Go back to Words & Wit pageSAN FRANCISCO -- Would you believe Debbie Does Desserts? Daniela Faggioli, a competitor in the Great Risotto Contest Sunday at Palio D'Asti, not only arrived with all of the required ingredients for her risotto (porcini and arugula) but also with a birthday cake. The cake was made by Debbie, who really does desserts in San Rafael, and it was for Ned DeWitt, who celebrated his birthday at the risotto contest for the Museo ItaloAmericano.
The cake was quite a masterpiece -- a replica in miniature and in tiramisu of Ned and wife Gretchen's new home in Sausalito, including their new address -- until Cynthia Coolidge ate it. Daniela's risotto also was memorable, but not the winner. Father John Schlegel, president of the University of San Francisco, won the contest with his risotto with porcini mushrooms and mustard seeds, with a few prayers on the side.
Eats have been pretty good lately at parties. The dinner at the Papillon Ball at the Ritz Carlton began with a ravioli with lobster and scallops in saffron that made going out in the rain and the wind worthwhile. To work up an appetite between courses there was dancing to Rick Olsen's big band. Mary Moulton and her sister, Kathleen Mahaney, were chairwomen of the party benefiting the Arthritis Foundation, which was as perfect as they always are. Well, maybe there was one itsy-bitsy mistake: Dr. Morris Noble's name card changed his name to Nobel, but he didn't mind. It made him feel good thinking about all those prizes he's given throughout the years.
Dinner at Ann and Gordon Getty's home always is superb, thanks to their chef, Alphonse, and he did it again last Friday when he prepared dinner for about 80, sponsors and benefactors of the annual Kidney Foundation's Authors Lunch on Saturday at the St. Francis. Chef Alphonse chose a delicious Chilean sea bass with polenta for a first course and followed by rack of lamb. Author Amy Tan, one of the organizers of the lunch along with Ann, smuggled in an extra guest to dinner -- her three-pound, 3-month-old Yorkshire terrier, who felt that the lamb was indeed done just perfectly.
Deborah and John Emery celebrated her birthday with dinner at Plump Jack, and when her birthday cake arrived at the table, everyone in the restaurant joined in singing "Happy Birthday." "I still cry when I think about it," Debbie said, adding, "just 10 minutes later, Placido Domingo came in for dinner. ... Just think, I almost had Placido singing to me."
Placido did sing for Maria Manetti Farrow at a rehearsal of "Herodiade." Afterward, Maria, Placido and maestro Valery Gergiev had a midnight supper at Stars. "Herodiade" had its local premiere Tuesday night for the Series A subscribers (that's everyone you and I know). Even though Placido and Valery are the darlings of the season, it might be hard to create as much excitement again as Valery did in "Fiery Angel." That kept the box holders wide awake and brought out all sorts of binoculars and field glasses so they wouldn't miss a moment of the St. Petersburg Maryinsky Theater Acrobatic Group, who do some of their best dancing in the nude.
There were more than 700 people at the Opera Guild's Opera Festival Auction on Friday at the Grand Hyatt. Lots of great prizes, and Joe Betz was a satisfied customer of the silent auction: "I bought two nights at the Hilton Hotel in Budapest," said Joe, who might even go to Budapest on his next trip to Europe.
Not even 10 inches of rain stopped members of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters from the dance party Saturday at FAO Schwartz. The party, which Keith Belling of the Paragon Bar & Grill helped organize, started at 8 p.m. and was sold out in about 10 minutes with 900 guests, but party wannabes kept lining up under umbrellas outside the store, hoping to get in. We know what that feels like, don't we?
While they waited in the rain, President Clinton was waiting inside Postrio for dinner with a group of seven coworkers. No fast food this time for Bill. They arrived at about 9:30 p.m. and left around 11:30. Bill's choices: scallops with a green curry sauce, jambalaya shrimp and Sonoma lamb. And Eric Clapton had his Monday morning cappuccino at the counter in Emporio Armani. "Good cap," he said to server Amerin Falk. Made her day.
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