Larrabees Thrill with Fantastical Feast
Julia and Ted Larrabee hosted a winter party with magical costumes and gourmet food pairings.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Local interior design team, Julia and Ted Larrabee, like to build on their creative platform to entertain, surprise and dazzle — in this case, a showcase for both their culinary and design talents.
Last December, Julia and Ted opened their Peachtree Corners home for a Fantasy Feast, a culinary experience inspired by “magical wizardry quiz-ine.” The theme was implemented through whimsical and magical costumes and food, incorporating “Alice in Wonderland,” “Cinderella,” and Hogwarts from “Harry Potter” to the evening of fun.
About the Fantasy Feast, Julia said, “We wanted to have a themed party that would do more than just the ordinary. We wanted guests to experience the unexpected, be challenged, and just have fun.”
The invitation promised “to please palates and tease imagination to recognize the ‘legendary’ paired with tantalizing table fare.”
After the RSVP phase, weekly messages went out, “Now that you have reserved your ticket, we want to set the stage for things to come. Wrap yourselves in a wonderfully whimsical wardrobe … choose a character from your favorite fairytale or fantasy story. Don’t forget fantastical feathers and playful adornments. Let your sophisticated inner child bubble to the surface like a simmering potion in a wizard’s cauldron.”
Once the party started, guests received clues about fairy tales or fantasy stories that inspired the upcoming course. They silently wrote down their answers and placed them in a “magic box.” After collecting the answers, the fairy tale would be revealed in preparation for serving the course.
The five courses were:
Appetizer: Inspired by “Alice in Wonderland” with grilled lamb chop (representing the Flamingo Croquet Mallet used by Alice and the Queen of Hearts in the Disney animated movie), a stuffed sweet pepper as the hedgehog’s ball. The edible card was the Queen’s soldiers and potato pavé was the magical layered cake. Everything was served in the Mad Hatter’s hat. The companion cocktail was a Mint Margarita.
Second: Inspired by “The Princess and the Pea,” was a large pea-shaped ball of crab salad served on a pillow plate garnished with rice paper puffs and paired with a pea flower cocktail.
Third: Pumpkin soup inspired by “Cinderella,” served on a miniature cast iron pot on which she slaved, accompanied by a carriage — plated cheesy popover and paired with a champagne cosmopolitan.
Main: Pirate’s feast a la “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Filet mignon, persimmon and golden berry salad, accompanied a crab cake, paired with Navy Rum Grog.
Dessert: A Hogwarts’ chocolate crepe envelope sealed with a white chocolate double heart seal. Inside was filled with orange pastry cream diplomat and finished with butter beer.
Costume-wise, Julia was the Queen of Hearts, and Ted dressed as Steam Punked Gentleman. His changing bowties were clues representing stories being presented in the food courses. Guests came dressed as Maleficent, Minnie Mouse, Zeus, a geisha, Dr. Who, a princess, Masquerade Queen, Blue Bird of Happiness, and many more zany characters.
Self-taught gourmet cooks, Julia and Ted began prep two months in advance by sending out cryptic invitations in vintage envelopes, sealed with a wax seal of a silver fox with weekly follow-up clues. Decorating for the event involved two weeks of details that went into preparation like burying clues. The week prior, food and drink preparation started and continued up to the event. They had two assistants, one in the kitchen and one server.
Ted commented, “Many guests stayed well beyond the festivities, helping to organize the clean up. Recovering from the event continues, but the time is being filled with planning for the next party.”
The evening ended by casting a magic spell over a smoking cauldron.
Some guest comments included:
“I’m 75 years old and have never before been to such a clever and well-organized party.”
“I felt like my inner child escaped into a real enchanted feast where my taste buds were overwhelmed, and my imagination soared.”
“Julia and Ted spared no detail. The food and fairytales delighted everyone, filling our hearts with laughter and our stomachs with magical deliciousness.”
A first-generation immigrant of Minsk, Belarus, and a talented designer known for her bold and glamorous home designs, Julia was featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times Chai Style Column (June 12, 2019). Hailing from a long line of gifted fashion designers, Julia travels the world to find just the right details for her clients’ homes.
Julia said, “I love finding unique and uplifting design solutions for clients … discovering ways to deliver the unexpected in parties like this, is equally satisfying.”
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