A Beautiful Setting for Tiffany’s Tables

Tiffany & Co. chose the perfect setting for Friday’s launch of its new “American Garden” collection of sterling flatware and porcelain: the great American garden of La Casa Pacifica.

To celebrate the launch, Tiffany & Co. honored Orange County chairwomen who have worked with Tiffany in the past in staging charity events. About 60 guests met at the Tiffany store in South Coast Plaza, then were whisked by white stretch limos to Casa Pacifica, President Nixon’s former Western White House in San Clemente, for an outdoor luncheon.

Garden Party

“This is an exquisite setting,” said Jo Ellen Qualls, vice president of Tiffany & Co. “It’s the most beautiful garden in the West. There’s no place more appropriate to introduce ‘American Garden.’ ”

Roger’s Gardens, caretaker of Casa Pacifica’s seaside garden, has meticulously groomed the grounds, planting lush flowers at every turn.

Luncheon host Ninetta Herbert, who with husband Gavin owns Casa Pacifica, loves gardening . They collect antique roses and other unusual plants while traveling to transplant to the garden.

“I love anything to do with the garden,” Ninetta said. “Roses are my favorite.”

Guests were treated to a tour of the grounds, including the rose garden once treasured and tended by former resident Pat Nixon.

“La Casa Pacifica has changed a lot,” said Marilyn Nielsen, who had visited the home during the Nixon years. “Every year they add more flowers.”

Red, White and Blue

Fred Chuang, head of display for Tiffany & Co., worked with the company’s head of design, John Loring, to create patriotic-style table settings to complement the porcelain and flatware (flown in from New York for the luncheon).

“I loved it from the moment I saw it,” said Catherine Thyen, admiring the settings. “Tiffany knows how to do it right.”

The sterling flatware boasts the firm’s most complex design of the century. Each of the set’s 27 pieces features a different flower or plant and requires two casting dies since the design on the front of each utensil differs from the design on the back.

A setting of American Garden flatware sells for about $500, and the five-piece porcelain setting is priced at $250.

Lunch prepared by Thymes catering proved worthy of the fine place settings. Guests enjoyed fresh asparagus and leek Charlotte with pearls of avocado and a mustard vinaigrette, cold roasted breast of chicken and a dessert of lemon verbena ice cream with light and dark cherries.

After the meal, when presented with a cake server from the American Garden flatware, Ninetta’s eyes grew wide.

“This will be the first,” she promised. Tiffany could count at least one prospective buyer of its new sterling.

Others attending were Zee Allred, Electa Anderson, Nancy Baldwin, Gaye Birtcher, Junie Chong, Peggy Clay, Barbara Harris, Marilyn Hausman, Jane Lawson, Dori de Kruif, Jan Roberts, Joyce Reaume, Candice Schnapp, Mary Jean Simpkins, Carol Wilken, Ciel Woodman and Kathryn Wright.