Fine Fare Tempts Taste Testers for Nixon Soiree

N ow it’s up to Pat Nixon, Dorothy Bendetti and fellow Richard Nixon supporters gathered at the Century Plaza Hotel this week to sample fare for “The Celebration Gala,” a black-tie soiree for the Nixons and 1,500 of their nearest and dearest set for July 19.

Bendetti, of Emerald Bay, is chairwoman of entertainment for the grand opening of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda. She plans to send an evaluation of the tasting to the former First Lady, who will make the final decision on what will be served at the historic event.

The polished and poised Bendetti welcomed fellow “tasters” to the plush private dining room tucked away inside La Chaumiere, the restaurant of visiting presidents (security is ultra-tight here; there is no street access) and the Plaza’s premiere eatery.

Up for sampling: an Oriental-style poached salmon presented with sauteed shitake mushrooms and halved radishes; butter lettuce, buffalo mozzarella and sun-ripened tomatoes drizzled with fresh basil dressing; loin of veal topped with Madeira sauce and sliced mushrooms; fresh asparagus; and a trio of fresh berries nestled with ice cream in a delicate pouch of pecan crust.

One tentative item, a halved, huge green pepper filled with gazpacho, was deemed “too casual in its presentation,” by Bendetti, who is a stickler for perfection. But the rest of the items received raves from the six tasters, especially the crisp salad--”perfect for July!” Bendetti said--and the dessert which Bendetti found irresistible. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines will be served. Les Brown’s orchestra will entertain.

Tables for 10 at the gala, which will be chaired by Republican bigwigs Jerry Weintraub and Gerald L. Parsky, will be decorated with to-the-floor forest green linen cloths spread with a sparkling net overlays. Centerpieces will consist of silver candelabras trailing with bronze lilies and mixed greenery (the green and bronze color scheme was chosen by Richard Nixon for the invitations which beckon his faithful to celebrate the “Roots, Life and Legacy of an Architect of Peace”). Columns of bronze balloons, interspersed with tiny twinkle lights, will decorate the vast walls of the Los Angeles ballroom.

The gala will mark the culmination of festivities surrounding the dedication of the library on July 19 at 10 a.m. (On that day, an expected 3,000 guests will tour the facility and dine al fresco , among its beautiful gardens, on fare catered by Ambrosia.)

On July 15, a thank-you reception will be held for Yorba Linda supporters. On July 17, Forbes 400 developer George Argyros and Gavin Herbert, CEO of Allergan, will preside over a reception for 250 corporate donors. On July 18, William Simon, Nixon’s former treasury secretary, will preside over a special luncheon for 40 guests. On that same night, members of Nixon’s beloved February Group will gather for a private reception.

Guests at the dedication are in for a variety of culinary treats, each of which is themed to a great event in Nixon’s political life. There will be a California-Mexico buffet consisting of mini-chicken chimichangas; empanadas with jack cheese and roasted chilis; and a guacamole torta. A Russian blini bar will serve buckwheat blinis with Russian whitefish caviar and American sturgeon caviar as well as potato chive pancakes, smoked salmon mousse and pieroges (tender pastry shells filled with potato, cabbage, peas and cheese.) At the Peking duck station, guests will dive into roast Chinese duckling; crab and cream cheese won tons, vegetable spring rolls and chili mint chicken on skewers. For dessert: an all-American theme that will offer sour lemon bars, fresh fruits, apple strudel and homemade cookies.

Avila’s El Ranchito is catering the reception for Yorba Linda supporters. Among items on that groaning board: homemade tostaditos, beef tacquitos, enchiladas, and bunuelitos, Mexican pastries smothered with honey, cinnamon and peaches.

Vive le Chanel!: Grab your Mont Blanc and mark your Filofax for Sept. 9. That’s the day Orange County’s most chic gala ever will unfold when Chanel opens at South Coast Plaza. Now, cross your bejeweled fingers: there’s a chance that Chanel’s main man, the suave Karl Lagerfeld, and his main super-model, the willowy Carole Bouquet, will attend the benefit opening for Opera Pacific.

Hate to gush, but here are the exciting details, straight from Chanel in New York: Five hundred guests will be invited to explore the boutique’s mirrored and lacquered boutique during a champagne (French, of course) reception. Up to go ga-ga over: besides stunning apparel, a white marble facade and crystal doorknobs cut to look like perfume stoppers.

After guests have oohed and aahed over the boutique, they will be invited to South Coast Plaza’s third floor for a cocktail reception, appetizer buffet, and an 8 p.m. fashion show featuring Chanel’s 1990 fall/winter collection worn by models from Europe and New York. Donna Bunce and Gayle Anderson are co-chairwomen.

The Chanel splash is one of three jewels in Opera Pacific’s 1990 gala crown, which begins Saturday night with a “Showboat” party for founders at the Santa Ana Heights home of John and Donna Crean. Mary Raymond and Elaine Lucas are co-chairs of the event, billed as an “Evening in the Old South.”

On Nov. 10, Opera Pacific’s celebrated annual ball will unfold at the Irvine Hilton. With a theme of “A Masked Ball” (in honor of Verdi’s “Un Ballo en Maschera,” featured in Opera Pacific’s 1990-91 season), guests will be invited to bid on masks decorated by celebrities. Opera Pacific has already been able to procure a “phantom” mask signed by “Phantom of the Opera” star Michael Crawford. Kathleen Rhynerson and Kasia Johnson are co-chairwomen.

In now party circles, few organizations can top Opera Pacific’s glamorous profile. Floss Schumacher, chairwoman of Opera Pacific’s board, says she is “thrilled.”

“Our organization is filled with a lot of real chargers, people who work. Hard. And not just women. Men! Who of us knew there would be this kind of enthusiasm for opera in Orange County?”