THE CROWD:

“It is rare to produce a dinner of this quality today because the world does not have the chefs,” offered hotelier Henry Schielein, standing before a grand banquet table surrounded by men in tuxedos in the Grill Room of his domain, the Balboa Bay Club & Resort. Schielein and the resort hosted the spring 2008 formal dinner of the Escoffier Society of Southern California. Ironically, his guests were many of the great chefs of the region, including Frederick Castan, Bruno Massuger and Fred Mensinga. These gentlemen and many of the others in attendance devote their daily lives to culinary excellence. In a fast-food, fast-lane world, the art of the kitchen has dramatically changed. On this night, which takes place only in the spring and fall in Southern California, the great chefs come together along with leaders in the food and wine industry and a select few gastronomes from the community. They celebrate the grand tradition of Auguste Escoffier, “The Chef of Kings and The King of Chefs” who was born in France in 1846, began working at 12, and served the royal society of 19th-century Europe.

Schielein’s guests arrived promptly at 6:30 p.m. for the mid-week dinner by the bay. Steve Slater, top exec with Southern Wine and Spirits, joined hotelier Randy Zupanski of the Fairmont Newport Beach, Paul Ohm, local columnist and activist Peter Buffa, Richard Beine, Tom Wilson, and Newport businessman Noel Hamilton with his father, Devon Hamilton.

Debonair raconteur Danny Thomas held court with Marty Rakowitz in from Palm Springs, and fellow Escoffier Society member and desert resident Mitchell Sussman. Bay Club waiters, under the direction of Naji Allouche, poured Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Brut as silver trays with hors d’oeuvres circulated the Grill lounge and adjacent outdoor terrace above the main channel of Newport Harbor.

At precisely 7 p.m., the men were seated at one long banquet table that bisected the entire length of the room. Silver candelabra with three tall white tapers flickered above the white linen cloth-covered expanse that boasted arrangements of crimson-colored orchids. Each place setting was a miniature work of art with crystal stem ware arranged in a semi-circular pattern around service chargers.

“In years long past, when we created this kind of a table, we used string to line up the glasses in perfect symmetry down the entire table,” continued Schielein, recounting his training in Europe as a young man. “Those days are gone,” he added with a laugh, as longtime Bay Club dining room boss George Valenzuela chided, “We didn’t need string. The glasses are in excellent order.” Schielein acknowledged the work of his crew supervised by Chef de Cuisine Josef Lageder. “They have worked literally all day to set this table and prepare the dinner you are about to experience,” he said. Schielein added the preparation is actually much longer than the day of the event. Lageder and the executive dining staff, including Dieter Hissin and Sommelier Bruce Rabanit, work for weeks in advance of the evening.

The effort was truly remarkable. “Most people today have not and will not ever experience a meal like this,” said John Wortmann, Lido Isle resident and new inductee into the Escoffier Society. “It’s like time traveling back into another age,” continued Wortmann, who stood before the crowd and Schielein for a formal induction ceremony that included the tradition of tapping of a culinary sword on either shoulder followed by a brief oath of allegiance.

An eight-course feast commenced. Hissin and Rabanit explained the food-and-wine pairing before each service. The quality was beyond reproach, the display artistic and the service impeccable. Dinner began with a caviar-topped egg and was followed by foie gras that was, as they say, “to die for.” A consommé of beef en croute was next, with an incredible roulade of sole Veronique as course four. Pomegranate sorbet cleansed the palate, followed by two additional exemplary main courses, most notably sweetbreads and a veal chop in a Morelles sauce beyond description, accompanied by potato croquettes. The final two courses began with a French cheese plate that was so pungent folks in Costa Mesa could savor the sharp aroma. Then, dessert, which consisted of a soufflé aux Noisettes Dorées glacée, and a marzipan model of Chef Escoffier, ended the celebration with a whimsical twist.

The guests including Harry Richter, James Pierog, Dave Wooten, Jerry Johnson, Jean Marc Webber and Bob Currie, left the table for cigars, cognac and sweets served outside on the terrace.

Founded in 1936 in New York at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, the American branch of the Les Amis d’ Escoffier Society also supports a foundation created in 1955, which is a nonprofit that sponsors scholarships for students of the culinary arts, and supports the outstanding educators in the field. Coming up May 23 through 25, Schielein hosts the Newport Beach Food & Wine Festival at the Balboa Bay Club. For information, call (949) 630-4146. The public is welcome.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.