It was the Finest Party

I don’t know about you but when I’m planning a party I get a bit crazed. What to serve, who to invite, what to wear…these are all things that I stress over. But not so for The Finest party held at Deukmejian Wilderness Park on Friday night.

What to serve was not a problem. We extended an invitation to those Finest winning restaurants to bring a sampling of their fare for our guests. Blaze Pizza, Frank’s Famous Kitchen and Catering, Giuseppe’s Pizza and Pasta, Goodie Girls Cupcakes, Joselito’s, New Moon, Porto’s, Seasoning Alley, and Starbucks all made sure everyone had plenty to eat. Being that we were at Deukmejian Park – the home of an early 20th century winery – we served a variety of wines. Stuart Byles with the Stonebarn Conservancy also was on hand to give a history of winemaking at Deukmejian…an art that is being reinvigorated by members of the Conservancy who prune the vineyard and harvest the grapes that are then bottled.

As far as the guest list – well, only those who were chosen by CV Weekly readers as the finest in their fields were invited to this exclusive get-together, along with dignitaries who we knew wouldn’t want to miss such an awesome occasion. Under clear skies while dining on all the delicious food, guests listened to live music provided by the Crescenta Valley High School jazz band. They also had the chance to mix and mingle, to get to know those who rose to the top of their field, too.

In addition to Temoc Ramirez taking some candid shots, he also stationed himself at the custom backdrop from Step and Repeat. Many of our guests made sure to stop by and get their picture taken. CV Weekly staff members were among the guests that smiled for the camera.

One of the things that will make Friday night’s event memorable was made possible by local jeweler Avianti. Avianti was named this year’s Finest Jewelry Repair Shop; last year it earned the Finest Jewelry Shop. Way back in December, the shop’s owner Avi came to me and said he wanted to create something unique for the Finest party. Over the months he designed a pin that was a replica of the Finest logo. At Friday’s party, the pins were presented and distributed to one representative from each of the winning categories. It was wonderful to see many of the pins on the shirts of our guests! Thank you, Avianti, for your generosity.

Creating a magical atmosphere was the job of Bonners Equipment and Party Rentals. Tim and Liza Morelli who own Bonners again met the challenges that having a party in a park present and transformed Deukmejian into a place worthy of such an event.

As important as The Finest is, Friday night’s celebration was also recognition of the five-year anniversary of CV Weekly. I felt proud standing among all those who have survived the last five years. Few were left untouched by the financial hardships that were foisted upon us and I know that I am grateful not to have only survived but thrived these past five years.

At the end of the night, I was happy to be among the finest and proud that CV Weekly was able to celebrate with them.

To the next five years … and next year’s Finest!