As if in homage to “Dr. Zhivago,” the snowfall on Saturday, February 11, set the perfect stage for “From Russia with Love,” this year’s annual black tie benefit of the Princeton University Art Museum, inspired by the museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Mir Iskusstva: Russia’s Age of Elegance.” It was unquestionably the winter party to see and be seen at.
At the cocktail reception in the museum, guests nibbled on Main Street Catering’s petite beef Wellington, turkey waldorf tartlets, akvavit cured gravlax canapes, Stilton with caramelized pear on raisin walnut canapes, caviar cornmeal blini, and smoked trout on gaufrette.
For dinner, the individual rooms at Prospect House were transformed into private dining rooms with centerpieces by Jardiniere of Princeton. Guests enjoyed a menu by Prospect House Catering. Dinner began with smoked sturgeon and micro greens topped with pomegranates, creme fraiche, and Sevruga caviar, followed by roasted baby pheasant on a bed of saffron rice with baby fennel and haricots verts. Dessert was sour cherries and vanilla mousse on a pistachio cake drizzled with chocolate vodka sauce. One guest summed up the scene perfectly: “This is the only Princeton party that rivals New York and Philadelphia.”
