Perri Peltz Ruttenberg, Patricia Duff,
Lisa Jackson, Debbie
Bancroft,
Mireille Guiliano |
DEBBIE
BANCROFT
One
Grand Dame
Story
by Roger Webster
Photos by Patrick Mcmullan
 EBBIE
BANCROFT
was the guest of honor at La Grande Dame Dinner hosted by Mireille
Guiliano, resident and CEO of Clicquot, Inc. This annual
champagne dinner by Clicquot salutes the significant achievements of
exemplary women. Previous honorees include The Lion King’s Julie
Taymor, choreographer Trisha Brown, and Nicole Miller.
As
a hard working board member of the Ronald McDonald Associates, the
Drama League and New Yorkers For Children, a committee member for
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s successful Penguins And Pearls
gala, a co-chair, two years running, of the Animal Rescue Fund of
the Hamptons (ARF) summer galas, and a trustee of Southampton’s
Parrish Art Museum, Debbie certainly qualifies as a Grande Dame.
And
to those of us who know her as a mother, wife, friend and just one
of the nicest people in town, let’s rephrase Rogers &
Hammerstein: There is nothing like a Debbie!
Anne Hearst and Patricia Duff |
The
party was held in the Bancrofts’ Southampton home, where tables
were set up in the garden under trees that had been up-lit by
lighting maestro Bentley Meeker. He topped off the all-white decor
with hanging ivory-colored Chinese lanterns.
Christopher
Robbins from Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs personally supervised the
cuisine and his staff of handsome cavaliers who were prepared to
parry with the rain.
They
started off with seared yellow fin tuna tartare, Asian green curry
crab cakes and pissaldiere nicoise washed down with a delightful
Champagne Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut. Then there was a timbale
of Maine lobster served with confetti vegetables, avocado and a
garnish of sturgeon caviar and chive cream complemented by Champagne
La Grande Dame 1995. That was followed by a noisette of lamb loin
with a classic bordelaise sauce, golden corn pudding, and summer
vegetables, this time with a La Grand Dame Rose 1990. Dessert was a
local peach and fresh mango tart with red berry, mango coulis
coupled with an absolutely divine Veuve Clicquot Demi Sec.
Julia Koch and Dana Hammond
|
Lucky
guests included Eric Fischl and April Gornik, Gigi
Mortimer, David and Julia Koch, Etta Froio, Chris and Tory
Burch, Dana Hammond, Patricia Duff, Chappy Morris, Anne Hearst,
Edward Guiliano, Anne Barish, Nathan and Katharina Otto,
Tiffany Dubin, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Nicole Miller and Kim
Taipale, Donald and Lisa Jackson, Richard and Marcia
Mishaan, Perri Peltz and Eric Ruttenberg, Bettina Zilkha, Dr.
Howard Sobel, Chappy Morris and Melissa Stanley,
Ivana Lowell, Duane Hampton, Bob Feldman, Marty and Patty
Raynes, and Douglas Hannant, who designed
Debbie’s sequined pants and white satin top.
Mireille
led everybody in a toast to Debbie’s famous million dollar day.
The previous week she co-chaired a benefit at the Mercedes Benz Polo
Challenge opening that raised $200,000 for New Yorkers For Children
in the afternoon and, in the evening, she co-chaired the Midsummer
Gala with Beth DeWoody that raised $800,000 for the Parrish.
There
is nothing you can name that is anything like that Debbie!
|
