Brian Lawrence Live
Sat., April 24
Time again for this year’s Hunt Cup. We had a party of 9 this year, and the day was overcast but pleasant, as we spent the afternoon tailgating in the Patron lot, then trudged up the hill to watch the race. On Saturday night, I was downtown at the Marriott Waterfront hotel for the Memory Ball, to benefit Alzheimer’s research. I chatted with judges Dorothy Hamill and Dr. Ben Carson during the pre-dinner cocktail reception, and caught up with Sloane Brown, Julie Mercer, Diane Macklin and Caryn Sagal during the evening. Sunday was the annual Cross Street Festival, which was also overcast and a bit on the chilly side. Pals Tom Brinkley, Victor Acosta, Jim White and Denis Nash all posted to take in the bands and the party atmosphere on Cross Street.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/28/10 at 12:15 PM
Wed., Apr. 21
This evening, Style was one of the sponsors of a runway fashion show to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the brainchild of volunteer Nola Dobratz of Radcliffe Jewelers. The event was held at the Inn at the Colonnade and featured a cocktail hour and silent auction prior to the fashion show and a buffet dinner afterward. Blake Goldsmith of Extraordinary Events oversaw the production of the show, and chef Christian deLutis of Alizee handled the dinner. Christian joined me and Downtown Diane as judges for the runway show and Stephanie Bradshaw was the MC for the evening. Eight local boutiques, including Cupcake, Lori K., Vasarri, Betsy Robinson Bridal, South Moon Under, Panache, Jos A. Bank and Radcliffe Jewelers exhibited spring fashions. Hair and make-up was by FX Studios and shoes by The Little Shoebox. Glimpsed in the crowd: Paul & Karen Winicke, Lisa Schatz, Avery Strachan, DJ Lamdin, Tiffany Zappulla, Jerry & Julie Edwards, Celeste Corsaro, Jennifer Vitale, Tracy Kwiatkowski, Deborah Stone and many more among the 150 guests.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/26/10 at 12:09 PM
Sat., April 17
My ‘Socially Speaking’ pal (and fellow Style blogger) Anne Boone Simanski and I joined forces to cover the Cystic Fibrosis tent at this year’s Grand National steeplechase. Being inside the tent was nice, since the chilly springtime breezes outside were a bit much. Guests in the tent, such as Greg & Lisa Barnhill, Ed St. John, Stuart & Suzanne Amos, Baron Scarlett, Aris Melissaratos and Christian Johansson, all enjoyed the catered picnic lunch, and the Southsides were particularly tasty, I must say.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/22/10 at 10:46 AM
Thurs., April 15
This evening, Style joined with the Downtown Partnership to host a VIP party in the STYLE Lounge at Silo Point to kick-off Baltimore Retail Week. For the next 10 days, participating stores around town will discount merchandise by 6%, effectively creating tax-free shopping. Pazza Luna provided the food for the evening, and Filippo Lapides of Wine Wave provided wines. The pleasant weather lured many guests (who included Lars Rusins, Anne Boone Simanski, Erica Fried, D.J. Lamdin, Tiffany Zappulla, Suzin Boddiford and Jill Andrews Taylor) out onto the open-air terrace overlooking the city skyline and Inner Harbor.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/22/10 at 10:33 AM
Wed., April 14
Today I was one of 850 guests at a sprawling luncheon to benefit the House of Ruth. The main ballroom of the Marriott Waterfront Hotel was packed with attendees there to socialize and to listen to guest speaker Jeffrey Toobin of CNN and The New Yorker. My tablemate was WBAL’s charming Marianne Bannister, and I got to see and talk with lots of other guests at the event including Dorothy Hamill, Dan Proctor, Suzi Cordish, LeeLee Durkee, Barbie Hart, Pam Malester, Jay Jenkins, Amy Elias, Jayne Miller and Alicia Matthai. After the luncheon, I sped across town to join pals Mike Fishman and Jim Burger for an afternoon at the ballpark, watching the Rays beat the O’s 9-1. Ouch.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/16/10 at 12:38 PM
April 5-10
Spring is definitely here (although feeling much more like summer, with temps topping out at 95!) and events are in full swing around town. I met my friend Sloane Brown for dinner on Monday night at The Capital Grille, and ran into Frances Reaves before taking our seats. Owner/manager James Kinney made sure we were well taken care of. On Tues. night, Kevin Wesner of UBS had invited me to a dinner at Ruth’s Chris on Water Street. He was assembling an advisory group and made this an inaugural dinner. My friends Patrick Sutton and Tracy Kwiatkowski were also there, and I made some new acquaintances as well. On Thurs., my first stop was at the Tremont Grand, where Planned Parenthood was hosting its ‘Right to Shoes’ event. Then it was on the Blue Hill Tavern for the tail-end of a happy hour event, where I ran into, among others, Joe Gambino and Ben Polakoff. I spent the afternoon on Friday at Orioles Opening Day— pre-game at the Diamond Tavern with Jon Wilkin, Michelle Mutert and Robin Chesley, and the final innings up in the Camden Club. On Friday night, we headed downtown for the annual MAP ‘Out of Order’ party, where gallery director Kathy Byrd and board chair Barbie Hart were presiding over a fun party with live performance art and lots of artworks up for auction. A brief stop at the Shine Collective 8th anniversary party, then on to Woodberry Kitchen, where pals Avery Strachan and Nick Zupancic were dining with out-of-town guests, and I ran into City Paper‘s Jenn Marsh and gallery owner Jordan Faye Block. Saturday was gorgeous, and a perfect day for the Manor Races at My Lady’s Manor— a couple of buddies, Courtney Wood and Bruce Alderman, joined me for the afternoon as we strolled from tent to tent talking to friends and enjoying the races and sunshine.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/12/10 at 12:46 PM
Fri., April 2
With the recent weather being so nice, it was an easy decision to join some friends for Friday evening happy hour on the outdoor deck at Pizzazz in the Pier 5 Hotel downtown on the water. Friendly Pizzazz owner and hostess-with-the-mostess Deanna Cook was on hand to make sure that we were all taken care of. A sampling of house appetizers and pizzas went down well, as did the sounds of the live band playing outside on the deck. Turning up to hang in our crew: DJ Lamdin, Patrick Sutton, Tracy Kwiatkowski, Randi Rom, Scooter Holt, Diane Macklin, Celeste Corsaro and Denis Nash, to name a few. After the sun set, a few of us wandered over to the outdoor terrace at Ruth’s Chris next door, where manager Paul Broccolina filled us in on their plans for summer entertainment outdoors at this popular downtown spot.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/07/10 at 02:44 PM
