Eric and Christina Case experienced the dinner cruise of a lifetime on Saturday, August 1st.  It was a picture-perfect evening as the party departed from Solomons onboard S/Y Zingaro for a sunset sail on the Patuxent, then anchored in Solomons harbor for an exquisite and memorable dinner on deck. Eric Case (Valrhona Chocolates, NYC), and his wife Christina MacNamara won the high bid for the “Chesapeake Bay Dinner Cruise for Six”, the top prize in an auction held last September to support the US Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie team. Eric and Christina hosted two other couples for this spectacular dinner event.

The festivities began with a pierside champagne and hors d’oeuvres reception on Chef Mark Ramsdell’s Jeanneau 39i Friandise, followed by a multi-course, multi wine dinner cruise on the Passport 47 Zingaro. The hors d’oeuvres and dinner were prepared by Francois Dionot, founder (in 1976) and director of L’Academie de Cuisine, Gaithersburg. The dessert was prepared and served by Roland Mesnier, former White House Pastry chef to five presidents during a 25 year career.  Chef Mark Ramsdell, former director of the Professional Pastry Arts Program at L’Academie, prepared the after-dinner friandise. S/Y Zingaro was provided by Sail Solomons, and sailed by Captains and American Sailing Association (ASA) Instructors Lisa and Andy Batchelor. Following the dinner cruise, guests repaired to Friandise for a pierside party featuring the yacht’s namesake “friandise”. After sleeping aboard Friandise, and awoke Sunday morning breakfast onboard.