At the “Fête du Bordeaux” Wine Dinner, which was recently held at The Taj Boston are, left to right: Franz Zeller; Anthony Barton; Chef Franck Steigerwald; Claude Dubois; Jean-Charles Cazes; and David Gibbons.
(Photo by Roger Farrington)

Imagine 1,360 wine glasses displayed on beautifully set tables and 15 different wines being poured for the enjoyment of 80 guests!

Such was the scene recently at The Taj Boston during the “Fête du Bordeaux” Wine Dinner. The special event was set in the historic and elegant 1927 dining room for the debut the highly acclaimed 2005 vintage.

David Gibbons, General Manager, welcomed guests and introduced the new Executive Chef Franck Steigerwald. Commentary accompanied the prestigious dinner by the guests of honor, the noted Bordeaux vintners Anthony Barton, of Châteaux Léoville Barton & Langoa Barton; and Jean-Charles Cazes, of Châteaux Lynch-Bages & Ormes de Pez.

Other special guests included Franz Zeller, Senior Vice President and COO, and James Fallon, Regional Sales Director, respectively, of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces; and Richard Elia, Publisher and President of the “Quarterly Review of Wines,” to name a few.

Chef Steigerwald created the menu to complement the wines served while Claude Dubois, Director of Food and Beverage, coordinated the special event.

A few of the gourmet treats enjoyed by guests during the reception and dinner included: Foie gras mousse with beet caramel, Toast of smoked salmon with American caviar, Duo of salmon carpaccio and tian of crab flavored with fresh herbs, Roasted lamb loin, fricassée of wild mushrooms, celeriac mousseline and red wine sauce, and Dacquoise with praline mousse and caramel glaçage.

According to PR Director Caron Le Brun, Chef Steigerwald brings with him a cooking technique and youthful exuberance reflecting the many influences that he assimilated beginning in Bordeaux and all the years spent in his native France. His concentration on every aspect of cooking and management of the Michelin Stars restaurant kitchens in which he worked while in France gained him several gold medals.

In 2004 he became an essential member of the opening team of Maestro restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton in McLean, Virginia. Maestro was taken from its opening to AAA 5 Diamond rating in less than three years. From Chef De Cuisine at Artisans, the AAA 5 Diamond restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples in Florida, Chef Steigerwald became Executive Chef at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples. Congratulations and Best Wishes all around!

While on the subject of The Taj Hotel, we are told that Jerry Brown, Concierge in the exclusive Club Lounge, takes delight in introducing guests to Boston, the city he loves.

Before coming to The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, (which is now The Taj Boston), Jerry had been a noted professional floral designer for 25 years. In 1994 he came to the hotel as one of six staff florists. After a year, he turned his creative talent and gentlemanly graciousness to watching over the wishes and needs of the hotel’s Club Lounge guests. His interest in the theatre, his pets and “gardening” give him lively topics of conversation.

This past August Jerry was named Second Place Winner in the Medium Yard Garden category, in Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s 2007 Garden Contest. The awards ceremony took place in the Public Garden just across the street from The Taj Boston with the Mayor and Parks Commissioner Antonia Pollak presenting the award to him. The garden at his residence in Dorchester is an ever-changing work of art that spotlights the seasonal plantings. Congratulations and Best Wishes Jerry!

Conservatory to Sponsor Free Concerts

The New England Conservatory will celebrate the music of composer Steve Reich in a two-day mini-festival, November 28 and 29. In four concerts, NEC students, alumni, and faculty will perform works taken from the composer’s earliest to most recent periods.

The concerts are free and open to the public.

Under the artistic direction of Stephen Drury, the festival will feature two Boston premieres, “City Life” (1995) and “Daniel Variations” (2006). The latter work had its world premiere a year ago as part of Reich’s 70th birthday observances and commemorates Daniel Pearl, the American journalist murdered in Pakistan.

The composer will be in Boston to coach rehearsals on Tuesday, Nov. 27 and Wednesday, Nov. 28 and attend the performances. He will also work with NEC student composers.

Among performers taking part in the concerts will be pianists Stephen Drury and Yukiko Takagi, the Borromeo String Quartet, the NEC Wind Ensemble under the direction of Charles Peltz, composer/conductor John Heiss and the NEC Contemporary Ensemble, the Callithumpian Consort, and the NEC Philharmonia.

Composer Steve Reich has been called "...our greatest living composer" (The New York Times), "...America’s greatest living composer" (The Village Voice), and “...the most original musical thinker of our time” (The New Yorker).

For further information, check the NEC Web site at: www.newenglandconservatory.edu/concerts, or call the NEC Concert Line at 617-585-1122.

NEC presents more than 600 free concerts each year, many of them in Jordan Hall, its world- renowned, 100-year old, beautifully restored concert hall. These programs range from solo recitals to chamber music to orchestral programs to jazz and opera scenes. Every year, NEC’s opera studies department also presents two fully staged opera productions at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston.

Enjoy!

Mitch Bobkin
Greater Boston Interior Designer Featured on
NECN's Dream House.
www.mfb-designs.com

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