I was told to cross to the other side of the road, along with a dozen other guests. The street was blocked off. Men with flashlights were directing people down a long walkway, flanked by white picket fencing. Bright lights illuminated the entrance. I walked casually into the tent.
I had just entered this year's BRAVO, the annual celebration of the arts in San Diego, which is also one of the most important black-tie fund-raisers to support major art activities in our city. It looked glamorous. We were greeted at the entrance by costumed staff wearing Shakespearian outfits and were given glasses of champagne to begin the celebration.
The San Diego Chamber Orchestra soon began playing. Long tables near the entrance held samples of wine. A large machine bubbled chocolate to glaze the strawberries and other fruits that lay on nearby plates.
BRAVO took up three floors of the Westgate. Food was served in the lobby and in the Le Fontainebleau restaurant buffet-style. Generous restaurants donated the food and provided the serving staff. The wine flowed freely, donated by wineries.
Theater blossomed in the adjoining rooms. Guests had the opportunity to go from room to room to catch brief showcase performances by artistic groups. Everyone was given a schedule to select which rooms to enter and which performers to watch. Frankly, it was difficult to make those decisions because everything was so appealing.
The night was a rousing success. Guests sampled good cuisine and had the opportunity to see and hear their chosen performers. Artists had a chance to expose their talents to new, interested patrons.
This was my second visit to the Westgate within a week. I had attended a dinner a few nights before, put on by Chef Charlie Palmer, the dynamic moving spirit behind such famous eateries as Aureole (New York and Las Vegas), Astra (New York and Los Angeles) and Charlie Palmer Steak (Washington D.C. and Las Vegas).
Palmer is one of the best chefs in the country. Any dinner he puts on is a special occasion.
The common factor in both these programs, as well as in many other events that run at the Westgate Hotel throughout the year, is its general manager, Georg Hochfilzer. He is a "hotelier's hotelier" whose leadership has achieved the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award to the Westgate Hotel for the last seven years. It is a member of the Leading Hotels Of The World.
Hochfilzer brings a sense of class and style to his position, reminiscent of the grand styles that once dominated the better hotels of Europe. In fact, he trained in Europe at Innsbruck's Austrian Hotel School. He worked subsequently for InterContinental Hotels in Europe and major hotels in Paris, Montreal, Beverly Hills and Newport Beach. Later, he managed Hotel Bristol in Vienna so well it was named "Best Hotel In Austria" and "Best Business Hotel In Europe." Locally, he helped establish the Fairbanks Country Club and created an Olympic Equestrian Event that even attracted Prince Philip of England to attend.
Hochfilzer believes that a hotel like the Westgate is not simply a place to spend a few nights but, rather, is an important contributing member of the local community. He says, "In the hospitality industry, it is important that a hotel be the best it can be."
With this in view, Hochfilzer helped to found the BRAVO program. He and Alan Ziter laid the foundation for the annual event back in 1998, and it has operated successfully since.
During the coming holiday season, the lobby of the Westgate Hotel will be filled with joy. A Christmas tree will twinkle. Carols and other holiday music will be heard. People will come and go happily, swept up in the holiday spirit. It will be Hochfilzer who will be directing the flow of activities to make certain that they are of the class and quality that reflect the best of the his hotel's tradition.
The Westgate is located at 1055 Second St. in the downtown area, near Broadway. Call 619-238-1818 for more information about the ongoing activities at the property or to be placed onto its mailing list.
Rottenberg is editor of Dining San Diego Magazine and member of the California Restaurant Writers Association. Send comments to the editor@sddt.com. All letters are forwarded to the author and may be used as Letters to the Editor.
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