cooking during their stay here.

HONOR DUE--Dr. Mathilde Krim will be honored Dec. 1 with a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York and a black-tie dinner following at Tavern on the Green. Entertaining will be Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern, Placido Domingo and Elizabeth Taylor.

Sounds all very New York--but remember that Dr. Krim is the person who brought the East and West coasts together when she was instrumental in forming the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day, and the celebration of Dr. Krim is a fund-raiser that will allow AmFAR to put $1 million toward providing grants for community-based clinical trial centers.

FLAGS UP--Tonight’s the night. David Hockney and a distinguished panel of judges present the award to the winners of the “Hollywood flag design competition.” Hollywood Heritage will be the beneficiary of the reception at the Hollywood Roosevelt.

DIRTY ROTTEN--Scoundrels, that is. That’s the title of the film, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” and the two fellows pictured toasting on the invitations--Steve Martin and Michael Caine--look charming and interesting, but a tad evil.

They’re doing good work, though, since the premiere of their benefit on Dec. 5 will help support the County Museum of Art’s renovation of the Leo S. Bing Theatre.

The honorary committee includes folks like producer Douglas S. Cramer, Patti and Tommy Skouras, Felisa and Nick Vanoff, Gloria and David Wolper, Patricia and Mike Medavoy and the museum’s own Daisy and Dan Belin.

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOCA--Yes, it’s the fifth anniversary of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Temporary Contemporary on Dec. 10. Michael McCarty of Michael’s restaurant has created a 12-foot-long chocolate and raspberry cake, and folks will party around the cake at a street party near the T.C. in Little Tokyo.

Decorating the cake will be amateur chefs McCarty has recruited from rock bands like Devo and Oingo Boingo. The night promises great collectors, like MOCA chair Fred Nicholas, great marching bands like the “Mighty Spartan Band” from Montebello’s Schurr High School and lots of MOCA buddies.

LUV IT--The invite from Concern II, Adults Funding Children’s Cancer Research, is a paper bag, with the emblem “Shop ‘Til You Drop.” And one can, at the Sunday boutique at The Market at Colorado Place. So convenient--and such a good cause.

Mayor Tom Bradley in cooperation with Security Pacific Corporation hosted a luncheon Tuesday that brought together community and business leaders to invite them to contribute to a new Union Rescue Mission shelter for the homeless.

The mayor has appointed Security Pacific vice chairman John Singleton to head up the fund campaign for a new building in the central Skid Row area that will provide 401 beds, 3,000 meals daily and a separate, safe area for homeless women and families as well as medical, library and vocational facilities.

The Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles will provide almost half of the $16 million for the new facility with the rest to come from private sources.