How to host an all-out feast, Flamingo Estate-style

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High in the hills of Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighbourhood, Flamingo Estate’s seven-acre garden is in full bloom. “LA is always beautiful, but right now we are spoiled,” says Richard Christiansen of the recent spell of good weather, which has summoned irises, begonias, roses and camellias. The Australian-born entrepreneur and author lives here with his partner, the company’s head of creative Aaron Harvey. Together they run operations for Flamingo Estate’s eponymous lifestyle brand, known for its colourful soaps, candles and organic farm boxes.

Richard Christiansen (left), founder of Flamingo Estate, and his partner Aaron Harvey, head of creative at Flamingo Estate, with hanging mixed chilli pepper ristras © Pia Riverola
From left: actor Laura Harrier, Richard Christiansen and actor Stephanie Suganami
From left: actor Laura Harrier, Richard Christiansen and actor Stephanie Suganami © Pia Riverola
Jesse (left) and Daniil from Runway Waiters carrying the lobster noodles
Jesse (left) and Daniil from Runway Waiters carrying the lobster noodles © Pia Riverola
Plating wedge salads dotted with spring blossoms, snap peas and a shaved wheel of chiogga beet – finished with a creamy dill and yuzu vinaigrette
Plating wedge salads dotted with spring blossoms, snap peas and a shaved wheel of chiogga beet – finished with a creamy dill and yuzu vinaigrette © Pia Riverola
From left: actors Alycia Debnam-Carey and Laura Harrier
From left: actors Alycia Debnam-Carey and Laura Harrier © Pia Riverola

Each season, the couple throw a party at which they spotlight a Flamingo scent. Tonight’s solstice cookout is based around its bestselling candle, Roma Heirloom Tomato. “The house and garden are purpose-built to get Alice down the rabbit hole,” says Christiansen, who has arranged for each course to be served in a different area. “I love the idea of guests moving from space to space to animate the experience. It’s necessary for people to collide.”

Clockwise from top left: Richard Christiansen, Aaron Harvey, Julian Petschek, live action and animation director, Burt Bakman, chef at Slab and Trudy’s Underground Barbecue, Emily Green (sitting), creative director of luxury at Compass, and Lucy Voigt, Flamingo Estate’s senior director of product; in the basket of vegetables (bottom left) are Flamingo Estate Strawberry Everything Sauce and Salsa Macha; cooking over an open fire are market fruit and vegetables
Clockwise from top left: Richard Christiansen, Aaron Harvey, Julian Petschek, live action and animation director, Burt Bakman, chef at Slab and Trudy’s Underground Barbecue, Emily Green (sitting), creative director of luxury at Compass, and Lucy Voigt, Flamingo Estate’s senior director of product; in the basket of vegetables (bottom left) are Flamingo Estate Strawberry Everything Sauce and Salsa Macha; cooking over an open fire are market fruit and vegetables © Pia Riverola
Flamingo Estate’s Richard Christiansen in the kitchen of his Los Angeles home
Flamingo Estate’s Richard Christiansen in the kitchen of his Los Angeles home © Pia Riverola

Tonight’s guest list is a glamorous mix of creatives, including actress Laura Harrier, music executive Larry Jackson and stylist Djuna Bel. All are greeted by handsome waiters in custom uniforms as trays of playful appetisers (potato doughnuts and mini quiche tartlets, both with edible flowers on them) circulate. From there the party meanders through the green-striped living room to a citrus orchard at the end of the garden, where grill expert Burt Bakman has been smoking local bounty over an open fire. “It’s a bit of theatre,” says Christiansen. “We love to eat with our eyes, but also our ears; it’s nice for guests to hear the fire.”

From left: Aaron Harvey, Richard Christiansen and Hollywood estate agent Nicole Reber
From left: Aaron Harvey, Richard Christiansen and Hollywood estate agent Nicole Reber © Pia Riverola
Chef Sandy Ho (left) and her sous chef for the evening, Karla Subero Pittol, prepping the dessert: a pavlova with first-of-the-season’s cherries, raspberries and Harry’s Berries strawberries, topped with pink raspberry meringue
Chef Sandy Ho (left) and her sous chef for the evening, Karla Subero Pittol, prepping the dessert: a pavlova with first-of-the-season’s cherries, raspberries and Harry’s Berries strawberries, topped with pink raspberry meringue © Pia Riverola
Donald Harvey, Aaron’s father and director/founder of the Emancipation Proclamation Document Collection (a 501c3 Foundation), and Nicole Reber
Donald Harvey, Aaron’s father and director/founder of the Emancipation Proclamation Document Collection (a 501c3 Foundation), and Nicole Reber © Pia Riverola
Lobster noodles with blistered cherry tomatoes and confit garlic; the bottle is custom Flamingo Estate Heritage Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lobster noodles with blistered cherry tomatoes and confit garlic; the bottle is custom Flamingo Estate Heritage Extra Virgin Olive Oil © Pia Riverola

Australian chef and food stylist Sandy Ho serves lobster noodles and green curried ribeyes with smoked mushrooms, onions, pineapple and asparagus in the garden pavilion, a space lined with explosive-pink rose trees. The table is dressed with mismatched crystal glasses, filled with the Estate’s own Pink Moon Rosé, which is no longer available to buy but is brought out on very special occasions from Christiansen’s secret batch. Says Christiansen of the vintage: “It’s supposed to be the same colour as underneath a flamingo’s wing.”

Lobster tails cut open and prepared for lobster noodles
Lobster tails cut open and prepared for lobster noodles © Pia Riverola
Ho prepping poached lobsters in a broth of onions, lemons, Cara Cara oranges, tarragon and garlic
Ho prepping poached lobsters in a broth of onions, lemons, Cara Cara oranges, tarragon and garlic © Pia Riverola
Appetisers, clockwise from top left: potato pecorino doughnut with whipped beet cream cheese and bull’s blood micro greens; crispy tuna nori roll dressed with miso and sesame and topped with fresh borage flowers; turmeric and snap pea arancini with scallion aioli and pea blossoms (also bottom left); asparagus quiche with caviar and creme fraiche finished with white alyssum blossoms; mini butter poached lobster rolls with trout roe, dill and violas
Appetisers, clockwise from top left: potato pecorino doughnut with whipped beet cream cheese and bull’s blood micro greens; crispy tuna nori roll dressed with miso and sesame and topped with fresh borage flowers; turmeric and snap pea arancini with scallion aioli and pea blossoms (also bottom left); asparagus quiche with caviar and creme fraiche finished with white alyssum blossoms; mini butter poached lobster rolls with trout roe, dill and violas © Pia Riverola
Sculptor/artist Nikolai Haas and creative director Djuna Bel in the stairwell
Sculptor/artist Nikolai Haas and creative director Djuna Bel in the stairwell © Pia Riverola

Dessert, a giant pink pavlova covered with berries, takes the group back up to the house to be enjoyed with a playlist of jazz and R&B classics (a “gift” to Harvey from 13-time Grammy winner John Legend). “Hospitality is about intimacy and effort,” says Christiansen. “It’s also a two-way street. You have to show up for the person who is cooking and serving, and they have to show up for you.”

Send us your summer party photos at htsisubmissions@ft.com and we’ll republish the highlights later this summer…

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