THE CROWD:Treated to an evening of the finest in French

Newport Beach hostess par excellence Irene Mathews hosted a spectacular dinner at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort on behalf of La Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, Bailliage de Newport Beach. Mathews serves as the chair of the Newport chapter of the international culinary society, which sponsors scholarships for young people wishing to enter the dining and hospitality industry.

The dinner at the bay club was billed as “A Parisian Evening” and included the induction of new members of the Chaine. Club president Henry Schielein, who also happens to be the Conseiller Gastronomique des Etats-Unis, Honoraire, presided over the ceremony welcoming David Ashkenaze, Scott Teruya, Maralou Harrington, Diana Von Welanetz Wentworth, Robert Holcombe, Theodore Wentworth and Jonathan Apt to the society. Overseeing the dinner, and joining hostess Irene Mathews and her distinguished physician husband and wine expert William Mathews were Heather and John Cook.

Schielein’s staff including Dieter Hissin, Naji Allouche, Bruce Rabanit and Chef Josef Lageder prepared and served a seven-course dinner that began with hors d’oeuvres and progressed from foie gras terrine with mache lettuce to lobster ragout to crispy seared rouget, to braised veal cheeks on celery root, filet mignon, and finally chocolate mocha torte.

The original Chaine was conceived as a culinary teaching guild for “roasters” or chefs of old. Roasting is the oldest form of cooking meat known to man. Members of Chaine are devoted to tradition while most experimental as well, looking for new and original recipes and manners of service at the table.

In the local crowd delighted to be at the table were Patricia and Richard Allen; David and Lynne Webb; Robert and Nadine Hall; Jeanne and David Tappan; Pat and William Podlich; Bryan Stirrat; and Jerry and Maralou Harrington.