Malibu Seen

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Sen. Barbara Boxer digs in with co-chief executive officers Abbe Land and Jeff Bujer at Extravaganza.

SO LONG SUMMER, HELLO FALL

Summer 2004 was a season of sun, fun-and food. Gourmets and gourmands alike had no shortage of samplings to choose from. The posh Ken Roberts Estate drew some of the city’s top chow-miesters from Granita’s Jennifer Naylor to Nobu’s Nobu Matsuhisa. The mega-bash pulled in more than a million bucks for the American Cancer Society.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation delivered an equally sumptuous smorgasbord at its Barker Hangar bash. It was a non-stop grazing extravaganza, which featured everything from French frois gras to Pink’s chili-cheese dogs. While food fans piled their plates high with delectable morsels, “The Drew Carrey Show’s” Deitrich Bader was serving up a storm at the celebrity martini bar. But there’s more to Mister Bader than just bartending skills. He’s been shaking things up on VH1’s “I Love the ’90s.” You can also look for him to hit the big screen, starring opposite sexy Sandra Bullock in “Miss Congeniality 2.”

Over at Fox Studios, the food festivities continued at Extravaganza for the Senses. That’s where hungry hordes and gourmet gurus brought in big bucks for The Los Angeles Free Clinic. Malibu’s Charlize Theron served as honorary co-chair along with kid-star-turned-movie-star Drew Barrymore. The seventh annual Extravaganza attracted more than 2,000 guests, including U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and KCRW’s “Pop Secret” host Cathy Tamkin.

Forty Los Angeles restaurants, including Chloe, Locanda del Lago, L’Orangerie, Chan Dara and Tokio, gave it their all, donating heaps of eats and dishing it out by the truck load. To wash it all down, the champagne flowed and the vino was primo. Grape lovers went booth to booth to sample selections from some of the best wineries around-more than 100 in all, including favorites like Kendall Jackson, Kenwood, Grgich Hills, Iron Horse, Bonny Doon, Swanson Cellars and Stag’s Leap.

Adding to the effervescence, there was bubbly aplenty-a selection of real sparklers from heavyweights like Moet Chandon, Piper-Heidsick and Veuve Cliquot. (hic!). The delicious affair raised more than $200,00 for those fine folks over at the Free Clinic who provide quality heath care and social services to the uninsured and people in need.

Now that we’ve had our fill, it’s time to hit the gym and let’s not blow it. It will be Turkey Day before you know it!