RUSTLING FOR RESEARCH: The Cattle Barons' Ball mooo-ed into the A La Carte Pavilion on Friday to raise money wild western-style for the American Cancer Society. Everyone tipped their Stetsons to the new location - a two-step above the Florida State Fairgrounds, where five previous balls were held.
More city-slicker hoedown than ball, the blue jeans and boots crowd of 550 grazed a buffet of lobster tacos, duck quesadillas, crab cakes and quail. They could grab shots of tequila from a straw hat or go outside, near the pig races, for beer poured into mugs formed of solid ice. (The savvy grabbed a glove first, so their hands didn't freeze.) Other novelties: Tabasco and tequila-marinated watermelon and bittersweet chocolate tamales.
The Johnny G. Lyons Band rocked, but the mooing came from the Mooolin Rouge Revue made up of A La Carte staff who dressed as Holsteins to dance a cow can-can. You had to see it to believe it.
Honorary barons Keenan McCardell, Tampa Bay Buccaneer wide receiver, and Frank Sanchez, former mayoral candidate, got wrangled into helping emcee Gayle Guyardo raise $30,000 during the live auction. Overall, Cattle Barons is expected to net $150,000.
HOT LIPS AND RADAR wannabes mixed with the real brass at the American Red Cross' MASH BASH dinner and auction Saturday night. Among them: Gen. Michael DeLong, USMC, deputy commander, Central Command; Lt. Gen. Doug Brown, deputy commander, U.S. Special Operations command; and Col. Barb Jacobi, commander of the 6th Mission Support Group and a Red Cross board member.
Borrowing the "R&R in Tokyo" theme from the television show and movie, A La Carte Pavilion staff swapped the western props from the previous night's Cattle Barons' Ball for red lacquer bars and brass gongs.
Most of the 270 guests got into the act, arriving in colorful kimonos or desert camouflage. Belinda Wilson operated in scrubs; Marsha Dickey traded St. John Knit for battle fatigues. Armando "Klinger" Maiz topped a flowered skirt with a green army jacket and red satin purse.
Mayor Pam Iorio, one of the newest board members of the Tampa Bay Red Cross, welcomed the crowd. Al Ruechel, Bay News 9 anchor, emceed.
Servers passed spring rolls and steamed dumplings during the silent auction. Sugar-cane grilled shrimp and teriyaki tenderloin accompanied the live auction. Sorbet arrived in a chocolate coconut with passion fruit mousse.
GO FOR THE GREEN: Landscape designer Chip Callaway of Greensboro, N.C., enchanted 100 GreenFest patrons with his hilarious "Misadventures in the Garden" at Berdina and Tommy Morgan's home last week. Guests at the annual Friends of Plant Park fundraiser got to peek at their 7,000-square-foot manse on the 12th hole of the Palma Ceia golf course and peruse plans for the historic H.B. Plant Park.
Earlier that day, Callaway lunched at the Columbia Restaurant with client and friend Kay Rankin, whose garden he worked on in Blowing Rock, N.C. "I'm just mad about Tampa," he said.
In the past six years, GreenFest has evolved into a four-day event drawing some 3,000 people, estimates co-chairwoman Sue Isbell. It began with a luncheon at the Tampa Yacht Club and continued with the patrons' party and two days of free workshops and shopping from 65 vendors at Plant Park.
FISHING FOR MERLOT: Sea Grapes' food and wine tasting benefit for the Florida Aquarium returned for a second year Saturday, a sell-out with 800-plus supporters foraging through the aquarium. A dozen restaurants served their best, such as seafood paella from Mia's and mussels in lime coconut curry from Catch 23. Jan's Wines and Boos of Lutz coordinated 100 types of wines, plus two beer tables. Howl at the Moon had a hit with a mix of dark and light rums, amaretto and "a lotta other stuff."
Sea Grapes attracted the young and thirsty (like the couple cuddling near the cuttlefish) and couples that swayed to the Dagari Jazz Trio in the coral reef. Beer glass collector Gregg Lempert and Dawn Whaley drank a toast to our troops in Iraq.
FERNANDO FAREWELL: A few hundred friends and city staffers sent development administrator Fernando Noriega into retirement at a March 26 gathering emceed by Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Alvarez at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ybor City. Noriega started his career making Cuban sandwiches (still his forte), became a partner in the Palace men's clothing store, then went to work for the city as an inspector and estimator. Thirty-two years later, a parking garage graces his name.
One of the many speakers, Bob Harrell, the city's director of Business and Community Services Department, said he didn't get the "Say beautiful things" memo and teased him about losing things. He credited him with several major development projects in Tampa, including Centro Ybor, the Marriott Waterside Hotel, the streetcar line, Ybor Hilton, Stetson Law School, Kforce and "more homes than we can count."
Harrell dedicated a bench in streetcar No. 1432 to Fernando and his wife, Margaret, for his three-plus decades of service.
Noriega promised to stay involved. His parting words: "Don't mess with Ybor."
- To pass along tips to Amy Scherzer, reach her at 226-3332 or scherzer@sptimes.com
[Last modified April 3, 2003, 17:30:40]
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