LIFE ON THE CIRCUIT : A Toast to Franco-American Relations

The French Connection

The Newport Beach Sister City Assn. tossed a two-part party on Wednesday for 11 visitors from Antibes, France. The contingent from the Cote d’Azure and about 70 locals met for cocktails at Mary Ann and Len Miller’s Balboa peninsula home, then rode the Millers’ yacht over to the mainland for dinner at Beverly and Robert Cohen’s Bayshore Drive manse (better known to bay cruisers as “the John Wayne house”).

Sights and Sounds

The invitations requested “California Western” attire, which ended up meaning cowboy boots, 10-gallon hats and a lot of fringe swinging in the breeze. The sisterly (and brotherly) swirl filled the Millers’ four-story custom home to capacity--guests shimmied up the narrow staircases, ogling Mary Ann’s eclectic art and antique collection, from the dockside living room to the rooftop patio.

The hostess--what a kidder!--put a legless theater prop horse in the middle of her dining room table and balanced a punch bowl of margaritas on its back. Yee- ha! At Trigger’s flanks (seen years ago in South Coast Repertory’s production of “Equus,” Mary Ann said) were bountiful appetizers, including Southwest-style fried shrimp, chili cheese puffs, spinach-stuffed mushroom caps and caviar “supremes” (layers of caviar, chopped egg, avocado and sour cream).

After a happy hour-and-a-half in Margaritaville, guests piled onto the Millers’ yacht, dubbed “La Mour.” Which means what?

“Absolutely nothing,” according to the hosts’ 25-year-old son, Bryan. “It’s not English. It’s not French. It’s an Anglicized mess.” (Mom, it seems, had the “LM”--for Len Miller --painted on the boat first, then came up with the name.)

The fete continued at the Cohens’ sprawling ponderosa-by-the-bay with a buffet of barbecue ribs and chicken, corn on the cob, cole slaw, potato salad and biscuits, followed by a concert by the four-piece bluegrass band Pickit Line.

Bon Mots

According to Gerard Bourrat, vice mayor of Antibes, Newport’s Mediterranean sister is the “rose capital” of Europe. “When you have four (new) roses (introduced) in the world (market), one is coming from Antibes,” said Bourrat, in thickly accented but decipherable English.

Bourrat said the group stopped by a local nursery earlier in the day to discuss the particulars of a new hybrid rose: The Newport Beach.

“Maybe it would take a few months to develop (this new) rose,” said Bourrat, “but today is the first day.”

Guest List

Among the Franco-fraternizers were Newport Beach Mayor Ruthelyn Plummer, seen in the Cohens’ kitchen stirring mayo into the potato salad (“Catering is my hobby,” she said); Pilar Wayne, who brought to the Cohens’ house-- her old house--a few Dukesque items, including an oil portrait of the big guy and his favorite crystal goblets; Gretchen and Jim Dale, owners of nearby Villa Nova restaurant; Newport Beach Fire Chief James Reed, and his wife, Sharon; Wendell Fish, “the so-called head of this sister city association,” in his own words; and Daniel Brondi, a native of Antibes who teaches French at Cal State Fullerton.

Also attending were Patrick Bellanti, Alex Walder, Ray Carpenter, Mary Valentine, Ken Horio and Jim Hewicker.

Quote

Asked why she opened her home for this party--one among a deluge of such requests--Beverly Cohen laughed. “You know, I’m just standing here wondering that myself,” said the black-leather-clad hostess, as friends and strangers swarmed up the dock and onto her patio.