Charleston magazine Society blog

On Wednesday, Women Making a Difference hosted its 2007 kick-off event at the Rice Mill Building with food and wine courtesy of Good Food Catering. Several hundred women gathered to celebrate and affirm the continued success of this local grassroots giving circle. I must admit that I am an active supporter of the group and wholeheartedly embrace its approach to galvanizing women in the name of philanthropy. The premise is simple: alone, I may not have the resources to make a large impact on a charitable organization, but if I pool my resources with other like-minded women, we can together leverage a significant impact on a variety of Charleston-based charities that seek to improve quality of life for women and children. Since 2002, this group has generated more than $200,000 in grants, and guests at the event on Wednesday learned that the group is well on its way to raising $100,000 this year alone!

On Friday night, guests spilled out of the Renaissance Hotel’s Wentworth Grill for Amuse Bouche, the early kick-off of the 2007 BB&T Food + Wine Festival. Guests noshed on Southern fare provided by Jim’n'Nicks barbecue, and discussed the vast array of culinary events that will take the city by storm this week. I had the opportunity to chat with executive director Angel Postell, who was remarkably calm despite the logistical juggernaut she will oversee this week, and she promised loads of highlights for the week ahead. One highlight that I’m looking forward to— Charleston magazine’s Bubbles and Sweets party on Friday!

Safari was the theme and khaki was the dominant color at the Charleston Museum’s Into Africa party on Saturday night. Curators raided the museum’s archives for a variety of African artifacts, which were on view for the one-night extravaganza. The aroma of a slow-cooked pig and the sound of Disney’s The Lion King met me upon arrival, and I was thrilled to discover a slew of folks decked out in attire befitting a trip to the Dark Continent. Vintage Nikon cameras swung from the necks of several guests, and two especially cheeky women took it one step further by incorporating a toy stuffed animal (monkey and snake) into their costumes.

Sunday night was marked by heavy rain and the Academy Awards, but those elements did little to deter the hundreds of people who turned up in support of the eighth annual Chef’s Feast, a fundraiser for the Lowcountry Food Bank’s Kids Cafe program, an wonderful program that provides hot, nutritious meals and academic assistance in an after-school setting. Held at the North Charleston Convention Center, hundreds of eager guests arrived promptly at 6:30 p.m. and flooded into the ballroom of the Embassy Suites Hotel. This year, 22 chefs representing 19 of the area’s premier restaurants provided a delectable selection of unique three-bite morsels during the serve yourself dine-around. Lisa Buzzelli and Chef Bob Carter are two of the main driving forces behind the event, and they each expressed satisfaction with the grand turn-out. Their sentiment was shared by food bank director Jermaine Husser, who told me that $110,000 was raised on Sunday night.

Ahead this week:

Fête Set Pick
Friday, March 2
Moet Hennessy and Charleston magazine presents
Bubbles + Sweets
Smooth jazz by the Quentin Baxter Jazz Ensemble will entertain as guests sample fine champagne and delectable desserts as Charleston’s top pastry chefs join national pastry chefs including Michael Laiskonis (Le Bernardin), Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez (Lassi), and Brent Wertz (Kingsmill Resort and Spa). Each pastry chef’s creation will be displayed in their own area, and champagne by Moet & Chandon and cordials by Grand Manier and Navan will be poured. A cigar bar will be presented by Coastal Cigars. A truly unique highlight of the Festival!

10 p.m.
Marion Square
SOLD OUT

…

Fête Set Pick
Sunday, March 4
Budweiser Barbeque Sauces presents
BBQ, Blues and Brew
Guest can taste the best-of-the-best in the world of Southern barbeque during the BBQ Blues & Brew. This event showcases top pit masters, chefs and barbeque professionals from across the South, and will serve as the Festival’s Grand Finale. Guests can enjoy various types of barbeque including whole hog, beef brisket, ribs, shoulder, chicken and more as they enjoy a beer by Pearlstine Distributing/Anheuser-Busch. The best of Southern blues will be performed by Chef Fatback and the Groove Band.

4 p.m.
Marion Square
SOLD OUT

…

Fête Set Pick
Sunday, March 4
Launch of the Spirit of South Carolina
It will be amazing sight to see the tall ship erected in our own Ansonborough Field lowered into the water for the final phase of construction. After so many years of hard work, the ship will physically move towards its mission of serving students with education-at-sea opportunities. Don’t miss it!
noon; free
Visit http://www.scmaritime.org for details.

Caritas.
Ida

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Fête Set Pick
Saturday, February 24
Into Africa at the Charleston Museum
Step back in time to colonial Africa at the Charleston Museum’s annual fundraiser benefiting Kidstory, the museum’s new hands-on children’s exhibit. The night is sure to capture all interests with drummers, African-, and Lowcountry-inspired cuisine, live/silent auctions, an exclusive, one-night exhibit of rarely seen African artifacts, and a safari treasure hunt with prizes.

7 p.m.
360 Meeting Street
$60
(843)722-2996

Fête Set Pick
Sunday, February 25
Chef’s Feast to benefit
Lowcountry Food Bank Kids Café Program
Join the pros as Charleston’s best chefs come together for an evening of food and entertainment to benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank’s Kids Café program, which provides hot, nutritious meals and academic assistance for at-risk children.

6:30 p.m.
Embassy Suites Airport Convention Center
$125
(843)747-8146

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Who knew global warming could be so erotic?

On Thursday night, the Charleston Ballet Theatre (CBT) hosted its second annual Charlie Awards— a dance spoof of Academy Award-nominated films that was then spoofed by The Have Nots comedy improv trio. Got it? If you are confused, don’t worry. I’d never seen anything quite like it! Read on.

Ball gown attired guests sashayed down the red carpet at CBT’s black box performance space on King Street, and I nabbed some of the glitterati for awards show style interviews that will be broadcast on Charleston magazine television. Many of the women opted to wear red in support of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign, which is educating women about their unique risks for heart disease, making the sea of attendees look like a very timely extension of Valentine’s Day.

Resident choreographer Jill Eathorne Bahr selected five of her favorite movies from 2006 as inspiration for dance interpretation: Pan’s Labyrinth, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen, An Inconvenient Truth, and The Devil Wears Prada.

The last selection featured a dancer who channeled Miranda Priestley (the film’s version of fur-slinging Vogue editor Anna Wintour) as she haughtily tossed a mink jacket on Dr. Ray Greenberg, an unsuspecting victim seated in the front row. That act received almost as much laughter as the Little Miss Sunshine romp through indie-film nirvana, which had a slew of dancers pushing a yellow “bus” around the stage. It was the sensual performance by Melody Staples and David McAllister, inspired by An Inconvenient Truth, that ultimately took top prize, and it illustrated the far-reaching effects of global warming. (I assume that’s why he had to dance without a shirt. Ahem.)

Guests then made their way across the street to the William Aiken House, where Fish restaurant supplied a three-course seated dinner. Tables of all shapes and sizes were spread across two floors, and each table came with its own theme and decor. In all, 14 different designers leant their talents to creating decorations inspired by the nominated films. Denise Barto’s dramatic interpretation of The Devil Wears Prada, complete with devil horns and smoking goblets, received the most gasps. Luke Wilson Special Events really went over the top at my table with an enormous “tree” of creamy-colored roses that towered over us and evoked old Hollywood glamour. Every gentleman at the table received a boutonnière, and the ladies were encouraged to take home one of the nosegays placed at every seat. Delicate crystals on thin wire stems were tucked into the arrangements, and it didn’t take long for Celeste Patrick, Melinda Nicholson, and me to fashion them into hair ornaments. Each of the ladies at the table also received a lovely champagne colored satin clutch adorned with a vintage brooch. No two brooches were the same, and Carol Perkins Rawle and I quickly swapped ours like giddy school girls.

The evening wound down at the neighboring American Theatre, where the Have Nots! performed their laugh-out-loud interpretation of the dance interpretations of the nominated movies. Whew! During the dance rendition of Pan’s Labyrinth, a male dancer dressed as a wood sprite flitted around the stage in a shocking green unitard that bore but one sleeve. When comic Timmy Finch took to the stage in the same green unitard, the laughter brought the house down.

Incidentally, Charles Patrick (CBT board president) is my running muse, and I made the cheeky suggestion that he don the green unitard— did I mention it is covered in glitter and fake leaves?— for the upcoming Cooper River Bridge Run. He challenged that for $100,000 in donations to the ballet, he would gladly run the race in the aforementioned unitard. Charleston: get out your checkbooks! Would you like to see Charles dash across the bridge wearing this?

On the other end of the fashion spectrum, the Southeastern Wildlife Expo laid siege to the Charleston peninsula over the weekend. Ladies and gents in all shades of camoflague, leather, and feathers participated in the multi-day event that featured art, cuisine, and wildlife. I took in the Jack Hanna show at the Gaillard Auditorium on Saturday and loved seeing footage from his recent trip to Rwanda, where he and his entire family had the rare opportunity to see the majestic mountain gorillas in person.

By Saturday night, attendees were bundled up for the SEWE Soiree at the bus shed. The fragrant scent of fresh oysters hung low in the night air while the shriek of a duck call signaled for guests to move aside so that a fresh tray of pulled pork could replenish the picked-over remains on the table. Shannon Odom gave the catfish stew a rave review, and we both enjoyed the hot boiled peanuts. Tammy and Coleman Bowles looked cozy in nearly matching jackets, while Rhetta Mendelsohn, Eliza Buxton, Terri Henning, and Lisa Rice were decked out in fur.

Marion Square was abuzz with activity throughout the weekend. The climbing wall and camel rides were especially popular during my visit on Sunday, and I was thankful for the cold weather on behalf of the yaks at the petting zoo.

I’ve been musing about adding some additional features to the Fête Set round-up, and Leigh Handal cinched it for me. She dazzled at the CBT gala in a cape that I hear has a storied past. Kudos to Leigh for being named the Fête Set Pick for Chic of the Week!

Also, we’ve been fielding a few last minute requests for Fête Set coverage. Please remember that we are no longer accepting photographs. Organizations will now need to contact me three months prior to an event and send two tickets to cover the event (these tickets are considered separate from any included in a magazine sponsorship). Inclusion in Fête Set or the blog is not guaranteed. I can be contacted at ida@charlestonmag.com.
Caritas.
Ida

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