Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Epicurean Affair lends a hand to students

Elizabeth Foyt

Wednesday, June 27, 2001 | 8:28 a.m.

Elizabeth Foyt's social column appears Wednesdays. Reach her at elizabethfoyt@ prodigy.net.

Few events can match the sheer exuberance and the delightful over-the-top mood enjoyed by supporters of the Epicurean Affair, hosted by the recent Las Vegas International Hotel and Restaurant show. With a distinctly Latin flavor in music and signage, the annual food-and-wine spectacular serves to fund continuing education programs of Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association and Nevada Restaurant Association members, as well as scholarships for hospitality industry students attending Nevada schools.

Taking place at the Mirage, with wines and spirits poured with a lavish hand by DeLuca Liquor, the affair drew guests by the thousands, many of them delegates to the Las Vegas International Hotel and Restaurant Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Some 70 local restaurants, both free-standing and hotel-casino-based, participated with elaborately decorated serving stations providing generous portions of their finest dishes.

In the crowd of happy diners were Lynn and Bill Vick, John Curtas, Debbie and Brian Munch, Richard Femenella, Sujoy Brahma and Amanda Hefner Berndes with Tricia Sparks Howlett. Professionals, including top chefs and industry executives, were present including Executive Chef Carlos Guia of Commander's Palace, attending with Brad Brennan, Michael Smith and Emiliana Monchario.

Further festivities for the show included the Las Vegas Culinary Challenge hosted by the Fraternity of Executive Chefs, judged by Nevadans Gustav Mahler, David Kellaway, Richard Schneider, Jurgen Weise and Paul Kaspar, as well as professional seminars delving into every aspect of the hospitality industry.

Presenters included Terrence Lanni, Bryan O'Shields, Glenn Schaeffer, Tom Gallaher, Dieter Hucestein and Felix Rappaport, as well as Mark Miller, Charles Condy and William Fisher, president-CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Industry. A concluding luncheon held in conjunction with the massive trade show featured comedienne Rita Rudner and motivational speaker John Russell. Among those in the audience were Irwin Kishner, Bob Ansara, Carlos Collado, Rob Powers and Karen Dorsey, newly appointed president of Ellis Island, with brewmaster/food and beverage director, Joseph Pickett.

Mentoring magic

Two-time Magician of the Year Steve Wyrick recently hosted a cocktail reception and show performance at the Sahara to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nevada. This special Magic of Mentoring evening celebrated the partnership between Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nevada and Wyrick as the local celebrity representative.

Wyrick, who spoke eloquently of losing his own father when he was age 10, is a former Little Brother who was fortunately matched to a volunteer who encouraged his interest in magic. Wyrick said he feels this experience significantly impacted his youth, and is looking forward to helping expand the program across our state.

Big Brothers Big Sisters matches carefully screened adult and high school volunteers with at-risk youth in a variety of programs. There is a desperate need for adult volunteers, particularly men, to be placed with nearly 200 youth waiting for a positive adult mentor. For further information please call 731-2227 extension 438.

New digs

Happily settling into its new building, the American Red Cross of Southern Nevada celebrated the grand opening of its facility at 3672 North Rancho Drive in the Rancho/Gowan Business Park. The event included tours of the spacious 5,400-square-foot office and a special ribbon-cutting ceremony by Dennis Macready, chairman of the board of directors.

Designed with expansion in mind to meet the needs of our growing community, the new center has classrooms, a play area and both training and work spaces for the volunteers and interns of the chapter. Present for this happy occasion were Barbara Grostick, Debbie Herman, Stacey Lied, Deborah Clayton, Andrew Molasky, Deborah J. Verges, Ted Rodriguez and Roger Buehrer, John Welch, Kari Kuh, Mark Pfister, Capt. Alex Cringan and Marianne Clarke.

The invited group enjoyed appetizers from Rosemary's Restaurant and spirits courtesy of Southern Wine and Spirits. The Southern Nevada chapter, founded 84 years ago, has served our citizens by helping to prevent, prepare for and cope with all types of emergencies in homes, work places and communities at large.