It was the perfect marketing plan.
Gather some of the best chefs in and around the city of Boston. Add some music. Showcase some VIPs and play to the crowd.
Guests enjoy the offerings at a chef’s table during a benefit for Armenian Heritage Park. Rick Ishkanian, left, waits in line as Leon Semonian helps himself to a plate of Chef Ana Sortun’s chicken with sour cherry. (Leo Gobekian photo)
Some 350 revelers turned out May 21 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, pooling close to $100,000 for Armenian Heritage Park—part of a $1.1 million endowment fund already intact for the perpetual care of the memorial at Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Another $900,000 remains to be collected, primarily through lead and major gifts before reaching the intended $2 million goal.
Of the $100,000 raised at Chef’s Night, credit Foundation President Jim Kalustian with his generous $40,000 contribution, complemented by another $10,000 from the Guzelian family in memory of Mihran and Makrouhi Guzelian. Harry and Katrina Glorikian ($5,000) were also generous in their support.
Much as the evening was about money and perpetuity, it was more the social extravaganza so intended. Had you walked into the room unsuspectingly, you may have done a double take at the crowd.
The cheapest ticket in the house was $250 and people subscribed to it for fear of being left out. They knew the merits behind it: a compelling memorial by Faneuil Hall that continues to attract national attention and has been a mecca for tourism.
During Boston’s Statehouse commemoration in April, a group of 30 students and instructors from Wilmington High School made the site its first stop on their tour, before launching a walk to Beacon Hill where they were being recognized for their Armenian Genocide awareness activities.
What was even more amazing about the Chef’s Night was the charity itself. A star-studded cast of 14 chefs turned out to put their finest culinary tools together, including several Armenians like Nathan Kibarian (Ritz-Carlton), Seta Dakessian (Seta’s Café), and Vicki Lee Boyajian (Vicki Lee’s), along with Ana Sortun (Oleana, Sofra, Sarma).
Seta Dakessian will be joined by her mom in opening Seta’s Cart at the Park. The two had their distinct following with a scrumptious lavash hatz with lule khorovats.
Jeffrey Fournier, chef/owner of Waban Kitchen, kept busy preparing lamb kibbe with parsley salad, inspired by his Armenian grandfather.
One dessert was a tribute to M. Sanzian, the Armenian-French chef who, on the occasion of the opening of the Parker House in 1856, created the Boston Crème Pie, now recognized as Massachusetts’ official dessert.
Thank you gifts were compliments of John Boyajian and Souren and Susan Etyemezian of Fastachi Nuts.
I enjoyed some losh, sipped a glass of Chablis from Edward Tutunjian Estate Wines, grabbed a coffee and dessert from Karnak Farms, courtesy of Mark Mooradian, and toe-tapped to the music of the John Baboian Trio, whose presence at these affairs has become second-nature.
So it took me a couple hours to buck the traffic from the New Hampshire border. This was like the oasis in the middle of a desert, once you got there. Those living within proximity had an easier time.
We in Merrimack Valley were accompanied by the venerable John Amboian and the Jeknavorians (Armen and Sossy) who continue to support this endeavor whole-heartedly. Their work in genocide commemorations also transcended into a rather prominent monument by Lowell City Hall last month.
Old friend Bob Lobel served as emcee, much like he did at Fenway Park last year. Bob’s tenure as a sportscaster and TV personality has become a valuable resource for this foundation. He was joined at the podium by Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and Rachel Kaprielian, secretary of labor and workforce development. Both individuals commended the fine turnout.
Though I didn’t catch up with Lobel this evening, I recall the conversation we had last time about the Armenians. He’s no stranger to the scene, having worked with several during his prominent career.
“It’s one of those untold stories of horror,” he said about the genocide. “At what level will people go to gain power? It continues today. To ignore it would be a travesty.”
Though this was no Kevin Costner “Field of Dreams” movie, build a stadium and they will come. Guests could be found converging in lines at the food tables, clicking wine glasses, and engaged in social interludes. It was a touch of Hollywood in Boston.
People you hadn’t seen in decades were tapping you on the shoulder. Good thing for name tags. If you needed an introduction, just ask Bob Semonian. He was touching all parameters as “The Improper Bostonian” personified.
The evening remained a tribute to unity and promotion, visibility, camaraderie, and fine cuisine.
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