Guests began the evening with a Champagne cocktail party on the Mr. C Beverly Hills patio, followed by a visit to the restaurant’s private dining room, “The Rialto Room.” The long-form dining table was beautifully appointed with pastel-colored florals and LOUIS XIII decanters, while a blown-up version of Anthony Davis’ Los Angeles Haute Living cover, as well as the eye-catching XO logo in its signature red-and-white coloring, were prominently displayed at the front of the room. Davis’ intensity in his Haute Living cover image accurately represented the major thrust of the story he told inside the magazine: his relentless determination to win.
As people took their seats, the speakers started playing cheerful music and the lights dimmed, creating the ideal dinnertime ambience. Signature family-style appetizers featured an artichoke and avocado salad with parmesan, fried calamari with tartar sauce, baked tagliolini with mushrooms, and risotto primavera.
Following the entrées—a choice of Burrata or Steak—Haute Living CEO Kamal Hotchandani addressed the audience, thanking XO and LOUIS XIII for powering the celebrations. The outstanding founder of JetSmarter, now part of Vista Global and renamed as XO, was there, as was LOUIS XIII’s long-standing association with Haute Living, which is dedicated to promoting excellence in a number of disciplines. He also thanked Klutch Sports Group—a division of United Talent Agency or UTA—for making the event possible, led by Rich Paul, who was also in attendance, and, of course, the evening’s honoree, Anthony Davis, for what he brings to Los Angeles as such an important key to one of the greatest NBA franchise teams of all time, and for what he brings to the city as a whole, beyond the world of basketball.
