News, Rumors & PropagandaPublished on February 01, 2010 at 4:26pmCan you keep a secret?<
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Dwayne Johnson and Holly Wilds sure can. The masterminds behind a surprise birthday party for Nashville's golden girl Jane Dudley worked their magic creating a black-tie, all-star event at Belle Meade Country Club that swept not just Jane but all the guests off their feet. Here's how they did it: The evil duo created an actual fake invitation, saying it was a surprise party for Holly, not Jane. Jane got that invite. Mary Davenport, dressed in a silver sequined number (it was a short dress, and she chopped it off to make a top) for the evening, said she "saw Jane at Trumps today and I just turned the other way and ran." Everyone else was in on the scoop, and everyone kept it on the down low. Nice. Guests showed up promptly at 6 p.m. Jane arrived with Dwayne at 6:30 p.m. And if she wasn't surprised, the lady deserves an Oscar. Event planner Jayne Bubis worked her voodoo creating a romantic, beautiful ballroom setting for the event. Dwayne spoke movingly about his wife before they tore into the stunning cake—worthy of a royal wedding. And, then, they danced. Like crazy. Hunter Armistead threw down. Trevania Henderson, Jane's gorgeous daughter in from Boston, got her boogie on and some serious shaking ensued. Now, you may wonder, how old is Jane? 40? 50 maybe? Ahh—a lady never tells. Others enjoying the celebration were Alfred Fiandaca, Lynn and Elizabeth Greer, Blakeslee Lufkin, Barbara and Dewey Daane, Whitney Daane, Mike King, Beth Alexander, Spook and Jamie Stream, Bev and Julie Landstreet, Bev and Nancy Landstreet, Saundra and Alex Steele, Clare Armistead and Edie Bass. Just another evening at the Hearns...Not!Okay, don't get us wrong, we give mad props to the restaurant scene in Nashville. We've got an eclectic group of culinary institutions that rivals the lineup in any cosmopolitan city. However, a very special legendary chef stopped by Music City recently to showcase his gastronomic arts for a lucky group of local foodies. Hailing from Chicago, Chef Charlie Trotter made his fifth visit to Nashville to demonstrate his kitchen wizardry for the winners of one of the L'Eté du Vin Auction packages. Nancy and Billy Ray Hearn's amazing kitchen was the perfect setup for Charlie and his large team, as they prepared an eight-course dinner for 17 people. Tom Black provided a stellar selection of wine from his cellar. Every food item was shipped in from Chicago and due to heightened security measures, every food item was unwrapped and inspected. Those BNA security folks probably had no idea how precious this cargo really was! We're talking Kumamoto oysters and truffles the size of a raccoon. As an added bonus, Charlie brought each guest a surprise gift box and a signed copy of his newest cookbook "Home Cooking With Charlie Trotter." Jealous yet? Well listen to this: the menu began with tempura of Nantucket Bay Scallops with blood orange and olive oil cream and finished with chocolate sorbet with cacao fruit and smoked vanilla. And there were six more courses in between those! Those basking in culinary perfection included: Cory Lipoff, Frank and Mary Komorowski, David Morgan, Michael Olander, Eliza Olander, Ashley Christensen, Steven Graystone, Tom Black, Deby Pitts, Jim Clendenen and Greg and Collie Daily. For the love of dog...and catThe Nashville Humane Association honored the Top Tails Donor Society at the home of Ridley and Betsy Wills III. The inimitable Robin Patton, (who never met a critter she didn't love, God bless the girl) spearheaded the campaign again this year. "Top Tail donors are the life blood of our organization," said Robin. "We have a wonderful member base that turn out every year, in good times and bad, to support our mission. We would love to put ourselves out of business one day, by spaying/neutering all animals in our community. The problem of pet overpopulation can be solved permanently through spay/neuter. There is a light at the end of this tunnel." The menu, prepared by Dani Kates served chicken skewers with teriyaki sauce, shrimp on snow peas, Croque-Monsieurs, tenderloin on rolls with horseradish sauce. "The goal of the Top Tails donor program is to generate annual financial support for the Nashville Humane Association, and you can become a member by donating $1,000 to Nashville Humane Association. Others in attendance included: Mary Pat Boatfield, Lisa Reeves, Debbi Hooper, Bryan Young, Dawn Trout, Jennifer Hill and Mike Hill, Melissa Anton and John Anton, Sandra Miller, Lisa Cheek and Mary Britton Cummings. Aye, Aye, CaptainVan Pond and David Glasgow hosted an inspirational kickoff for the Nashville Human Rights Campaign Equality Dinner at their Primrose Avenue home. The Table Captain Party included a delightful meal by Nashville character restaurateur Arnold Myint of Cha Chah. Guests were honored for their current and past contributions to the HRC and learned about the 2010 honorees. Others championing the cause included Mark Lopez, Jeff Rymer, Amos Gott, Michael Burchum, Thom Meek, Mike Smith, Suzanne Bradford, Judy Lojek, Megan Barry, David Taylor and Michael Ward, Michael Fenswick chairs Keith Hinkle, Debra Hyslop and Jeremy Davis. Music to my EarsN this IssueThis Month's Cover
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