James Andrew in a House Beautiful living room by David Rockwell
As if a private tour of the Hearst Designer Visions Show House weren’t enough! When I was invited to a progressive dinner party there, and served by my friend Chef Alex Hitz, author of
My Beverly Hills Kitchen, I had no problem finessing my chaotic (yet rather fabulous) schedule to make room on my calender to attend. The evening promised to be the perfect confluence of my many passions—and it offered a superb opportunity to spend more time enjoying Matthew Patrick Smyth, Antony Todd and David Rockwell’s interiors, and especially to share the show house with my beloved Scott McBee (storyboarding artist and
Yacht portraitist) in tow! We also had the opportunity to chat with the brilliant Newell Turner and to catch up with our friends from
Elle Decor,
House Beautiful and
Veranda magazines as well.
Alex Hitz setting for the Hearst Designer Visions Show House dinner
The evening commenced with several of Hitz’s signature hors d’oeuvres—gourgeres, marinated shrimp, “Mary’s Chicken Liver Pâté,” and “Michael Guerard’s Onion Cassis Confiture.” David Rockwell’s richly textured space for
House Beautiful served as the perfect backdrop for the first course of French scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. We moved on to Antony Todd’s wonderfully dramatic environment created for
Veranda. There we were treated to the main course of chicken curry, lemon rice, a spinach, red onion and blue cheese salad with a red wine vinaigrette and a marvelous mushroom tart.
We topped the evening off with desert in Matthew Patrick Smyth’s magnificent space created for Elle Decor—There we were treated to Hitz’s scrumptious coconut pudding with caramel sauce, pecan short bread cookies, almond raspberry white chocolate bars, as well as chocolate confections by Jacques Torres.
Needless to say it was quite satisfying to get a true-life sampling of many of the highlights from Hitz and his sensational My Beverly Hills Kitchen cook book. Do see his monthly feature, Alex’s Kitchen, in House Beautiful—reason enough to subscribe to House Beautiful!
I’m photographed (top) in David Rockwell’s living room for
House Beautiful, and I’m sporting a Tom Ford “Country Jacket” in a dark brown wide wool check, brown and caramel Glen plaid check cotton shirt with French cuffs, caramel silk knit tie and brown and ochre silk pocket square, J Brand “Kane” jean, Gucci python belt with silver double horse head buckle and saddle leather tasseled loafers, vintage Rolex watch, antique moon stone cuff links and my fragrance is
Tom Ford Oud.
