Louis XIII hosts dinner and tasting to honor architect Dror Benshetrit’s design genius.

By Cristina Ordoqui

On Sunday, May 18, 2008, several haute design geniuses came together to celebrate the work of master architect and designer Dror Benshetrit. Held at the Glass Houses in New York City, the fete was hosted by Mishou Mahtani, director of Louis XIII de Rémy Martin, U.S., and exhibited Dror’s newest “Swept Under the Carpet” series. The event kicked off with a fun and delicious cocktail reception as guests sipped Charles Heidsieck Champagne, indulged on hors d’oeuvres, and took portraits with masks to commemorate the evening.

Meanwhile, as the reception continued, a select few were given a sneak preview of the exhibit by Dror himself. Among the privileged guests were André Leon Talley, Vogue Editor-At-Large; Yigal Azrouël, fashion designer; Sami Hayek, award-winning designer and architect, and brother of actress Salma Hayek; Fern Mallis, president of Seventh on Sixth New York Fashion Shows; Teril Turner, head of public relations and special events at Bergdorf Goodman; and Roberto Gavazzi, CEO of Boffi.

Later, dinner was served in a beautiful candlelit dining room adorned with exquisite floral arrangements, said to be reminiscent of the garden of Versailles. Louis XIII’s chef consultant/food writer Will Crutchley (formerly of Le Bernardin in New York) designed the meal to enhance the evening’s Louis XIII tasting.  Made to capture six essences-plum, honeysuckle, honey, myrrh, everlasting flower, and wood bark-the four-course meal featured a cauliflower and jumbo lump crabmeat and crouton soup, a 13-spiced seared diver scallop with a cognac beurre blanc appetizer, and a main course of poached escolar Dror with spinach pasta, served with yuzu koshu-marinated wakame and kombu seagreens.

Following the delicious meal, guests were invited to an intimate tasting led by brand ambassador Rémi Brabant, who toasted the evening. Then, everyone returned to the dinning room for a delicious Cointreau crêpe cake.

The dynamic evening was just the first in a series of dinners planned by Louis XIII to celebrate, honor, and exemplify genius. And as the choice cognac of several of history’s great leaders, like Winston Churchill and King George VI, Louis XIII de Rémy Martin is the ultimate definition of genius.