County Museum Plans to Whet L.A.’s Palate

Which one? That’s what everyone is asking themselves about “The Art of the Palate,” the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s first collaboration by its 11 volunteer councils.

Patterned after the New York Public Library’s biennial “Table of Contents” fund-raiser, the Los Angeles benefit Sept. 29 and 30 will present 46 dinners. Patrons send checks of either $500 or $150 and prioritize the six dinners they’d most like to attend. Then it’s wait and see.

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Irresistible Choices: From Chantilly, France, trustee liaison Dona Kendall, and from chilly Big Bear, chairman Jann McCord are providing irresistible parties. It’s such a good cause--a goal of $300,000 to reopen the museum on Tuesdays after county cutbacks. Among hosts: Bill (museum chairman) and Tally Mingst and Herb and Beverly Gelfand, planning a progressive dinner with Eskimo art at the Mingsts and American art at the Gelfands; Dona and Dwight Kendall, a dinner concocted by chef Joachim Splichal with Anjelica Huston and Robert Graham the guests. Hannah and former museum chairman Ed Carter will show off their Dutch art at a seated dinner for 12; trustee Terry and Lionel Bell will exhibit their African art at another sit-down.

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More Hard Choices: Consul General of Japan Seiichiro Noboru and his wife, Yoko, will open their Hancock Park residence for a feast; Margie and Bob Petersen will entertain in the penthouse of the new Petersen Automotive Museum; Jacque and Robert Heeber will incorporate their amethyst geodes with gilded autumn leaves for a razzle-dazzle party hosted at the Westwood Marquis with general manager John Strozdas; Mumsey Neimiroff will stage a Gatsby evening slicked up with artists such as Laddie John Dill; Hutton and Ruth Wilkinson plan an East Asia soiree with designer icon Tony Duquette; Ed and Ruth Shannon will accept 36 to meet former President Gerald Ford and Mrs. Ford; Universal Studios will introduce guests to those who worked with Alfred Hitchcock.

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Honorary Chairs: Lending enthusiasm--honorary chairs Robert Altman, Anjelica Huston and Steve Martin. Wolfgang Puck and Splichal are culinary advisers, and tastemaker Paige Rense, honorary adviser.

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Nonagenarian Gala: The 90th anniversary of the Children’s Bureau of Los Angeles on Sept. 27 is a gala in the offing. Just recovered from pneumonia, Mary Marshall will transform the Regent Beverly Wilshire grand ballroom into a New Orleans panorama with gazebos. Co-chairs Connie Gavin and Shel Ausma plan for 800 to say farewell to Lod Cook, who is retiring as Arco CEO (but staying as chairman). His wife, Carole, will be there. Five Presidents have been invited, and the Bushes, the Reagans and the Fords are expected to attend. Party polishers, too: Carolyn Singleton, Betty Williams, Onnalee Doheny, Betty Wilson and daughter Marcia Hobbs, Jenny Jones and Nanci Denny.

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Missing No Beats: Those Vista Del Mar leaders Suzanne Sidy, Elaine Wolf and Laura Fuhrman miss no beats. Already they’re booked for a major January opening of “Miss Saigon” at the Ahmanson Theater.

Elsewhere on the Social Circuit

* Ebullient Elaine Adams will chair the Festival of the Autumn Moon gala Oct. 8 for Pacific Asia Museum. Trustees fete patrons at a reception Sept. 8 at the home of Drs. Edgardo and Lucy Arcinue in Pasadena. Patrons co-chairs: Marilyn Brumder, Nancy Neal Davis and Georgianna Erskine.

* Thinking big--the Wolfgang Puck Charitable Foundation. It expects to make a record-breaking $400,000 (a cumulative of $2.4 million over the past 12 years) with its American Wine and Food Festival Sept. 24. Sixty renowned winemakers and 24 of America’s acclaimed chefs will be featured on the back lot at Universal Studios. Indulgers will raise funds for Meals-on-Wheels to deliver hot meals to the homebound elderly.

* Circle in Red: Sept. 30 for the Museum of Flying’s salute to aviation headed by Dallas Price (we left out the date last week!) . . . The Peninsula Committee of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles’ 37th annual A-rated Portuguese Bend National Horse Show Sept. 9 at Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills . . . The autumn harvest-inspired Planned Parenthood of Pasadena dinner dance Oct. 1 with a goal of $100,000 . . . The Newport Harbor Art Museum and Emporio Armani “Night of the Masque” on Oct. 1 at South Coast Plaza with an auction of 100 unique masks by contemporary artists . . . Former Angeleno Sam Grossman’s three-day 65th birthday bash Nov. 10-12 at his Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, celebrating the famed resort’s 65th anniversary and $35 million renovation.

* Kudos: To St. John’s Hospital, recipients of the W.M. Keck Foundation’s largest grant ever--$10 million for the hospital’s redesign . . . To George Argyros, named founding chairman of the Center for Peace and Freedom in Washington, the bipartisan national policy center announced by the late President Richard Nixon in January . . . To Charlotte and Dr. John Dillon, who have given their residence on Kauai to UCLA as a gift annuity . . . To the Stanley Blacks and Rose M. Kaplan, widow of Arthur H. Kaplan, who have donated a $1.7-million building to the Watts Foundation Community Trust . . . To Lod Cook, Peter O’Malley and Rachel Robinson, raising $50,000 at the first Jackie Robinson Invitational Golf Classic at Riviera Country Club.

* Coronet Debutante Ball Director Kathy Purtcelli hosted the ball board announcement luncheon last week at Bel Air Country Club. Debutantes will be presented at Thanksgiving . . . And the George Hardy Watfords host National Charity League, San Marino Area deb parents Sept. 24, a prelude to the ball chaired by Charie Laugharn on Dec. 22 at the Beverly Wilshire.

* Mrs. William Hord Richardson (Luisa), the longtime publisher of the Los Angeles Blue Book, Society Register of Southern California, has transferred control of the book to native Angeleno Allegra Yust.