Eric Spivey, chairman of the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts, with wife Cynthia at last week’s Montecito Club reception marking what would have been famed chef Julia Child’s 107th birthday. 
Pete Jordano, right, CEO of Jordano’s Food Service, with Montecito Club executive chef Jamie West. 
Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo was on hand to declare Aug. 15 as Julia Child Day. 
Celebrity emcee Billy Harris kept things moving briskly. 
Among the guests were, from left, Gina Tolleson, Marni Margerum and the author. 
Eric Spivey announces plans for next year’s three-day Santa Barbara Culinary Experience. 
A birthday cake was created for the event by The Little Things Bakery. 
Julia Child’s yellow roses were in abundance, thanks to Rose Story Farm in Carpinteria. 
Guests feasted on delicious hors d’oeuvres from Montecito Club executive chef Jamie West. 
Julia Child’s pearls of wisdom were much in evidence.
On a recent evening, friends and fans of the late Julia Child gathered at the Montecito Club to honor the famed chef, author, television personality and longtime local resident. Child died at her Montecito home on Aug. 13, 2004, two days shy of her 92nd birthday.
Eric Spivey, chairman of the Santa Barbara-based Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts, hosted a private cocktail reception to mark what would have been her 107th birthday.
Against a backdrop of the club’s magnificent ocean views, more than 150 local luminaries and Julia Child devotees attended the event, where Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo officially proclaimed Aug. 15 as Julia Child Day.
Although Child was known the world over, she maintained a lively presence in Santa Barbara. The guests, myself included, enjoyed reminiscing about her, whether they knew her personally or saw her out and about — at the farmers market, San Ysidro Ranch, In-N-Out Burger, La Super-Rica Taqueria or the Montecito Vons.
A sumptuous selection of hors d’oeuvres was created by Montecito Club executive chef Jamie West, who cooked with Child, and wines were poured from Au Bon Climat, Grassini Family Vineyards, and Margerum and its new sister wine collection, Barden.
Services for the party were donated by Merryl Brown Events, Jordano’s Food Service, Jessica Foster Confections, The Little Things Bakery and Valerie Rice floral décor. A smashing plethora of roses — including Child’s own yellow rose created by noted rosarian Danielle Hahn at Carpinteria’s Rose Story Farms — filled vases throughout the Club ballroom.
Child dedicated her life to empowering people to cook regardless of their professional training. She taught generations of Americans through her classic work, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, as well as her Emmy Award-winning TV series, The French Chef.
At the sunset event, Spivey announced the launch of the three-day Santa Barbara Culinary Experience, scheduled for March 13-15.
“This unique event, in partnership with the (Julia Child) Foundation and inspired by Julia’s advocacy for sharing the love and education for food, drink and life, will be an epicurean celebration involving chefs, mixologists, wineries and restaurants,” he said.
“Julia was passionate about teaching others about the culinary arts. The Santa Barbara Culinary Experience aims to gather the local community and visitors to celebrate the bounty of Santa Barbara’s abundant resources found in local farms, ranches, vineyards and ocean!”
Celebrity emcee Billy Harris invited guests to join the Founders Circle and be part of an exclusive Founders Dinner for 40 guests at The Lark, hosted by executive chef Jason Paluska with award-winning chefs Nancy Silverton, Suzanne Goin and Michael Cimarusti.
The culinary all-star team will create a multicourse dinner — on leap year, Feb. 29, 2020 — featuring recipes paired with Santa Barbara County wines. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience.
Click here for more information about the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at news@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.