Monday, February 27, 2017

As Always, Roger Neal's Oscar Viewing Dinner Party was a Superb Standard-Bearer.

By Laura Medina


Roger Neal's Oscar Viewing Dinner Party's organization and logistics were ready for an invasion of Normandy.  In other words, the organization was superb, worthy of Oscar Sunday, "Roger Neal's Oscar Gifting Suite & Oscar Party are Classics Because the Logistics are Superb...As They Should Be."  http://luxurist.blogspot.com/2017/02/roger-neals-oscar-gifting-suite-oscar.html

Hats off to the free shuttle van and the chauffeur, Cory, for the free media parking and courteous transportation, during the strict and heavy Highland Avenue Oscar traffic.  He, the free parking, and the shuttle van were a God's send. 

The staff were kept on their toes, through walkie-talkies, copy that?

These procedures aren't unique to a Roger Neal Oscar Viewing Dinner Party.  They're pretty much the norm and standard...and the basic among Oscar Sunday night's top-tier parties with tons of celebrities, from Elton John's Oscar party in West Hollywood to Vanity Fair's party at the Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills to the Oscars, a.k.a. Academy Awards themselves, across the street from Roger Neal's very own Oscar Gifting Suite and Dinner Party, during the day then the dinner party at night.  Roger pretty shows you how it should be done.

It was pretty smart for Roger to use the history and the facilities of the Hollywood Museum as the site for his gifting suite and dinner party.  During the exciting hubbub from anticipating the Oscars, using the afternoon leading up the night's awards show, is a great way to learn the history of the movie industry in Hollywood.  The Hollywood Museum was the very first Max Factory makeup factory.  Walking around, you'll see and walk through the specially-painted makeup rooms for blondes, brunettes, and redheads, to bring the appropriate makeup application according to complexions.  This was way, way, way before Photoshop, kids.  Remember, this is history.

This is what Roger is good at, honoring history and heritage while putting them to good use in the present day.

Guests love how Roger turned the cargo factory elevator, into a spacious elevator with a full bar and a church pew as comfy seating for ladies in high heels and gowns.  Very clever, very stylish, and very thoughtful.  This ought to be an standard idea whenever someone throws a party in a fully-functional warehouse as a party venue...that's up to regulations and standards, https://www.instagram.com/p/BRAMHfblMqj/?taken-by=thearriviste

Following in the tradition of Hollywood's first award show, it's a dinner party where people hand out trophies, the dinner...

If the Academy Awards guests are looking forward to chowing on Wolfgang Puck's Chicken Pot Pie and Mac n' Cheese, then Roger Neal's Oscar Viewing Dinner was classic...


Mixed greens salad studded with pecans and goat cheese...


Classically fresh Lobster Bisque...


Timeless, tender "Surf & Turf" lobster tails and mouth-watering filet mignon with plenty of green beans and roasted baby potatoes...

Courtesy of Chef John Safoyan, from LA Lobster Party, lalobsterparty.com


A dollop of Chef Turok's Masacarpone Cheesecake with foam and cookie crumbles, mascarponecheesecakebychefturok.wordpress.com...


Charleston, South Carolina, may had been the first American city to have protocol but it's not the only one.

During commercial breaks during the Oscars, that is the time that Oscar Viewing Parties perform their own ceremonies, out of the respect to the Oscars.

During the first commercial break, rising star, Chalet Lizette Brannan presented the ICON Award to her "Sparrows" co-star, "Hercules" Kevin Sorbo, next to Paul Sorvino.  This is when Young Hollywood meets Classic Hollywood.

Once the Oscars resume, everyone must be back at their seat, dining on their dinner, watching the show.


During the third commercial break, Roger Neal breaks Melanie Griffith presenting the ICON Award to her mom, Alfred Hitchcock siren, Tippie Hedren.  Ironically, they did this, the same time, Melanie's daughter, Dakota Johnson is presenting, across the street, at the Oscars.  A time-honored tradition kept alive by three-generations of screen sirens.

Honoring Hollywood's contribution to pop culture, American and Global culture, each table was named after iconic movies.  This scribe sat the "Wizard of Oz" table.

Thank god, there was Sunshine Mountain Wine and Vineyard rose at each table to guzzle down.  It pairs well with the Watermelon Kombucha.  With all that drinking and swilling, you need to counter-act with Ginger-Lemonade Kombucha and the Green Tea Kombucha to digest and detox, so you can drink more.

From the same Kombucha bar, they served frothy Peanut Butter Mocha and Brown Sugar Vanilla nitrogen coffee, so you can party-hop on the Oscar circuit.

Roger Neal asked the guests, through-out the evening, "Is Everyone Happy?"  Not only were the guests happy, they were impressed as heck.  That is Oscar Standard.  That's the standard that Roger Neal upholds every year.

What's really cool about him is that he invites people that are nice to him and his family through-out the whole year.  I met a Starbucks manager who helps Roger all year.  He invited her and her husband to his Oscar Viewing Party.  Isn't that nice?!

He's the timeless standard that every event planner should attempt to uphold.






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