RSVP / ORANGE COUNTY : Another Course : In Its Eighth Incarnation, Art of Dining Pays Tribute to Sculptor Robert Graham

Sculptor Robert Graham received an award from the Newport Harbor Art Museum board of trustees at the Art of Dining VIII on Sunday. Graham, best known for his monumental public artworks such as the towering “Olympic Gateway” figures for the 1984 games in Los Angeles, attended with his wife, Anjelica Huston.

Graham and Huston joined 430 guests at the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach for an “exhibition of culinary art” by leading chefs of the West Coast. The $300-per-person dinner was expected to net $200,000 for the Newport Harbor Art Museum in Newport Beach.

*

Salute to a Sculptor

This was the first time in the history of the Art of Dining that the museum decided to pay tribute to an artist.

“We’ve introduced visual arts along with culinary arts,” said Twyla Reed Martin, event chairwoman. “We chose to honor Robert Graham because he’s given so much to the community with his large art projects.”

Graham’s important public artworks include the Los Angeles Music Center’s “Dance Door,” Detroit’s “Monument to Joe Louis” and the “Duke Ellington Memorial” in New York City’s Central Park. He is working on a Franklin Delano Roosevelt monument for Washington, D.C.

Graham, easily recognizable with his wavy silver hair, accepted a Tiffany crystal vase from Martin during the dinner by simply saying, “Thank you. I’m very honored to be here.”

“Brevity is the soul of wit,” one guest said with a shrug.

Graham looked a little embarrassed by all of the attention, but when asked why he attended the dinner, he joked, “I was too shy

to say no.” Huston sat at his elbow, mesmerizing the crowd by simply looking gorgeous in a dramatic red tunic that fell to her ankles, which she paired with multiple strands of pearls around her neck.

*

Visual and Edible Art

Organizers turned the ballroom into a gallery by decorating the walls with massive contemporary paintings from the museum’s permanent collection.

“The size of these pieces really fits into this room,” said Jim Selna, board president. “You need a big painting to make a statement in here.”

At elegant tables adorned with urns filled with ivy, pears and white roses, guests enjoyed a six-course meal coordinated by Joachim Splichal, owner of Patina Restaurant in Los Angeles.

The chefs were introduced before their creations were served, and Michael Mondavi, president and CEO of the Robert Mondavi Winery, described the Mondavi wine poured with each course.

Chef Octavio Rene Becerra of Pinot Bistro in Studio City prepared smoked escolar with warm fingerling potato salad, followed by Michel Pieton of the Four Seasons, who created a Canadian black mussel soup. Scott Carlsberg of Lampreia in Seattle served Diver sea scallops with cucumber vinaigrette.

Michael Mina of Aqua in San Francisco created pancetta- wrapped Atlantic cod, and Loretta Keller of Bizou in San Francisco made grilled Sonoma squab. For dessert, Splichal and pastry chef Victor Cordes of Patina created a rhubarb and strawberry croustade.

“This is art and dining,” Selna said. “The imagination of the artists goes with the imagination of the chefs.”

Among the guests were Michael Botwinick, museum director; Zelma Allred; Byron and Ronnie Allumbaugh; George and Judie Argyros; Joan Beall; Bud and Alison Frenzel; Pat Jones; Judy Steele; Nina Montee; Richard and Portia Weiss; Kent and Carol Wilken; Carl and Pat Neisser; Elaine Redfield; Erin Trunel, and Rick and Jennifer Van Bergh.

* PLATE EXPECTATIONS

Foodwise, the dinner is an unqualified success, says reviewer Max Jacobsen. F3