Tasty Masterpieces Raise Money for Museum

Ten of the country’s leading chefs created culinary masterpieces at Sunday’s Art of Dining V to benefit the Newport Harbor Art Museum.

Described as an exhibition of fine food, the event attracted more than 400 food lovers and museum supporters to the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach. The gourmet gala raised more than $200,000 for the Newport Beach Museum.

Focus on Food

For guests, the dinner was a rare chance to sample the talents of top chefs from seven prestigious restaurants at one sitting.

“People love the experience. There’s no dancing, there’s just food. It’s low-key and a lot of fun,” said Sam Goldstein, co-chairman of the event with Anwar Soliman.

After a champagne reception, guests adjourned to the hotel ballroom for a seven-course dinner that lasted five hours--with breaks in between for a live auction.

“Most of us have never seen so many knives and forks,” said Joan Beall, president of the museum board of trustees.

Indeed, each place setting had no fewer than five knives, five forks, two spoons and five wine glasses which were filled before each course with varieties from the Robert Mondavi Winery.

Gourmet Gallery

Chef Joachim Splichal of the Patina Restaurant in Los Angeles recruited chefs from restaurants in New York and Los Angeles and asked each to prepare a course.

“The chefs came here because of Joachim. They’ll go anywhere he calls,” Goldstein said. “He’s the king of chefdom.”

As a tribute to the chefs, each was videotaped live and shown on wide screens holding their entrees while being introduced by Michael Mondavi, managing director of the Robert Mondavi Winery.

The Art of Fund-Raising

In between courses, guests bid on prizes.

“The ones that are fun are the ones you can’t buy anywhere else,” said Michael Botwinick, museum director.

One prize, “The Art of Chanel,” offered a day of luxury to 10 museum patrons at the Spa at the Center in Costa Mesa--an afternoon of customized fitness, massage and body therapy followed by a private art exhibit and champagne reception with artist Chuck Arnoldi at the Chanel Boutique in South Coast Plaza. The winning bid was $10,000.

The top-grossing entry was a black 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC Coupe which sold for $70,000.

Proceeds from the $300-per-person gala will benefit the museum’s exhibition and education programs.

Among the guests were Four Seasons general manager Thomas Gurtner, Bill Spear of sponsoring Coca-Cola, Jim and Nancy Baldwin, Harry and Berdie Bubb, Frank Caput and Susan Porter Caput, Chuck and Bev Diamond, Rogue and Judy Hemley, Daniel and Susie Hernandez, Leon and Molly Lyon, Jim and Harriet Selna, William and Becky Spear, Robert and Margaret Sprague, David and Maggie Steinmetz and Peter and Helen Zeughauser.