Poor Oliver Ridgeway! The Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi chef was probably thinking, “Veni, vidi, edi” (“They came, they saw, they ate!”) after Friday night’s TACA Lexus Party on the Green at the Rosewood Mansion. He had meticulously prepared 550 crisp ahi tuna tacos with piquant mango salsa, avocado mousse, wasabi tobiko and southwest microgreens for the 500+ guests. That should have been enough with over a dozen other world-class chefs stationed with their signature dishes in other parts of the Mansion. But, alas, he found himself scrambling around on the Terrace trying to pull together a Reader’s Digest version with what materials he had left over to feed with masses who returned with empty plates for “more, sir.” You would have thought the darlings hadn’t eaten since last year’s Party On The Green.
But Oliver wasn’t alone in fulfilling the demands of the glamorous chow lines.
The Rosewood Carlyle’s James Sakatos (pictured) was trying to be both charming and working like a short order cook during the noon rush with his citrus-glazed roasted duck with spring salad and tangerine vinaigrette. While Mansion Executive Chef Bruno Davaillon oversaw his station of braised veal cheeks with crisp Texas grit cakes, feta and anchovy, Mansion Executive Pastry Chef David Collier (pictured) was in the m
ain dining room trying to keep his assorted macaroon ice cream sandwiches nice and cold while the hungry guests lined up. It’s a wonder that the sandwiches didn’t melt with all the body heat being generated by non-stop chefs and extremely charming guests.
Speaking of which, the chefs and Rosewood staff must have a secret full-body antiperspirant. They never seemed to have teardrop of perspiration despite the doors being wide open to the outdoor grounds and the Texas humidity.
On the other hand, the guests were appropriately attired to face the evening humidity. There is no doubt that silkworms internationally gave their lives for the ensemble of outfits. But then again maybe not that many worms bit the dust when you realize how little some of the outfits were.
Fashion Paramedic Alert: One poor gal wore a very, very sheer outfit with a dazzling thong. What was that? Fashion reminder: Don’t wear a light-colored, pretty transparent clingy outfits with bright undies unless you’re “one of those kinds of girls.” Have you ever wondered what your mother meant by that?
But the rest the gals were pretty darn cute and cool. For instance Richards Group’s Natalie Bond (pictured) whose breezy periwinkle blue frock was just perfect for the evening. The gal never lost her cool. One fashion master, though, took umbrage with her Dior shoes saying, “They’re perfect for the office or a lunch, but a bit too heavy for such a light look on such a wisp of a girl.” Pray tell, what did he want Natalie to do — go barefoot? “No, no,” he said. “A sandal stiletto by Jimmy Choo on the high end or Moschino on the less expensive side.” Everybody’s a critic. Natalie, we still think you looked adorable.
Jennifer and John Eagle looked like they were made for outside temps with Jennifer i
n cotton whites and John in untucked baby blue shirt and white slacks. Only thing missing was a lei. . . .Then there were Robyn Stevens and Ashley Rutledge (pictured right with Robyn), who like the Eagles opted for the white jean look. . . . Not going for white jeans, but still looking quite refreshed and relaxed was Annette Starr. Yes, she had been away for seven days away. No, she hadn’t been basking in the sun of Los Cabos. She had been at a Harvard seminar on leadership. As if she needs help in that department.
DJ’s Jen Miller and Paul Paredes (pictured left with Jen) faced a daunting challenge. . . providing music throughout the interior and exterior of the Mansion without blasting eardrums. That seems to be a topic of discussion at most events nowadays. You know, too much of a good thing is a bad thang.
Jen had an additional challenge of trying to greet all her retailing buddies like model Melissa Brown, 4510’s Lauren Mu
sselman and NM’s Stacy Adams (pictured right with, from the left, Melissa and Lauren). Talk about young versions of Carrie Bradshaw and Andy Sachs!
Mansion First Lady Caroline Rose Hunt sat indoors on the veranda overlooking the Terrace and greeted guests as they arrived. . . . On the other hand, Event Chair Ashley Tripplehorn was out in front of the Mansion greeting guests and making sure check-ins were painless. 
But, of course, they were. It was a TACA event!. . . Shannon (pictured) and Ted Skokos had no problems with the log jam of Mercedes and Lexuses arriving at the Mansion gates. They just popped over from their place in the Mansion Residences.
Check another winning event off for TACA. Now let’s see what they have in store for TACA Proscenium Party II in September, when jeans will be replaced by black tie.