Ask Bonnie

There isn’t a little girl who isn’t fascinated with literature’s most beloved and rambunctious 6-year-old, the character who has wreaked havoc at the Plaza Hotel and won the hearts of all who read about her since her debut in the mid 1950s. What better theme for a party than an Eloise birthday at the Plaza, er, make that the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables?

A unique and newly designed offering by Miami’s most historic hotel includes an adorable tea party with proper floral china, delicate tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, homemade preserves, plus a full complement of refreshments from the original tot’s menu from New York’s Plaza hotel, including Mary Had a Little Lamb Chops, Itsy Bitsy Burgers, Chick-a-Dee Sticks, Teeny Weenies, and Jack and the Beanstalk’s Julien. Fresh lemonade and fruit punch are passed by butlers in full uniform. Bowls of fresh flowers and an incredible assortment of exquisite adult fare for parents such as Kobe beef tartar and figs wrapped in Parma ham, makes for an impressive afternoon for all, served in an historic suite where raucous can rule without disturbing other guests.

A buttercream frosted medallion cake with the visage of young Eloise by the Biltmore’s talented pastry chef adds yet another incredibly delicious detail.

At our Eloise party, there were audible oohs and ahs from our guests as they walked into the suite.

“Today I am Eloise. Really. Just look,” said the birthday girl, my 5-year-old daughter, Rosie, pointing at the banner that read “Eloise at the Plaza Hotel.”

One girl wanted to know if Nanny, Eloise’s kind grandmother, was coming. My 7-year-old daughter, Sophia, said, “It’s so exciting; I feel like we are really at the Plaza, only it’s not so cold.”

We had been to the Plaza in New York a few years ago in December.

Add-on options to the Eloise party include a mother-daughter beauty day, stretch-limo service from your home, a horse-and-carriage ride around the Gables or a full-on pool party. Your family and a couple of the birthday girl’s best friends can even stay overnight in the historic suite you use for the party if you choose.

“You’ve really got people around here thinking,” said GM Dennis Doucette who re-created the menu that the Biltmore hotel offered in the 1950s for the kids. The whole staff got involved in coming up with extras such as the carriage ride around Coral Gables, just like in Central Park.

It’s all in the territory of pure, over-the-top kiddie fantasy. Invitations of course must come from Nanny, who implores that you absolutely must, must, must, must come to the party and eat because otherwise you dry up. Everyone knows that! Guests are encouraged to dress in black and white or hot pink and of course to bring a bathing suit for a fabulous swim party with more refreshments poolside.

For the basic party, the hotel supplies an array of dress-up fun in the form of white and pink feather boas, straw hats and lots of fancy jewelry in the suite. And lest you fear that cousin Timmy will be bored to tears, trust me, the little gents will be thrilled with the antics you can devise, especially when it comes to pin the tail on Weenie, Eloise’s baby pug, and a rather raucous piñata-whacking. One mom said of her 4-year-old son happily munching on finger sandwiches and sipping tea: “Zach is so into all this frilly stuff. He doesn’t think it is girlie at all.”

Gift bags for my own precocious 5-year-old’s party included pink rhinestone sunglasses, a stuffed and ribbon-tied Skipperdee, Eloise’s pet turtle with raisins for turtle food, as well as bubble bath, sand art, lollipops, pink lipstick and an Eloise easy-to-read book illustrated by Eloise creator Hilary Knight.

You can crank it up even more if you go online to score unique vintage and modern Eloise-themed extras, including DVDs, Madame Alexander dolls, posters, books, card games and dress-up sets. You can even find authentic mementos such as silver spoons, tea tins, butter dishes and the like from New York’s now defunct Plaza Hotel at www.remembertheplaza.com.

And if this party seems just a bit decadent, all I can say is: Charge it! Rates start at $1,500 for a group of 10 to 15. For information, call 305-445-1926, ext 4300.

By Patricia Veloso
South Florida Sun-Sentinel