On a steamy August afternoon, protected from the sun and heat by a large tent and huge fan, seventy members of the Cincinnati Bailliage assembled at the country home of Vice Chargé de Mission Clint and Jean Haynes for their seventh annual dine-around and fundraising event.
The Haynes generously donate their country home in bucolic, rural Indiana to the Cincinnati Bailliage for a fun afternoon event which raises money for the Irwin and Barbara Weinberg Scholarship Fund. This Fund awards money to local culinary students who attend the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State University. For many of these students, the financial assistance allows them to concentrate more on their culinary skills and less on financial matters. The Scholarship fund was established by the Weinbergs, stalwart supporters of both the Bailliage and culinary school for many years.
Calm Before the Storm 
Jeanne and George Elliott welcoming Carol White and Eric Durbin 
Barbara Weinberg and Chef Pat Gaito 
Chefs Dan Morrow and Mary Horn frying fresh perch from Lake Erie 
Caterer and Graig Smith shucking oysters 
Chef Chuck Hong at the grill 
Clint Haynes sabering a Champagne bottle 
Jean Haynes, Flavia Bastos, and John Huston 
Lane and Matthew Millett 
Carol White, Irwin Weinberg, Lizzy Weinberg, Barbara Weinberg, Eric Durbin 
Don Buckley, Eric Durbin, Marcus Relthford, J.T. Mayer 
Janet Reynolds, Carol White, Marilyn Buckley, Carol Lemy 
Paul and Carmen Parks, Marc Behnert, Helen How 
Glory McDougall, Marj Valvano, Carol Monnin 
Wine Auction Table 
Mike Monnin overseeing the wine auction 
Oysters and Sauces 
Clams, Oysters, and Crab Salad Sliders 
Watermelon Salad 
Poached Sicilian-Style Cod 
Shrimp and Tomato Salad 
Peach, Arugula, Walnut Salad 
Salmon on the grill 
Fried Bread 
Hush Puppies 
Buffet Table 
Buffet Line 
A Little Bit of Everything 
Happy 40th Anniversary to Cincinnati Chaine
Bailli George Elliot and his wife, Jeanne, greeted members with a tasting glass and sent them over to a long tasting table to deposit their contributed bottles of sparkling, white, rosé, and red wines. Chevalier Pat Gaito, Enchanson Provincial Mary Horn, Vice Enchanson Gastronomique Chuck Hong, Chevalier Shannon Read, Chevalier Dan Morrow, and many members of the Haynes family prepared an amazing inland seafood extravaganza. The feast started with a medley of fresh Carolina oysters with assorted sauces, steamed clams with butter sauce, and crab salad sliders.
A buffet dinner included two of Mary Horn’s specialties: cedar planked salmon with bourbon sauce, and batter-fried fresh Lake Erie perch with a dollop of her tartar sauce. Pat Gaito prepared his legendary Italian sausage and peppers dish along with a large selection of salads including peaches with pecans and mixed greens, Sicilian style cod in olive oil, strawberry Capresé, and watermelon with fresh mint.
The capstone of the evening was a pair of desserts curated especially for our Cincinnati Bailliage. Mary Horn prepared bread pudding using a recipe from Vice Enchanson Gastronomique Honoraire Marilyn Harris. A special 40th Anniversary cake was topped with a frosting likeness of the Bailliage’s 40th anniversary pin which was designed by Chevalier David Millett.
Throughout the evening, members and guests bid on wine lots in a silent auction format featuring wines from our Chaîne cellar and some donations. Vice Enchanson Honoraire Mike Monnin and Mary Horn assembled the auction lots. By the end of the evening, the auction generated a total of $4,823. Each guest also contributed $25, increasing total donations to the Scholarship Fund to $6,548.
What a nice way to spend an afternoon and evening with great friends for a wonderful cause! Members thanked and praised the Haynes family, and all of the people involved in this annual tradition, for their generosity. A few of the organizers were even heard throwing out ideas for the 8th annual country event in 2022.
Graig Smith, Vice Chargé de Presse