Chalking up the sidewalk in Tribeca. 2:30 PM.

Another breezy, sunny, slightly chilly early April day in New York. Susan Magrino hosted a small luncheon for Sir Rocco Forte and his family at Le Cirque. Sir Rocco and family had stopped in New York on their way back to London from Lyford Cay. Although Forte is one of the most famous names in the UK as a family success story, it is very American in its style. Sir Rocco’s grandfather, also Rocco, emigrated to the Scotland in the first decade of the 20th century from Mortale Casalattico (near Monte Cassino – and now re-named Montforte in his honor). He started a chain of cafés. His son, Sir Rocco’s father, Charles Forte (later Baron Forte of Ripley) went off on his own in his mid-20s and started milk bars in London. One of them, the Rainbow, was a big hangout for American soldiers in London during the Second World War.

Sir Rocco's place setting.

After the War, the family business expanded into restaurants, travel lodges and hotels, as well as acquiring a wine merchant along the way. In 1970 through mergers, the company became known as Trust House Forte with Charles Forte as Chairman. In 1982, his son Rocco took over as CEO. In 1996, the company with more than 800 hotels and 1000 restaurants (including the George V in Paris and the Plaza Athenee in New York) was acquired and the family left with their share close to $700 million in cash.   The luncheon table. Ten years ago Sir Rocco started The Rocco Forte Collection which is now the largest city-center luxury hotel brand in Europe with 11 properties in cities across the Continent beginning with Brown’s Hotel in London and including the Hotel de Russie in Rome – very chic and cool, according to this sometime-traveler; and Le Richemond in Geneva. In the past two years Sir Rocco has opened hotels in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Geneva, with another planned in November in Prague, a golf resort and spa in Sicily (in Spring next year), another hotel in Abu Dhabi (next year), and a resort in Marrakech in 2010. With that in mind, I was curious to meet the hospitality heir/tycoon whose first name which is so Italian has become so popular among the Brits that even Herself, Madonna named her kid Rocco. Sir Rocco was very stylish in exactly the way you might expect of an Italian businessman, in a well-cut navy suit, and sporting that popular, well-manicured three day scruff that began as a fashion statement quite some time ago with the boys from Chelsea and has since become the rage, no matter where you go and no matter the age. He is a friendly man, very contemporary and prosperous looking. New York is obviously under consideration for a Rocco Forte Collection hotel, although no site has been chosen as yet. Susan Magrino invited several of the boldfaced ones to join the luncheon including Somers Farkas, Frederique van der Wal, Bob Colacello, Euan Rellie (who was celebrating his 40th birthday yesterday), Rufus, Earl of Albemarle, another Brit with a title and a strong natal connection to Italy (he lived there as a child); also Allyn Magrino, and Kelly Bensimon. Also joining us were Alai, Lady Forte and the Fortes’ three children, Charles, Lydia and Irene (pronounced Ih-ren-nay) who were visiting New York for the first time and loving it. After lunch the family went up to the Guggenheim for a look, and head over to London tonight.

Kelly Bensimon and Euan Rellie

Charles, Lydia, Sir Rocco, Alai, and Irene Forte

Somers Farkas and Bob Colacello

Frederique van der Wal talking to Sir Rocco

Euan Rellie and Sir Rocco Forte

Last night in New York I stopped by the Berry-Hill Gallery on 11 East 70th Street where Fred Hill and his daughter Daisy Hill Sanders were hosting a book party for Daisy’s friend Heather Bauer and her new book “Wall Street Diet.” Heather is a nutritionist with an office around the corner at 710 Park. The Wall Street diet is about — I was told by a follower — structuring a diet according to one’s lifestyle. A woman with a career, for example, has to organize her dietary choices according to her schedule and her time at home. Same with a woman who has recently had a baby and needs to lose a little of that extra weight she acquired during pregnancy. Anyway Ms. Bauer must have a lot of friends and followers/clients as the place was mobbed and lively.

Fred Hill, Heather Bauer, and Daisy Hill Sanders. Click image to order Wall Street Diet.

The scene at Berry-Hill

From Berry-Hill I went a few blocks down to Anne Ford’s where she was hosting a birthday dinner for her slightly older sister Charlotte, and about a dozen friends. The two sisters have a warm and close relationship. More than once at birthday dinners I have heard them thank each other for their friendship. They talk everyday, see each other frequently, and often travel together as well as have houses near each other in Sun Valley. Anne loves to rib her sister gently about things that interest her. Back when they were very young and Charlotte was the most famous American debutante in the world, her name was linked to some of the most famous men of the time including Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra (who took her home to Hoboken to introduce her to his mother), Peter Duchin and George Hamilton, not to mention (never mentioning) Stavros Niarchos whom she married and who is the father of her only child Elena. Charlotte never talks about those times and discretion comes as naturally to her as her name. So sister bringing it up titillates and the mention of the famous men provokes curious questions from the rest of us.

The table set for dinner.

Poster announcing Charlotte's "appointment" (by her sister) to Surgeon General of the US.

Birthday girl blowing out her candle.

Anne always puts forth the roles of “little sister/big sister,” faux-referring to herself as the little wallflower sister who only got to answer the door when Cary Grant came to call. Last night when the dining room doors were opened, there on the other side of the table was a large poster of Charlotte in uniform and the title Surgeon-General of the United States. Charlotte is passionately interested in health and medical care (and has served on the Board of Trustees of New York Hospital for more than twenty-five years). When everyone was seated Anne read a “proclamation” about Charlotte’s “Surgeon Generalship” and how she’d change America’s diet (approving a full and steady diet of chocolate, cookies and “anything coconut” and all the things her grandchildren like to eat – no meats, veggies, etc.).

Diana Feldman

Serena Stewart, Charlotte Ford, and Anne Ford

The "paparazzi" getting their pictures

I missed another birthday party last night, regrettably; too tired at the end of a long day and long week – that of the aforementioned Euan Rellie who was celebrating his 40th at a dinner hosted by his wife Lucy Sykes for about forty or more of their friends at Bar Milano at 24th and Third. The Rellie-Sykes birthdays are large and just this side of raucous/comme il faut, as the couple has lots of friends who are contemporaries working and playing and living in New York. Euan, who is Scottish and grew up in the UK is a very congenial hail fellow well met sort of guy, and a natural born host. I’m sure I missed a lot of fun. Happy Birthday Euan!

Comments? Contact DPC here.