If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, then caviar and champagne are the soul mates of a foodie.  Arguably Los Angeles Food & Wine’s most luxurious event,  I Heart Champagne & Caviar at L’Ermitage Beverly Hills featured esteemed bubbly brands such as Champagne Dellamotte,  Champagne Henriot,  and Champagne Krug alongside California Caviar creations by Wolfgang Puck (Spago),  Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto), Joseph Elevado (Livello at L’Ermitage Beverly Hills),  John Folse (Restaurant R’evolution), Rick Tramonto (Restaurant R’evolution ), Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys), Cal Stamenov (Marinus Restaurant), Jared Van Camp (Old Town Social),  Craig von Foerster (Sierra Mar Restaurant),  and Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto).

No detail was left unattended– serving stations for each chef were carved from single blocks of ice, while guests were given their own personal mother-of -pearl caviar spoons for tasting.  We loved Wolfgang Puck’s sous vide quail egg served with potato foam, crispy potato galette and a duo of salmon roe and white sturgeon caviar as well as Chef Elevado’s oyster, tapioca pearls and crème fraîche espuma garnished with white sturgeon caviar.  Chefs Waxman and Joey Campanaro mingled with guests while cooking blinis to order, complete with smoked salmon in a dollop of cream and in thick slices, finished with salmon roe and caviar. Chef Keller marked the occasion in signature flair, dressed in crisp, polished dress shoes while dishing out two items, an elegant tuna taco and a creamy mushroom-onion soup laced with rich caviar.  Caviar aficionados, champagne lovers and industry representatives mingled, sipped and snacked on the delicacies high atop Beverly Hills, overlooking the formidable sprawl of the city. As the sky transformed from rosy streaks of sunset to starry midnight blue hues, sounds of laughter and celebration mixed with beats from the live DJ, softly receding into the warm fall evening.

From left to right:

Individual bites of California Caviar; Chef Masaharu Morimoto serving his dish overlooking Beverly Hills; Chef Keller with his caviar-studded tuna taco; Chef Elevado served oyster, tapioca pearls and crème fraîche espuma garnished with white sturgeon caviar; culinary legends Chefs Morimoto and Puck; Wolfgang Puck’s Salmon roe, caviar, potato foam, crispy galette, sous vide quail egg.