THE CROWD:

Nobody sang “Moon River,” but Breakfast at Tiffany 2009 unfolded with plenty of spirit as the women involved with Girls Inc. stood tall and proud with event co-chairwomen Eve Kornyei and Harriett Sandhu for the recent event at the Tiffany & Co. boutique in South Coast Plaza.

Hosted by Tiffany & Co. Director Michael Botsko, local chef extraordinaire Pascal Olhats created a three-course breakfast for the some 50 women who are members of a Girls Inc. guild.

The ladies, including Pamela Adams, Peggy Goldwater Clay, Carol Lee, Patsy Marshall, Pat Neisser, Nancy Sheffner, Irene Tompkinson and Madeline Zuckerman, sipped morning Mimosa cocktails and enjoyed a sneak peek at the dazzling collection of Tiffany jewels.

Also in the breakfast confab were Danni Good, Gianna Drake-Kerrison, Marsha Orlin, Linda Yellin, Carol Dalton, Nadine Hall and the exceptionally chic Sally Crocket of Pelican Point.

Publicist to the stars Lee Healy reports that local famous restaurant co-founders Bill Allen and Paul Fleming hosted a marvelous 10th anniversary party for Fleming’s Steak House and Wine Bar at Fashion Island.

An overflow crowd of Fleming’s devotees sampled faire from lavish food stations while bartenders poured some 100 different kinds of wine by the glass from the enormous wine cellar that the restaurant has become well known for.

Wine Director Marian Jansen op de Haar joined French wine maker Georges Duboeuf creating a proprietary blend of Pouilly–Fuisse which Fleming’s has bottled under the moniker of 46 Diamonds.

All of the guests left the party with an anniversary bottle of the wine.

The worlds of society and dining will blend for nonprofit support as Orange County chefs gather for a series of cooking classes that are being labeled as “Cooking For A Cause.”

The first session took place recently, featuring chefs Chris Hutten, Pascal Olhats and Paul Squicciarini. The three masters prepared the menu they called “Super Bowl With Style.”

Future classes will be in May, July and October with tickets at $65 each and available at a very limited basis. Benefactors include Share Our Selves, Miracles for Kids, Newport Harbor High School and the Art Institute of California.

All the classes will take place at the Orange County Wine and Food Center in Costa Mesa. For more information and reservations go to www.great-taste.net.

The third annual Newport Beach Restaurant Week kicked off with a reception at the Back Bay Bistro at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. Peggy Fort welcomed the local crowd including a large contingent of servicemen and women who had come from Camp Pendleton thanks to involvement from local celebrity restaurateur Dan Marcheano of the Arches.

Marcheano is a dedicated and hardworking citizen supporting the U.S. military, always going the extra mile to do something special for young people serving the county.

If you have not been to the new Back Bay Bistro it is a must do. The atmosphere is pure Newport Beach. There is an enormous indoor/outdoor circular room with views of the Back Bay and an ultramodern ceiling that can be opened on warm days.

Restaurant publicist Frank Groff introduced me to the food of the Back Bay Bistro recently and it is among the best American cuisine at a moderate price point available on the Riviera.

At the recent Restaurant Week reception the kitchen outdid itself. Highlights included succulent mini lamb chops and the absolute best hamburger sliders that I have ever had featuring caramelized onions and a blue cheese dressing on a very soft mini roll.

A host of other generous and dedicated restaurants were also on hand to launch Restaurant Week. Today is your last chance to sample some of the fine faire in Newport Beach at a very reasonable cost.

Visit www.newportbeach dining.com for a list of participating restaurants.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.