50th Anniversary Gala at
Four Seasons Hotel Boston
Saturday September 17th
The quinquagenerial anniversary celebration of the Boston Bailliage’s 1966 founding was 50 years in the making with multiple gala events to bracket this most special of saturnalia, our 50th Anniversary Gala at the incomparable Four Season Hotel Boston. Sundays are the usual choice for a Boston Chaîne event, a September Saturday required advance preparation so for two years the Boston Officers worked closely with Four Seasons Regional VP General Manager Maître Hôtelier Bill Taylor and his terrific team in conjunction with Boston Professionals du Vin Robert Rubin of Ruby Wines, Doug Shaw of M.S. Walker and Jason Katz of Brookline Liquors to bring to fruition a celebration the likes of which the Boston Chaîne had not seen before.
Chaîne and Mondial du Vin Inductions under the auspices of Bailli Délégué États-Unis Harold Small plus multiple special awards for Bostonian stand outs would begin our bacchanalia followed by a heavenly reception with harp serenading then the epic gastronomic dinner adventure with a jazz combo providing music to dine and dance by - an inestimably elegant evening for all on hand.
Inductees enjoyed Champagne as the colorful Boston Induction ceremony featuring the world renowned tradition of the Golden Goose unfolded. This Chaîne en-ribboning process was followed by the vine-centric Mondial du Vin induction. Special events require special awards and our evening was thus replete: Vice Charge de Presse Honoraire Helen Chin Schlichte received Grand Commandeur status, Professional du Vin Jason Katz received the Bronze Mondial Medal of Honor, Vice Concelier Culinaire Provincial Nord-Est Honoraire Dean J. Lynch and Vice Echanson David Berman received the Boston Legends of Food & Wine Award for their outstanding service to the Boston Bailliage and Officer Maître Traîteur Kathy LaShay Berenson received the Bronze Star of Excellence for the devotion, support and love of La Chaîne she has exemplified throughout this Bailli’s term in office.
Other notable Chaîne leaders in attendance included: Bailli Délégué Honoraire de France Frederic Vieil, Bailli Honoraire de Paris-Ile de France Dame Loredana Vieil, Bailli Provincial Nord-Est Honoraire John J. Vyhnanek, Bailli Honoraire de New York Dame Jean V. Nevins, Bailli de Rhode Island Paul J. Damiano, Bailli de Delaware Valley Matthew N. Karstetter, Bailli de Colonial New England Gerald Kraft and Vice Concelier Gastromique Provincial Nord-Est Dame Sandra Kraft
For those of us lucky enough to be a party to the epic hullabaloo that are Chaîne gala events, a party is a party is a party and a gala is a gala is a gala. This 50th Anniversary Gala looked forward to the next 50 years with optimism and promise and was a tribute to the great names of the Boston Chaîne of the past 50 years such as : Bailli Honoraires Marvin Powell, Avram Goldberg, Alan Tremain, Gus Saunders, Harold Turin and John J. Vyhnanek and Officers such as Lucien Robert, Burton Miller, Louis Kane, Roger Saunders, Charles Doulos, Malcolm Sherman and Richard Berenson.
Looking forward to the next 50 years!
Vive la Chaîne!
Vive la Chaîne!
