Chimayo Grill Checks In With Chic Charm
There were no bola ties and only a couple of straw cowboy hats at Saturday’s opening fiesta of Chimayo Grill in Newport Beach, David Wilhelm’s venture with Taco Bell. Few dressed to imitate the upscale Southwestern lodge-look of the restaurant’s interior.
The invitation encouraged “dressy casual.” The result: Several guests caught only the first word, and others, thankfully, arrived in style fitting the Fashion Island location.
Forgetting the real fur coats (animal rights aside, gauche for its flagrant opulence) and few instances of sequins, the code was the usual black among the few hundred friends and fans of Wilhelm, a few who flew in from around the state for the event.
Janet Serantoni was among the jet set, looking spectacular in a shapely, vintage dress made of gold Chinese satin brocade paired with strappy heels. Seasonal taste for Mandarin-inspired dresses, such as Jill Boultinghouse’s, seemed as popular at the party as the popcorn shrimp, as were the many strap-happy stilettos teetering across the red flagstone floor.
Glamorous but not overdone was Sally Ver Vynck in a ‘30s-inspired Norma Kamali slip dress, her red hair piled up tight into large, soft pin curls.
Colored like New Mexico sunsets, Chimayo (named after a region outside Santa Fe) gave everyone a glow, probably helped a bit but the endless flow of margaritas.
One couple who looked set to ride into the sunset was Taco Bell CEO and chairman John Martin and his wife, Stefanie, both decked out in black. Their matching leather vests were beautifully tooled by Bill Walt, leather guy to the stars and others who can afford his works of skin art. Inlaid burgundy-dyed stingray skin, sterling silver snaps and their names emblazoned across the back are among the vests’ fabulous features.
Despite the sunny feel and the crowded warmth, few men could claim getting hot under the collar, what with all the collarless and Nehru-style shirts there. Mark Dorfman took the prize in a white Nehru shirt and black jacket, all by Versace.
