On a beautiful summer day at Lido House Hotel in Newport Beach, NOBLEMAN hosted its very first NOBLE Wine & Dine Experience celebrating culinary excellence, fine wine, and the art of the cocktail. We were honored to welcome a cast of award-winning culinary luminaries, celebrity chefs, prized vintners, and master sommeliers from across the globe—many who’ve earned their prestigious Michelin stars, James Beard awards, and industry accolades helming some of the world’s most coveted destination restaurants, including our guest of honor, Michael Mina.
Upon entering the sweeping curtains, guests lined the red carpet, greeted with their 20-course menu and a wine glass to enjoy more than 10 different distinguished wines. Walking into the NOBLE Wine & Dine Experience, the Lido House lawn and ballroom were completely transformed with stunning decor, luxurious furniture from Tidelli, and an impressive Rolls-Royce Phantom placed at the heart of the event, setting the stage for an unforgettable experience. The atmosphere was lively, as renowned chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists lined the space, ready to showcase their talents.
The event began with a perfectly curated menu from each participating chef including Chef Michael Mina, Chef Riley Huddleston from The Mayor’s Table, NOBU Newport Beach, Chef Michael Reed, Chef Sandro Nardone, Chef Noah Von Blom, Chef Jimmy Matiz, Chef John English, Chef Han, Chef Bloomfield, and Chef Dusty V. Guests were able to enjoy a wide variety of unique dishes from Wagyu Tataki and Yellowtail Sahimi to dishes such as Vegetable Crudo and Truffle Tortelloni. Unlimited caviar was offered from the one and only Astrea Caviar and the 100% grass-fed Wagyu was even delivered special from New Zealand from First Light Farms. Each dish was also made live in front of guests with each culinary team adding their own twist to their masterpiece.
To pair with each dish, a selection of fine wines was offered from various wineries including The Setting Wines, The Mascot, Cakebread Cellars, Rusack, Lithology, Plinth, The Wine MVP by Will Blackmon, and Mail Road Wines. The sommeliers were able to guide guests through the history and story behind each winery and what makes some of the most prestigious wineries unique from one another.
Guests could also enjoy amazing champagne from Lallier Champagne, martinis from The Botanist, a nice cold beer from Peroni, a Purity Vodka custom cocktail, or scotch whiskey casks from CasX. Mixologist Irving Gonzalez from Snake Oil Cocktail Co. also created specialty cocktails with beautiful presentations to enjoy between dishes.
Between courses, guests could get up close and try on impressive jewelry pieces and watches from Happy Jewelers or relax outside and listen to the band. Later on, attendees were surprised by a vibrant marching band followed by dancers, each presenting beautifully decorated cupcakes. A crepe cart also entered creating sweet treats before the chef’s second course.
Guests not only had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world of culinary excellence, fine wine, and cocktail craftsmanship but also contributed to making a positive impact on the community with proceeds from the event being donated to benefit JDRF – the world’s largest nonprofit funder of type 1 diabetes research. A silent auction was also held throughout the event, featuring a variety of exclusive items and experiences such as wine from the event, gift cards, travel packages, a Meile espresso machine, and so much more.
As the event came to a close, we were able to hear from our founders, our guest of honor, Michael Mina, and our amazing mayor of Newport Beach, Noah Von Blom. NOBLE Wine & Dine was an unforgettable celebration and exceeded all expectations. Thank you to everyone who attended – we can’t wait for the next one!
Words by Layne Owen
Photos by OC Event Photos