When we heard that Absinthe Brasserie executive chef Jamie Lauren was going to be Honorary Chair for the Bay Area Allergy Advisory Board’s pre-launch party on January 16, we immediately jumped at the chance to do an item on her.

She is not only the sole Bay Area contestant of Bravo’s “Top Chef” this season, but would truly be the new star chef of San Francisco with or without a major national TV show behind her.

Despite her hectic schedule of work and travel, she was able to squeeze in a quick chat with SFLuxe’s Damion Matthews, and we’re delighted that she did.

We are pleased to hear the good news from Lisa Grotts that the “Narsai’s Seventh Annual Taste of the Mediterranean” event which recently took place raised over $200,000! Proceeds will go to displaced Assyrians in Iraq.

We just want to remind you that this year’s Dining By Design event, presented by DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, is going to take place on November 19th and November 20th, 2008. The designs are really quite magical — as you can tell by the table that Robert Fountain designed for last year’s event.

When we read Laura Albert’s latest essay, a review of the Hotel Kabuki and O Izakaya Lounge, we had to share it with you. The novelist’s brief visit to Japantown becomes a meditation on the origin of the species and the end of all humanity. We absolutely guarantee that you have never read a restaurant or hotel review like this before.

As many of you know, SFLuxe.com’s Damion Matthews is a supporter of the Bay Area Allergy Advisory Board (allergysf.com), which was founded by local parent Mireille Schwartz, who is featured ocassionally on this site.
We have seen how difficult it can be for parents during the …

We’ve been enjoying Landrin Chocolates at parties throughout San Francisco lately — at a penthouse fundraiser for Joe Alioto, Jr., a luncheon for supporters of Raphael House, at a fashion show for the Arthritis Foundation, and at the Fleet Week party at Pier 39 — …

Model, historian, collector, editor, author — Tatiana Sorokko is a woman of many talents and job titles, most of them having to do with fashion.  So when we heard she was to appear on Martha Stewart this week, we thought it must have something to …

Joel Goodrich (right) with Maria Ehmer, chatting with Manolo Blahnik at Neiman Marcus this week.
Today we are pleased to see that Miss Olive, of Olive and Friends, has published Joel Goodrich’s unique recipe for his daily morning shake.  One of San Francisco’s leading realtors (TRI …

Tommy Hilfiger was accompanied in San Francisco last week by Dee Ocleppo, showing that they are still very much together, despite a recent change in marriage plans (the couple had made it into the gossip columns a few weeks ago after calling off their August …

Elizabeth Thieriot, Robert Eves, H.R.H. Crown Princess Katherine, H.R.H. Crown Prince Alexander and friends.
We recently attended a delightful luncheon at Elizabeth Thieriot’s Tiburon home which was held in support of the Lifeline Humanitarian Organization.  Founded by Crown Princess Katherine in 1993, Lifeline provides food …

Last year we overlooked DIFFA’S Dining by Design, but we will surely not make that mistake this year.  Tickets are not yet available, however it’s good to mark it off on your November calendar (the 19th and 20th) now so that you don’t miss it.
The …

As we always enjoy seeing Ludmilla Eggleton, we were so disappointed that we couldn’t make it to her recent birthday party at Cassis.  We’re told that the French food was delicious, and the company divine!

Magdalene Chan (the artist), Ludmila Eggleton, and Conchita Applegate, who is …

June 18, 2008. 3:00 pm.
David Beckham and Victoria Beckham ate with their children Romeo, Brooklyn and Cruz at One Market today at 3:00 pm (located at One Market Street, in case you didn’t know.) Anyone have photos? Come on, you know at least …

After almost thirty years and more than 40,000 trees planted citywide in San Francisco, Friends of the Urban Forest celebrated local environmental stewardship with a green glitterati-studded “San Francisco Grown” event at Green’s Restaurant on Sunday, April 27, sponsored by eSurance and Bently Holdings.

Event …

Jonathan Costello just sent us the photos he took at my friend Clara Shayevich’s luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton, which she hosts annually (she is seen above with Tatiana Sorokko.)

Clara with interior designers Orlando Diaz-Azcuy (above) and Ron Crosetti (below.)

It was an absolutely delightful way …