Columnist Muriel Stevens: Meadows School fund-raiser a tasty affair

Tuesday, June 2, 1998 | 10:42 a.m.

The night before Carolyn and Oscar Goodman took off for New York for the premiere of the docu-drama "Mob Law," featuring Oscar, a major fund-raiser for the Meadows School took place at Chinois in the Forum Shops at Caesars.

Meadows is a private school that was incorporated by Carolyn in 1981 and became a reality in 1984. It took hard work, a group of dedicated parents and an enlightened headmistress, LeOre Cobbley, who came from the George W. Harris school. Cobble, an amazing teacher and principal who had the skills to inspire students, died last summer, but the programs she and Goodman designed are still the spirit behind the Meadows School.

Why a fund-raiser for an upscale private school? Because Carolyn and the other founders of the Meadows School made a commitment when the school opened to provide as many scholarships as possible for academically talented, but financially dependent children.

At least 15 to 20 percent of the Meadows students are on full or partial scholarships. The number of full college grants and scholarships that Meadows students have won by their senior year is remarkable, and almost assures that any student who wants to go to college will have the means to do it. Twenty-five of the 50 students graduating this year have been offered four-year outright scholarship gifts. The amount of grant and scholarship money awarded Meadows School students runs into the millions.

As part of their personal commitment to the Meadows School, Camille and Larry Ruvo established The Ruvo Family Scholarship Fund -- a fund totally endowed to helping provide scholarships for youngsters who qualify. With the help of their friends Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff, Camille and Larry raised an amount that will send many more worthy kids to the Meadows School.

Dubbed "The Great Chefs and Restaurants of Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff," the evening was a tribute to the talented chefs Puck has in place at his restaurants, as well as the school. In the kitchen were Chefs Lee Hefter (Spago, Beverly Hills), Michael French (Spago, Palo Alto), Mitchell Rosenthal (Postrio, San Francisco) and Mary Bergin, pastry chef for Spago and Chinois, Las Vegas. The dinner was orchestrated by Puck and his Las Vegas Spago and Chinois partners, General Manager Tom Kaplan and Executive Chef David Robins, who was also in the kitchen. Sommelier Ken Fredericks described the wines and explained why they had been chosen -- it is not easy to pair fine wines with Chinese food.

Chinois' upstairs dining room was filled to capacity. Response to the dinner was so great that there was a waiting list almost as long as the guest list. Robin's appetizers -- Indonesian steak tartar with radish and wild watercress, spring rolls, sushi and dumplings -- were enjoyed with a crisp, light Moet et Chandon Brut Imperial Rose. The first course (Chef French) was a slice of sublime house-cured Atlantic salmon with ginger, red pickled onions, cucumbers and watercress sauce. With it, Ferrari-Carano Reserve Fume Blanc 1997 was served.

Just 400 cases of this delightful wine are produced each year. Hunan style lobster (prepared by Chef Hefter) with fresh water chestnuts and Chinese black bean sauce was set atop a mound of sticky rice. Two wines accompanied the spicy lobster -- Scharzhofberger Spatlese, Egon Muller 1990 and Byron Reserve Pinot Noir 1994.

All of the courses were excellent, but the hoisin-glazed quail with coconut sticky rice stuffing was exceptional. Ladled into oversized soup plates was a small amount of melon-Sauterne broth. The plump, stuffed boneless bird was set in the broth. When the bird was cut, the broth blended with the stuffing, giving it wonderful flavor. Excellent, too, was the crisp, dry, Cheverny, Domaine du Salvard 1997.

A trio of desserts included a small cashew brittle tart, a crunchy chocolate mint gateau (cake) and large homemade fortune cookies. Into each cookie Bergin had put a fortune that said, "Thank you for assisting the Meadows School."

After dinner, guests enjoyed cigars, ports and cognacs provided by Battle Born Distributing.

A live auction of very special prizes created some fierce bidding. Andre Agassi graciously agreed to give a private tennis lesson to a top bidder. Winning this rare opportunity was Barry Shier. David Chesnoff won the romantic Dom Perignon winery trip to Champagne, France. Included were two nights in Paris with meals at Le Ami Louis, Paris' most famous bistro, and dinner at the renowned classic French restaurant Taillevent, then on to Champagne for a rare two night experience at the world-famous Dom Perignon Winery, Chateau Saran Nature. While in Champagne the winners will dine at the three-star Michelin restaurant, Boyer Les Crayeres, one of the most beautiful restaurants anywhere, and at the lavish Moet et Chandon Champagne properties.

What a prize! Chesnoff then announced that the trip was a gift he was giving to the Goodmans (Oscar and David are law partners). Jim Jimmerson was the winning bidder for a 32-person caviar party at Caviarteria in the Forum shops; Peter Boynton took home the gorgeous earrings from Bulgari and Harvey Whittemore got the golf package.

Among those enjoying the fine dining event were: Sylvia Hart with daughter Ronnie Abrams and daughter-in-law and son Wendy and Steven Hart, Shirley and Sidney Chaplin, Lynn and William Weidner, Calogera and Umberto Benetti, Betty and Mark Ervin, Jewel Brooks, Toni Clark and Larry Finuf, Sue and Paul Lowden, Tessa and Dennis Khanh, Pamela and Bruce Levin, Carol and Dr. Joel Lubritz with daughter Suzanne Dodson, Terri Monsour, Marcel Taylor, Sandy and Mike Mecca, Emily and Mike Novick, Phyllis McGuire and Paul Fisher, Irwin Molasky, Lovee and Bob Arum, Karen Shier, Ann and Brian Menzel, Becky and Frank Visconti, Susan and Jeff Sobel, Ann and Bruce Evans, Lisa and Craig Hodgkins, Denise and Gustav Mauler, Sidney Saltz and Sandy and Roger Peltyn.

Speeches were at a minimum, the food and drink were the best, and the cause was a good one. It was the best kind of event.