Photographer: Kevin A. Roberts
Thursday night of Food Wine Design was excellence at its finest. Guests arrived for cocktail hour on a red carpet and surrounded by Lexus luxury vehicles. Matt Obermark from the Planter’s House provided refreshing cocktails along with Spirits of Saint Louis.
As the cocktail hour flew by, guests made their way into the dining room and were met by the stunning decorations and designs by David Kent Richardson. The VIP table captured the essence of the evening by displaying the French-Vietnamese fusion, down to the traditional rice hats on every chair. Guests were given hors d’oeuvres such as bahn paté chaud and duck confit spring rolls, courtesy of the two featured chefs of the night, Qui Tran of Mai Lee and Ny Vongsaly of Bar Les Frères. Both chefs came up to speak about the courses that would be served for the evening, leaving every guest excited for how the night would unfold. The first course was a traditional beef pho, crab, and asparagus pot au feu paired with Michel Chapoutier Belleruche Rouge Cote du Rhone. The bucket of Leffe Blonde in the center of every table was the perfect beer pairing with each course. The second course was tamarind shrimp with five-spice and tamarind served with Greystone Chardonnay to create the perfect pairing. The third course left everyone full and satisfied with the lemongrass beef filet mignon over green papaya salad with toasted peanuts and Casa Lapostolle Canto De Apalta.
A representative from Magdalene St. Louis came up to talk about the important work their organization does in the area, and guests were given a chance to purchase the stunning floral centerpieces by Belli Fiori with benefits going to Magdalene St. Louis. As the dessert course of Vietnamese Coffee Crème Caramel came out, guests enjoyed Seven Daughters Moscato. The Usual Suspects entertained the crowd for the rest of the event. Thursday proved to be another fabulous night filled with food, wine, and design that fell nothing short of perfection. Check out the party pics from the event HERE.
