Orange County has come to be known for its plastic-is-fantastic ladies who lunch, but the crowd in the “American Riviera” is good at giving back too.
At the Festival of Children Foundation’s Festival of Children™ benefit event last week, over $6000 was raised for the foundation. This non-profit’s mission is to offer support services and direct grants to over 120 children’s charities and youth organizations. And this event contributed to helping it continue to achieve that goal.
The benefit was held at the new location of the Savannah Supper Club and Lounge, a sultry-yet-swinging joint. About 125 guests attended the private event, which doubled as the grand opening of the Savannah Club’s new location in Costa Mesa. The event was hosted by the ever-genial David Wilhelm and Culinary Adventures, which meant the night brought guests delicious area wines and sparkling wines, sustainably grown hors d’oeuvres like lobster salad sliders and blue cheese-topped mini-burgers as well as spicy shrimp poppers and tuna lettuce wraps, and impeccable service from a well-heeled waitstaff.
Wilhelm has said he doesn’t want a dining experience to be “too formal and stuffy,” and his newest Savannah fits that bill.
Savannah’s Beginnings
The original Savannah opened in Laguna Niguel in Orange County a decade ago and has become a favorite among locals. Culinary Adventures was founded in 1996 when Wilhelm partnered with businessman John Martin with a goal to bring creative cuisine and superb service.
His goal was also to open a live music and dinner house. Savannah is that iteration. It’s located just a block from the Orange County Performing Arts Center, which has also been a key sponsor of the Festival of Children Foundation. It’s also within walking distance of the expansive South Coast Plaza shopping area and top hotels. And Culinary Adventures was also pleased to be a part of this event, because of Festival of Children’s involvement not only with children’s charities, but also with the arts.
Attendees were SoCal celebutantes like music producer Jamie Rise and actor Stu Stone. The dress de rigueur was cocktail-meets-cabaret attire for the ladies, which was curve-hugging dresses and bustier tops, while men wore the more standard button-downs and jackets. The retro-cool Martini Kings band, which has played for clients ranging from the Academy Awards and First Lady Laura Bush, provided an excellent backdrop to the mingling crowd – but they could have easily taken center stage to entertain as well. The end of the event brought a more twenty-something crowd, DJ beats and lots of dancing, proving that this venue’s versatility is part of its appeal.
