$5.00 JANUARY 2020
THE PALM BEACH ISSUE
DAN PONTON AT CLUB COLETTE, PALM BEACH questmag.com
33 sunset avenue, westhampton beach 14 main street, southampton village
2287 montauk highway, bridgehampton 26 montauk highway, east hampton
“Saunders, A Higher Form of Realty,� is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Please refer to our website for the names under which our agents are licensed with the Department of State. Equal Housing Opportunity.
28WilkesLane.com
sagaponack farm and ocean views A 5,290 sq. ft. residence on Hedges Lane with unforgettable field and ocean views on 2.3 Acres. The home features a heated gunite pool with spa, and a private Jacuzzi room.
Sagaponack Village | Co-Exclusive $7.95M
Ron White
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson C:
(631) 252-1517 | RWhite@Saunders.com
Celebrating
150 years 1870 - 2020
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Copyright © 2020, Wally Findlay Galleries International Inc.. All rights reserved.
Somewhere Long Ago | oil on canvas | 42 x 42 in
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Tarpon Cove Presented by
Cristina Condon —
Tarpon Cove
Authentic Bermudian-style house with 232’ of rare south facing Intracoastal frontage and golf course views. Built for entertaining, the house won the 2017 Schuler Award from the Preservation Foundation for outstanding new architecture, as well as an AIA award for excellence in design. $37,500,000 | Tarpon-Cove.com
Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.
Featured Listings Presented by
Cristina Condon & Kevin Condon —
Villa Il Cortile
$20,995,000 | VillaIlCortile.com
Trump Plaza Townhouse
$3,950,000 | ExceptionalTownhouse.com
Kevin Condon
Broker Associate kevin.condon@sothebyshomes.com 646.457.8919 | cristinacondon.com
Magnificent Oceanfront Condo $2,795,000 | Direct-Oceanfront.com
Cristina Condon
Senior Global Real Estate Advisor cristina.condon@sothebyshomes.com 561.301.2211 | cristinacondon.com
Featured Listings Presented by
Cristina Condon & Kevin Condon —
1790 South Ocean Blvd
225 Tangier Avenue
Landmark At The Gardens Parkway 702B
Landmark At The Gardens Parkway 701B
$25,995,000 | SignificantOceanToLakeEstate.com
$2,950,000 | PalmBeachPenthouse1702b.com
$5,450,000 | 100’ x 172’ | 225TangierAvenueLot.com
$2,950,000 | PalmBeachPenthouse1701b.com
Palm Beach Brokerage | sothebyshomes.com/palmbeach Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.
Seminole Beach Direct Oceanfront $44,500,000 | seminolebeachroad.com
Estate Section Regency
$8,750,000 | ElegantRegency.com
Kevin Condon
Broker Associate kevin.condon@sothebyshomes.com 646.457.8919 | cristinacondon.com
Contmeporary North End Home $6,495,000 | ContemporaryNorthEnd.com
Cristina Condon
Senior Global Real Estate Advisor cristina.condon@sothebyshomes.com 561.301.2211 | cristinacondon.com
Glen GlenCove, Cove,NY NY Traditional Traditionalcoral coralstucco stuccoretreat retreaton onprivate privateWest WestIsland Islandwith with magnificent magnificentviews viewsover over28 28acre acrecove coveoff offLong LongIsland IslandSound. Sound.Beautifully Beautifully proportioned proportionedrooms, rooms,rare rarehardwood hardwooddetails detailsand andmoldings moldingsfrom fromJP JP Morgan’s Morgan’stownhouse. townhouse.Pool, Pool,studio, studio,specimen specimentrees treesset seton on2.6 2.6acres. acres. SD SD#5. #5.MLS# MLS#3142549. 3142549.$2,800,000. $2,800,000. Bonnie BonnieDevendorf, Devendorf,516.759.4800, 516.759.4800,c.516.509.6229 c.516.509.6229 Susana SusanaJ.J.Muir, Muir,516.759.4800, 516.759.4800,c.516.641.6612 c.516.641.6612
Huntington HuntingtonBay, Bay,NY NY
Greenport, Greenport,NY NY––Renovated Renovatedand andRestored Restored This Thissophisticated sophisticatedCirca Circa1903 1903Village Villagegem gemhas hasbeen beenexpertly expertlyrenovated renovated and andrestored restoredwith withstyle styleand andcomfort comfortininmind. mind.Located Locatedininthe theheart heart ofofdowntown downtownGreenport GreenportVillage Villagethis this2,342 2,342sq. sq.ft.ft.home homeincludes includesanan intimate intimateslate slatecourtyard courtyardwith withpergola pergolaand andoutdoor outdoorentertainment entertainmentarea. area. SD SD#10. #10.MLS# MLS#3168189. 3168189.$1,300,000. $1,300,000. JoAnn JoAnnWind, Wind,631.477.0013, 631.477.0013,c.631.764.3847 c.631.764.3847
Locust LocustValley, Valley,NY NY
Stunning Stunning200 200ft.ft.ofofwaterfront waterfrontwith withpanoramic panoramicviews viewsofofHuntington Huntington Bay... Bay...custom custombuilt, built,never neverbefore beforeon onthe themarket. market.Beautiful Beautifulentrance entrance with withbridal bridalstaircase, staircase,gourmet gourmetchef’s chef’skitchen, kitchen,allallupdated. updated.Sweeping Sweeping lawns, lawns,staircase staircasetotobeach... beach...diamond diamondcondition. condition.SD SD#3. #3. MLS# MLS#3179136. 3179136.$3,495,000. $3,495,000. Ruth RuthSansiviero, Sansiviero,631.427.6600, 631.427.6600,c.516.449.6472 c.516.449.6472
The Thecomposed composedcalm calmofofthis this8-bedroom 8-bedroomColonial Colonialhas hasbeen beenachieved achieved with withdecorating decoratingand andupdating updatingfor forthe the21st 21stcentury. century.Located Locatedon on2+ 2+ acres acresthe thegrounds groundsfeature featurea anew newpool pooland andlavish lavishgardens gardensininthe theheart heart ofofLocust LocustValley. Valley.Near Neartotoshops, shops,our ourbest bestrestaurants restaurantsand andcommuting commuting yet yetquietly quietlytucked tuckedaway awayon ona aflower flowerstrewn strewnhillside. hillside.SD SD#3. #3. MLS# MLS#3114696. 3114696.$1,595,000. $1,595,000. Mary MaryAnn AnnWheatley, Wheatley,516.759.4800, 516.759.4800,c.516.445.8042 c.516.445.8042 Bonnie BonnieDevendorf, Devendorf,516.759.4800, 516.759.4800,c.516.509.6229 c.516.509.6229
Locust LocustValley, Valley,NY NY
Oyster OysterBay BayCove, Cove,NY NY––Waterfront Waterfront
Sprawling Sprawlingcustom customdesigned designedCountry CountryEstate Estatetucked tuckedaway awayon ona aprivate private road roadand andset seton on2+ 2+beautiful, beautiful,flat flatacres. acres.5-bedroom 5-bedroomsingle-level single-levelhome home built builtinin1962 1962complete completewith withheated heatedin-ground in-groundpool, pool,greenhouse greenhouseand anda a courtyard courtyardentrance. entrance.SD SD#3. #3.MLS# MLS#3162608. 3162608.$2,750,000. $2,750,000. Christina ChristinaF.F.(Christy) (Christy)Porter, Porter,516.759.4800, 516.759.4800,c.516.835.5512 c.516.835.5512
Greenbrigde Greenbrigdeisisthe theelegant elegantbrick brickGeorgian GeorgianColonial Colonialwhich whichwas wasthe thelast last commission commissionofofrenowned renownedArchitect ArchitectBradley BradleyDelehanty. Delehanty.ItItisissituated situated on on2.58 2.58acres acreswith with460 460ft.ft.ofofdirect directdeep deepwaterfront waterfrontproperty. property.Truly Trulya a special specialhome. home.SD SD#6. #6.MLS# MLS#3184045. 3184045.$4,450,000. $4,450,000. Cathy CathyCasalicchio, Casalicchio,631.427.6600, 631.427.6600,c.631.678.8929 c.631.678.8929 Renee ReneeBradley, Bradley,631.427.6600, 631.427.6600,c.516.768.9966 c.516.768.9966
Daniel DanielGale GaleSotheby’s Sotheby’sInternational InternationalRealty Realty| |danielgale.com danielgale.com
Centre CentreIsland, Island,NY NY––“Casual “CasualWater” Water” Breathtaking Breathtakingwestern westernwater waterviews viewsand andtechnicolor technicolorsunsets sunsetsadd addtotothe the splendor splendorofofbeach beachfront frontlife. life.AApiece pieceofofparadise paradisefeaturing featuringa acustom custom built built6-bedroom 6-bedroomColonial Colonialwith with1212ft.ft.ceilings, ceilings,gallery galleryfoyer, foyer,4 4fireplaces fireplaces and andstunning stunningarchitectural architecturaldetails. details.Fine Fineconstruction constructionwith withcommercial commercial grade gradesystems. systems.AAMasterpiece MasterpieceCollection CollectionListing. Listing.SD SD#6. #6. MLS# MLS#3029657. 3029657.$4,450,000. $4,450,000. Kimberly KimberlyG.G.Bancroft, Bancroft,516.759.4800, 516.759.4800,c.516.404.5053 c.516.404.5053 Madeleine MadeleineR.R.Ganis, Ganis,516.759.4800, 516.759.4800,c.516.375.7760 c.516.375.7760
Locust LocustValley, Valley,NY NY––“Linden “LindenHill” Hill” Stately Statelycountry countryEstate Estatedesigned designedbybyBradley BradleyDelehanty Delehantyand andbuilt builtinin1918. 1918. This Thishome homeoffers offersa aperfect perfectblend blendofofperiodic periodicarchitectural architecturaldetails detailsand and a arenovated renovatedinterior interiorwhich whichmeets meetsallallofofyour yourentertaining entertainingneeds. needs.Prime Prime location locationset seton on4+ 4+acres acresofofspecimen specimentrees treesand andlandscaping. landscaping. AAMasterpiece MasterpieceCollection CollectionListing. Listing.SD SD#3. #3.MLS# MLS#3133083. 3133083.$6,200,000. $6,200,000. Kathleen KathleenP.P.(Kathe) (Kathe)Dodd, Dodd,516.759.4800, 516.759.4800,c.516.504.8771 c.516.504.8771 Rosalyn RosalynMeyer, Meyer,516.627.4440, 516.627.4440,c.917.887.2687 c.917.887.2687
Old OldWestbury, Westbury,NY NY––“Maison “MaisonModerne” Moderne”
Old OldWestbury, Westbury,NY NY––“Villa “VillaLusso” Lusso”
AAgated gatedlong longprivate privatedrive driveleads leadstotothis thiselegantly elegantlyappointed appointednew new 9,500 9,500sq. sq.ft.ft.Transitional Transitionaland andglamorous glamorouscustom-built custom-builtflawless flawless home homewith withthe theuse useofofthe thehighest highestquality qualityand anddesign. design.SD SD#2. #2. MLS#3110509. MLS#3110509.$4,995,000. $4,995,000. Andrea AndreaJablow, Jablow,516.626.7600, 516.626.7600,c.516.5247743 c.516.5247743
Resort-style Resort-stylebeauty, beauty,this thisspectacular spectacular8-bedroom 8-bedroomMediterranean MediterraneanVilla Villa isisan anoasis oasisofofluxury luxuryand andrefinement refinementwith withan anemphasis emphasison onindoorindooroutdoor outdoorliving. living.Theatre, Theatre,wine winecellar, cellar,infinity infinityedge edgepool, pool,tennis. tennis.5 5acres. acres. AAMasterpiece MasterpieceCollection CollectionListing. Listing.SD SD#1. #1.MLS# MLS#3149392. 3149392.$8,900,000. $8,900,000. Ellen EllenZipes, Zipes,516.626.7600, 516.626.7600,c.516.817.7300 c.516.817.7300 Margaret MargaretTrautmann, Trautmann,516.759.4800, 516.759.4800,c.516.361.4646 c.516.361.4646
Each Each office office is independently is independently owned owned and and operated. operated. WeWe areare pledged pledged to to provide provide equal equal opportunity opportunity forfor housing housing to to any any prospective prospective customer customer oror client, client, without without regard regard to to race, race, color, color, religion, religion, sex, sex, handicap, handicap, familial familial status status oror national national origin. origin.
Featured Palm Beach Properties Presented By
Todd & Frances Peter francesandtodd.com
Seminole Beach Direct Oceanfront
Bears Club Estate
$44,500,000 | seminolebeachroad.com
$21,900,000 | bearsclubestate.com
Admirals Cove Waterfront
North Lake Way Modern Regency
$11,900,000 | 207commodoredrive.com
$7,500,000 | 742nlakeway.com
210 Fairview Road
3550 S. Ocean - Direct Oceanfront
$6,250,000 | 210FairviewRoad.com
$4,895,000 | 3550SOcean2a.com
Todd & Frances Peter Senior Global Real Estate Advisors todd.peter@sothebyshomes.com 561.281.0031 | francesandtodd.com
Featured Palm Beach Waterfront Offerings Presented by
Fern Fodiman
Oceanfront Oasis
$5,200,000 | 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath | oceanfront-oasis.com
Villa Plati Townhouse
$3,195,000 | 3-bedroom, 4.5-bath | villaplatitownhouse.com
Direct Oceanfront Trophy - 2 Adjacent Properties The Can Be Combined To Create A Grand Residence $4,795,000 | 3-bedroom, 3-bath | directoceantrophy.com
$1,595,000 | 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath | directocean-views.com
Sloan’s Curve Lanai
Waterview Towers 1101 - Corner
$1,825,000 | 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath | SloansCurveLanai.com
$1,995,000 | 3-bedroom, 3-bath | WaterviewCorner.com
Fern Fodiman
Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.
Senior Global Real Estate Advisor fern.fodiman@sothebyshomes.com 917.400.5624 | fernfodiman.com
126
CONTENTS The Palm B eac h I ssue 100
PILLAR OF PALM BEACH
114
A look back at the the nearly four decades
of Danny Ponton’s legendary Club Colette—and its people and parties.
108
HOUSE OF MUNN: THE PALM BEACH STORY
Originally from our January 2007 issue,
a historian takes a look at the Island’s many Munns. By augusTus c. mayhew
114
SWIFTY’S + THE COLONY = PERFECT PALM BEACH PAIRING
The clubby restaurant
comes to Palm Beach’s favorite hotel—just for the season. By alex Travers
120
PRIZED LISTINGS IN PALM BEACH
With increasing interest in Palm Beach real estate
and low inventory, our expert brokers urge clients to buy fast. By Brooke kelly
126
QUEST PALM BEACH STYLE
Iconic visitors and residents of yesteryear and today
who give the town that certain je ne sais quoi. By elIzaBeTh meIgher
134
BEACHY BUYS
We take a look at Palm Beach’s must-visit shopping destinations
lining Worth Avenue, at the Royal Poinciana Plaza, and beyond. By Brooke kelly
140
PALM BEACH DESIGN JOURNAL
We highlight our favorite designers, landscape
architects, and home goods boutiques in the Palm Beach area.
100
94
86
CONTENTS 90
columns 26
SOCIAL DIARY
80
HARRY BENSON
82
TAKI
84
CANTEENS
86
TRAVEL
90
FRESH FINDS
94
TRAVEL
98
SOCIAL CALENDAR
148
YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST
152
SNAPSHOT
’Tis the season for celebrations of all kinds. By DavID PaTrIck columBIa Our photographer reminisces on capturing Palm Beach society legends at a party.
Musings on intellectuals, idiocy, and the fine line in-between.
By
TakI TheoDoracoPulos
Palm Beach’s favorite pizza is had on the patio of Pizza al Fresco.
By
kaThryn maIer
The Brazilian Court’s refreshed rooms evoke eternal springtime. By kaThryn maIer Beachy brights and fun baubles. By kaThryn maIer anD elIzaBeTh meIgher
Local flair is the hottest trend at Palm Beach hotels. By carey o’D onnell The best galas and benefits in New York and Palm Beach. Parties heat up as the weather cools. By Brooke kelly
Saying goodbye to a beloved and uniquely colorful character.
By
auDax
L A C L A R A’ S PA L M B E A C H TA K E S M E FA R AWAY Y E T A LW A Y S BRINGS ME HOME
83 waterfront residences from $2M – $5M Introducing La Clara, a stunning Palm Beach resort-style condominium that has deftly combined classic luxury with contemporary design. From tastefully modern suites, amenities and a shimmering pool, you’ll enjoy stunning views of the ocean and Intracoastal. A new perspective on modern upscale living. La Clara’s two and three-bedroom residences range from 1,500 to over 3,000 square feet with expansive outdoor terraces and larger units available upon request.
laclarapalmbeach.com
T: 561 617 9334 ALL PHOTOGRAPHS, RENDERINGS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE FOR ARTISTIC REPRESENTATION PURPOSES ONLY. ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. THIS OFFERING IS MADE ONLY BY THE OFFERING DOCUMENTS FOR THE CONDOMINIUM AND NO STATEMENT SHOULD BE RELIED UPON IF NOT MADE IN THE OFFERING DOCUMENTS. THIS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL, OR SOLICITATION OF OFFERS TO BUY, THE CONDOMINIUM UNITS IN STATES WHERE SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION CANNOT BE MADE. PRICES, PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE, E. & O. E.
Our members return each year as faithfully as the tides.
questmag.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA C R E AT I V E D I R EC TO R
JAMES STOFFEL DEPUT Y EDITOR
ELIZABETH MEIGHER SENIOR EDITOR
KATHRYN MAIER GRAPHIC DESIGNER/ PRODUCTION MANAGER
TYKISCHA JACOBS F E AT U R E S E D I TO R
BROOKE KELLY CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
ROBERT BENDER P H OTO G R A P H E R - AT - L A R G E
JULIE SKARRATT SOCIET Y EDITOR
HILARY GEARY
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
HARRY BENSON KATE GUBELMANN ALEX HITZ BILL HUSTED JAMES MACGUIRE CHUCK PFEIFER LIZ SMITH (R.I.P.)
Situated on 2,500 acres of unspoiled paradise, Ocean Reef provides a long list ofunsurpassed amenities to its Members including a 175-slip marina, two 18-hole golf courses, tennis facilities, state-of-the-art medical center, K-8 school, private airport and more. There are only two ways to experience Ocean Reef Club’s Unique Way of Life – as a guest of a member or through the pages of Living magazine. Visit OceanReefClubMagazine.com or call 305.367.5921 to request your complimentary copy.
TAKI THEODORACOPULOS MICHAEL THOMAS CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
HARRY BENSON CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY BILLY FARRELL MARY HILLIARD CRISTINA MACAYA CUTTY MCGILL PATRICK MCMULLAN NICK MELE ANNIE WATT
P R I VAT E • AU T H E N T I C • U N I Q U E
ORC50088 QuestMag-HalfPgVertical.indd 1
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WASHINGTON, CT questmag.com PUBLISHER AND C.E.O.
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KATHLEEN SHERIDAN ACCOUNTING MANAGER
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ext .
106
PRICE IMPROVEMENT Sophisticated Estate Property. 4 Bedrooms. 7 Fireplaces. 2 Pergolas. Guesthouse. Pool. Pond. Stonewalls. Total Privacy. 27± Acres. $5.495.000. Carolyn Klemm. 860.868.7313.
Riverbend Farm. Fully Renovated Main House, Guesthouse & Barns. Additional Barns. Paddocks. Fields. Trails. Views. 456± Acres. $4.750.000. Drew Hingson. 860.435.6789. Graham Klemm. 860.868.7313.
WASHINGTON, CT
SALISBURY, CT
PRICE IMPROVEMENT Mint Country House. 5 Bedrooms. 4 Fireplaces. Pool. 3-car Attached Garage. Fabulous Views. Privacy. 13.39± Acres. $3.950.000. Carolyn Klemm. 860.868.7313.
Horse Property. 3 Houses. Barns. 45+ Horse Stalls. Multiple Paddocks. Indoor Riding Ring. 9 Separate Parcels. Close to Metro North Train. 155± Acres. $2.495.000. Graham Klemm. Peter Klemm. 860.868.7313.
PA L M B E AC H & M I A M I
LINDA LANE SOPER 612.308.4159 CHICAGO
TIMOTHY DERR 847.615.1921 HONG KONG
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KLEMM REAL ESTATE LITCHFIELD COUNTY’S PREMIER BROKERS
BOARD OF ADVISORS
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Lakeville/Salisbury 860.435.6789 > Litchfield 860.567.5060 > Roxbury 860.354.3263 Sharon 860.364.5993 > Washington Depot 860.868.7313 > Woodbury 203.263.4040
CRIS CONDON
Source: SmartMLS and Klemm Private Sales 1/1/93– 12/12/19
ELIZABETH STRIBLING-KIVLAN KATHY KORTE PAMELA LIEBMAN HOWARD LORBER ANDREW SAUNDERS ELIZABETH STRIBLING WILLIAM LIE ZECKENDORF © QUEST MEDIA, LLC 2020. All rights reserved. Vol. 34, No. 1. Quest—New York From The Inside is published monthly, 12 times a year. Yearly subscription rate: $96.00. Quest, 420 Madison Avenue, Penthouse, 16th floor, New York, NY 10017. 646.840.3404 fax 646.840.3408. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Quest—New York From The Inside, 420 Madison Avenue, Penthouse, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10017.
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ZEKE
Not since LIFE magazine has there been such a breathtaking showcase of photography from around the world.
MAGAZINE
Photo by Carol Allen-Storey from Teen Mums of Rwanda, Fall 2019 issue of ZEKE.
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
Clockwise from left: One of the popular offerings from Pizza al Forno; Dominick Dunne with Danny Ponton; an illustration of Harrison and Mona Williams at home in Palm Beach; the original Swifty’s, being resurrected at The Colony this season; Marjorie Merriweather Post with Charles Munn at the
24 QUEST
This chock-a-block issue also reprises a rich profile of the Munn family (pages 108 to 113) and their enduring influence on the early decades of the then-still-emerging Town of Palm Beach. Parsed together by Augustus Mayhew and our own David Patrick Columbia, this is a must-read “PB” primer. At Quest, we are full steam ahead into the fresh new year, as we further penetrate markets such as Charlotte, Nashville, and Austin, providing coverage of the cultural and charitable leadership in their respective communities. As always, we encourage your comments (send them to me at scmiii@aol.com) and greatly appreciate your support. u
Chris Meigher
ON THE COVER: Dan Ponton strikes a pose in front of Palm Beach institution Club Colette, which he founded, photographed by Carrie Bradburn /Capehart
T H E CO LO NY PA L M B E AC H ; H I S TO R I C A L S O C I E T Y O F PA L M B E AC H CO U N T Y
HAPPY 2020, DEAR QUEST READERS! As has been the case for the past two decades, Quest rings in the New Year with our annual buss to Palm Beach, no longer just a “sunny place for shady people,” as the wry Noel Coward once quipped. This smallish barrier island has changed much since my dad attended the Adirondack Palm Beach School for Boys in the mid-1920s. Yet, the natural island beauty still shines through—a protected paradise for children of all ages… backgrounds, colors, and religions alike. One of Palm Beach’s most unique and welcoming institutions is the near-40-years-old Club Colette, the enlightened creation of Danny Ponton, the modest and civic-minded czar of Island hospitality, who shares a high standard of courage, charm, and kindness with his loyal members and legions of friends. On pages 100 to 107, Quest takes a look back at this “melting pot” of Palm Beach society through the prism of Danny’s Club Colette. Further on in this issue, we salute two well-known eateries, both with hugely respected pedigrees in food and service. We tip Quest’s cap to Jose Duran and his mother, Arlene Desiderio, the humble yet brilliant inspiration behind the fabled Renato’s restaurant and their more casual, but just as delicious, Pizza al Fresco, a quick hop off the path down Via Mizner. And brand-new in town, at the ever-chic Colony Hotel, is Swifty’s—the once-stalwart and cozy boîte of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The Colony’s clever and lovely owner, Sarah Wetenhall, has persuaded Swifty’s co-founder Robert Caravaggi to come out of retirement, along with the menus and treasured comfort food recipes of his partner, Stephen Attoe. I can almost smell the twin burgers and Bill Blass meatloaf now! Welcome (back), Robert, and kudos to Sarah. Somewhere—up or down— Glenn Bernbaum is beaming his curmudgeonly grin!
CO U RTE S Y O F PI Z Z A A L F O R N O ; DA N NY P O N TO N ; CO N D E N A S T, I LLU S T R AT I O N BY C E C I L B E ATO N , V O G U E , F E B RUA RY 1 5 , 1 9 3 7 ;
Red Cross Ball in Palm Beach.
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A
David Patrick Columbia
NEW YORK SO CIAL DIARY THE DAYS LEADING up to the year’s end were jam-packed with events both public and private. The season was launched by the spectacular custom of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The social calendar following was full of choices, more than any in-
dividual could take in. This is what mine looked like. Since I was a kid, I’ve always thought of Thanksgiving in shades of browns, and the Christmas holidays as red, green, sparkling lights, and evergreen. And pristine snow (up in New England). Both holidays
reflected, for this boy, goodness, abundance, and brighter days ahead, commonly known as hope. The matter of these particular holidays has been obscured over time and in 20th-century marketing in our civilization. But underlying traditions are
as necessary as light and water. “The world is too much with us,” as William Wordsworth wrote in a different time and sensibility. That “too much” has taken on new elements, which we won’t go into for the sake of all of us in this Diary. Thinking about it, I was
A M E R I C A N H O S P I TA L O F PA R I S FO U N D AT I O N ’ S A W A R D S D I N N E R AT T H E M E T R O P O L I TA N C L U B I N N E W YO R K
Francine LeFrak, Rick Friedberg and Gretchen Leach 26 QUEST
Kitty Resor and Jerome Deana
Paul Hand and Teri Agins
Ambassador Howard Leach and Suzanne Hoyt
Linda Wachner
Max Chapman with Ginger and RJ Redican
J AY AC K E R M A N
Michel David-Weill and Donna Chapman
T H E
F I E L D
T E A M
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A N E W YO R K L A N D M A R K S C O N S E R VA N C Y ’ S C E L E B R AT I O N AT T H E P L A Z A
Patsy and Jeff Tarr
reminded of a Tuesday at the end of last month, when friends and supporters of World Monuments Fund gathered at the Rainbow Room for the 2019 Hadrian Gala, where they honored two leaders in the field of cultural heritage: Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan and HRH Princess Dana Firas. The evening began with cocktails and then dinner, where guests were treated to a special introduction to the 25 sites of the 2020 World Monuments Watch by WMF’s new CEO, Bénédicte de Montlaur. “Monuments” is a loose cover for a great variety of humanity—in oth28 QUEST
Elbrun Kimmelman and John Habich
Emily Rafferty and John Rosenwald
Carl McCall, Peg Breen and Michael Braner
er words, our predecessors, of whom we came. Before we had our main course, we were shown on the big screen above the podium the 25 sites on the current Watch list. Of the 25, there are villages, sculpted monuments, bridges, palaces, farmhouses, sacred valleys of the Incas, temples, and many other creations of humankind on this planet. These are our history as human beings on this Earth. Later in the evening,
French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy took the stage to introduce his close friend, Mr. Kaplan, recipient of the 2019 Hadrian Award. Then Lorna B. Goodman, chair of WMF, next took the stage to introduce HRH Princess Dana Firas, recipient of the 2019 Watch Award. The Princess is a global advocate for heritage protection, and for preservation as a foundation for development, responsible tourism, political identity and participa-
Peter Duchin
Marica and Jan Vilcek
tion. She serves as president of Petra National Trust, Jordan’s national institution for the protection and preservation of national cultural heritage—with a focus on the World Heritage Site of Petra. World Monuments Fund and Petra National Trust are currently partners on a project providing stonemasonry conservation skills to Syrian refugees and Jordanians. It was an evening of talk, speeches some, but otherwise a sense of the reverence and respect for life, irony, et cetera. It was in a beautiful room 66 stories above the city with no view that night because of rain and a fog lay-
NOEL SUTHERL AND; JAMES SALZANO
Joyce Brown and Barbara Tober
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A er that visually blocked the view as if the windows were covered with curtains on the exterior. We were sitting in an American monument close to a century in concept and construction. Rockefeller Center, which began building in the late 1920s and early 1930s, remains an extraordinary visual experience—a 20th-century American heritage. It’s beautifully maintained: Being inside 30 Rock, as it is referred to, never fails to liberate and arouse awe when passing through. It has a place in the history of 20th century New York.
Friday, November 22, 2019. Jack Kennedy was murdered on this day 56 years ago in Dallas. Everything changed instantly after that, as it did in this young president’s ill-fated life (he was 46). The following three days America watched (then black and white) television. Stunned. We watched and watched. There was a sense among many of us (and the opposite among many others) of witnessing a personal
tragedy. His presence represented hope to many, and not accidentally. He was brilliant as well as charming, as well as rich. An ideal if there ever was one for the American male in that age. His polls weren’t so high at the time of his trip to Dallas. The press had got beyond the first days of his exciting and glamorous presidency when Jack and Jackie had ushered in a new gen-
eration of Americans. They personified the changes that came with the first half of the 20th century. They were younger than what we were used to as a president and first lady. On a cover of Esquire—then a hot, must-read magazine, they were referred to as our first president and first lady “who look like movie stars.” As, indeed, they did. To a whole (younger) generation, they were relatable. And in a good way. Handsome, beautiful, smart, kind; an ideal before our eyes. (And rich, too.) By late November, two years into his
R OYA L O ST EO P O R O S I S S O C I E T Y ’ S D I N N E R I N L O N D O N
Craig Revel Horwood, Alexandra Tollman Raeymakers and Johnathan Myring 30 QUEST
Terry Hart, Melissa Odabash and Jack Morgan
David Linley, the Earl of Snowdon, and Katherine Jenkins
Emma Weymouth, Julien Macdonald, OBE and Dame Shirley Bassey
Basia Briggs and Sir Richard Osborn
S T E P H E N P OV E R A N D A N N A B A R C L AY
Anthony Bailey, OBE, Farley Rentschler and Bella Slagsvol
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A A M E R I C A N M U S E U M O F N AT U R A L H I STO R Y ’ S N E W YO R K G A L A
Bobby Flay and Tina Fey
presidency, however, the trip to Dallas was a potential solution or demonstration for improving his ratings. This was an era of an enormous, even raucous, change. The “liberation” movements were growing, and the old ways were going to be replaced whether we liked it or not. The Women’s Liberation, the Gay Liberation, the Civil Rights Movement, all got started quite naturally with that man and his wife in the White House. The Second World War had ended in victory; the new 32 QUEST
Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas
Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner
liberation movements were simply reflecting the evolution of the beast (us). And Jack Kennedy, a very rich man’s son, an Irish-Catholic, a witty, even self-effacing man in public press conferences, good looking, naturally curious, seriously smart, represented that victory for all who voted for him as president. That’s how it looked up until the months before November 22, 1963. The romance of newness of the “first family” had passed and troubles were brewing, like
Lorne Michaels and Kate McKinnon
Allison Mignone
Cecily Strong, Mikey Day and Kenan Thompson
Vietnam. We knew nothing about his sex life, although there were always stories of his “fervor,” but they were bits of amusement. I was told once by a close associate of the president (long after his death) that the inside name for him among friends was “Jack the Zipper.” They had a good laugh over it. Everybody did. Or, almost everybody. Privately, that would have amused him too. There were always rumors about his “affairs,” but they were the stuff of gossip that titillated, and ultimate-
ly awed and amused a good many of us. He was our Man. If you ever get a chance to see him in a press conference (YouTube) and you’ve never seen him live, treat yourself to his presence. Yes, he was a professional with his persona, and witty and clever with words. But in watching you see that he’s one of us, ideally speaking, a man of a life that was always complex, even psychologically stressful for the child. It was one of material abundance and an often physically absent father and mother.
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A Then they shot him. They had their reasons. I’ll never know what they were. I’m not referring to Lee Harvey Oswald, who, as he was being escorted from his holding jail and exiting the police station and shouting “I’ve been framed! I’ve been framed!”—when suddenly a man named Jack Ruby ran out of the crowd, and pointing a gun, shot and killed Oswald before the shocked eyes of the nation in mourning. The world that came in with this man and his wife is still with us, nevertheless. Monday, November 25, 2019. Going to the dogs… and cats. I’ve had dogs and cats all my life. When I lived
outside the city (in Connecticut, or Los Angeles, or growing up), animal care was easier. You opened the door to let them out, and opened the door to let them in. They always knew when, and you knew they knew. Those differences between country and city living are more constrictive for them and those who live with them. At this time in my life, I have a closer relationship with them, and their personalities. One of them, for example, insists on sitting on my lap (for part of the time) as I type out this Diary. He’s the premier pup, having come from Bide-AWee about eight years ago,
a mix—probably part shihtzu—via a new litter in a kill-shelter in Alabama. He gets along with his housemates, but he likes an occasional special-attention moment. Lap-sitting fills the bill for him. I’ll be in my desk working, and he’ll get on his hind legs, extend a paw, and pull on my arm. That means “lift me up.” I do. After first checking out the surface of my desk for any possible leftover treats, he then relaxes and snoozes and stays that way until I put him back down. I read a book recently called Soul Dog, and I learned even more about these guys (and girls) that I’d
never considered. People often remark on how “loving” their dogs are (or can be). I tend to think we’re the ones who are “loving,” believe it or not, and it is that pleasure that is so personally gratifying. The other side of the story of animals’ lives is the hard one. Mid-November, I went to the ASPCA’s annual luncheon, which was held at Cipriani 42nd Street. It’s been an annual affair for quite a few years, but the first one I attended. I used to attend their annual Bergh Ball, but it was painful for me to see the little creatures all needing a home. I finally adopted a
N A N T U C K E T H I STO R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N ’ S H O L I D AY F E ST I V I T I E S
Neil and Lauren Marttila 34 QUEST
Christmas carolers
Helen Lynch with Bill and Susan Boardman
David Handy, Donald Dallaire and Katie Hughes
Karmen Caylor and Kristie Ferrantella
E M I LY E L I S A B E T H P H OTO G R A P H Y
Alicia Carney and Tony Cuppone
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A PROMISE FUND OF FLORIDA AT T H E A N N N O R TO N S C U L P T U R E G A R D E N S I N PA L M B E AC H
Ross Meltzer and Cynthia Kanai
shih-tzu named Jenny who was nine or ten. Whatever her background, she was a very withdrawn lady. She did not socialize, but stayed on her little bed at all times except for her meals—which she ate enthusiastically—or her walks when she took care of business. She did not respond to any gestures of comfort and affection. Although she did not withdraw. I had the feeling she was one of those breeder dogs; 36 QUEST
Frances Fisher, Lela Rose and Nancy Brinker
Jessica Berrin, Barbara James and Michelle McGovern
she’d had no life and knew nothing outside of the parameters I described. She was also not used to any kind of affection—petting or even talking to. She lived for almost four more years. I was glad she was safe with me. That was her gift. I’d avoided the ASPCA’s luncheon because the stories get to me, and I am unable to take care of it. (It sounds like an ego problem, but nevertheless…). However, this past year I was introduced to
Arriana Boardman, who is on the board of the organization. She wanted to award me the annual Bergh Ball Award. I was so charmed by her, and also flattered, that I agreed. You may have read about it here, at the time. Then she invited me to the Luncheon. So I went. It drew a huge crowd. Several hundred. Chuck Scarborough was emcee. He and his wife Ellen are big supporters of animal charities. They are so active
Janet Levy and Ainsley Charles
Donna and David Dodson
you know it’s more than a favor. Chuck Scarborough moved the program to the Aw a r d e e s — i n d i v i d u a l s who were being recognized for making a difference in the welfare and safety of dog, cats, horses, kittens. It sounds nice, right? Kind, thoughtful. Uh-huh. But it’s something else that this luncheon makes you very aware of. It’s caring for life. All life. Each was preceded by a video showing us their work.
C A P E H A RT
Debbie and Cory Lipoff
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A There was a woman from West Virginia who once accidentally rescued an abandoned starving horse. She had been a rider when she was young, but this rescue was, to her, automatic with anyone or any animal. However, in rehabilitating the horse and finding a home for it, she learned of many other horses, aging, in similar situations. It’s a story of heroism. With the good news of restoring the lives of these creatures. There were two women, a couple who rescue puppies in Alabama—which has the highest number, percentage-wise, of abused
and abandoned animals of any state. These two women have moved and rescued thousands of animals. There was the young boy who amazingly, out of personal childhood self-interest in police dogs, created a fund-raising project that purchased all of the bulletproof vests that police dogs wear. Then there was the woman from South Jersey who rescued a pit bull pup that had been given up for dead after being rejected by some dogfight creep for not being vicious. The dog, Sweet Pea, had big open wounds on its neck and legs when
this woman saw him at a dog shelter. She nursed Sweet Pea back to healing and to life. Pit bulls are the device that dogfight creeps use. Their criminal activities are overlooked in many communities. Some peculiar people like watching these poor animals kill each other. The luncheon’s awardee was motivated by Sweet Pea to defend the breed, which is not preternaturally violent. Every awardee represented the goodness that is the ASPCA in America today. I left the luncheon feeling renewed with the evidence of
what some of our brothers and sisters are doing to care for the creatures in our lives (and ourselves). It restorative for the mind as well as the animals. Monday, December 2, 2019. Wintry cold, windy, and rainy yesterday in New York, with some of the snow from the Midwest adding to the picture—not blizzard-like, but enough to remind us that Old Man Winter will be coming in, (presumably). This day is also the birthday of our friend Harry Benson. Harry first came to New York in 1963 on assignment for a British tabloid with
C O LD S P R I N G H A R B O R ’ S D O U B L E H E L I X D I N N E R I N N E W YO R K
Nancy Wexler 38 QUEST
Boomer Esiason
Laura and Harry Slatkin
Lel Gimbel, Elizabeth Ainslie and Alicia Zarou Scanlon
Roberta Marongiu, Lesley Stahl and Bruce Ratner
Roy Zuckerberg
Grace Stillman
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Herbert Pardes and Nancy Wexler
The Beatles. Since that initial foray, Harry has recorded much of the last 50 years of the American civilization with his camera in some of the most memorable photographs of the age. On Thursday, December 12th, Harry and his wife Gigi were joined by more than 400 friends and photography fans when Harry Benson: Behind the Scenes opened at the Staley-Wise Gallery in Soho. Guests were surprised by the 92 photographs in the exhibit—taken between 1969 and 2007. Most had not been printed before, as they 40 QUEST
Angela Mills and Joan Steinberg
Philip Milstein and Laura Forese
were behind-the-scene fashion photographs taken for French Vogue and LIFE magazine. Several of the subjects were photographed with their picture on the wall, including Mary McFadd e n , K i r a t Yo u n g , Barbara de Portago, and Charlotte Ronson among them. The exhibit will be on view until
Steve Swartz, Craig Albanese and Laura Albanese
Richard and Abby Elbaum
mid-January. Enjoying the celebration with owners Etheleen Staley and Taki Wise and Gallery director George Kocis included Benson’s daughter Tessa with husband Tu c k e r To o l e y with son Tu c k e r , Benson’s son-in-law Michael Landes, Jonathan and Eileen Otto, Beth Rudin de Woody with
Mary D’Alton and Jordan Orange
her husband, photographer Firooz Zahedi, Cathy Kaplan, president of the Aperture Foundation, Lynn and Genevieve Crystal, Eleanora Kennedy, Sue Bloomberg, Edgar Batista, Entertainment Weekly editor J.D. Heyman, Ursula Striker, Ellen Saltzman, Elizabeth Biondi, Sallie Lewis Longoria, Nancy Paulsen, VF’s David Friend, former editor of LIFE, TIME, and People magazines, James R. Gaines, Jonathan Delano, Neil Leifer, David Burnett, Donna Olsham, Pete Bonventre, Nate Reuss, Ben Havrilak,
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Dana Koch Sales A ssociate m 561.379.7718 | dana.koch@corcoran.com Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Corcoran makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice. All dimensions provided are approximate. To obtain exact dimensions, Corcoran advises you to hire a qualified architect or engineer.
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A Luke Tricomi, Chiara de Rege, Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss, CeCe and Lee Black, Leigh Curry, James Koutoulas, Dick Miles and Pat Whitaker who flew in from St. Louis for the party, Joyce and Jim Seymore, Stephen Jacoby, Royce Pinkwater, and Aiden McDougall. Only in New York events. On a Wednesday at the end of November, more than 500 opera lovers gathered for lunch at Cipriani 42nd Street for the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s 85th Annual Luncheon. I first attended this luncheon about 15 years ago. It was then held in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-As-
toria. I was amazed at the huge audience in the middle of a business day in New York. You could see that the guests were undoubtedly bright, and literate, and cultured—but not in the betterthan-you sort of way that we encounter from time to time among the culturati. I’m not an opera buff, per se, although I love music and great voices, but I was surprised by the turnout—hundreds! It was like a banquet of a private club of devoted members of all stripes, sizes, ages, and personalities. This club was a matter of serene fellowship that everyone shares privately and happily and with each other.
That first time, I was seated next to a woman much older than I—in her late 80s or even early 90s—and I asked her about her relationship to opera. She told me that she came to it via her husband. “He was a man who loved music,” she told me. “He loved playing an instrument and wanted to be a musician, but his parents had insisted when he was old enough that he had to have a profession” (for security). He became a lawyer, but his heart, was always and forever with music. On their first dates, he’d taken her to concerts at Carnegie Hall, and to an opera at the Met—in its original
building on 39th Street and Broadway. Coming out of a performance, he would be fired up, talking excitedly about the performances in detail, from awe or wonder to tragic disappointment. At the time she didn’t wasn’t crazy about it. She was young, probably in her late teens, and she liked Frank Sinatra, who was the rage especially among teenage girls in the late 1930s and early ’40s. Pop music. But she going to the opera with this guy all the time because she liked him and hoped to marry him. (Which she did, and on this day, then in his 50s, their son, who was an active
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John and Monika Preston 42 QUEST
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Renate and Alex Dreyfoos
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Mike Bracci and Judy Mithell
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A TO A ST I N G TO 1 0 YE A R S O F TA B I T H A S I M MO N S AT L ’ AV E N U E AT S A K S I N N E W YO R K
www.CCPHP.net 38 QUEST
Selby Drummond
Helena Christensen and Karen Elson
Arielle Charnas and Tabitha Simmons
member of the Met Opera Guild, was at our table.) But the question I had was: How did she become the impassioned opera fan that she clearly was at this lunch? It happened suddenly, she explained: one night in November 1961, when she and her husband were attending the debut of Joan Sutherland in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor at the Met. “She came down those stairs, singing that aria of The Mad Scene,” she recalled, “and that was it; it hit me! I’ll never forget the feeling. It was thrilling!” At the time of our lunch that day, more than 30 years after that initial thrill, she’d become a devoted audience to all opera. Her husband had long since passed away, but the opera
Carolyn Murphy
had long before become hers. Her only regret was that there was no opera in summertime in New York. She had to be content listing to re-broadcasts. Since then I have asked a number of people who love opera how they came to their devotion. I learned that the “Aha!” experience is quite common with opera folk. They were present at a moment in a performance when something suddenly touched them deeply, and the result that followed is an almost religious appreciation and devotion. This annual luncheon is a celebration of that moment for many. Richard J. Miller, Jr., president of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, took the podium to announce that the Guild “is honored to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A magnificent sopranos Martina Arroyo and Teresa Stratas on the 60th anniversary of their debuts at the Metropolitan Opera.” The Metropolitan Opera Guild is the world’s premier arts education organization. Its dedication is to touch and enrich people’s lives through the magic and artistry of opera. This luncheon also raised $500,000 for the Guild’s education programs, which last year reached 15,760 students in New York and New Jersey. Guests showed added generosity by pledging more than $30,000 during the event it-
self. Among the honored artist guests were Lucine Amara, Richard Bernstein, Harolyn Blackwell, J’Nai Bridges, Andrea Carè, John Cheek, Philip Cokorinos, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Dwayne Croft, Tyne Daly, Rosalind Elias, Lauren Flanigan, Denyce Graves, Håkan Hagegård, Hui He, Hei-Kyung Hong, Karen Kamensek, Judy Kuhn, Olga Kulchynska, Anthony Laciura, William Lewis, Shirley Love, John Macurdy, MaryAnn McCormick, Fabrizio Melano, Pier Giorgio
Morandi, James Morris, Ken Noda, Eric Owens, Jongmin Park, Wilber Pauley, Lonny Price, Susan Quittmeyer, Florence Quivar, Elinor Ross, Stephen Schwartz, Jane Shaulis, Bartlett Sher, Paulo Szot, Ben Vereen, Arthur Woodley, and Andrey Zhilikhovsky. Sunday, December 8. At nightfall, New Yorkers gathered outside the Brick Presbyterian Church on Park Avenue and 92nd Street for the lighting of the Park Avenue Trees. The event always draws a big crowd of neighbors and friends. The blocks
surrounding the church were closed to traffic by the NYPD to accommodate them. The Christmas trees were first placed on Park Avenue in 1945 as a welcome to returning service men and women and a memorial to those who lost their lives in World War II. Today the Park Avenue Tree Lighting ceremony is both a reminder of the original meaning of the lights and a celebration of the holiday season. Tuesday, December 10, 2019. I went to the Animal Medical Center’s annual
P R O STAT E C A N C E R R E S E A R C H FO U N D AT I O N ’ S N E W YO R K D I N N E R AT D A N I E L
John Paulson and Michael Milken 46 QUEST
Anne Marie Alexander and Larry Leeds
Ambassador Earle Mack
David Yurman, Jan Haber, Sybil Yurman and Plum Simons
Katharine McPhee and David Foster
Bonnie Pfeifer Evans
PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N ; B FA
Lior Suchard
T H EC OL ONYPA LMB E A CH.CO M
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A U L L A J O H N S O N C E L E B R AT E S I TS B E R G D O R F G O O D M A N B O U T I Q U E I N N E W YO R K
Elisa Restrepo and April Hughes
“Top Dog” gala. The vast room of Cipriani 42nd Street (which was once upon a time The Bowery Savings Bank) was decorated by David Monn. “Decorated” is not an adequate word for Monn’s work. “Wonder” is more like it. It was gorgeous and magical and even chic. The AMC is a hugely successful animal hospital here in New York, the top of the crop and of the moment. The late Brooke Astor—who was 48 QUEST
Katie Holmes and Ulla Johnson
Kristina O’Neill and Magnus Berger
a big supporter, and loved her dogs and always had more than one—once said that if she ever needed medical care, she’d like to go to the AMC (which has the best). They are now engaged in raising funds to expand their facilities to accommodate the large and growing number of
Phoebe de Croisset and Erin Walsh
Zach Miner and Linda Fargo
pets in need of some kind of medical care. So the evening was that f u n d r a i s e r. They honored Dylan Lauren, known to many as “The Candy Queen” and also a major supporter of animal programs and animal-welfare organizations ending animal cruelty. The gala is always a major
attraction on New York social calendars. The Animal Medical Center is now on a fundraising campaign to expand their facilities here in New York. Thursday, December 12, 2019. This day is Frank Sinatra’s birthday. He would have been 104. He died 22 years ago this coming May. I met him only once, and that was to shake his hand as he and his wife Barbara Sinatra were leaving a party at the Waldorf. I was with Judy
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A Green who, with her late husband Bill Green, was a very close friend of the man. I had been a secondgeneration fan, in the late 1950s and early ’60s. It was a rare voice and delivery, and he knew exactly what he was doing, and it was a literal reflection of his heritage and his generation in modern times. He was a total pro, just like any expert in one’s field. When I lived in Los Angeles, I came to know several people who were friends of Mr. Sinatra. They loved talking about him if you got to know them well enough. His
was a life as dramatic and fascinating as his songs and film performances. He was a rare one—mercurial, enormously generous and kind, as well as tough. But he was a great star and never a snob, yet well aware of his great fame. As he got older—when those I knew talked about him— he particularly liked a life among the upper social sets of his world, as well as his pals in show business and in a performer’s nightlife. The onus to his wide and broad social life was his relationships with men who were members of what was generally referred to as The Mob. Many were
denizens of Las Vegas and its economic environs where Sinatra frequently performed and was a major draw. For him, his friends were his friends no matter their financial backgrounds. However, a man of his celebrity and wealth was naturally attractive to many in the upper echelons of social life. In the early 1960s, when Jack Kennedy was president, Frank was known publicly to be a friend. There was a moment in Kennedy’s brief presidency when he invited the president to stay at his compound in Palm Springs while he was making a
public appearance. Anticipating this important arrival, Sinatra had a special helicopter pad constructed on the property so that the president could arrive and depart away from the crowds. A few days before the arrival, however there was a quick change in the president’s schedule, his stay with Frank was canceled, and his guest location was changed. The sudden last-minute change was said to be made because of the Frank’s wellknown association with certain members of the Mob. When he learned of the change in the President’s
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Edward and Linda Villella 50 QUEST
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schedule, he went into a rage, ending when he took a sledgehammer out to the helipad and began smashing the concrete. It didn’t destroy it, of course, but it defined the intense fury of the man. The real irony was that it was Joe Kennedy’s personal connection with Sam Giancana who had arranged the multimillion cash loan from Las Vegas during the primary campaign. Jack was running behind Hubert Humphrey when they got to West Virginia. He had to win West Virginia. If he lost this state, he wouldn’t have made it to the nomination at the Convention. The Vegas money was put to work, immediately, and the outcome was
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Kennedy remaining in the race, and ultimately winning the White House. Nevertheless, Sinatra’s associations were still too much for a public association with the Kennedy White House at that time. The relationship between Frank and the Kennedys remained accessible, nevertheless, through the president’s brother-in-law Peter Lawford. The reality was that the Kennedys liked the association (and connections) with Frank Sinatra as well as the pleasure and charm of his company. In the 1970s and ’80s, with his wife Barbara, he had a strong friendship with a group of socially prominent people that were the converse side of his famous
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A “Rat Pack.” These included Judy and Bill Green, the Bennett Cerfs, Leland and Pamela Churchill Hayward (who later married Averill Harriman), Armand and Harriet Deutsch, and Ann and Morton Downey. Unknown in the world of society and celebrity today, Morton Downey was a very wealthy man, and a longtime close friend of Joseph Kennedy. Downey had been very famous on the radio in America in the 1930s. His own show made him a big star and in recordings too. One of his adoring fans was a young woman in New Jersey named Dolly Sinatra. Her admiration of
the famous Irish tenor made a big impression on her boy Francis Albert. By the late 1970s, the two men were very close friends and admirers. A late and yet longtime realization of childhood dream of the boy born in Hoboken on this day in 1915. On that Thursday night, December 12th, at Mr. Chow’s on 57th Street between First and Second Avenues, there was a birthday dinner in honor of Alex Papachristidis, the interior designer, who was celebrating his 57th amongst and amidst legions of friends. Black tie for the men (the women know what to do with direction).
This was a big party. There must have been a hundred or more guests. Everyone knew everyone by one or two degrees of separation. Cocktails were called for 8 and dinner at 9. I’ve posted the menu, which was spectacular to these taste buds. It came in pieces, like a buffet being individually served. I’m fairly unsophisticated about menus. If I don’t recognize something, I’m unlikely to try it or even ask about it. As a guest, of course, you take what you get. The menu on this night was plentiful but not always recognizable either in word or presentation.
So I cautiously took small helpings at first. Aha! It was so delicious I regretted being so cautious. Beyond! After which, whatever came my way, I devoured immediately. Then about 10:30 came the cake. I was told Alex wanted chocolate with chocolate icing; however, the interior designer in him couldn’t avoid the reality. Big chocolate would be good but boring on first sight, so Alex decided they should add some gilding to chic it up. And lo, and so it was. A great evening. Alex, you may have recognized, shares a birthday with Frank Sinatra. Although I don’t think Alex is a singer. u
FA B I O A N G R I A N D Q U E ST AT M A R Y M A H O N E Y ’ S PA L M B E AC H B O U T I Q U E BENEFITING PEGGY ADAMS ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE
Denise Fraile and Kathryn Archer 54 QUEST
Michel Witmer
Wendy Cooke
Mary Mahoney and Robert Caravaggi
Nancy Caine and Gina Bonacci Clark
Gretchen Leach and Frannie Scaife
Nicole Limbocker
C A P E H A RT
Cathy Moore and Darcy Gould
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ANNE HEARST AND JAY MCINERNEY HOST CHRISTMAS CHEER AT DOUBLES WITH GEORGE FARIAS
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1. Carol Mack, George Farias, and Lisa Fine 2. Wilbur Ross and Hilary Geary Ross with Santa Claus 3. Gary Hunt and Kathi Koll with
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Santa Claus 4. Charlie Ayres and Gigi Mortimer 5. Jamee Gregory and Peter Gregory with Santa
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Claus 6. Valesca Guerrand-Hermes and Diandra Douglass with Santa Claus 7. Tony and Paula Peck with Santa Claus 8. Jennifer Maguire and Christopher Isham 9. Wendy Carduner and Tom Quick 10. Deborah Norville and Santa Claus 11. Morgan Entrekin and Ivana Lowell 12. Sana Sabbagh and Mark Gilbertson
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PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N
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1. Daniel and Esty Brodsky with Santa Claus 2. Craig Starr and Agnes Gund 3. Jay McInerney and Amanda Urban
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4. Darren Walker and Charles Fagan 5. Kevin and Barbara McLaughlin
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6. Keith and Ann Barish 7. Patrick McMullan and Griffin Dunne 8. Lisa McCarthy and Mary Hilliard 9. Jamie Figg and Patricia Hearst Shaw 10. David Monn and Michael Rockefeller 11. Stellene Volandes and William Ivey Long 12. Melissa and Chappy Morris with Santa Claus
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A A N N UA L STA N FO R D W H I T E A W A R D S I N N E W YO R K
Michael Reilly and Sarah Arancio
Rick Williams, Lauren Mitchell and Grimaldi Perdomo
Alexander Carey, Liz Carey and Robert A.M. Stern
Charles Hilton and Cheryl Tague
Christina Davis and Peter Lyden
John Berson, Becky Mark and Brian Sawyer
A M FA R ’ S C H A R I T Y P O K E R TO U R N A M E N T I N S A N F R A N C I S C O
Ivy Getty and Kieran Reilly 58 QUEST
Bronson van Wyck, Allison Speer and Kat Hantas
Aileen Getty
Victoria Justice
Calgary Avansino
Jon Hamm
Gwyneth Paltrow
PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N ; D R E W A LT I Z E R P H OTO G R A P H Y
Charlotte McKinney
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A PA L M B E AC H P O L I C E & F I R E FO U N D AT I O N ’ S D I N N E R AT T H E B R E A K E R S
Jana Scarpa, Katie Vecillio and Annie Falk
Sarah and Edward Sabol
Sondra Mack, Andrea Stark and Pamela Pantzer
George and Betsy Matthews
Eileen and Brian Burns
Linda Gary and Michael Belisle
C I N E M A S O C I E T Y ’ S PA R T Y FO R A M E R I C A N W OM A N AT OM A R ’ S L A B O Î T E I N N E W YO R K
Andrew Saffir and Omar Hernandez 60 QUEST
Jake Davies, Valesca Guerrand-Hermes and Kane Manera
Helena Christensen
Amy Astley and Samantha Barry
Hadley King and Abbie McLaughlin
Jill Hennessy
C A P E H A RT; PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N
Sienna Miller and Emily Blunt
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A S C U L P T U R E I N MOT I O N PA R T Y AT T H E A N N N O R TO N G A R D E N S I N PA L M B E AC H
John Barnes and Donald Osborne
Helene and Matt Lorentzen with Frances and Jeff Fisher
Herb and Eva Jacobi with Jill and David Gilmour 62 QUEST
Jackie Fox and Sir Peter Wood
Martin and Audrey Gruss
Larry and Patricia Wilson
Tiffany and Simon Isaacs
Cameron Lickle and LinQing Yang with Christina and Ben MacFarland
Nancy and Gordian Tork with Kevin and Sarah Elwell
C A P E H A RT
Sam and Lisa Lehrman
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A O P E N I N G O F T H E H A R R Y B E N S O N E X H I B I T I O N AT T H E STA L E Y - W I S E G A L L E R Y I N S O H O
Gigi Benson and Kirat Young
Donna Olsham, Harry Benson, David Friend and Jim Gaines
Tessa Benson Tooley and Sallie Lewis Longoria 64 QUEST
Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss
Charlotte Ronson and Nate Ruess
Tucker Benson Tooley
Taki Wise and Mary McFadden
Michael Landes with Lynn and Genevieve Crystal
Jill Troise, Eileen Otto and Kelley Davis
J O N AT H A N D E L A N O
Barbara de Portago
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A P EG GY A DA M S A N I M A L R E S C U E L E A G U E ’ S C H R I ST M A S B A L L I N PA L M B E AC H
Joanie and Paul Van der Grift
Carol and Robert Garvy 66 QUEST
Rich Anderson, Pauline Pitt and Jerry Seay
Nellie Benoit and Daniel Ponton
Charles and Ann Johnson
Walter Ross and Lesly Smith
Pepe and Emilia Fanjul
Jack and Cathy Flagg
C A P E H A RT
Christina Dennis and Vicky Hunt
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A V H E R N I E R A N D Q U E ST H O ST L U N C H EO N I N N E W YO R K BENEFITING THE SOCIET Y OF MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING’S “DREAM TEAM”
Muffie Potter Aston and Mary Dawkins
Liz Gardiner and Grace Meigher
Kasmira Della Schiava and Mary Snow 68 QUEST
Anki Leeds
Caroline Dean
Mary Davidson
Sharon Bush and Cristiana Vigano
Elizabeth Meigher and Callie Baker
Alexandra Liebenthal and Martha Kramer Fox
Lara Meiland-Shaw
Margo Langenberg
Z AC H H I LT Y / B FA
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A MO R G A N L I B R A RY ’ S A N N UA L N E W YO R K B E N E F I T
Fernanda Kellogg and Kirk Henckels
Adam Parker and Caroline Parker
Anne Rudman with Garfield and Martha Miller 70 QUEST
Zoya and Damian Loeb
Kathy Rayner, Colin Bailey and Ann Nitze
Clement and Elizabeth Moore
Gerald and Mita Bland
Alexandra and Philip Howard
Jane and Peter Marino
PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N
Robert and Susan Morgenthau
Giving Thanks And Giving Back Vision loss can make it feel like the world is closing in. But with your support, Lighthouse Guild is able to help people cope with the severe impact it creates. Our services are designed for people with depression, anxiety and the fear associated with vision loss. We thank you for helping us bring our vital care to the people who need it. During this season of giving, we hope we can count on your support so more people at risk for, or affected by vision loss have access to the tools, technologies and treatments they need to live fully and independently, visit lighthouseguild.org/donate
Please join Dinner Chairs Grace Meigher and Tom Quick on Thursday, February 20th, at our annual Palm Beach dinner honoring Audrey and Martin Gruss. The evening’s proceeds will support depression research related to vision loss. For information and tickets: 646-874-8445 or events@lighthouseguild.org
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A AT L A N T I C S A L MO N F E D E R AT I O N ’ S N E W YO R K D I N N E R AT T H E P L A Z A
Eames and Pamela Taylor Yates
Hacker Caldwell and Judy Hart Angelo
Per Arneberg with Tracey and C.D. Clarke 72 QUEST
Ann and Donald Calder
Montie and Terence Meehan
John Newton and Robbie Banker
Theodore Roosevelt IV
Robbianne Mackin, Dan Lufkin and Nicole Miller
Susan and Elihu Rose with Saundra Whitney
PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N
Ellie Cullman and Edgar Cullman, Jr.
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A F R E N C H H E R I TA G E S O C I E T Y ’ S B L AC K A N D W H I T E B A L L I N N E W YO R K
Mark Gilbertson and Mary McFadden
Laurie Silverstein and Joseph Fichera
Brian Stewart and Stephanie Krieger 74 Q U E S T
Elizabeth Stribling and Denis de Kergorlay with Margaret and Gregory Hedberg
William Haas with Hilda and Arnold Neis
Lindsay and Russell Grant
Donald and Barbara Tober
Andrew Nodell and Denise DeLuca
Justin Concannon, Tara Rockefeller and Roric Tobin
Allison Ecung
Michael Kovner
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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A C E N T R A L PA R K C O N S E R VA N C Y ’ S W I N T E R PA R T Y I N N E W YO R K
Ainer and Suzie Aijala
Sharon and Tom Teles 76 QUEST
Lauren Junge and Austin Parker
Anita Meltzer and Gillian Miniter
Betsy Smith, Tony Bennett and Kelly Coffey
Merryl Tisch, Thomas Kempner and James Tisch
Shelley and Michael Carr
Amandine and Stephen Friedheim
Eric and Fiona Rudin
B FA ; G E T T Y I M A G E S
Margo and Jimmy Nederlander
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compass.com Compass is the brand name used for services provided by one or more of the Compass group of subsidiary companies, including Stribling & Associates. Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.
D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A K I P S B AY PA L M B E AC H H O STS P R E - R E N O VAT I O N PA R T Y
Dusty Hodge and Nicki Wolf
Bruce Freedman and Jamie Trotter
Katherine Lande and Kevin Condon
Leta Austin Foster and Michele de Araujo
Sara McCann and Bill Bone
Mitch Brown and Lori Jayne Bernstein
Stacey Leuliette and Sarah Cooke
Tiffany and Simon Isaacs
Tom Schaffer and Jennifer Garrigues
78 QUEST
C A P E H A RT
Allegra and Cachi Garcia Velez
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EstĂŠe and Joseph Lauder, Mary Sanford, and Arnold Scaasi, at a charity gala in Palm Beach in February 1974.
80 QUEST
H A R RY B E N S O N
IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY A PHOTO ESSAY on Palm Beach society was to be the lead story in the very first issue of People magazine, to debut on the newsstands on March 4, 1974, the concept for People being the expansion of the popular “People” page in Time magazine. Off I went to Palm Beach in February to meet up with famed columnist Sheila Graham, who would do the reporting. At the time, Sheila rivaled Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper for the title of Queen of the Hollywood Gossip Columnists, and she seemed like the perfect choice for this assignment. I was prepped before we left to make certain I photographed Estée Lauder, already a legend, and Mary Sanford, whom some had dubbed the Queen of Palm Beach. Lucky for me, they both danced by at the same time in front of my camera at a charity gala—the elegant Estée, escorted by her equally elegant husband, Joseph, and the flamboyant Mary, escorted by the equally flamboyant designer, Arnold Scaasi. One snap, and they floated by. Mary Sanford, who had previously been the actress Mary Duncan, arrived in Palm Beach in 1933 with her polo-playing husband, Laddie, and subsequently chaired every charity ball you could think of. Estée Lauder is the only woman to be named to Time magazine’s 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century—very impressive indeed. She established the Cancer Ball, and chaired all of the other ones, too. Both of these extraordinary women lived very long and productive lives and left their mark on Palm Beach, and I am pleased to have caught them having a good time for a good cause. It does seem like just yesterday… u J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 8 1
TA K I
STUPIDITY REIGNS SUPREME
NO USE PILING on where Prince Andrew is concerned. It’s not the end of the world, and he’s not among the brightest, either. Back in the summer of 2007, in St. Tropez, I had a boatload of guests and we all went to a party given by a friend in his villa. It was a very gay night, in the old fashioned meaning of the word gay, and soon we were joined by a slutty-looking beauty from the Far East and the prince with the highest I.Q. on the planet, Andrew. He was polite but distant, concentrating on the slutty beauty. That’s when I told my friend Debbie Bismarck that 82 QUEST
Andy had no chance. “Just watch me,” I said. I inched myself close to the babe in question, signaled to her that I needed to tell her something, and when she excused herself from Andy’s monologue, I informed her that the prince would not marry her nor keep her, but I instead, as a producer of Chinese westerns, could employ her forthwith. She dropped him like the proverbial hot you-know-what. My friends were laughing although some thought I had been rude to the prince. “Not at all,” I told them, “I know
women, and he does not.” Things did not turn out as planned because of my friend Nick Scott, who caught on quickly and sat beside me talking shop—Chinese westerns—and making me laugh so hard that even the slutty one realized there was something wrong. Especially when Nick told her I had Bruce Lee killed for refusing a role. She went home alone probably for the first time in her young life. Yes, as previously stated, Andrew is not the brightest of the bright, he is, however, smarter and more articulate than Jabrill Peppers, a man who attended
G E T T Y I M A G E S ; B E N PI N C H OT / T H E AT R E M A G A Z I N E CO M PA NY
Left to right: Prince Andrew; Jabrill Peppers of the New York Giants.
TA K I the academically demanding University of Michigan for four years and now plays for the New York Giants. I quote the best sportswriter in America, Phil Mushnick of the New York Post: After a loss last week, he addressed the press corps and said, “I ain’t really care about how ya’ll feel or how nobody feel.” I hope Peppers did not major in English, but if he did, I’m not surprised. There are many dumb people around, and 270 million followers of Kylie Jenner buy her products, recently making her the second-youngest billionaire. Here’s a rather plain looking young woman who has 270 million idiotic
into trouble sometimes. The Queen’s second and very greedy son obviously fell for Epstein’s toys, but so did many others who should have known better and are now off the hook because two prison guards were surfing the internet for porn or bargains while persons unknown were applying instant sedation on the child molester. Maybe. Yes, stupidity reigns supreme, especially when some clown writes in the white-hating New York Times, “Is it time to stop looking at Gauguin altogether?” Why? Because he fathered children with the young girls he lived with in Tahiti back in 1893. Back
defenders are nowhere to be found. The intellectuals both in Europe and in America are working to discredit our past, and while they’re at it, to demolish our future. Looking at a Gauguin will not turn one into Epstein, but reading the New York Times or looking at CNN and MSNBC will turn one into a soulless moron. Moral superiority is what the Leftist, PC mob is looking for, hence all the crap about toxic masculinity, white privilege, Gauguin’s pictures, even Randy Andy’s stupidities. People are not all fools, and they should see through the bullshit and react to it.
Left to right: Henry Louis Mencken (H. L. Mencken) in 1928; Jeffrey Epstein.
followers, and we go around calling Prince Andrew stupid. Who was it that said one never goes broke underestimating the public’s taste? H.L. Mencken, the sage of Baltimore, that’s who, and the sage was no dummy. Epstein the child molester would never have got to him. Mencken was suspicious of “sudden” wealth, and Epstein’s sure was sudden. But are royals supposed to know the difference? When they stick to their own kind of people, they’re called aloof and indifferent. When they mix with the recently arrived, they get
then young girls were betrothed and married at ages that now would land people in the pokey, like 13, and in France of all places. They still do it in Arab countries, but we’re not supposed to look at Gauguin paintings any more. We genuflect in front of Arabian Gulf and Saudi child molesters because they have lotsa moolah but we have no excuses for old Paul. It’s total and utter rubbish, as ridiculous as those in the West in the universities, the media, and the arts that are striving to dismantle our cultural and religious traditions. In the meantime, our European culture
These cretins trying to rule our hearts and minds are in the majority, alas, especially in American universities, where the proportion of liberals to conservatives ranges from eight to one to as much as 70 to one. Oh yes, I almost forgot, Jeffrey Epstein was a big, big liberal, as were most of his friends. Andrew should start hanging out with right-wingers like myself, but in his case I’m not available. For some strange reason I prefer people with brains. u For more Taki, visit takimag.com. J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 8 3
CANTEENS
“WHEN YOU’RE HERE, you’re family,” famously read the former slogan of a certain mass-market chain of Italian restaurants. It’s a statement more accurately applied, however, to Palm Beach’s Pizza al Fresco, whose patio is a constant scene of cheerful greetings and air-kisses and heartfelt hugs, as diners arise from wicker chairs to greet friends who just walked 84 QUEST
in clutching shopping bags from stores up and down Worth Avenue. As at its nearby and slightly more formal sibling restaurant, Renato’s, the main scene here takes place—as its name correctly implies—al fresco, on the sizable courtyard, under the Palm Beach sunshine and towering palm trees (and, fun
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PIZZA ON THE PATIO
CANTEENS fact, adjoined by the former residence of famed architect Addison Mizner). That courtyard is where the stylish and well-coiffed crowd nibbles on pizza or salad, sipping a glass of Whispering Angel rosé or something sparkling. The food may sometimes be thought of as secondary to the social scene, but it’s still excellent—the namesake pie, with its thin crust topped with mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, tomato, and shaved Parmagiano, is comparable to anything you’d find in New York or Naples. Other popular options include lobster salad (on its own or in sandwich form), with sizable chunks of crustacean, or the lasagna Bolognese, fresh pasta indulgently layered with beef
corner of the courtyard—a far cozier place to enjoy a cocktail. At lunchtime, models circulate among tables, showing off their fabulous frocks—like lunching in the department stores of yore—handing out cards indicating where on Worth to find that flattering chartreuse top. At dinner, couples catch up over the glow of candles, as fairy light-enrobed palms shine upon them from the corners. Even dogs sniff and yap at each other from their owners’ handbags, the canine version of the cheek-kiss ritual. Many days and most times, it seems as though every living being on the patio is part of an elite in-group: the Pizza al Fresco family. It's one worth joining. u
and a mixture of cheeses, or the dentice con carciofi, snapper fillet cooked in white wine and served with caper sauce and julienned vegetables. This season, the menu remains largely the same (why mess with greatness?), but returning guests will find the bar has moved. Formerly near the kitchen, it’s now tucked away in a
This page, clockwise from above left: The indoor dining room at Pizza al Fresco; the outdoor patio; one of the restaurant’s pizzas, a special with mozzarella di bufala, pesto, smoked sausage, and cherry tomatoes. Opposite page: The restaurant’s staff on the patio. Pizza al Fresco: 14 Via Mizner. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; for reservations, call 561.832.0032. J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 8 5
T H E B R A Z I L I A N CO U RT
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ROOMS IN BLOOM BY KATHRYN MAIER This page, from top: The newly redesigned rooms at the Brazilian Court feature velvet headboards and wisteria-flowered wall panels; the entrance to the hotel. Opposite page: The fountain in the hotel’s bustling south courtyard.
“IT’S ALWAYS SPRINGTIME in Palm Beach,” a shopkeeper remarked during my recent visit. I’m not sure that’s entirely true—summer is definitely summer on the island—but one place it newly applies is at the Brazilian Court Hotel and its freshly renovated rooms. Wisteria, rendered in shades of periwinkle and cornflower and lilac, now climbs the wall above each bed, as it does the J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 8 7
walls of the posh homes surrounding the hotel. Headboards and sofas are clad in emerald velvet, a hue that echoes the palms waving just outside. Pops of dusky pink accents echo the wall panels’ floral tones. The beds are topped with new mattresses and crisp, fresh linens and oversized pillows. Each room’s furnishings—the desk, the chairs, the coffee table and nightstands—now sport sleek, mid-century-inspired lines. It’s a style that reflects the hotel’s Palm Beach location, bringing the island’s glorious sunshine and flora inside. And best of all, the rooms are oh-so-functional: now featuring plenty of outlets and phone-charging ports, just where you need them; bedside reading lights placed perfectly, with no-fumble switches; drawers galore. The rooms feel lighter, and as though your every phone-charging whim has been anticipated. Gone are the heavy, oversized wood furnishings more at home in a mountain chalet, the heavy damasks and tassels. (If you preferred the former style, however, the hotel is keeping a small number of its 90 rooms, primarily suites, with the old décor—just request a “traditional” room when booking.) Designer Lauren Hastings, of local firm LSI Designs, knew when to leave well-enough alone. The rooms still feature wet bars complete with wine fridge, generously sized bathrooms with good lighting and a fabulous jetted bathtub, enormous closets, and the distinctive dark wood trim that serves as a reminder that you’re not in just any hotel, you’re in the Brazilian Court, the island’s second-oldest lodgings dating back nearly a century, with a storied history filled with the entertainment industry’s biggest names of both past and present. “In embarking on a refreshment of our guest rooms, it was important to us to honor the hotel’s legacy of timelessness, 88 QUEST
while also breathing fresh life into the space,” says Bobby Schlesinger, the hotel’s owner. “The new room style intentionally pays reverence to the history of Palm Beach beyond the hotel’s storied walls—a place of classic, enduring refinement that is both vibrant and inviting.” Elsewhere in the hotel, the two spaces popularly referred to as the “TV room” and “the library” have been refreshed with new textiles as well, and a new seating area has been added outside of Café Boulud’s bar in the past year. Everything else you love about the hotel has remained the same, however: the Spanish colonial architecture swathed in a sunny butter yellow; the bustling south courtyard and the quiet, secluded-feeling north one; the glamorous palm-frocked swimming pool, around which sunbathers lounge with a book and a cocktail; the ease and convenience of getting a blowout at the on-property Frédéric Fekkai salon before lunching on Café Boulud’s see-and-be-seen terrace. Condé Nast Traveler readers named the Brazilian Court one of Florida’s best hotels in 2019; to impress that group of sophisticated travelers takes a certain sort of magic, of which the hotel offers aplenty. Palm Beach has, of course, long been the winter destination of choice for those in the know, for its low-key elegance and uncommon beauty, and the Brazilian Court has remained a favorite for offering exactly that. And with the hotel’s newly updated rooms, the island’s eternal springtime-like feel, its flowers and palms and sunshine, surround you from the first moment you open your eyes in the morning. u For more information or to make a reservation, visit thebraziliancourt.com.
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This page, clockwise from top left: The secluded pool area is a popular spot for lounging; the hotel’s reception desk; a redesigned double room; the bar at the on-property Café Boulud; the hotel will drive guests the two blocks to the beach and set up umbrellas and lounge chairs; glamorous fashion shoots are common at the pool; the “TV room,” one of the hotel’s common areas, recently received updated fabrics and accents. Opposite page: An updated living room in one of the hotel’s suites.
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Fresh Finds BY K AT H R Y N M A I E R A N D ELIZABETH MEIGHER
JANUARY BRINGS US back to Palm Beach, with its easy, breezy brights, glamorous gold tones, and beach-inspired buys. Whether you’re heading out for some shopping on Worth Avenue, attending a charity dinner, or hosting a poolside fête, you’ll be all set with these fun and fashionable picks.
Get botanical in Palm Beach with J.McLaughlin’s Aubrey Blazer ($298), Montaya Shorts ($168), Kalei Turtleneck ($258), and Bartleby Sunglasses ($128), all at jmclaughlin.com. Wempe High Jewelry Bracelet with round brilliant diamonds set in 18-kt. yellow gold. $37,695. Wempe: 700 Fifth Ave., 212.397.9000.
Fabio Angri Pink Sapphire and Diamond Butterfly Earrings with Boule in 18-kt. gold. $2,800 at fabioangri.com.
The Basket Platino from Stubbs & Wootton features a golden upper with nappa leather trim. $500 at stubbsandwootton.com.
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This Hermès 7cm tie in heavy silk features a playful dragon motif. $195 at hermes.com.
Winter weekends are picture-perfect next to a warm fire at Ocean House, Rhode Island’s AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star resort. To reserve, call 888.552.2588.
Rolex Yacht-Master 42 in white gold. $27,800. Visit rolex.com for retail locations.
Wallace Jacket ($198) and Long Sleeve Striper ($48), both at
Bacardi’s Añejo Cuatro,
quakermarine.com.
perfect for creating sophisticated cocktails, spends four years maturing under the Caribbean sun. bacardi.com.
The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Travel Kit with Morris Park Razor. $120 at bloomingdales.com. J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 9 1
Fresh Finds Vendome Lace Double Full Red Spinel Ring in 18-kt. rose gold. $5,200 Nouvel Heritage: nouvelheritage.com.
The Palm by Whispering Angel is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah from Côteaux d’Aix-en-Provence. $16 at wine.com.
Ralph Lauren Collection Clementine Ombré Tulle Dress. $10,000 at select Ralph Lauren boutiques and at ralphlauren.com.
The Optical Happy O set from Riedel contains four tumblers, each in a different cheerful color—perfect for your next poolside party. $69 at riedel.com.
Vhernier’s Giotto ring in 18-kt. rose gold, cornelian, and rock crystal. $4,300. Vhernier: 783 Madison Ave.
Elizabeth Locke round cabochon turquoise earrings set in 19-kt. yellow gold with round brilliant-cut diamond accents. $6,000 at Betteridge: betteridge.com. 92 QUEST
Charlotte Kellogg’s Samantha Top in green raw silk. $275 at charlottekellogg.com.
Moroccan Textile Pouch with tassel (different colors available). $125 at Jennifer Garrigues: 308 Peruvian Ave., Palm Beach, 561.659.7085.
Roberto Coin Palazzo Ducale Diamond Accent Satin Collar in 18-kt. white gold. $12,500 at robertocoin.com.
Writing post-holiday thankyou notes gets festive with these delightful seahorse notecards by Bernard Maisner. $120 at Leta Austin Foster Boutique: 64 Via Mizner, Palm Beach.
Vintage (c. 1950) Spanish sterling silver small angelfish with fully articulated body and green glass eyes. $995 at Linda Horn: 1327 Madison Ave. or lindahorn.com.
Hidden Sun, Tuscany , oil on panel (9 1/4 x 12 1/2 inches) by Mary Sipp Green (b. 1947). $7,500. Findlay Galleries: 165 Worth Ave., Palm Beach; 561.655.2090. J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 9 3
LIVING LIVING LOCAL LOCAL BY CAREY O’DONNELL
THE PALM BEACH-AREA hair stylist Chase Thomas is a regular visitor to Paris, where he typically stays at The Ritz—the Coco Chanel suite, s’il vous plait. He awakens to the finest French roast coffee served in a hand-painted, gold-trimmed Limoges cup and saucer, accompanied by a single croissant au beurre, delivered on an elegant tray with a local iris in a bud vase. “I go to Paris to be in Paris,” he says. “You won’t catch me in a homogenous chain hotel that looks and feels the same in any city in the world. The whole idea of travel is to take your life and drop it head-first into the local context, right? When I’m here, I want my days to ooze Paris, and wrap me in its history, culture, and flavor of daily life.” As travelers become increasingly sophisticated and educated about their destinations, they arrive with a thirst for experiences
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that define the location. Smart hoteliers are now searching for more ways to “tell the local story” and enhance the guest experience with regional specialties and local secrets. Even among the larger hotels that typically are slower to innovate, there is a widespread realization that the cookie-cutter approach to hotel brands just doesn’t cut it anymore. “People want to know where they are in the most profound sense,” said Chris Steele, general manager of the 150room Canopy by Hilton West Palm Beach that opens soon in Downtown. “They want to see, taste, touch, and experience their new surroundings. That includes local
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The Brazilian Court Hotel has its own art gallery curated by Paul Fisher, with a selection of artwork that includes many works by renowned local artists.
food, fashion, architecture, interiors, style, art, and culture.” Jorge Pesquera, CEO of Discover the Palm Beaches, the county’s tourism board, points to key indicators such as the heightened interest by visitors in local history tours. Worth Avenue walking tours and architectural history strolls around downtown West Palm are surging in popularity. “Our visitors want immersion into the area,” says Raphael Clemente, who heads the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority. Visitor data and online ratings show that more than ever, guests notice the unique and the unusual. Handcrafted, locally-sourced décor and often, as with The Breakers, the hotel’s own architectural heritage contributes to a kind of “design soul” for a hotel—a distinct vibe, personality, and sense of place. Palm Beach’s iconic The Colony near Worth Avenue subscribes to that thinking in bold ways. This month it debuts a newly renovated 1,200-square-foot suite designed by local style mavens Danielle Norcross and Beth Achenbach. They are the sisters behind Palm Beach Lately, the blog and social media style source that thrives on all things Palm Beach. The new villa sports fabrics and furnishings designed to celebrate Palm Beach’s relaxed, coastal lifestyle, designed by Serena & Lily, which is opening a store on the island this season. The designer’s signature awning stripes, rattans, raffias, hand-painted blue linen, and cheery pineapple and palm tree prints on the walls and upholstery unite in a wild celebration of Palm Beach life. “This is as Palm Beach as it gets,” said Sarah Wetenhall, president and CEO of The Colony. “The confluence of next-
gen Palm Beach stylists, a nationally-known brand that understands our lifestyle and our unique design ‘patois,’ plus the history of The Colony itself, delivers a pinnacle of a Palm Beach experience.” Design and décor aren’t the only ways to achieve an immersive local experience. The elegant Brazilian Court Hotel has anchored midtown Palm Beach since the 1920s with its signature lushly landscaped, open-air courtyards that create an inimitable kind of Palm Beach magic. “But we don’t stop there,” says Ashley Berry, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. “People come to the Brazilian Court knowing that it is wrapped, geographically and metaphorically, in the culture of the island with all of the wonderful idiosyncrasies that define Palm Beach. No socks. Blue blazers. Lilly prints. Tropical nights. The scent of gardenia, and charismatic characters drawn from pockets of affluence around the globe.” Three years ago, the hotel found an imaginative way to deepen the local experience for guests by presenting a carefully curated one-of-a-kind art gallery managed under the expert eye of gallerist Paul Fisher, well-known on the local art scene. “It was important that at least half of the artists shown at the hotel were locally based, even while they are nationally and internationally acclaimed,” said Berry. Exhibiting this season are Gail Leavitt, Serge Strosberg, and Kimberly duRoss of Palm Beach. Artists who live just across the bridge include Vicki Siegel, James Rabidoux, Stacey Mandell, Charles Bane, Ron Burkhardt, and Bruce Helander, whose work is part of the permanent collections of the Metropolitan, LACMA, the Whitney, and the Guggenheim. The farm-to-table movement has also propelled consumers into a heightened awareness about locally sourced produce, meats, beverages, even toiletries. These now play starring roles in hotel bars, restaurants, lobbies, and guest rooms, prompting curiosity and delight as they contribute to the portrait of the area. The Breakers goes the extra mile when it comes to locally sourced produce, which comes from a handful of Palm Beach County farms so each piece can be picked at peak ripeness for freshness and flavor. A decade ago, the resort’s executive purchasing team founded Localcopia, an independent non-profit that pairs local farmers and organic food producers with area chefs and restaurants to encourage local food-sourcing throughout the Palm Beaches. The hotel grows its own microgreens, herbs, and other harvested ingredients in its 2,000-square-foot garden. Hotels in Palm Beach are fully aware they’re selling a unique experience as well as a place to eat, swim, and sleep, but the secret ingredient has now become authentic local intelligence. u
C H E L S A E A N N E S A H L M A N ; L I L A P H OTO ; CO U RTE S Y O F T H E CO LO NY H OT E L ; M I C H A E L P R I C E
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This page, clockwise from left: Palm Beach stylist Chase Thomas is a regular at The Ritz Paris; The Breakers’ Executive Chef Anthony Sicignano checks the resort’s organic herb and vegetable garden; the newly renovated suite with furnishings by Serena & Lily at The Colony. Opposite page, from top: Danielle Norcross and Beth Achenbach, designers of the new suite at The Colony; Canopy West Palm Beach general manager Chris Steele (left) inspects organically grown, locally roasted coffee beans with food and beverage manager Serge Saouma at Oceana Coffee.
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JANUARY
On January 23rd, the Winter Show will host its Opening Night Party at the Park Avenue Armory at 5 p.m. The evening of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and art and antiques from around the world will benefit the East Side House in the Bronx. For more information, visit thewintershow.org.
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MEDICAL FORUM
The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute will host its 12th Annual Palm Beach Medical Forum & Luncheon at Mar-a-Lago at 11:30 a.m. For more information, visit umiamihealth.org.
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assistance, helping patients overcomebarriers and access to healthcare from screening to completion of care. For more information, call 561.307.8000.
at Club Colette at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit fourarts.org.
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MEDICAL BRIEFING
CHAIRMAN'S FORUM
The Society of Four Arts will hold its Chairman's Forum Dinner
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The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation will host its 7th Annual Medical Briefing Luncheon at The Breakers in Palm Beach
PALM BEACH SYMPHONY
Palm Beach Symphony will hold a cocktail reception to kick off its 18th annual gala at Findlay Galleries at 6 p.m. For more information, visit palmbeachsymphony.org.
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PERFECT PINK PARTY
The Promise Fund of Florida will host its Perfect Pink Party at The Breakers in Palm Beach at 6:30 p.m. The Promise Fund of Florida aims to improve the health of neighbors in need facing breast and cervical cancer by improving outcomes and saving lives through a proven community-based Patient Navigation system. Trained Navigators provide one-on-one 98 QUEST
On December 10th, the Hope for Depression Research Foundation will host its Race of Hope committee dinner at Sant Ambroeus in Palm Beach at 8 p.m. For more information, visit hopefordepression.org.
at 11:30 a.m. The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation is dedicated to fostering awareness, understanding, and research for Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder. For more information, visit ryanlichtsangbipolarfoundation.org.
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1878 SERIES RECEPTION
The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach will hold its 1878 Series reception at the 400 Building at 6 p.m. In 1878, the Providencia ran aground off the coast of Palm Beach. Early residents were gifted 20,000 coconuts and barrels of wine. Much merrymaking ensued and the planting of the coconuts led to the name of the island. Inspired by this formative event, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach’s 1878 Series will explore the origins of Palm Beach and its built environment through events for young supporters at landmarked properties. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit palmbeachpreservation.org.
CALENDAR
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RACE OF HOPE
The Hope for Depression Research Foundation will host its Race of Hope committee dinner at Sant Ambroeus in Palm Beach at 8 p.m. For more information, visit hopefordepression.org.
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LIGHTHOUSE GUILD
Lighthouse Guild will hold a cocktail reception at The Silver Fund in Palm Beach. For more information, visit lighthouseguild.org.
PALM BEACH HOSPICE
The Palm Beach Island Hospice Foundation will host its Hospice Evening at The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum at 7 p.m. For more information, call 561.832.8585.
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Opening Night Party at the Park Avenue Armory at 5 p.m. The glamorous evening of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and fascinating art and antiques from around the world will benefit the East Side House in the Bronx. For more information, visit thewintershow.org.
SHANGHAI BALLET
PALM BEACH DINNER
The Shanghai Ballet and China Arts and Entertainment Group will present "Grand Swan Lake" at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center through January 19th at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 212.496.0600.
The Hanley Foundation will hold its Palm Beach Dinner at the Sailfish Club at 6 p.m. For more information, call 561.268.2355.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
The Norton Museum of Art will hold its annual Palm Beach gala at the museum. For more information, visit norton.org.
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HOT PINK LUNCHEON
The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach will host its Schultze and Weaver Dinner at The Breakers at 7 p.m. For more information, visit palmbeachpreservation.org.
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The Winter Show will hold its Young Collectors Night at the Park Avenue Armory at 6 p.m. to benefit the East Side House in the Bronx. For more information, visit thewintershow.org.
The Ireland Funds will host its Annual Palm Beach Emerald Isle Ball at The Breakers at 7 p.m. honoring John and Amy Phelan. The Ireland Funds is a global network established in 1976 to promote peace, culture, education, and community development throughout the island of Ireland. For more information, visit irelandfunds.org.
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FEBRUARY 1
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation will host its annual Hot Pink Luncheon & Symposium at The Breakers at 11 a.m. The organization's mission is to prevent and cure breast cancer by advancing the world's most promising breast cancer research. For more information, visit bcrf.org.
29 On January 11th, the Promise Fund of Florida will host its Perfect Pink Party at The Breakers in Palm Beach at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 561.307.8000.
more information, visit palmbeachzoo.org.
YOUNG COLLECTORS
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MAJOR DONORS DINNER
The Palm Beach Zoo will host its Major Donors Dinner. For
THE WINTER BALL
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POLICEMEN'S BALL
The Palm Beach Police Foundation will hold its Palm Beach Policemen's and Firemen’s Ball at Mar-a-Lago at 6:30 p.m. to promote police-community partnership and support the mission of Palm Beach Police Foundation. The dinner dance begins with a cocktail reception and includes a live auction as well as the annual presentation of the Palm Tree Award and the Police Officer of the Year Award. For more information, visit palmbeachpolicefoundation.org.
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THE WINTER SHOW
The Winter Show will host its
On January 10th, Palm Beach Symphony will hold a cocktail reception to kick off its 18th annual gala at Findlay Galleries at 6 p.m. For more information, visit palmbeachsymphony.org. J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 9 9
PILLAR of PALM BEACH CO U RTE S Y O F DA N NY P O N TO N ; C A P E H A RT
This page: Danny Ponton at the gates of his Club Colette. Opposite page: Danny Ponton and Dr. Aldo Gucci at Club Colette in 1982; Frances Willey and Frannie Scaife, circa 1997 (inset).
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This page: Legendary author Dominick Dunne with Danny Ponton in 2002; Stan and Jenna Rumbough (inset). Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Bob Leidy, Head Coconut, in 1996; Marjorie Fisher with Danny Ponton; Ponton with Carrie Bradburn and Lucien Capehart; Anita and Sam Michaels. 102 QUEST
A LL I M A G E S CO U RT E S Y O F DA N NY P O N TO N
“I LOVE PALM BEACH for being the small town it is, and anything I can do to keep that feeling of home, I will do.” — Danny Ponton Danny Ponton has been affecting the good nature of Palm Beach since 1982, when the charming 22-year-old took control of Club Colette from Aldo Gucci in a daring, smiling act of salesmanship. He spoke of bringing back the nostalgic feel of the intimate nightclub and wed it to Gucci’s Northern Italian Cuisine. Gucci, no fool he, jumped at the opportunity, and Club Colette became the hot new darling of Palm Beach’s nightlife. Danny had been wintering in Palm Beach since he was a child, and from the beginning, he intuitively understood not just the culinary needs of Palm Beachers, but what made them happy: gracious hospitality and the feeling that as guests they are meant to be comfortable—that they are appreciated and wanted. Ever since Danny Ponton re-opened Club Colette, the iconic
This page, clockwise from above left: Club Colette’s longtime parking valet, Lewis Bickley; Jeannie Tailor and Danny Ponton; Lesly Smith and Grace Meigher; Leighton and Honey Rosenthal; Mary Freitas, Stephane Castoriano, and KC Pickett. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Kate Ford and Ponton; Shannon Donnelly and Howard Kessler; Pat Cook and Bob Nederlander; Wilbur and Hilary Ross; Colette Henry, the club’s namesake, with Ponton in 1983; Maura and Bill Benjamin; a handwritten letter from Jackie Kennedy.
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private dining club has set the scene for countless philanthropic events. Millions of dollars have been raised for many causes, ranging from health care to the plight of the homeless, education, the arts, and beyond. Following a delicate surgery to remove a meningioma brain tumor, he founded the eponymous Daniel E. Ponton Fund for the Neurosciences in 2006. With a three-pronged mission to expand research, improve patient care, and provide global health care for those fiscally challenged, it has had extraordinary positive results. In addition, Danny works tirelessly to support local charities benefiting the Palm Beach community. Each year going forward, the Daniel E. Ponton Excellence in Community Leadership Award will honor individuals who give selflessly and inspire others to do so as well. “Dan is beloved within our community, and his many deep and abiding friendships here and beyond are practically legend,” says Ambassador Nancy Brinker, co-founder of the Promise Fund. “Dan’s dedication and support of many local and global humanitarian causes, along with his mission to bring quality healthcare to others, aligns seamlessly with ours. We hope this award, created in his honor, will inspire others to do the same.” In these pages, Quest strolls down memory lane, illustrating four decades of this unique “melting pot” of Palm Beach society through the inclusive and welcoming prism of Danny Ponton’s Club Colette. u
This page: Sugar Rautbord and Danny Ponton in 1997; Susana Guilherme and Roberto Airoldi (inset). Opposite page, from top: Mary Woolworth Donahue and guest; Alan and Maggie Scherer with Mary Taylor Schott.
Q UDEASVTI D A RPCAH T IRVI E C KJ ACNOUL AURMYB 2I A 007
The Munn family at Seaside Cottage. The Breakers, Palm Beach, c. 1936. From left: Peter Pulitzer, Charles Amory Jr., Grace Amory, Gladys Munn Pulitzer, Reginald Boardman, Dennie Boardman, Carrie Louise Munn Boardman, Fernanda (“Nonie”) Wanamaker Munn, Gurnee Munn Jr., Gurnee Munn Sr., Frances Munn, Mary Munn, Charles Munn Jr., Pauline Munn, Charles A. Munn Sr. (“Mr. Palm Beach”), Noel Spenser Munn (sitting, center). Not pictured: Ector Munn.
HOUSE OF MUNN: THE PALM BEACH STORY BY AUGUSTUS C. MAYHEW ONCE UPON A TIME, Palm Beach, already a legend in American society, was also a real American small town— even a family town, where everyone knew his neighbor. While it was always famous for its celebrity guests, one family has had a significant presence throughout the last century, and that is the Munns. Through the Munns, some of the most prominent families in Palm Beach (and elsewhere) are related to each other. Amorys, Pulitzers, Boardmans, Armours, Vanderbilts, Wanamakers, Biddles, Drexels, Spreckels, and van Rensselaers are only some of the many which are all intertwined on the Munns’ vast and glamorous family tree. Exploring those branches and separating them into a coherent piece is a formidable task and Palm Beach historian Augustus C. Mayhew has done just that with a treasure trove of archival photographs of the family’s life in Palm Beach. It doesn’t matter if, when you get to the end of this story, you still haven’t figured out how who’s related 108 QUEST
to whom. Most importantly, the history reflects a time in American life when families dominated communities, and gave them their flavor and their atmosphere. The Munns and their exponents were practitioners of the Good Life on a scale that seems incomparable today, not because of their fortunes, but because of their relationship to this cornucopia of wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins, and more cousins. Patsy Pulitzer Preston (second from left), next to her brother, Peter Pulitzer, “remembers the day when we all lined up in our white shoes.” “My mother, Gladys Munn, was the most loving, caring person in the world, who died of TB in 1938. My father’s last years with my mother were spent traveling around the world trying to find a cure. Because of the contagion and beliefs of the time, we were unable to be in the same room with her. Imagine, never being able to see the person you love the most,” she expressed.
The photograph of the Charles Munn family appears to be the cast from the 1942 film The Palm Beach Story, with Claudette Colbert and Mary Astor, but actually, it may be the real Palm Beach story, the one that includes a genuine Mary Astor. Today’s Social Register does not list the Charles Munn name, but the family’s Grands, Greats, and Great-Greats are from one of Palm Beach’s most exclusive clubs—the island’s most formidable social conglomerate—the family. A Munn family séance would fill a hall greater than Mrs. Astor’s fabled ballroom with the world’s most-recognized bold-faced names: Amory, Armour, Astor, Baker, Bessborough, Biddle, Boardman, Bostwick, Dow, Drexel, Gurnee, Orr, Pulitzer, Ryan, Spreckels, Vanderbilt, Van Rensselaer, Wanamaker, and Waterbury, and others. In the beginning, Alexander Ector Orr, an established silk-stocking New Yorker, helped his nephew, Charles Munn, newly arrived from
Ireland, establish Munn, Orr & Company, a business concern engaged in wholesale provisionals and slaughterhouses. When Munn, Orr & Co. sought to expand into the Midwest market, Charles Munn went to Chicago to represent the family’s interest. The trip was providential, as Munn experienced a serendipitous encounter, resulting in a windfall far greater than anything he might reap from a business venture. In Chicago, Munn met and married Carrie Louise Gurnee Armour, the widow of Joseph Armour, president of Armour & Co., the world’s largest meatpacking and food processing concern, whose mantra was “We feed the world.” Armour wed Carrie Louise following the accidental death of his first wife, Amelia Gurnee, Carrie Louise’s sister. Armour’s second marriage was short-lived. According to published reports, he reportedly died from an accidental fall in 1880, leaving his widow, Carrie Louise, as
QUEST ARCHIVE JANUARY 2007 sole heir and co-executor of his more than $3 million estate as well as his share in the Armour & Co. partnership. Childless from both marriages, Armour set aside $100,000 for the construction of a mission and school, named in honor of his first wife, Amelia. Carrie Louise was a Gurnee, land barons who made their fortune in tannery and railroads. Walter S. Gurnee, Carrie Louise’s uncle, was mayor of Chicago and known as “The Father of the North Shore,” with holdings that comprise today’s Winnetka and Highland Park. Whether Carrie Louise returned the wedding presents before she bonded with Munn is not known, but the Munn-Gurnee union served as the foundation for an immense social dynasty that would reach into the 21st century. Rather than live in Victorian lace-curtained Chicago, considering the ambience in the aftermath of The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the Haymarket Riot a decade later, Charles, Carrie Louise, and their first child, Charles Alexander, moved to the more refined Washington, D.C. They lived in a brick mansion at 14th St. and Massachusetts Avenue, where their neighbor was John Wanamaker, Postmaster General (1889-1892), whose granddaughters, Fernanda and Marie Louise, later married two of the Munn’s sons. Following the birth of their other children, Gurnee, Carrie Louise, Ector, and Gladys, and, in their search for a healthy clime during the winter months, the Munns discovered St. Augustine, the Newport of the South. They stayed at one of the Carrere and Hastings-designed hotel resorts that catered to their
The Munn children with their friends. The Breakers, Palm Beach, c. 1895. The hotel and the pier can be seen in the distance. The Breakers beach served as the winter colony’s bath and tennis club until The Bath and Tennis Club was built in 1927. Steamships departed from the pier for Havana, Nassau, and Key West.
The Queen of Palm Beach, Marjorie Merriweather Post, exchanges whispers with Mr. Palm Beach, Charles Munn, at the Red Cross Ball, Palm Beach. Courtesy of Historical Society of Palm Beach County.
every whim. Later, the Munns were among the first arrivals at The Breakers, Flagler’s new oceanfront hotel, where an orchestra and a mule-driven trolley car greeted guests as they arrived in private railroad cars. During the next century, as fate and folly diminished the fortunes and standing of some Palm Beachers, the Munn family’s confluence of kinship and class generated a social stature as tightly knotted as the Windsors. In 1903, Charles Munn died, six years before his son, Charles Munn Jr.’s la belle epoque marriage to Mary Astor Paul became an international social event. The new Mrs. Munn was bluechip Philadelphia—Drexel,
Biddle, van Rensselaer, and Astor. Charles Munn, a Harvard graduate, was a founder of the Everglades Club, Seminole and Gulf Stream Golf Club. He was a member of la beau monde, Café Society, and Jet Set for more than six decades. Considered by many to be “The Last Gentleman,” Munn believed in hard work and civility. He was a perennial nominee to the International Best Dressed list. He is credited with popularizing the blue blazer (Captain’s jacket), ascot, and flannel trousers as the official uniform of the social set. He kept a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in the living room of his Palm Beach house, and a Rousseau painting in the dining room. In
one of his last interviews, he recalled the Christmas that Flo Ziegfeld gave his sisterin-law, Marie Louise Wanamaker Munn, and neighbor, a full orchestra for one week. “I will never forget,” Munn said. “We danced every night.” Mary Astor Paul Munn was the daughter of James William Paul Jr. (1851-1908) and Frances Drexel (1858-1901), the daughter of Anthony J. Drexel (1826-1893), the founder of the banking firm Drexel & Co, and the financier known as “the man who made Wall Street.” She was named for an aunt, Mary Paul Astor, who in 1878 joined fortunes with William Waldorf Astor, better known as Baron Astor of Hever Castle. The Drexel Family Archives are at Drexel University. Mary Astor Paul was the first Mrs. Charles Munn Sr. and mother of their four children: Charles Jr., Mary, Frances, and Carrie Louise. Following her divorce from Charles Munn, she moved to Paris, where she married Jacques Allez, a renowned WWI flying ace. For her work with the French Resistance during WWII, she was awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French government and the Medal of Freedom by the United States. She died in Paris in 1950. A family cousin, Katherine Drexel, was recently canonized Saint Katherine by the Catholic Church. Tragic adversities tempered the family’s triumphs. The family matriarch, Carrie Louise Gurnee Armour Munn (1862-1922) died in an automobile accident when her car crashed into a tree, near the family’s summer home in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. She was buried at Graceland Cemetery, Chicago. Charles J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 1 0 9
Q UDEASVTI D A RPCAH T IRVI E C KJ ACNOUL AURMYB 2I A 007 and Mary Munn’s daughter Pauline died in Paris at the age of 30 from complications following a foot infection. In 1927, Pauline Munn made her debut at the Ritz-Carlton in Paris, as well as at parties in New York, Philadelphia, and Palm Beach. In Paris, the Munns gave an intimate dinner for 500, where their daughter wore a “white robe de style with a belt of red roses hanging around her waist.” She married an American and lived in Paris. She was interred in the same Paris cemetery where her mother would be buried beside her 20 years later. In her father’s will, he bequeathed $20,000 to the American Hospital in Paris, to endow a room in memory of his daughter. Woodcrest was the estate of James W. Paul Jr. and Frances Biddle Drexel, Mary Astor Munn’s parents. Her mother died before the house was completed. Charles and Mary Munn lived at Woodcrest after her father died in 1908 until 1925, when they sold the property for $1 million to Dr. Joseph Dorrance, the inventor of condensed soup and the pres-
Gurnee Munn (1887-1960), pictured at a dog show in the 1920s. Collection of Suzanne Munn. 110 QUEST
ident of Campbell’s Soup. It was the highest price paid at the time for a private house in Pennsylvania. Set on more than 200 acres and designed in the Elizabethan half-timber style, today Woodcrest is part of the Cabrini University campus. Charles and Mary Paul Munn built Amado on a three-acre parcel purchased from John S. Phipps, whose family estate, Casa Bendita, adjoined the property to the south. In 1927, Munn headed a committee of homeowners who built North County Road to the west and removed North Ocean Boulevard from in front of their oceanfront homes. While the Munns lived in Paris, they would often lease Amado for the winter season. The family’s guest register at Amado recorded the names of some of the 20th century’s most distinguished international diplomats, aristocrats, and socialites. At one event, the women, including Rose Kennedy, left their lipstick impressions along with their autographs. Despite revisionist history, Joseph and Rose Kennedy and their children were an active part of Palm Beach social life for several decades and among the Munns’ inner circle. The Kennedy family lived north of the Munns at La Guerida, an oceanfront Mizner-designed house they purchased in 1933 from Rodman Wanamaker’s family. Following his divorce in the 1930s, Charles Munn spent the next two decades among the black-tie international social circuit. Then, in 1953, he exchanged vows with Dorothy Spreckels DuPuy McCarthy, the San Francisco sugar heiress, with whom he
enjoyed an extended companionship. Dorothy Rohnert Spreckels DuPuy McCarthy Munn (1913-2000) was the daughter of Adolph Spreckels, the California sugar king, and Alma Spreckels, the patron saint of San Francisco’s Palace of Legion of Honor. An avid Gurnee Munn Jr. (1918-1978) and bridge player and his wife, Suzanne, aboard their sailboat Francophile, her on Lake Worth, 1970. first husband’s family owned the newspaper ceived his Palm Beach Rolls. Petit Parisien. Her mother, Munn named 30 family memimmortalized in the 1990 bi- bers, employees, and friends ography Big Alma, befriended as beneficiaries, leaving each a Auguste Rodin, amassing the specific amount with eight of largest collection of Rodin them given lifetime monthly sculptures outside of Paris. incomes from an established The Munns’ apartment, at trust. He left a portrait of his 22 rue Barbet de Jouy, over- mother, Carrie Louise Gurnlooked the Rodin museum. ee Munn, painted by TheoDuring the 1960s, their pas- bald Chartran (1847-1907), a sion for Paris waned as they noted French Academy paintspent more time in the south er, to his two sisters, Mary and of France. Today, Danielle Frances. His remaining shares Steele, the novelist, owns the in AmTote were divided Beaux Arts Spreckels Man- equally between his brother, sion on Washington Street in Ector, his nephew, Reginald San Francisco. Charles and Boardman, and his secretary, Dorothy Munn are still to- Norma Ballou. Additionally, gether; they share a niche at Ballou received a substantial the Columbarium, Episcopal cash gift and a lifetime inChurch of Bethesda-by-the- come. Unfortunately, she died a year after Munn’s death. Sea in Palm Beach. When Dorothy Munn left Will watching is one of Palm Beach’s most engag- Amado, the Munn family ing indoor sports. Following house valued at $14 million, their wedding in 1953, the to her stepchildren, Mary and Munns made an ante-nup- Frances, veteran Palm Beach tial agreement and both wills will watchers noted a refreshacknowledged this previous ing civility. In addition, according to her American will agreement. In his December 1973 will, signed in 1998, and valued at Charles Munn bequeathed her death in 2000 at $99 milDorothy the Palm Beach lion, she bequeathed the rehouse, Amado, the Paris sidual of her estate, after the apartment, and two Rolls provisions in a 1991 trust for Royces, one in San Francisco family members and friends, and the other garaged in Par- to be divided equally among is. His nephew and executor, the following 10 charities: The Reginald Boardman Jr., re- Versailles Foundation, Inc.
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Mary Astor Paul Munn (1889-1950). Oil on canvas, 1927. Philip de Laszlo, artist. Courtesy of Drexel University Archives & Collections.
(also a recipient in her French will); The Lord’s Place; Hospice of Palm Beach; The American Lung Association; Norton Museum of Art; Episcopal Church of Bethesda-bythe-Sea; Planned Parenthood; Children’s Home Society of Florida; Bascom-Palmer Eye Institute (Miami); and the Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adults (Palm Beach). In 2001, the Florida Bar reprimanded her estate attorney when they discovered he had changed the wording of her will after she died. The attorney recused himself when it was learned that he had accepted a $2 million gift from her the year before her death. While all weddings call for something blue, for the Munns it meant the Blue Book. In keeping with the tradition of their time, the Social Register was the best wedding planner. Gladys Munn’s marriage to Charles Minot Amory resulted in two children, Charles Minot Amory Jr. and Grace Amory Ryan. Following their divorce in 1924, Charles Amory hooked up with Margaret “Bromo-Seltzer” Emerson Smith Hollins McKim Vanderbilt Baker, perhaps the most mar-
ried woman of her time. The Amory lives in West Palm new Mrs. Amory’s marriage Beach. Carrie Louise Munn’s marto Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt ended suddenly in 1915, riage to Reginald Boardman, when he drowned aboard a Beacon Hill Bostonian, endthe Lusitania. The widow ed in a publicized divorce and Vanderbilt was left with two two children, T. Dennie and children, an immense fortune, Reginald Jr. Carrie Louise and some of the largest pri- would later wed Lawrence Waterbury, a Roosevelt cousvate homes in the country. Grace Amory, a noted in. When Lewis Rodman Wachampion golfer, married Allan A. Ryan. Their house on namaker (1863-1928) died, Wells Road in Palm Beach he left a will and codicils eswas situated west of the tablishing an estimated $120 Herb Pulitzer property, later million trust for his three owned by the Azqueta family. children and their descenRyan was the son of Thomas dants: Fernanda WanamakFortune Ryan, known as “the er de Heeren (Munn), John richest man in the South.” Wanamaker Jr., and Marie After she and Amory parted, Louise Wanamaker Munn Gladys wed Herbert “Tony” (Kent). For half a century, the Pulitzer. Their marriage pro- trust consisted in part of the duced two children, Patsy stock in the John Wanamakand Peter. Patsy married er department store. In 1978, Lewis T. Preston, president, Carter, Hawley, Hale, Inc. ofchairman, and CEO of J.P. fered the trust $40 million for Morgan Chase, and later, the stock. After negotiations, president of the World Bank, Carter, Hawley purchased the 1991-1994. In his honor, Pat- stock for $60 million. According to the Wanasy Preston established a foundation, Preston Education maker Trust, upon the death Fund for Girls, now part of of the Wanamaker children, their children were to split the Global Fund for Women. Charles Amory Jr. mar- one-half of their parents’ ried Chesbrough Lewis (c. shares. The other half would 1913-2005), a well-known be accumulated to fund varand photographed social fig- ious charities. Although the ure in New York, Southamp- will did not expressly provide that Wanamakton, and Palm er’s great-grandBeach. Their children would son, C. Minot succeed to their Amory III, lives parents’ interests in Palm Beach in the trust, a with his wife, court later ruled Victoria. Followthat the failure ing his second to include such divorce, Amory specific language Jr. banded with was an oversight Julia Aspuru, the and that their informer Mrs. Enterest should be rique Rousseau; divided equally his half-brother, between them. Peter Pulitzer’s Ector and ex-wife, Lilly, married Enrique Dorothy and Charles Munn Gurnee Munn’s union with Lewis Rousseau. Julia at Hialeah Park, 1945.
Pauline Munn Doyle (1909-1939). Oil on canvas, 1927. Philip de Laszlo, artist. Courtesy of Drexel University Archives and Special Collections.
Rodman Wanamaker’s daughters, Fernanda and Marie Louise, rekindled the affinity for family values begun decades before, when their mother and aunt, Carrie Louise and Amelia Gurnee, were doubly Armoured. Ector Munn’s marriage was childless, and following his divorce from Fernanda Wanamaker, he wed Virginia Abbott. A confirmed vegan, who lived to the age of 102, Ector was a founder of Planned Parenthood in Palm Beach County. For many years he was involved in the family business, AmTote. Later he headed Canada Dry’s U.S. division before retiring. Following their split, his wife, Fernanda, married George Kent. In 1940, Mrs. Ector (Fernanda) Munn and Mrs. Harrison (Mona) Williams, her sister’s neighbor in Palm Beach, chaired the American branch of Le Colis de Trianon-Versailles, a French charity that aided servicemen during the war. With the Duchess of Windsor, they organized an exhibition, Paris Openings, to raise money for the charity. Held at the Wanamaker Auditorium in New York, the exhibit displayed evening dresses worn by their friends. Each dress was termed a “halJ A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 1 1 1
Q UDEASVTI D A RPCAH T IRVI E C KJ ACNOUL AURMYB 2I A 007 lowed memory.” A complete display of this extraordinary exhibition can be seen at Paris Openings, Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Born in Washington and a Harvard graduate, Gurnee Munn was named for his mother’s family, the Gurnees of Chicago. Louwana, the Munn-Wanamaker home, became an epicenter for the international set during the 1920s and 1930s. Harrison Williams, often termed the richest man in the world, and his wife, the fabled Mona Williams, lived next door to the Munns in Palm Beach. Gurnee held various positions in the family firm, American Totalisator (AmTote). For many years, he was a partner in a real estate firm in Palm Beach, Munn, Hull & Boardman. His will bequeathed his seat on the New York Stock Exchange to his brother, Ector. Gurnee and Marie Louise had two children, Gurnee II (1917-1978) and Fernanda Wanamaker Munn (19201989). His daughter, Fernanda, married Francis Kellogg in 1942. Following her father’s death, Fernanda Kellogg sold Louwana to her half-brother, Arturo de Heeren and his wife, Aimee. She moved to The Lodge, a house built along North County Road on the Louwana property. Fernanda Kellogg established the Louwana Foundation to protect wildlife habitats in Kenya and East Africa. In 1886, Lewis Rodman Wanamaker married Fernanda Antonio deHenry. They named their daughter Fernanda Wanamaker. Fernanda’s son from her marriage to Arturo de Heeren, Rodman de Heeren, named his daughter Christina Fernanda de Heeren. Fernanda’s sis112 QUEST
Dorothy Spreckels and Elsa Maxwell with a friend, c. 1960.
ter, Marie Louise, named her daughter Fernanda “Nonnie” Wanamaker Munn. She married Francis Kellogg and named her daughter Fernanda Munn Kellogg. Fernanda Kellogg named her daughter from her first husband Fernanda Gilligan. Fernanda Pauline Wanamaker, daughter of John Wanamaker and Pauline Disston, wed Francis Wetherill. Their daughter, Fernanda Wanamaker Wetherill, became Mrs. Jamie Niven, and their daughter was named Fernanda Wanamaker Niven. Mary and Frances are the children of Charles and Mary Astor Paul Munn. Mary Munn married Frederick Edward Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon and the 10th Earl of Bessborough. She became Countess Bessborough. A still-life painter and active historic preservationist, she lives on Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, after living many years in the U.K. and Paris. Her daughter is Lady Charlotte Petsopoulos, who has lived in London for many years. Both mother and daughter are supporters of Task Brasil, a U.K.-based organization that supports the welfare of the street children of Brazil. Frances Munn Baker has lived in Palm Beach, New York, and Grasse,
France. Her first husband, George F. Baker Jr., was scion of the First National City Bank banking family, the forerunner of CitiBank. In 1918, George F. Baker was number four on the Forbes list of the wealthiest people in the world. His estimated wealth of $150 million would, in today’s dollars, equal $1.64 billion. Frances Baker’s children are Anthony, Pauline, Kane, and Lavinia. Later, she married Peter Bezencenet and lived in France for many years. She now lives in Palm Beach. In December 2005, her son, George F. III, died in an airplane crash off the coast of Nantucket. The Baker family has supported Harvard University for many generations, beginning with George Baker III’s great-grandfather, whose donation of $5 million in 1924 made possible the construction of the Harvard Business School campus and the Baker libraries at both Harvard and Dartmouth. The George F. Baker house, at 93rd and Park Avenue, was designed by Delano and Aldrich. The Baker House is a part of Classical American Homes Preservation Trust. Charles Munn Jr., the oldest brother, believed in hard work as much as he did the art of living well. He and his brothers always worked to-
gether in all their business ventures. In 1926, Munn went to England and founded the Greyhound Racing Association. Within a year, there were 40 greyhound racetracks. Charles Munn returned to the U.S. with the patente rights to the ubiquitous mechanical rabbits found at racetracks. From there, the Munn brothers, along with inventor Henry Straus, developed and patented the automatic betting board for racetracks. Charles and Gurnee Munn formed the American Totalisator Co., known today as AmTote. Charles Munn was the first president and Gurnee the vice president. Munn groomed his son, Charles Jr., to head AmTote. However, following his son’s tragic ordeal with Lou Gehrig’s disease and death in 1957, Munn sold AmTote, reportedly in excess of $4 million. Today’s members of the Munn clan are probably no longer found soaking at Marienbad, shooting grouse in Scotland, or dancing on ocean liners. Nevertheless, they can still be found on the social runways between Worth Avenue and Park Avenue, red-carpet events, and the Amazon rainforest. Whether on Page Six, in social columns, or on the front lines of social issues, the Munns retain the family’s sense of free-spiritedness that first characterized it. Unlike a distant Munn cousin, Cleveland Amory (1917-1998), who 40 years ago asked Who Killed Society? in his best-selling book of the same name, the Munn family are not trapped by tradition, eclipsed by the shadow and weight of name, or constrained by the values and
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Built in 1920, Louwana, the Gurnee and Marie Louise Wanamaker Munn house, is located next door to his brother, Charles Munn’s villa, Amado. Louwana is in its original museum condition and is one of the last remaining Mizner-designed houses in Palm Beach.
regimen of the vanishing Old Guard. “Welcome to Munnsville.” Chris Kellogg remembers the phrase as one of the favorite greetings of his mother, Fernanda Wanamaker Munn Kellogg. Today, Kellogg and his family live at “The Lodge,” the house his grandfather, Gurnee Munn, built decades ago along the western edge of Louwana. George F. Baker IV is a flight instructor and an air transport pilot in New York. In 2005, he married Anne Kettle. A Dartmouth graduate, he is a trustee of ReadNext Bronx Charter School. In 2005, his father, George Baker III, died in an airplane crash. Anthony Baker lives in New York and Palm Beach. A Harvard graduate, he now heads the Baker Foundation. His sister, Pauline Pitt, heads a notable interior design firm in Palm Beach. Her marriage to William Pitt ended upon his premature death. Her daughters, Samantha and Serena Boardman, have become familiar boldface names in New York and Palm Beach. Liza Pulitzer’s grandmother was Gladys Munn; her great-uncles and -aunts were Charles, Gurnee, Ector, Mary, and Frances Munn. Liza lives in West Palm Beach and is a Realtor at Martha A.
Gottfried Real Estate. In 1986, Liza’s sister, Lillian Munn Pulitzer, married Rodman Wanamaker Leas. Their vows once again linked two families whose lineage was first joined more than 80 years ago. Her great-aunts by marriage were Fernanda and Marie Louise Wanamaker Munn, whose brother, John Wanamaker II, was Rodman Leas’s maternal grandfather. Four years after their separation in 1995, Lillian Leas became Mrs. Kevin Michael McCluskey. Gladys Munn’s grandson, C. Minot Amory III, lives in Palm Beach with his wife, Victoria de la Maza Amory, and children. He is a financial advisor. Their midtown home was the 2005 recipient of the Robert I. Ballinger Award, the town’s most prized historic preservation designation. Mrs. Amory is a noted writer and columnist of victoriaamory.com. She is the daughter of Count and Countess de la Maza. In 1994, Time magazine named Charles A. Munn III, the grandson of Charles and Mary Astor Paul Munn, one of the 100 most influential young leaders in the world. Munn founded and is now chairman of the board of Tropical Nature, a nonprof-
it foundation that conserves tropical rainforests through model ecotourism projects in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Gabon. In addition, during two decades of fieldwork in South America, Munn earned recognition as the world’s leading authority on wild macaws. The Discovery Channel, PBS, TBS, BBC, NPR, TIME, Newsweek, GEO, and The New York Times have featured Munn’s work. In 2002, Condé Nast Traveler chose Manu Wildlife Center, a site designated by Munn, as the number-one wildlife lodge in the Amazon basin. Munn has established eco-conservancies in Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil that have preserved millions of acres: Tropical Nature, Manu Wildlife Center, Peru, and Napo Wildlife Center—EcoEcuador in Yasuni National Park. “My father and sister died when I was real young. My sister, Mary Munn, was only three when a milk truck killed her. My mother, Loretta, remarried after my father died and lives in Baltimore,” Charles Munn III said. “I have never been to a racetrack, not a horse track or a greyhound track,” he
said. “I suppose the former is harmless enough, but the latter involves too much cruelty that I could not countenance supporting it in any way.” “And yes, there is a Charles Alexander Munn IV. He’s a high school senior and I don’t know yet what direction he’ll be heading,” said Munn. Charlie Munn III’s great-grandparents, Charles and Carrie Louise, first visited Palm Beach more than 120 years ago. Alligator Joe wrestled crocodiles on Worth Avenue. And before the contagion of ficus hedges swept the island, Palm Beachers imported the world’s most exotic specimens, transforming the island into a tropical Garden of Eden. Visitors marveled at the island’s trees. Palm Beach was a jungle, much like the one he lives in today. Munn’s laid-back life appears distant from his predecessors at Seaside Cottage, and paradoxical compared with his great-grandfathers Anthony J. Drexel, or his grandfather, “Mr. Palm Beach.” Yet they each have an innovative spirit shared by pioneers in their field. This same divergence may be what separates society’s leaders from the crowd. The leaders inherit a legacy, and then make a name for themselves. u J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 1 1 3
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SWIFTY’S + THE COLONY = PERFECT PALM BEACH PAIRING BY ALEX TRAVERS
ASKED TO NAME the most dynamic winter destination in Florida, I offered the only reasonable answer: Palm Beach, a town with culture, scenery, restaurants, and hospitality. (Also of importance is the active social community and calendar, which makes visiting even more exciting.) Such a welcome package was nicely summed up by a buddy, Jack Ferenz, who played on the PGA Tour, where Palm Beach is a major stop. He said, “Not only is the golf world-class, but the hotels, food, and events make you never want to leave.” Of course, there is even more to do in Palm Beach, such as visit the Flagler Museum. Or grab an Americano at Sant Ambroeus after a trip to the Society of the Four Arts. But it is a small island, so for those looking for a place to stay in the center of all the action, allow me to recommend The Colony—one of the town’s true gems. Its interiors This spead: The Colony Hotel, with its classic Colonial and pink exteriors, sits on the eastern end of Worth Avenue. Insets, from left: The CPB Bar & Lounge at The Colony; the hotel’s backyard is equipped with games, including cornhole; poolside at The Colony. J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 1 1 5
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are bright and playful, and the outside is painted in a welcoming salmon hue. (The style may be familiar, but The Colony has made it one-of-a-kind.) Modest in size and bold in vision, The Colony provides a sense of authenticity that is embraced in Palm Beach more than anywhere in the state of Florida. Locals call it “the pink paradise,” a nice reprieve to the sterile white walls and geometric furniture modern luxury hotels offer today. The 89-room property, just steps away from the famed Worth Avenue shops and the ocean, easily allows guests to explore some the most scenic areas of the island. Really, there is no other hotel in Palm Beach like it. During your stay, the hotel staff can enlighten you about the town’s cultural and gastronomic treasures. But it should also be mentioned that The Colony recently announced a partnership with Swifty’s—yes, that Swifty’s, the Upper East Side haunt that closed its doors in 2016— This page, from above: Inside one of the villas at The Colony; the hotel offers in-house exercise classes in its Solarium with some of the best instructors on the island. Opposite page: One of the hotel’s custom trollies inside the main lobby. J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 1 1 7
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normal say-hi-and-seat-you host or hostess at your typical restaurant. It went above the call of duty—gracious and detailed, with many moving parts. His incredible mastery of the dining room, which stemmed from the decades he spent at Mortimer’s, made the restaurant feel uniquely social. It was one of the few places in New York—or anywhere, really—where diners would actually talk to their neighbors. (It was also the only place where there was a chance Liza Minnelli would sing happy birthday to you.) No other restaurant did it as well. ◆ This spread: Inside the main dining room at Swifty’s on the Upper East Side, which closed in 2016. This page, insets, from above: The logo for the Swifty’s pop-up at The Colony Palm Beach; the design board for the Swifty’s pop-up at The Colony, provided by Kemble Interiors. Opposite page, insets, clockwise from above: Swifty’s head chef and co-owner Stephen Attoe (left) with co-owner Robert Caravaggi; the entrance of New York’s iconic Swifty’s restaurant; a sketch of the old Upper East Side joint.
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which will officially open in the hotel’s dining space on Christmas. It will, however, be a limited engagement, open only through the end of the season. Still, Robert Caravaggi, the founder of Swifty’s, is thrilled to have Swifty’s opening at The Colony, a place he calls “the jewel of Palm Beach island.” (Famed Swifty’s chef Stephen Attoe will serve as a consultant to Colony Hotel chef Tom Whitaker.) Caravaggi adds, “This union is the perfect marriage.” And it’s here just in time for the Palm Beach season. Says Sarah Wetenhall, the president and CEO of The Colony Palm Beach, “Swifty’s and The Colony are establishments that evoke a special kind of belonging. To bring this cherished New York purlieu back to life on Palm Beach is a gift to our community.” Swifty’s was frequently celebrated for its hospitality and service. Many described it as “the club without dues.” Caravaggi’s style of hosting was special, different than the
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THE BEST OF PALM BEACH B Y B R O O K E K E L LY
THE PALM BEACH season is upon us, as second-home owners flee the cold weather of the north and young professionals, families, and retirees head to the sunny destination in search of full-time residence, attracted by its thriving economy, tax benefits, and unrivaled lifestyle. The endless options for golf, tennis, and water sports, in addition to top dining and shopping experiences—all surrounded by pristine beaches and breathtaking Spanish Mediterranean architecture—make living on this tony island feel like a never-ending vacation. Our top real estate agents in the area— Cristina Condon, Ashley Copeland, Dana Koch, Todd & Frances Peter, Liza Pulitzer, and Whitney McGurk—discuss the prime real estate options and fill us in on the most anticipated openings and social events of 2020. 120 QUEST
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CRISTINA CONDON Sotheby’s International Realty / 561.301.2211 / cristina.condon@sothebyshomes.com
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Q: Describe the Palm Beach lifestyle: A: Palm Beach has become a destination for those seeking a luxury lifestyle. During the season, The Town is packed with social events of all kinds. Whether you enjoy black-tie events and galas or laid-back time with family and friends Palm Beach offers it all. Some of the finest restaurants, shopping, galleries, entertainment, nightlife, and sporting activities can all be found in Palm Beach.
tic Ocean. The estate section also remains very interesting to many buyers. Q: What's new? A: The Town has recently completed the new Recreation Center comprising a sports field, a playground, a renovated tennis pro-shop and pavilion, a state of art gym, a game room, and a café. Q: Anything else you’d like to share? A: Sotheby's International Realty has expanded its Palm Beach operations to Singer Island. The new office is located inside the Marriot Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa and will be led by brokerage manager Debra Reece.
Q: What’s ahead for the Palm Beach market in 2020? A: I see a very active real estate season. With the market doing so well, buyers are flocking to Florida for a multitude of reasons. Whether escaping high-tax states or looking for a vacation winter home, buyers continue to make Palm Beach the perfect destination. I do not see the market slowing down any time soon. Everyone wants their own little piece of paradise. Q: What kind of real estate is selling, and where? A: The most sought-after real estate is new houses, especially in the North End, ranging from $6 to $10 million, followed by those coveted properties directly on the Atlan-
320 Island Road in Palm Beach; listed at $37,500,000.
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ASHLEY COPELAND Brown Harris Stevens / 561.596.5959 / acopeland@bhspalmbeach.com
Q: What’s ahead for the Palm Beach market in 2020? A: If the real estate market is anything like the last few years, 2020 should be another boom year. I am seeing more and more people coming here from the north and from California to escape the high taxes and to enjoy the relaxing climate. The economy is strong and people are confident. Younger
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people are also looking to Florida to escape the cold winters and live an easier lifestyle with their families. Q: Tell us about some of the “event musts” this season. A: There are so many events in season, but I personally like to support the Policemen’s Ball, the Red Cross Ball, the Preservation Society, The Society of the Four Arts, and the Veterans. Other very worthwhile events are those for the children, health, and animals—so much to choose from, as Palm Beach is one of the most philanthropic towns in the country. Q: Have there been any recent notable openings? A: La Goulue, Bilboquet, Henry’s (owned by The Breakers), and Almond are all great restaurants coming this season!
315 S Lake Drive, #1C in Palm Beach; listed at $1,995,000.
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Q: Describe the Palm Beach lifestyle. A: Palm Beach is a unique combination of a small town with lots of community spirit, but with the added sophistication and stimulation of a large city. There is something for everyone! Palm Beach is simply beautiful with its pristine beaches, balmy breezes, historical architecture, gourmet restaurants, and world-class shopping, and—very important—easy access to everything. Another added bonus is the cleanliness and security one enjoys here. If you enjoy recreational activity, there is the award-winning Par 3 golf course that stretches from the ocean to the Intracoastal waterway, plus numerous excellent golf courses on and off the island. There are so many social and cultural activities that one could be busy every night. I always tell people that Palm Beach can be what you want it to be; there is so much to choose from.
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DANA KOCH The Koch Team at Corcoran Group / 561.379.7718 / dana.koch@corcoran.com
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Q: Describe life in Palm Beach. A: Palm Beach has always been a desirable destination. Everything is convenient; you never have to leave the island. I tell my clients that when you come to Palm Beach you can be as active as you want or you can be totally anonymous. The town is pristine and possesses all of the modern amenities that anyone could ask for: world-class shopping, award-winning dining, top-notch cultural events, amazing golf and tennis, beaches, and boating options. Our brand new Palm Beach Recreation Center just opened. The “Rec” will house programing, a fitness center, and an indoor basketball court, in addition to its state-ofthe-art tennis facilities.
are selling. We know the old adage “location, location, location,” and now it's closely followed by “price, price, price.” The days of aspirational pricing are over. Lately, the high end of the market has helped buoy the rest of the Palm Beach market. Currently, there are some prized properties and value opportunities available. Q: Tell us about some of the “event musts” this season. A: The Perfect Pink Party on January 11th at The Breakers benefiting the Promise Fund will be a fabulous event. Q: What's new? A: Restaurants La Goulue and Almond will open soon. For retail therapy, shop at the new Oscar de la Renta, Kiton, Zimmerman, LoveShackFancy, or Goop at The Royal.
Q: What’s ahead for the Palm Beach market in 2020? A: I am optimistic that this will be an active, successful season. Right now we have the wind at our backs in Palm Beach with the advantageous tax situation and our quality of life. Palm Beach has always been a great place to land bank your money. I strongly believe that there is no better way to diversify your portfolio than Palm Beach real estate. Q: What kind of real estate is selling, and where? A: All over the island, properties that are priced correctly
661 North Lake Way in Palm Beach; listed at $7,850,000.
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TODD & FRANCES PETER Sotheby’s International Realty / 561.281.0031 / todd.peter@sothebyshomes.com / francesandtodd.com
some really big transactions at the highest end of the market, and all segments of the Palm Beach market seem to be heating up as we head into season. Q: With the Palm Beach social season in full swing, tell us about some of the “event musts.” A: There are so many amazing events coming up this season, so it is hard to choose. My wife, Frances, is hosting the Contemporaries Party for the Society of the Four Arts this February with Josephine Kalisman. This party only happens once every two years, and this year will be fantastic. I am also really looking forward to the Everglades Foundation gala. It is such an important cause, and this year everyone is excited to have Pitbull as the headline entertainment.
Q: What’s ahead for the Palm Beach market in 2020? A: All signs are pointing to the Palm Beach market remaining strong. With a favorable tax environment, the stock market at a high, beautiful weather, easy flight options to anywhere in the Northeast, an amazing lifestyle, and an island with a finite amount of real estate, Palm Beach remains one of the most desirable destinations in the world. Q: What kind of real estate is selling, and where? A: The second half of the year has been highlighted by
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Bears Club Estate in Jupiter, Florida; listed at $21,900,000.
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Q: Describe the Palm Beach lifestyle. A: The Palm Beach lifestyle is really what you make it. The winter season sees the population in Palm Beach swell. With it comes numerous charity events where you can don a tuxedo or your favorite evening gown to support a cause close to your heart and be social. However, there are still plenty of opportunities to find recreation, relax, unwind, and enjoy this extraordinarily beautiful island. This relaxed lifestyle is especially evident during the summer months, when the party circuit has come to an end, dips in the water are essential, and reservations are unnecessary.
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LIZA PULITZER & WHITNEY MCGURK Brown Harris Stevens / 561.373.0666 / lpulitzer@bhsusa.com & wmcgurk@bhsusa.com
Q: How would you descrive the Palm Beach way of life? What are the different kinds of lifestyles the area offers? A: The Palm Beach lifestyle is what you want it to be. It can be sophisticated with amazing opportunities to be philanthropic or it can be low-key with your toes in the sand escaping a hectic world. Take your pick!
towards animal rescue, but the evening is filled with adoptions. Preservation Foundation is also a favorite amongst our local islanders. It is dedicated to the preservation of the historic architecture and culture heritage of Palm Beach. And, we all love that! Q: Have there been any recent notable openings? What's in the works for next year? A: Shopping on the island is the best, from small boutiques to luxury brands and high-end designers. We are world famous for not only Worth Avenue but now with “The Royal” opening, there are more and more shops and world-class restaurants. We are becoming the epitome of a shopping and foodie destination. u
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Q: What’s ahead for the Palm Beach market in 2020? A: We still see the market gaining momentum. The rental market will always remain strong as more and more people are coming down and testing the market. And, sales are up. Q: What kind of real estate is selling, and where? A: Real estate is selling across the board, including two properties that have sold for over $100 million in the past couple of months. Q: With the Palm Beach social season in full swing, tell us about some of the “event musts.” A: Peggy Adams Animal rescue is always a MUST. The event is sold out every year. Not only do all proceeds go
309 Via Linda in Palm Beach; listed at $5,700,000.
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BY ELIZABETH MEIGHER
IN THE EARLY 1880s, Henry Flagler, a wealthy Northern industrialist, founded the Town of Palm Beach with the extension of Flagler’s East Coast Railway. Enchanted by Palm Beach’s warm weather and tropical environment, Flagler envisioned Palm Beach as a playground for wealthy Northerners during
winter retreat for American aristocracy, the island developed a style all of its own. Here’s a Key lime slice of Quest’s best through the years. 126 QUEST
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the cold winter months. As Palm Beach evolved into the premier
T H E B E RT M O R G A N A R C H I V E ; B E T T Y KU H N E R F RO M B E T T Y KU H N E R : T H E A M E R I C A N FA M I LY P O RT R A I T BY K ATE KU H N E R A N D S TE V E N S TO LE M A N , R E P R I N TE D BY P E R M I S S I O N O F G I B B S S M I T H ; LU C I E N C A P E H A RT; CO U RT E S Y O F H I S TO R I C A L S O C I E T Y O F PA L M B E AC H
This page, clockwise from top: Countess Barbara Haugwitz-Reventlow (the former Barbara Hutton) and former British amateur golfer Robert Sweeney watching a tennis match at The Everglades Club, January 17, 1940; Hilary Geary (now Hilary Geary Ross) with her two sons, Ted (left) and Jack (right), in Palm Beach, 1986; Mrs. Henry Ford II at her home in Palm Beach, 2006; Betty McCarthy and James Stewart dance the Conga at The Patio in the 1930s. Opposite page: David Koch sits beside his wife, Julia Koch (left), and Talbott Maxey (right), as he happily gazes upon the fireworks show from the lawn of Palm Beach’s Henry Morrison Flagler Museum during the annual Coconuts gala on New Year’s Eve.
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1970; Lilly Pulitzer (left) and her husband, Herbert (Peter) Pulitzer Jr., with Mrs. Patrice Massie Tevander and Alexander Cameron, Palm Beach, 1954; Piper Quinn with his daughter, Sienna, 2017; Lesly Smith and her daughter, Danielle Moore, strolling in Palm Beach, 1968; Terry Allen Kramer and Bongo-Bongo the dog, 2008. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Daisy Baker, Kane Baker, and Mary Baker at The Coconuts, 2018/2019; Tantivy, Bingo, and Phoebe Gubelmann, 1982; Prince Charles (third from left) and Princess Diana at a polo match in Wellington during the royal visit to America, 1986; Flo Smith (left) and Lilly Pulitzer at a pool party, Palm Beach, Florida, 1961.
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S L I M A A RO N S / S T R I N G E R / G E T T Y; T H E B E RT M O R G A N A R C H I V E ; C A P E H A RT; B E T T Y KU H N E R F RO M B E T T Y KU H N E R : T H E A M E R I C A N FA M I LY P O RT R A I T BY K ATE KU H N E R A N D S TE V E N S TO LE M A N , R E P R I N T E D BY P E R M I S S I O N O F G I B B S S M I T H ; B I LLY FA R R E LL / PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N
Clockwise from top: Lillian Crawford, the wife of actor Lee Kinsolving, in Palm Beach,
C A P E H A RT: B E T T Y KU H N E R F RO M B E T T Y KU H N E R : T H E A M E R I C A N FA M I LY P O RT R A I T BY K ATE KU H N E R A N D S TE V E N S TO LE M A N , R E P R I N TE D BY P E R M I S S I O N O F G I B B S S M I T H ; LU C I E N C A P E H A RT; D O U G J E N N I N G S / A P / R E X / S H U T T E R S TO C K ; S L I M A A RO N S / H U LTO N A R C H I V E / G E T T Y I M A G E S
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T H E A M E R I C A N FA M I LY P O RT R A I T BY K AT E KU H N E R A N D S TE V E N S TO LE M A N , R E P R I N TE D BY P E R M I S S I O N O F G I B B S S M I T H ; C L A I B O R N E SWA N S O N F R A N K P H OTO G R A P H Y
S L I M A A RO N S / H U LTO N A R C H I V E / G E T T Y I M A G E S ; T H E B E RT M O R G A N A R C H I V E ; PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N / PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N V I A G E T T Y I M A G E S ; B E T T Y KU H N E R F RO M B E T T Y KU H N E R :
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Clockwise from top: Annabelle, Missy, and Carter Savage at home in 2017; Duchess d’Uzes, and her daughter, Muffie (from her first marriage to Thomas Bancroft), in Palm Beach, 1970; Jane and Page Smith and family in Palm Beach, 1980; Rodney Dillard, honorary chairman of the Coconuts, the oldest established men’s club in Palm Beach, pictured in 2008; Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, Eleanor Searle Whitney (McCollum), Grace Kelly, Bud Palmer, Loriel Budge, Don Budge, Mary (Chesebro) Phipps, and Thomas W. Phipps in Palm Beach, circa 1955. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Wendy Vanderbilt (later Wendy Vanderbilt Lehman) in Palm Beach, Florida, 1959; Mr. and Mrs. Peter Duchin in Palm Beach, 1965; ever-stylish daughter and mother Emilia Fanjul Pfeifler and Emilia Fanjul; Britty Bardes Cudlip with her daughter, Mary Brittain, 1990; Aerin Lauder photographed by Claiborne Swanson Frank.
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Clockwise from top left: Leroy and Mimi McMakin with Mimi’s daughters, Phoebe and Celerie Kemble, and Celerie’s three children (Mimi’s grandchildren) Wick, Zinia, and Rascal; James Kimberly of the Kimberly-Clark Kleenex fortune happily posing with his 21-year-old wife, Jacquie; Mary Sanford and ex-gossip columnist Charlie van Rensselaer riding in a horse-drawn carriage at the Polo Club; Lilly Pulitzer and her “tribe”—kids, grandkids, sister, nieces, cousins, steps, halves, and exes—celebrating the New Year, January 2005. Opposite page: Betty McMahon entertaining friends at home in Palm Beach; Marjorie Merriweather Post, who built Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach (inset top); Lourdes Fanjul with Lulu and Peps, and their two dogs, Minnie and Minnow, 2006 (inset bottom).
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T H I S PA G E : F I R S T T H R E E P H OTO S BY H A R RY B E N S O N ; CO U RTE S Y H A R P E R CO LL I N S . O P P O S I TE PA G E : H A R RY B E N S O N ; LU C I E N C A P E H A RT; T H E L I F E I M A G E S CO LLE C T I O N
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Between the tony designer shops that line Addison Mizner’s Worth Avenue, award-winning interior design showrooms, and the expanding Royal Poinciana Plaza, Palm Beach is any shopper’s dream destination. Above: Images of Worth Avenue and the entrance of The Royal Poinciana Plaza (inset left). Below: Worth Avenue (left) and the lawn at The Royal Poinciana Plaza (right).
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RALPH LAUREN 300 Worth Avenue / 561.651.3900 Ralph Lauren might be said to have invented modern American style. For more than 40 years, the brand has embodied luxury. Certain accessories—like the elegantly modern Ricky bag—have become so popular, they’re iconic. This Worth Avenue location boasts a beautiful Beaux-Arts façade and an imported European stone fountain. As with all Ralph Lauren stores, you can find apparel for a glamorous evening on the town or a few classic cotton piqué polos for tennis.
JENNIFER GARRIGUES 308 Peruvian Avenue / 561.659.7085 Interior designer Jennifer Garrigues began her career as a fashion model with Christian Dior. It’s no surprise that she has a trained and talented eye for sumptuous things. Known for her creative taste that blends style and comfort, Garrigues offers design services for residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. She has designed locally for the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club and in New York for The Carlyle. Her showroom is a treasure trove of unexpected discoveries. From luxurious textiles and pillows to one-of-a-kind furniture pieces and decorative objects (which make great hostess gifts), there’s something for every type of living space at Jennifer Garrigues.
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225 Worth Avenue / 561.655.5973 The first J.McLaughlin store, located in an Ivy League–riddled enclave on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, was a small place with a welcoming, faded-paint feel. It was preppy. It was rustic. People loved it. Today, with bricks-and-mortar retail locations in communities across the country—not to mention a flourishing e-commerce business—J. McLaughlin celebrates its continued success as a classic American clothier and one of the country’s last great first-namebasis retailers. Their clothes are simple and smart. J.McLaughlin describes its own style as “innovatively nostalgic.”
LINDROTH DESIGN 312-B South County Road / 561.249.1205 Amanda Lindroth’a earliest memories of her native Florida include its beautiful nature and the glamour of Palm Beach. She has lived in Paris, worked for both Women’s Wear Daily and W, and served Tom Ford in public relations. Today she takes inspiration from the islands (most notably Nassau) and designs interiors that are comfortable and breezy. Her store, here in Palm Beach on South County Road, offers an array of inspired goods (think raffia baskets and island trays) that are right at home in this relaxed yet elegant community.
LETA AUSTIN FOSTER BOUTIQUE 64 Via Mizner / 561.655.5489 A leading authority on style and design, Leta Austin Foster opened her boutique in the 1990s to be able to finish her interior design projects. As a result, the boutique specializes in beautiful custom items for the home. Foster loves fine linens and it shows: we always have a hard time narrowing it down here because any selection of hers could truly make a bedroom (in addition to carrying other custom Italian and French linens, this is the Porthault store for Florida and the Southeast). Then there’s the fine china and porcelain, not to mention writing papers, candles, and room sprays. Foster is also known for her wonderful selection of children’s clothes.
STUBBS & WOOTTON 340 Worth Avenue / 561.655.6857 Purveyors of the handmade slipper— which can be spotted both day and night, on men and women alike—Stubbs & Wootton is a favorite among locals (or anyone looking for an authentic touch of Palm Beach style). The brand’s iconic designs embody everything you want on this island: fine quality and fashion sense mixed with wit, humor, and flair. Whether in velvet or needlepoint, prepare to turn heads when stepping out in your Stubbs. Stroll into the handsome store at 340 Worth Avenue, and you’ll find a perfect match.
ROLLER RABBIT 340 Royal Poinciana Way / 561.833.4643 Roller Rabbit—a bohemian and travel-inspired brand complete with relaxed clothing, accessories, and home goods covered with vibrant, feel good colors—was founded in 2003 after Roberta Freymann was inspired by a piece of discarded fabric she came across in India. The brand’s goal of producing clothing that will put a smile on each customer’s face is evident in the comfort and playful patterns that define Roller Rabbit’s apparel. In the Royal Poinciana Plaza boutique, you will likely come across the brand’s staple animal-print pajama sets now iconic in Palm Beach.
BETTERIDGE 236 Worth Avenue / 561.655.5850 Betteridge is one of America’s most historic fine jewelers. The Betteridge name has been associated with jewelry for centuries: the company’s president, Terry Betteridge, is a fourth-generation jeweler whose roots date back to the 1700s in Birmingham, England, where the name was synonymous with fine jewelry design and silversmithing. Today, the Betteridge boutique in Palm Beach is a joy to visit, offering all types of fine jewelry, by both classic and contemporary designers. Then, of course, there are pearls, pre-owned watches, and the brand’s own Betteridge Collection—in short, something is sure to catch your eye under one of the vitrines.
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256 Worth Avenue / 561.820.2407 332 South County Road / 561.820.2402 It’s the reliable destination for tropical colors in linen, silk, and cotton. Tucked away in a corner of the Amore Courtyard, Charlotte Kellogg’s fanciful boutique offers casual clothing designed for the lifestyle of South Florida and other bright-hued resort communities like Naples and Newport. Her cheerful and breathable designs have been making a colorful splash on the Palm Beach scene since the boutique opened in 1998. Now, the store is a true Palm Beach tradition, offering laid-back attire and accessories, including linen blouses, silk pants, quilted jackets, cashmere scarves, and more. J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 1 3 7
AERIN 33 Via Mizner / 561.623.0906 Aerin Lauder’s eponymous luxury brand was inspired by her signature style and appreciation for beautiful living. Based on the premise that such a lifestyle should come effortlessly, Aerin develops curated collections in beauty, fashion accessories, and home décor. Inside the Palm Beach boutique, you will find a wide range of sophisticated buys, including straw hats, sunglasses, statement jewelry, and clutches, that will have you blending in perfectly on the island. Be sure to also check out the latest perfumes before your next big event.
KIRNA ZABÊTE 340 Royal Poinciana Way / 561.791.6075 Founded in 1999, Kirna Zabête is a premier fashion destination, featuring clothing, accessories, and jewelry—for both day and evening—from established and emerging designers, including Alexander Wang, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Hunting Season, Gucci, Tibi, Paris Texas, Common Leisure, and Stella McCartney. All pieces in the warm and welcoming Royal Poinciana Plaza boutique are personally selected by the brand’s founder Beth Buccini, who aims to inspire and guide each customer. The brand’s logo, “the best edit of the best designers,” sums up the shop in a nutshell.
JOEY WÖLFFER 340 Royal Poinciana Way / 561.469.9368 Originally debuted as the Styleliner Truck, the world’s first luxury accessories boutique on wheels has evolved into Joey Wölffer’s namesake brand—a nationwide constellation of year-round and seasonal boutiques. Joey Wölffer’s shop at The Royal Poinciana Plaza is one of two of the brand’s permanent locations (the other situated in Sag Harbor), and serves as a unique retail destination packed with women’s jewelry, clothing, and accessories. The collections—inspired by the Hamptons—are perfect for the never-ending summer weather in Palm Beach. 138 QUEST
KITON 340 Royal Poinciana Way / 561.247.7332 Founded by Ciro Paone in Naples in 1968, Kiton represents the excellence of Italian haute couture, offering a wide range of handcrafted readyto-wear garments for both men and women. Kiton’s new elegant boutique in The Royal Poinciana Plaza is a reflection of the top-of-the-line garments sold within; the space is beautifully decorated with stunning artwork as well as furnishing and drapes made of the brand’s high-end fabrics.
THE GRAND TOUR 340 Royal Poinciana Way / 561.660.7885 The Grand Tour, a 2,000-square-foot design destination at The Royal Poinciana Plaza curated by founder Caroline Rafferty and her mother, Julie Fisher Cummings, is a trove of vintage and contemporary finds from around the world. Realizing a mother and daughter’s love for design and discovery, The Grand Tour is packed with sought-after antiques, artisanal furnishings, and sumptuous textiles that blend old and new— each telling a unique story of time and place. From candles crafted in Europe to handmade recycled glass goblets uncovered in the Serengeti and 1980s designs from Memphis, the shop and its one-of-a-kind offerings truly take its customers on a unique trip around the globe.
LAUNCHPAD COLLECTIVE
PHU CO OTO RTECSRYEO D FI TRGEO SE PS E CHTEI V RE BRANDS
150 Worth Avenue, Suite 131 / 561.660.5076 Situated in Worth Avenue’s Esplanade in the heart of Palm Beach, LaunchPad offers a unique shopping destination filled with a selection of fashionable clothing, accessories, and home décor in a chic, homey space. Co-founders Katherine Lande, fashion editor of Palm Beach Illustrated, and Nicole Munder, a Vogue alum, curate and rotate the collections each month while keeping the surrounding market in mind. Along with its ever-changing roster of designers and brands (many of which have been online-only prior to partnering with LaunchPad), the shop presents custom activations to make each visit a distinctive and modern brick-and-mortar experience. u
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Above: Tarpon Cove, the Bermuda-style home on Palm Beach’s Intracoastal Waterway (left) and 1465 N Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach (right).
Mario Nievera was able to fulfill his childhood dream of designing impeccable landscapes and gardens when he founded his eponymous architecture firm in 1996. Nievera’s firm—now Nievera Williams Design after partnering with longtime colleague Keith Williams in 2011—is now one of the leading landscape architectural companies in the country, renowned for its ability to balance color, light, form, and texture in the environment for an understated yet elegant feel in both residential and commercial landscapes. “I take great joy in seeing the sparkle in the eyes of a client once their garden is unveiled! Everyone has a connection to nature and their environment, which is evident when they connect with their personal private outdoor space,” says Nievera, who’s inspired by and fascinated with the power of plants. “I’m always looking at plants at least six months ahead of a project installation—and researching the most appropriate choices for particular climates.” Driven by this desire to maximize each client’s time spent in their outdoor spaces, Nievera and Williams have successfully completed projects throughout the country, predominately in and around New York, Palm Beach, and East Hampton, where Nievera splits his time. Beyond the United States, the firm has also worked with clients in the Caribbean and Shanghai, China. 140 QUEST
The pair’s notable projects include two listings currently available in Palm Beach (pictured above): a Spanish-Mediterranean oceanfront estate originally built for Lila Vanderbilt Webb at 1465 N Ocean Boulevard, which features lavish gardens and courtyards typical of the area, and a Bermuda-inspired home on the Intracoastal Waterway, featuring a gondola-style dock, a stream with a waterfall, and stunning terraced gardens. The team’s outstanding work has earned the firm a number of awards and recognition in premier design publications. Pointed Leaf Press also published a book dedicated to Nievera’s work, Forever Green: A Landscape Architect’s Innovative Gardens Offer Environments to Love and Delight, featuring more than 250 photographs of Nievera’s renowned gardens and landscapes. Aside from their design skills, the pair’s success can also be attributed to their ability to connect with their clients on a personal level. As engaged community members, Nievera and Williams are both actively involved in the American Society of Landscape Architects and often donate the firm’s services to non-profit organizations. Nievera also frequently lectures about the firm’s work throughout the country. The duo—both personable, driven, undeniably talented and now managing a staff of 20 and more than 40 projects at a time—are truly a dream team.
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MARIO NIEVERA & KEITH WILLIAMS
Below: Mario Nievera (left) and Keith Williams.
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Above: Images of the Authentic Provence showroom and garden in West Palm Beach. Below: Susan and Wolfgang Hofherr.
A perennial Palm Beach favorite, a visit to the Authentic Provence store is like taking a trip to France, via South Dixie Highway. With exceptional tables, urns, planters, and antique flooring, it’s an expansive resource for garden and entertaining enthusiasts. More than a showroom or store, however, Authentic Provence is a design destination that seeks to celebrate and imbue the local area with a European flair, through a series of treasure-filled rooms opening onto a beautiful “Secret Garden” that can be explored by private appointment. The husband and wife duo behind Authentic Provence, Susan and Wolfgang Hofherr, hail from Europe; Wolfgang from Vienna and Susan from France. With a nuanced appreciation for Europe’s many design sensibilities, they recently introduced a new period furniture collection. Pieces range from an 18th century Scandinavian bureau to a pair of Art Deco fauteuils as well as mid-century nesting tables, and can be viewed in the recently opened showroom across the street from Authentic Provence’s main location. Reflecting on their success and experience within the industry, Wolfgang says, “you can only learn this profession by 142 QUEST
having many pieces going through your hands,” which has been his situation for over 45 years, having worked for a wellknown French auction house before opening Authentic Provence. Susan, Wolfgang’s counterpart, provides an unmatched and discerning eye that was cultivated while she worked in Haute Couture for many years, prior to her foray in homewares. Another secret to their success? Together the couple speaks six languages, which has allowed them to nurture old and new international vendor and client relationships throughout the years. In 2016, the Hofherrs excitedly welcomed their daughter, Xenia, to the team, who, like her parents, credits her keen eye, European roots, and ability to speak multiple languages. Susan says, “We are very passionate about what we do and get excited when we can find another extraordinary piece.” So where to next for the internationally minded family? They are continuing their regular travels to Italy, France, Belgium, and England to search for unusual pieces for the home and garden and look forward to introducing new flooring and period pieces to inspire and delight their audience back home.
CO U RTE S Y O F AU T H E N T I C P ROV E N C E
AUTHENTIC PROVENCE
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Above: Way ahead of Pantone’s color of the year, Gil Walsh’s use of color and pattern take center stage in this Palm
“Whether it’s contemporary, traditional, or transitional, it’s all about having ‘good taste,’” declares Gil Walsh of her interior designs. In neutral palettes or vibrant colors, her aesthetic embodies elegance and sophistication, with close attention to color, shape, pattern, texture, balance, scale, layers, and movement. That said, she does retain a sense of fun and whimsy. One of the trends she’s enjoyed in the past year is that of palm imagery. “It can be replicated in large scale on a wallpaper to elevate a space and add a sense of drama,” she says, “or you can introduce a fresh tropical vibe in the space by foregoing the typical green palm and using a bolder color palette of blue, yellow, and teal.” Similarly, she notes that using single prints—covering a room in the same print from floor to ceiling—“invokes a glamorous, yet timelessly chic feeling to the space,” says 144 QUEST
Walsh. “It’s a simple way to incite drama and style.” Looking ahead, she’s already using Pantone’s color of the year, Classic Blue (“a familiar, calming shade,” she says), in her designs—like the one shown above, a neutral backdrop with vibrant blue furnishings. Also very of-the-moment, she says, is layered design: mixing new pieces with old items, often ones that have been passed down through many generations. “This mixing and matching of old and new creates a space that is timeless,” says Walsh. “When you step away from the modern, clean and minimal aesthetic to the timeless art of layering, you’re creating a more dynamic and multifaceted environment. The layered look brings a culture to your home that gives a sense of depth, and provides conversation points for your guests.”
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GIL WALSH
Beach living space. Below: Gil Walsh.
WHERE STYLE LIVES W W W. G I LW A L S H . C O M
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Above: Salvaged antique tiles from Portugal feature strongly in this home designed by Jennifer Garrigues. Below: Jennifer Garrigues.
Jennifer Garrigues’ colorful, eclectic, romantic interiors are influenced largely by her travels around the globe. “I love India; I love Morocco; I love Vietnam and Cambodia; I love Europe,” she lists. “I’m all over the place.” She draws inspiration from these far-flung lands in ways both literal (witness the wares in her design shop on Peruvian Avenue, picked up during her travels—“I’m drawn to everywhere I go, and I pick out things that excite me,” she says) and figurative, through the photographs she brings back to share with and inspire clients, and via her combinations of bright hues similar to those found in the bazaars of Morocco or on the colorful saris worn in India. “I obviously don’t like bland interiors,” Garrigues says. “I have to put something in that’s a little different.” She enjoys using reclaimed wood, stone, and tiles, as she did in the kitchen and bar area shown above, in which she employed antique patterned tiles from Portugal on the kitchen walls and on the floor and backdrop of the bar. “The tiles from hundreds of years ago are coming back in style again. They look fresh and new, but they’re old!” she 146 QUEST
exclaims. “I loved putting that all together.” She also used tile in the butler’s pantry, now a large china pantry, off the kitchen. “I wanted to make every room wonderful,” she says, especially the “working rooms” that often get overlooked. As for what’s happening in the Palm Beach-area design world, Garrigues says that she sees interiors softening. “They’re not so hard-edged and midcentury,” she says, elaborating that while midcentury furniture is still hot, its sleek lines are now being mixed with softer textures and furniture in a more traditional style as well as antiques, and even a little bit of chintz. “It’s still very modern and simple, but it has a more welcoming appeal,” she says. She’s seeing clients mixing a lot of modern and contemporary art, including photography, with midcentury interiors. “It looks phenomenal with that.” She’s also excited to see that patterned rugs are coming back into vogue, in more-muted colors so as to look contemporary. “I think in this harried world we live in,” says Garrigues, “people are looking for interesting and peaceful interiors. That’s what I find all my clients want.” u
CO U RTE S Y O F J E N N I F E R G A R R I G U E S
JENNIFER GARRIGUES
JENNIFER GARRIGUES Interior Design
308 Peruvian Avenue | Palm Beach, FL 33480 | Tel.(561)659-7085 954 Lexington Avenue, Ste 225 | New York, NY 10021 www.jennifergarrigues.com
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THE YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST BY BROOKE KELLY Jen Brill and Coco Baudelle at Chanel’s party at The Standard High Line.
Clockwise from top left: Indre Rockefeller at the preview party for Chanel N°5 in the Snow; Ella Hunt; Charlotte Groeneveld and Maria Von Behrens; Violetta Komyshan, Anna Baryshinkov, Willa Fitzgerald, and Elina Golde; Carlotta Kohl.
CHANEL Nº5 IN THE SNOW DEBUTS IN THE MEATPACKING DISCTRICT
CO U RTE S Y O F B FA
IN EARLY DECEMBER, Chanel hosted a party to celebrate
the debut of Chanel N°5 In the Snow, an immersive winter pop-up at the Standard High Line that was open to the public from December 12th to 15th. Guests were treated to a glimpse of the enchanting experience, which included an ice-skating rink, a sleigh and life-size perfume for photo opps, seasonal treats like hot chocolate and warm pretzels, Chanel-decked Christmas trees, and many other après-ski-inspired touches. Additionally, the preview party featured mu-
sic by DJ Kitty Cash and a special surprise performance by Monsta X. The pop-up was inspired by the brand’s current No. 5 L’Eau holiday campaign, led by ambassador and face of the fragrance Lily-Rose Depp, who was present that evening. The fashionable list of partygoers also included Diane Kruger, Soo Joo Park, Ella Hunt, Grace VanderWaal, Kacey Musgraves, Annabelle Attanasio, Anna Baryshnikov, Willa Fitzgerald, Zosia Mamet, Sarah Hoover, Indre Rockefeller, Tabitha Simmons, and Talita Von Furstenberg. J AM NO UA NR TY H 22002105 10409
▲ BOTTEGA VENETA’S ART BASEL BASH IN MIAMI DURING ART BASEL, Bottega Veneta took over Miami’s iconic Art Deco-style 11th Street diner for its 10-day popup—wrapping the entire exterior in gold (the brand’s defining color since creative director Daniel Lee took over) and decorating its surface with a large neon sign. For the opening evening, Lee hosted an intimate crowd for a preview of the diner’s fare (including a spiked milkshake coined “All Nighter”and burgers with gold-hued wraps). Guests, including Kate Bosworth, Derek Blasberg, Ama Lou, Princess Nokia, and others, also enjoyed music by Soul Clap.
Left to right: Alexander Hankin and Polina Proshkina at the Young Friends of Save Venice cocktail party at 10 Corso Como; Shana Davis and Hudson Gaines-Ross; Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia and Lizzie Asher. 150 QUEST
transformed Miami’s 11th Street diner for its Art Basel takeover.
▼ YOUNG FRIENDS OF SAVE VENICE IN FIDI THE YOUNG FRIENDS OF SAVE VENICE and
The American Foundation of Savoy Orders Youth Program hosted cocktails at 10 Corso Como in the Financial District to honor H.R.H. Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia of Venice. The evening helped spread awareness for Save Venice’s goal of conserving the Italian city and preserving its rich cultural and artistic treasures. Guests included the non-profit’s Young Friends committee chair Lizzie Asher, as well as Katherine Giminaro, Carl Morelli, Polina Proshkina, and more.
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Left to right: Ama Lou; Daniel Lee and Kate Bosworth; Bottega Veneta
Clockwise from top left: Olivia Palermo and Wes Gordon at the New York Botanical Garden’s Winter Wonderland Ball; Rudy Albers, president of Wempe USA, and Gillian Hearst; Amory McAndrew; Zach Weiss on the dance floor; Lili Buffett, Georgina Bloomberg, and Ariana Rockefeller.
NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN’S WINTER WONDERLAND BALL the New York Botanical Garden hosted its annual Winter Wonderland Ball, this year sponsored by Wempe. Upon entering the venue, guests were treated to the highly anticipated Holiday Train Show, which features a festive display of model trains zipping by more than 175 iconic New York landmarks each year. Cocktails, a seated dinner, and dancing to music by DJ May Kwok were also enjoyed later on. The enchanting evening attracted more than 400 guests, raising $300,000 for the organization.
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ON DECEMBER 13TH,
Aside from acting as a peaceful and nature-filled oasis in this bustling city, the New York Botanical Garden is a major educational institution for underserved families in the Bronx—teaching more than 300,000 residents about ecology, botany, and nutrition annually. Guests who showed up to support this cause included Georgina Bloomberg, Peter Brant, Jr., Lili Buffett, Gillian Hearst, Kit Keenan, Alessandra Ford Balazs, Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl, Amory McAndrew, and others. u J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0 1 5 1
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The Supremes performing at a debutante ball at the Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Pointe, Michigan on June 18, 1965 (above); escort Danny Marentette with debutante Christy Cole Wilson on that same evening (below).
NEW YORK AND PALM BEACH lost a beloved and uniquely colorful character when Danny Marentette succumbed to a long illness early in December. A great great grandson of James E. Scripps, who founded the Detroit News, he grew up in Grosse Pointe, came to Gotham to complete his education and was a loyal member of St. Anthony’s Hall. In due course Danny made his way to the East Side in a succession of handsome apartments, the last one of which was on 56th Street, just a block away from his favorite hangout, P.J. Clarke’s, where for many years he served as a food consultant to the Lavezzo family. Neither the precise job description nor compensation was ever very clear in this capacity, but he was frequently seen tinkering around in the miniscule kitchen there and had ample access to free meals. Danny had been struck down by childhood polio (a classmate remembers the day his entire school prayed for his recovery) but, despite a lingering limp, he gallantly shot, fished, and 152 QUEST
played touch football on Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson’s Saratoga lawns, plus decades of doubles squash. He was a great and always impeccably turned out patron of the Turf as well. The last time I saw him he was still riding his bicycle near his friend Rhetta’s townhouse on Sutton Square. “Blithe spirit,” his obituary read in the Detroit paper, “bon vivant, chef extraordinaire, loyal friend. Dapper, witty, charming, a consummate gentleman. His career was making his friends laugh and feeding them great meals.” Indeed, Danny was a figure cut from a gentler age. His Grosse Pointe contemporary Sandy Lewis once said to me, “Once upon a time there were something called debutante parties,” and this page shows images of some of them, most memorably when the Supremes played at Christy Wilson’s coming out party in Grosse Pointe in 1965 and built a bridge to the greater Detroit community. Danny Marentette was Christy’s escort that night and dear friend ever after. May his memory be a blessing. —Audax
ALLYN BAUM/THE NEW YORK TIMES
DANIEL BOOTH MARENTETTE
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