With chef Robert Del Grande in the kitchen whipping up one of the tastiest charity luncheons on record and Italian jewelry designer Ippolita displaying her mouthwatering wares in the foyer of RDG + Bar Annie, Dec My Room's annual fall luncheon was particularly delicious.
The sellout crowd of more than 200 practically drooled over the glittering cache of Ippolita, from the $18,000 gold necklaces to the $1,000 mother of pearl drop earrings, rings for less and plenty of bracelets and adornments priced in between.
For the record, Del Grande served crab tostada and chilled corn soup for starters, roasted chicken vegetable salad with either sun-dried tomato pesto or buttermilk dressing and a lush plate of fresh berries topped with creme fraiche for dessert.
Three cheers for Dec My Room founder Susan Plank and luncheon chairs, Ellie Francisco and Leisa Holland-Nelson, for orchestrating a charity luncheon long on fun, no preaching to the choir. Applause, applause to Neiman Marcus and GM Bob Devlin for bringing in Ippolita and her terrific jewels.
In the very, very short program, Ippolita applauded the charitable efforts of those in the room saying, "Recently, I have been involved in some charity work in New York and I know it's one minute of glamour," she said gesturing around the restaurant, "and lots of hard work in the trenches to make it happen."
Among those helping make it all happen were Marita Fairbanks, Ursaline Hamilton, Elizabeth Stein, Lesha Elsenbrook, Hannah McNair, Joanna Marks, Chree Boydstun, Alice Mosing, Melissa Mithoff and Christie Sullivan.
Ellie Francisco, Leisa Holland-Nelson, Ippolita, Susan Plank.
