понедельник, 17 сентября 2012 г.

ARTREACH THROWS THE ULTIMATE DINNER PARTY (FOR 13TH TIME).(Lifestyles/Spotlight) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Byline: Dahlia Jean Weinstein

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

It could have been a scene from the red carpet at the Academy Awards, but the spectacle was here in Denver, on a stage set for an intimate black-tie benefit for ArtReach, an organization that changes lives through the arts.

Kelly and K.C. Gallagher welcomed 24 guests to the stunning soiree at their beautiful Tudor-style home for ArtReach's 13th annual fund-raising fete, known as the Ultimate Dinner Party.

A spectacular eight-course feast was prepared for the event by several of Denver's finest chefs, including Markus Georg from Chinook Tavern, Matthew Franklin from 240 Union, Radek Cerny and Gregory Sever of Papillon Cafe, Eric Roeder from Micole, Eric Scott from Radex Bistro, Christopher Cina from Bravo Ristorante, Amy Vitale and Sean Farley from Strings, and Michael Degenhart from the Manor House.

Radex maitre d's Bucky Parker and Christopher Robin joined Boulder Wine Merchant master sommelier Sally Mohr to add even more stellar service to the evening.

Dinner guests Don MacKenzie and his wife, Suzanne, and Bob Beriault and his wife, Ruth, provided wines from their private cellars, which were served with each dinner course. Southern Wine & Spirits provided sparkling wine to go with the hors d'oeuvres everyone enjoyed during the cocktail hour.

The home's back patio was the ideal setting for an impressive sunset and equally impressive stories told by historian and author Alice Millett Bakemeier, who told the guests about the history of the Gallaghers' home.

Tom and Valere Shane, the home's former owners, were happy to share some of its secrets, too. Tom told about paw prints he'd found in old insulation in the attic, which he believed were from a cougar that had crawled into the gable area before the home was completed.

Additional dinner-party guests included Natalie Rekstad and her fiance, Scott Lynn; Meredith Bradford and Mark Smith; Holly and Rich Kylberg; Joan and Ron Maclachlan; Nancy and John Stamper; Joni and Scott Wylie; Suzanne and Don MacKenzie; Marsha and Emmett Duemke; and Robin Halby and her husband, Todd Snidow.

Snidow has been a generous patron of children's arts programs through the foundation he created three years ago. This was the first Ultimate Dinner for Snidow and Halby - and what a dinner it was.

The creative cuisine included hors d'oeuvres such as corn and garlic fritters with barbecued glazed ostrich, sweetbreads wrapped in puff pastry with wild mushrooms and smoked salmon mousse in English cucumbers from Radex; double duck consomme with barley, vegetables and foie gras mousseline on toast points from Bravo Ristorante; European white asparagus salad with whole-grain mustard vinaigrette, medley of morel and chanterelle and marinated fire-roasted red bell peppers from Chinook Tavern; seared sea scallops with avocado vinaigrette and fingerling potato lobster salad from 240 Union; plum wine-braised pheasant won-ton with miso morel cream garnished with mushroom chips and celery from Strings; tournedos of buffalo, pan-seared and served over chive cherve grits with grilled Virginia ham and Maker's Mark syrup from Papillon; and desserts such as the rhubarb shortcake with black pepper ice cream and caramel from Micole and a trio of farmstead cheeses with brioche from the Manor House.

As if the dinner weren't enough, Lynne Hamilton from House of Flowers provided the party's floral decor, featuring red hand-painted calla lilies gilded on the edges to match the regal red-and-gold decor of the gorgeous home.

Jessica Mays, a piano major at the Denver School of the Arts, entertained the guests. As the evening came to a close, each couple received a keepsake photograph of the enjoyable evening, chocolate from the Chocolate Foundry and artwork by children in ArtReach's program.

This year's dinner raised more than $22,000 to benefit ArtReach Inc., which provides art experiences to at-risk and underprivileged children, adults and elderly people throughout the metro area.

Information about ArtReach: (303) 433-2882 or www.artreachdenver.org.

Thursday's Society events

The Visiting Nurse Association will celebrate its 2002 Flower Ladies Festival at an afternoon tea featuring the presentation of the Margaret D. Lewis Award, named after the health-care pioneer, to one of this year's health-care honorees - Anne Brown, Barbara Campbell, Mary Lou Cody, Vera Collier, Dr. Frank McGlone, Carol Jenkins, Dr. Harvey Karsh and Ida Unsain - and state Rep. Lois Tochtrop speaking about Colorado's nursing shortage, 2 to 4 p.m., Parkside Mansion, 1859 York St., $10 for nurses, $40 for guests. (303) 698-6337.

The Jefferson Symphony Orchestra and Patricia Stevinson Doig will hold a high tea in honor of Ambassador Holland Coors and director Jack Galland to celebrate the kickoff of the orchestra's 50th-anniversary gala celebration, to be held Dec. 7. The tea runs from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Denver Marriott West Hotel. (303) 278-4237.

Colorado Preservation Inc. presents its Dana Crawford Awards Dinner honoring Joanne Ditmer with the Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation and its State Honor Award recipients, 6 p.m., El Jebel Shrine, 4625 W. 50th Ave., cash bar, business attire. Tickets start at $100. (303) 893-4260.

Girls Inc. Alliance presents ``The Journey,'' a night with Erin Brockovich, a benefit for Girls Inc. of Metro Denver, 6:30 p.m., Paramount Theater, patron tickets $150, general admission $50. (303) 893-4363, Ext. 107