Dishing With Sir Elton

Wayne Elias is happy to discuss the dishes he’ll be serving at Elton John’s Oscar party. But he’s far more circumspect when it comes to providing any dish on Sir Elton and his celebrity guests.

“I have no gossip on Elton,” he says. “Sorry.”

That Elias prefers to keep his head down is no surprise. He’s got 1,100 mouths to feed tonight, many of which are sure to be starving after all the pre-Oscar primping, red-carpet preening and, in some cases, acceptance speechmaking. By the time the stars enter the massive tent on the grounds of the Pacific Design Center, “they’re famished,” says Elias, owner and chef of Mark’s Restaurant in West Hollywood and its offshoot, Crumble Catering. “At last year’s event, when it was all said and done, there wasn’t a drop of food left. They ate it all.”

It takes eight weeks of planning--and a cast of 150 servers, kitchen staff and bartenders--to fill those A-list bellies. In all, Elias is responsible for overseeing a reception; a four-course, $2,500-per-person dinner (with proceeds going to the Elton John AIDS Foundation); and the highlight of the night: the Academy Awards after-party. Elias himself will cook for the reception and the after-party. Italian chef Renato Piccolotto, of the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, is being flown in especially to prepare the dinner.

The key to success, Elias says, is attention to detail. He’ll personally make sure that Elton John’s dressing room is stocked with the protein bars and seasonal vegetables with artichoke dip that he likes to munch before performing at the after-party. As the guests enter the tent, meanwhile, they’ll be treated to a flute of 1998 Perrier Jouet Fleur de Champagne. And when their glasses run dry, they can refill them at the champagne bar, where the bubbly will be served with edible violets and tiny baby blue geraniums floating on top.

“I guarantee you won’t see anything like them at any other Oscar party,” says Chris Diamond, Elias’ business partner.

Maybe. But with Nicole Kidman, Paul McCartney, Tom Hanks, Natalie Cole and other big names on the guest list, Elias points out, this is “a hard crowd to wow.”

So for this Oscar night, he’ll stick to comfort food--with a twist. That means grilled cheese sandwiches, but with raisin bread, Gorgonzola, mascarpone and pears. Mini-burger sliders will be adorned with caramelized onions and ginger ketchup. And a not-so-traditional quesadilla will include Maine lobster, goat cheese and caviar.

“Not everything has to be five-star haute cuisine,” the 47-year-old Elias says. “Sometimes even celebrities want a little grease.”

Yet they don’t want it dripping on their five-figure Valentino, Chanel and Prada evening gowns. At the after-party, it’s all small bites.

“People are dancing, eating and drinking, and some are even clutching statuettes,” Elias says. “You don’t want them spilling and making a mess all over themselves.”

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Grilled Raisin Bread Cheese Sandwiches

From chef Wayne Elias of Mark’s Restaurant and Crumble Catering

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Makes 1 dozen hors d’ oeuvres

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6 thin slices raisin bread

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1 Bosc pear, peeled, cored

and thinly sliced lengthwise

2 tablespoons butter

Spread the mascarpone cheese evenly on each slice of raisin bread. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola evenly on three of the slices. Then place four slices of pear on top of the cheese. Cover with the remaining slices of bread. Melt the butter in a saute pan. Grill the sandwiches over low to medium heat on both sides until golden brown, about two minutes per side. To serve, trim the crusts off the sandwiches and cut each to form four small triangles. Garnish with fresh herbs.