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A more private, down-home dinner was planned for 14 guests, the family and friends of Ronald Lauder, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and son of makeup Magnate Estee Lauder. "Stars," as in the American flag, were the party theme. The just-plain-folks appetizer was smoked salmon with Oregon caviar on star-shaped toast. Pastry stars studded the crust of the beef-and- vegetable pot pie, and the strawberry-blueberry dessert came with stellar sugar cookies.
The high point of the eating marathon figured to be the official Inaugural luncheon after Monday's swearing-in. Planned for the Statuary Hall of the Capitol, the luncheon was organized by Senator Charles Mathias and his wife Ann. The contract for the luncheon was awarded to Glorious Food after a caloric competition with two other Washington caterers, Ridgewells and Columbia, that also have State Department clearance. Each was asked to prepare and serve a sample luncheon to the Senator, his wife, their son and several gourmet friends who volunteered as judges. Said Dane Towell: "We actually did two meals--two appetizers, main courses and desserts. They ate the whole thing."
* The winning menu began with a "simple" mousse of sole with a sauce of lobster, shrimp and truffles. Veal medaillons with morels followed, and finally there was to be a cold praline souffle. Decorations were designed by John Funt of Tiffany and Chris Giftos of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and included cerise tablecloths and centerpieces of anemones and lilies. The estimated cost to the taxpayers was $60 for each of the 222 guests.
Less tony palates were not forgotten. Ticketron sold thousands of $9.50 tickets to A Taste of America, an eat-all-you-want feed at the Washington Convention Center, featuring a few specialties from each of 42 restaurants. The Inaugural committee, in an effort to defray costs, included among its souvenirs an $8 package labeled Inaugural Nibbles, a mix of nuts and dried fruit that is the official space snack of NASA's astronauts.
Democrats who felt left out could fork over $25 to join the Other Inaugural, sponsored by Americans for Democratic Action at the Wax Museum. Catered by the firm belonging to Mark May, the Redskin tackle, the meal was planned around chili, cornbread and a dessert named Hog Heaven Delight, in honor of May and the other behemoths on Washington's offensive line. The team colors, burgundy and gold, inspired the dessert selection of raspberry sherbet in a cookie crust. Democratic pols signed on as bartenders. They could at least help the party drown its troubles while the Republicans tasted four more years of power.