The Crowd: For this benefit, make yourself at home
If you happen to be among those who lament the end of elegance in this world, find a way to be invited to dinner at the home of Beverly and Robert Cohen (he goes by his initials RC).
The Cohens divide their time between principal residences in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, with the latter being an art nouveau-inspired mansion that they created on the bayfront expanse that once sported the California ranch-style residence of John Wayne and family.
Last week, Beverly, looking incredibly trim and blonde and wearing a simple ruched-at-the-waist kelly-green frock for St. Patty’s Day, and the dapper RC, in a silk brocade black dinner jacket, welcomed some 150 guests of Childhelp to their home for a patrons dinner in advance of the annual Childhelp fashion luncheon and fundraiser being sponsored by South Coast Plaza this month.
A little description of the scene is required. First, in today’s society, few hosts open their personal residence to large events. It is the era of the hotel, club and restaurant venues. Second, when those rare few invite the crowd over, it is often for a glass of wine and hors d’ oeuvres. When Beverly and RC throw a party, it is a sit-down dinner for 150.
That’s right. Tables were decorated with china, crystal, candles, flowers and double silk napkins in decorative napkin rings. What’s more, no two table settings were identical. The attention to detail and the artistry required to create the settings is a reflection of the vitality and generosity of the hosts.
To be fair, Beverly and RC were not setting each place themselves. As the owners of the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles, they have access to an army of professionals able to make the Childhelp evening a smashing success.
But make no mistake. The Cohens were attentive to every detail. More impressive, neither of them sat down for a minute. Instead, they greeted and table-hopped, making sure the guests had everything they desired. The Great Gatsby lives.
The Childhelp guest list comprised significant donors to the Orange County chapter of the national organization, which is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Funds raised support a variety of children’s homes for the abused and neglected in the O.C. as well as in Beaumont, Calif.
Co-chairs of this season’s fashion show fundraiser, Pam Pharris and Gina Van Ocker, attending with her mother, Cheryl Van Ocker, were front and center along with major Childhelp devotee and honorary chair Patti Edwards thanking the generous crowd.
Guests and committee members attending the Cohen dinner reception were in high spirits. The Newport Coast’s Olivia and Howard Abel, Harbor Island’s Patti and Jim Edwards, fabulous fashion mavens Iris Frankel and Mary Rubenstein of Mi Place fame, JoAnn Fanticola, Mary Allyn and Earl Dexter, Diana and Chris Miner, Cameron Pierce, Jill and David Glick, glamorous Cate Heck and her shoe mogul husband, Wayne Heck, and the chic Donna Pickup of Newport Beach and Indian Wells, joining her statuesque daughter Stephanie Jones from Las Vegas, gathered to support Childhelp and honor the Cohen family for amazing generosity. Of special note were Beverly Cohen’s close pal, hairdresser Craig Brown, by her side, and, from South Coast Plaza, Kathryn Cenci.
Waiters served silver-tray-ladened hors d’ oeuvres, and bartenders mixed cocktails of choice as an eight-piece band known as the Rubber Sound filled the Cohen property with smooth jazz and American standards.
At 7 p.m. on the dot, the maître d’hôtel announced that dinner would be served. Silver chaffing dishes were opened, and diners enjoyed grilled salmon, prime rib of beef, Italian delicacies including stuffed eggplant marinara, duck ravioli and chopped salad along with every imaginable condiment.
Childhelp volunteers, including Linda Burns, Susan Earlabaugh, Kristen James, Dale San Filippo, Joyce Simon and Debra Violette, to name only a few, circulated among the guests.
Additional patrons included the always-lovely Eve Ruffato and her distinguished husband, Mike Ruffato, in from his business base in Denver, real estate champion Sara Hinman and son Brad Hinman, Debbie and Jonathan Magnusen, Erna Minkoff, Katherine Meredith, and Linda and David Zussman.
The evening was topped off with a performance by comedienne and motivational speaker Kathy Buckley as guests sampled a dessert buffet suitable for the Hotel Ritz.
Beverly Cohen shared a glimpse into her motivation as hostess. “I grew up very poor in Cleveland. All we ate was chicken. I think that I have overcompensated for my childhood experience,” she said with a big laugh.
Indeed you have, Mrs. C.
THE CROWD runs Fridays. B.W. Cook is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
