CELEBS FOR CRISIS • More than 80 local celebrities — from the media, sports, business and political worlds — will work the tables for up to 800 guests at the St. Louis Crisis Nursery's "Celebrity Waitresses' & Waiters' Night" at Plaza Frontenac on Aug. 19. Festivities for the 20th annual event kick off at 5 p.m. at Cardwell's and Canyon Café. St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley is honorary chairman; honorary corporate co-chairs are Jim Theiss, prez of Centric Group; Patricia Mercurio, topper of Bank of America; and Debra Hollingsworth, VP of external affairs for AT&T-Missouri. Among media types expected to work the tables: Larry Conners, Robin Smith, John Knicely and Matt Chambers of KMOV-TV (Channel 4); Heidi Glaus of KSDK-TV (Channel 5); Dan Gray and Melanie Moon of KPLR-TV (Channel 11); Shirley Washington and Kelley Hoskins of KTVI-TV (Channel 2). Local political celebs on tap are expected to include: a smattering of local mayors; state Sen. Rita Heard-Days; representatives Tishaura O. Jones and Rachel Storch; and from St. Louis, former Fire Chief Sherman George; Alderman Kacie Starr Triplett; License Collector Michael McMillan; and Director of Human Services Bill Siedhoff. From the business community look for John Haigler, president of 100 Black Men; Virginia McDowell, topper of Isle of Capri; and Joan Magruder, head of Missouri Baptist Medical Center. The Crisis Nursery sponsors 24-hour havens for children at five area locations and offers programs to prevent child abuse and neglect. Reservations for the event are required at the restaurants. Cardwell's, 314-997-8885; Canyon Café, 314-872-3443.
BAY LEAVES BAYLESS • Chicago celebrity chef Rick Bayless wowed a crowd of nearly 150 people at Moulin restaurant when he did a cooking demonstration and signed copies of his new cookbook at an event hosted by Sauce Magazine and Left Bank Books. Bayless is one of those people who seems to have it all — handsome, talented and enormously successful. The image loses nothing in translation to real life. Chatting easily while chopping, mixing, stirring and seasoning, Bayless had clearly done all this before. He complimented the staff at Moulin, answered questions, explained how and why he cooks the way he does and effortlessly charmed the crowd. Bayless was promoting his sixth cookbook, "Fiesta at Rick's: Fabulous Food, Luscious Libations, Great Times with Friends," which he wrote with his wife, Deann Groen Bayless. Bill Gideon, head chef with River City Casino, met privately with Bayless before the food demo to give him a copy of a photo taken in 1993. The pic features Gideon next to Bayless and about 40 other top chefs, including Emeril, Bobby Flay, Paul Bartolotta and the late Jean-Louis Palladin. Before heading to an early evening appearance at the Ethical Society, Bayless stopped for dinner at Steve Gontram's Harvest. Bayless' appearance was part of Sauce magazine publisher Allyson Mace's "Celebrity Chef Series." Next up? A night with Anthony Bourdain at the Fox Theatre on Oct. 1.
ON THE TOWN • Monarch restaurant and wine bar in Maplewood reopened last weekend with a benefit for the National Children's Cancer Society hosted by fundraiser extraordinaire, Donna Wilkinson. While Wilkinson and her beau, Byam Stevens of New York City, greeted arrivals and hosted the gathering, Monarch's Jeff Orbin, Aaron Teitlebaum, Josh Galliano and Matt McGuire made sure the shrimp were chilled, the drinks were cold and the guests were getting enough of both. David Steward II of Nicene Brands, son of the chair and founder of our town's World Wide Technology Inc., and Mary Deverman of Frankfort, Ill., were bubbling about their new engagement. The couple have scheduled a Nov. 21 wedding date in Deverman's hometown. Deverman has been the senior director of corporate community relations for Michael Neidorff's Centene Corp. We also saw Dan McGuire perform the Heimleich on his wife, RAC topper Jill McGuire, who seemed to recover without incident after her windpipe cleared. Wilkinson tipped during the night that Goldie Hawn will receive the National Children's Cancer Society top international humanitarian award at a dinner here on Oct. 30.
