Still Bundled ...

Looking north along Fifth Avenue from 58th Street. 4:00 PM. Photo: Jeffrey Hirsch.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Big snow forecast. Flurries barely in the air at the hour of this writing (11:30 p.m. Tuesday night). Looks like we won’t see that Big One that forecasters were describing as “explosive.” Maybe some white stuff on the tree branches in the morning. And then deep freeze, so says weather guy, until Thursday.

In the world of deluxe New York dining, the word was going around yesterday that Charles Masson, the longtime manager, director and family partner, “abruptly” left La Grenouiille, New York’s chicest, most enduring French restaurant, last Saturday in a major shakeup involving his family – his younger brother Philippe and his mother who started the restaurant with Charles Masson Sr. in 1962.

Charles’ younger brother Philippe, who worked at the restaurant from 1993 until 2000, has come from Brittany where he and the senior Mme. Masson live, in order to “fill his brother’s shoes.” "Friday was his last night,'' confirmed a maitre d' at the midtown restaurant.


	Charles Masson through the window at La Grenouille.

This comes as a shock to thousands of the restaurant’s devoted clientele, as Charles who took over the running of the restaurant when he was 19 after the death of his father in 1975, has been managing the highly successful restaurant for almost four decades. Although it is not as much of a shock to those who recall a family disagreement that occurred back in the 1990s when Charles departed, and Philippe took his place.

"My brother needs a break, he's taking some time off,'' Philippe Masson told Grub Street, the New York magazine food and restaurant blog. Philippe had been out of the business and the country for the last decade. Most recently he has been in France where Mme. Masson lives.

There had been rumors circulating in the past few weeks that there was a family dispute, and not a new one, that was coming to a head. I didn’t believe it when I heard it, thinking: why would anyone upset that perfect business model? But then again, perfect and family are two words rarely used together.

However. Those who know the family and know the story have described it as Shakespearean in content. Two brothers and a mother who at this great age continues to wield a mother’s power.

It is indeed a very sad situation for La Grenouille's longtime customers, who have grown used to the elegantly comfortable, beautiful and chic dining experience that Charles has created and seamlessly provided for them. Perhaps that imprimatur will remain.

Looking up toward the second floor of La Grenouille at 3 East 52nd Street.

There is always the worry that such things might change. The restaurant is not only known for its excellent cuisine but also its impeccable service, its beautiful floral arrangements which flourish in the dining rooms, as well as its lighting and décor that add more than a little something to the atmosphere (the air up there) that is rarely found in any restaurant anywhere nowadays.

Last year JH and I visited the restaurant and interviewed Charles while JH photographed its entire interior. The piece is here: What was so impressive about the visit was not only the aforementioned qualities and characteristics but mainly the creative thinking of Charles Masson. He is a man who had wanted to be an artist but abandoned those desires for the sake of the family business. But he transferred his creative focus to making La Grenouille the ultimate restaurant it is today. The man is endlessly innovative.

View of the downstairs dining room, soon to be reinvented elsewhere?

During our tour of the main dining room, as he described the intricacies and complexity of the design, I remarked on the theatricality of it all. "It's theatre," he said with an artist's confidence. And the clientele is the star.

Charles Masson Sr. opened the famed restaurant in 1962 with Mme. Masson who was a force in the business. Charles too has been the succeeding force in the family business – buying and arranging the spectacular floral pieces, as well as the seating chart, the training of the staff. He designed the menu, decided its contents as well as painting the seasonal watercolors that adorn its pages.

The watercolor backgrounds on the menu are by Charles.

JH took another attitude beyond my regrets about the change. He thought it was exciting when I told him Charles had left. "Charles is an innovator," he reminded me; "he could do something great for his developing (younger) audience." There are rumors he may be opening his own restaurant downtown which would please a lot of people who already love La Grenouille.

Meanwhile Grub Street reported that Philippe Masson is easing into his new role.  "I used to cook here when I was much younger and it feels like yesterday,'' he them. "When you are born and raised in the business, it's like getting back in the saddle.''

"Vive La Grenouille et Vive le Charles."

Meanwhile the new Quest magazine is on the stands with the beautiful Alexandra Richards on the cover. Ms. Richards is, if you didn’t know the daughter of Rolling Stone Keith Richards, as well as best-selling memoirist, and Patti Hansen. She has not strayed far from her father’s profession: she’s one of the hot young in-demand DJs on the social scene in New York. She modeled this layout”Crazy In Love With Michael Kors” with another in-demand DJ on the social scene, the beautiful Hannah Bronfman, of those Bronfmans. The girls are wearing Michael Kors, from his Spring 2014 Collection. The piece was produced and styled by Daniel Cappello and photographed by Julie Skarratt.

While down among the sheltering palms of Palm Beach that ever so fashionable and chic home away from home for many New Yorkers, Marianne and John Castle, who reside smartly in the old Kennedy mansion, which served as JFK’s Winter White House, had a dinner for their friend Rosita, The Duchess of Marlborough. The Castles’ dinner was a kind of an affectionate farewell for the duchess who was returning to her home in the UK after her annual winter visit to Palm Beach. The guest list: Marylou Whitney and her husband, John Hendrickson, who had been visiting but were heading back to Saratoga and then off to Kentucky for the Derby. The other guests were, Dan Colussy, Dr. Ed Miller and his wife, Lynn; Ann and Donald Calder, Quest’s Grace and Chris Meigher and Jim Mitchell.

The Castles' dinner table set for fourteen.

Rosita, Duchess of Marlborough with Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson.

Mrs. Castle and her guest of honor, the duchess.

Lynne and Ed Miller.

Mrs. Castle and the Whitney-Hendricksons.

Grace Meigher with Rosita Marlborough.

Chris Meigher with Marylou Whitney.

Jim Mitchell and John Castle.

More from Palm Beach ... Steven Stolman, president of Scalamandre, hosted a cocktail party in the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach's library to honor supporters of the 42nd Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House, which will open to the public in New York on May 1st.

Each year, celebrated interior designers transform a luxury Manhattan home into an elegant exhibition of fine furnishings, art and technology. This all began in 1973 when several dedicated supporters of the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club launched the Kips Bay Decorator Show House to raise critical funds for much needed after school and enrichment programs for New York City children. Over the course of four decades, this project has grown into a must-see event for thousands of design enthusiasts and is renowned for sparking interior design trends throughout the world.

This year's show house will be presented at the extraordinary Villard Houses, an historic Stanford White mansion at the base of the New York Palace Hotel. Twenty-two accomplished designers will transform the north wing into a spectacular expression of interior design at its best.

Rich Wilkie and Danielle Quintero.

Steve March, Jane Green Warburg, Nick Gold, and Robert Rizzo.

On hand to celebrate this year's show house were designers Pauline Pitt and Stephen Mooney (both Kips Bay Show House alums), Gil Walsh, Lauryl Guse, Gary McBournie, Ross Meltzer, Victor Figueredo, James Boyd Niven, Tristan Butterfield, Robert Rizzo and Leslie Singletary along with Kips Bay president James Druckman and executive director Daniel Quintero, who spoke passionately about the 11,000 children that the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club serves in New York City and its environs.

For tickets to the gala preview on April 30th or general admission beginning on May 1st, please visit www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org.

Tristan Butterfield, Lauryl Guse, Gloria Stolman, and Gil Walsh.

Pauline Pitt and Steven Stolman.

Joan Drake, Geoffrey Thomas, and Jackie Weld Drake.

Judy Flynn and Tom Shaffer.

Lauryl Guse, Gil Walsh, and Stephen Mooney.

Danielle and Daniel Quintero.

Scott Velozo and Ross Meltzer.

Bill Richards and Gary McBournie.

Pamela Fiori, James Druckman, Nazira Handal, and Colt Givner.

James Boyd Niven, Rob Copley, and Gary McBournie.

Ross Meltzer, Pamela Fiori, and Victor Figueredo.

Leslie Singletary and Mark Hemeon.

Jackie and Beau Breckenridge.

Palm Beach con't ... Supporters of "Artists for Others," a benefit performance for Agape International Missions (AIM) held a kickoff luncheon at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa recently to make final plans for the event, to be held on Thursday, April 3rd from 7 to 10 p.m. at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. The benefit will feature six-time Grammy Award winner Amy Grant, known as "The Queen of Christian Pop" and seven other musicians.

Eva Hill, president of Britannia Pacific Properties Inc., owner of Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, welcomed guests and introduced R. Michael King, general manager of the hotel, who provided a brief overview of the hotel's support of the local community. Mr. King then requested that Ms. Hill provide a brief history of AIM, which rescues children from sex trafficking.

Attending the kickoff luncheon were host committee members Becca Anderson, John Bradway, Nick Gold, Coleen Hanamura, Jennifer Kenwell, Kimberly Kosanovich, Jan Kranich, Sarah Kubrick, Mindi Lambert, Becky Moore, John Patten, Julie Rudolph, Sherry Schlueter and Elaine Taule. Laurel Baker, Michelle Bernardo, Jessica Branson, Dr. Rachel Docekal, Toni May, Anne Moran and Catherine Warren.

Ms. Grant will be joined on stage by Kip Winger, Lincoln Brewster, Buddy Hyatt and Celica Westbrook, as well as T.G. Sheppard, Danny Gokey and Kelly Lang. Artists for Others will also feature Lisa Cohen of the CNN Freedom Project, Bridget and Don Brewster of AIM, Ken Peterson of 3Strands and artist David Garibaldi.


	Amy Grant.

"'Artists for Others' is our way of giving back to the community. The AIM benefit on April 3rd will be the inaugural kickoff for other charitable performances to be held every year. The event will be a fun-filled evening where guests will enjoy magnificent music, in an elegant setting -- up close and personal with these talented artists," Eva Hill, noted.

"All of our guest artists are performing at the benefit without a fee because they love children and want to do all that they can to help AIM provide more lifesaving services."

Tickets for the event are $250 per person or $2000 for a VIP table. Special priced hotel accommodations are available for those attending the event.

AIM event sponsors to date include Cheney Brothers, 3Strands, Shiraz Events and Gulfstream Media Group.

For tickets and additional information on the AIM benefit reception, call Alison Votaw at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa at 561-540-4994 or email her at: Alison.Votaw@EauPalmBeach.com.

R. Michael King and Eva Hill.

John Patten, vice president, BMO Private Bank; and Jennifer Kenwell.

R. Michael King and Sherry Schlueter, South Florida Wildlife Center.

Julie Rudolph and Eva Hill.

John Bradway and Kimberly Kosanovich.

Nick Gold and Mindi Lambert.

Jan Kranich and Coleen Hanamura.

Becky Moore and Becca Anderson.

Last but not least Down Among the Sheltering Palms ... More than 170 Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach supporters gathered recently in the Center's Gimelstob Ballroom for a special event honoring members of the Helen K. Persson Society. The luncheon honored Society members for their confidence, trust and investment in the Kravis Center and featured a presentation by Bernstein Global Wealth Management, sponsors of the event.

Named five years ago for the Kravis Center's ardent supporter, the late Helen Persson, the Society now has 120 members. The recent $5 million dollar gift from the estate of Mrs. Persson brings the value of the Center's Permanently Restricted Endowment Fund to $17.3 million.

Jane Mitchell and Brian Wodar.

In 2008, Mrs. Persson lent her name to establish the Helen K. Persson Society, recognizing members whose financial commitments to the Endowment will keep the Center fiscally sound for future generations to come. Mrs. Persson was a Life Trustee, who served as a member of the Board of Directors from 1992 to 2007. "Mrs. Persson's thoughtful legacy is an invaluable contribution to the long-term fiscal stability of the Center. The gift from her estate will also allow the Kravis Center to implement new strategies to enhance our donor base and to inspire future gifts to the Center's Endowment which Helen felt was so important," shared Chief Executive Officer Judith Mitchell who then introduced founding Board Chair and Chair of the Center's endowment effort, Alexander Dreyfoos.

The luncheon's guest speakers included Evan Deoul, Senior Managing Director of Bernstein Global Wealth Management. He was joined at the podium by Brian Wodar, National Director of Nonprofit Advisory Services for Bernstein Global Wealth Management, who provided a presentation on "Key Considerations for Donors in 2014." Mr. Wodar has spearheaded the firm's research on the interplay between spending, investment policies and fundraising for nonprofits. He also provides customized consultation on complex financial issues facing Bernstein's high-net-worth investors and their professional advisors.

Evan Deoul and Judy Mitchell.

Society members in attendance at the luncheon included: Dr. Nettie Birnbach, Margaret May Damen, Margaret Donnelley, Renate and Alex Dreyfoos, Debra Elmore, Maureen Gardella, Fruema and Dr. Elliot Klorfein, Elinore Lambert, Harriet Miller, Jane Mitchell, Judy and Jim Mitchell, Evelyn Peterson, Beth Schwartz, Charles Williams and two new members who were honored with a presentation of a commemorative memento, Rachel Sommer and Barbara and Irving Reifler. Also in attendance was Chair of the Kravis Center's Development Committee and Board member, Laurie Silvers.

The Center's newly elected Board Chair, Jane Mitchell, closed the program for the luncheon and shared the following words of gratitude, "The Kravis Center is indeed deeply grateful to the vision of Helen Persson and the generosity of her estate. By lending her name to the endowment effort, she set a shining example of generosity to her community."

Margaret May Damen, Rachel Sommer, and Barbara and Irving Reifler.

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, located in West Palm Beach, Florida, is one of the premier performing arts centers in the Southeast with a growing national and international reputation. Established as a leading force in the social fabric of the community, its many outreach programs are as broad and varied as the community itself. To date, the Center has opened the door to the performing arts for approximately 2 million school children.

Members of the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts Helen K. Persson Society receive invitations to special events, acknowledgment in Kravis Center publications and other benefits based on level of commitment.