A sumptuous dinner, of course. American-style, fun, sometimes even seemingly informal, but certainly sumptuous. However, after a long night like that of the Oscars, it is easy to get a certain hunger. She had hinted that Ellen DeGeneres, who at the 2014 award ceremony – presented by her, in the year of the most famous selfie in the world – had brought a few cartons of pizza to the stage to feed the stars.
The chef
The truth is, if they make it to the end without starving, the Oscar nominees and the actors attending the evening are planning an official dinner, signed for twenty-nine years now by the same chef, Wolfgang Puck. The Austrian-born cook, who hates being called a “celebrity chef”, is to all intents and purposes one of Hollywood’s most loved, and this is demonstrated by the fact that, together with a brigade of almost 120 collaborators, he once again took care of the most important afterparty of the year in the star system. Over 1500 actresses and actors attended the official dinner of the Oscarsincluding the main nominees to win the statuette: Michelle Yeoh, Cate Blanchett, Tom Cruise, James Cameron, Austin Butler, Ana de Armas and many others.
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This year, the Austrian-American chef and restaurateur has commissioned British chef Elliott Grover to take care of the evening’s main menu with him. Grover is the Executive Chef of CUT at 45 Park Lane, a very trendy London restaurant, where pop cuisine is served in a more luxurious version. Not surprisingly, the London restaurant immediately created a titled menu «A night at the Oscars»to give its guests the opportunity to taste the same dishes that the stars ate (if you are interested, it is available until April 1st 2023).
The menu
The absolute protagonist of the menu is the famous «Oscars Chicken Pot Truffle Pie» by Wolfgang Puck, the black truffle chicken pie which has driven Hollywood stars crazy, and which the chef never fails to serve at Oscar dinners, so much so that he has made it a great classic (sold at CUT at 45 Park Lane for £34). The magazine Wine Enthusiast also gathered further details on the menu of the stars, speaking of some initial finger foods, including Asian Fried Chicken with Coconut Waffle and Pandanus Leaves, besides one crispy rice bar with fish tartare and fruit sushi. Smoked salmon – a must-have at every gala party since the 1980s – was served up canapés in the shape of Oscar statuettesalongside spicy tuna tartare in miso cones.
Then, on the menu of the night of the Oscars, some courses of street food were served, to allow the actors to celebrate by munching on a little something: some bamboo cones filled with mini fish and chips with beef gravyfor example, or some prawn spring rolls with spiced honey. According to Variety, the Oscars menu also included a special version of the Beef Wellington and the most precious Miyazaki Wagyuas well as five different types of pasta (from agnolotti alla pasta to the all-American Mac & Cheese) and, of course, a a number of vegan and vegetarian optionsincluding a veg version of her West Hollywood restaurant Merois’ crispy rice crab salad.
Finally, to close the rich menu, a «sherry trifle», a typical English sweet vaguely similar to tiramisu. All will be watered by Rosé Champagne by Fleur de Miraval, the winery (the only one in Champagne dedicated exclusively to rosé) that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bought together in 2008 in the south of France and which was the subject of a legal battle in court after the divorce of the two. Hollywood Champagne, in its typical pink and black packaging (which costs around 350 euros per bottle) has replaced Piper-Heidsieck as the official wine of the Oscars for two years now. According to Wine Enthusiast, of the approximately twenty thousand bottles produced each year by the Chateau Miraval, a thousand are reserved exclusively for this occasion.
Among the other alcoholic drinks served at the evening, the Independent reveals, also the wines of Domaine Clarence Dillon, a Bordeaux winery owned by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, and the Don Julio tequila, used by the official mixologist of the Oscars (since 2016 he has been preparing cocktails on the most starry night in Hollywood) Charles Joly. Of course, given the context, one would have expected to see gulping shots of Casamigos, the tequila signed by George Clooney, which would have been perfect alongside Brad Pitt’s Champagne. But who knows, maybe it will happen at the next Oscars ceremony.
Other Vanity Fair articles you might be interested in:
Inside the Vanity Fair Oscar Party Together to all the stars
Masterchef Italia 12: how to prepare the legendary mashed potatoes by Joël Robuchon
The recipe for baked eggs with cheese, King Charles III’s favorite brunch