Caruso Hosts a Black Tie Celebration Ahead of the Palisades Village Grand Opening
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Two days ahead of the Palisades Village ribbon-cutting ceremony, celebrities, community members and store owners gathered to celebrate at a black tie gala under the stars at the then-nearly open development on Sept. 20.
Complete with a red carpet, celebrity guests included Charlize Theron, Mindy Kaling, Camilla Belle and John Legend—who wrapped up the evening with an intimate performance.
After an hour-long cocktail hour, guests made their way to Swarthmore, where dinner service was interspliced with speeches from local officials and jokes from Master of Ceremonies and Former Honorary Mayor of the Palisades Kevin Nealon.
“This is going to be life-changing, ladies and gentleman,” Nealon started, “for our credit card debt. It is going to be monumental.
“All I can say is I’m glad it’s here—I no longer have to use the bathroom at Gelson’s,” he joked.
Following the first course, butter lettuce salad with heirloom cherry tomatoes, avocado and fine herbs topped with champagne vinaigrette, Nealon returned to the stage to introduce Honorary Co-Mayors Billy and Janice Crystal.
“We said, ‘We’re going to deliver a village,’ so I said, ‘Who can do this?’” Billy said. “And then I met Rick and I sat him down and I said, ‘Listen, here’s $3,500. Just go wild.”
“Do whatever you want,” Janice added, before making jokes about how well the snow removal is going under the mayorship and putting tariffs on Brentwood and Malibu.
After a second course of grilled filet mignon, shrimp scampi, sautéed spinach, and summer truffle macaroni and cheese, Nealon brought Caruso up to the stage.
“And all of this?” Nealon said, pointing around Palisades Village. “Just a little smaller than his walk-in closet.”
Caruso first thanked the various mayors of the Palisades—both honorary and Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti—city officials and city staff for their support during the project.
“There was clarity to what this community wanted,” Caruso said about the 900-person marathon meetings that took place at Palisades Charter High School when the project was first coming together.
“I want to thank the city—the city, at the end of the day, when we were moving so fast … they had full-time inspectors here because we were working so quick.”
Caruso then went on to honor members of his staff that helped get Palisades Village up and running, including Michael Gazzano, with Steadfast Awards—named for the statue that now stands across from Cinépolis.
“I could bring up 1,000 people—I promise you I’m not,” Caruso said. “But the other thing that that statue represents is the hard work that people do that actually get their hands dirty that create these places. It’s easy for me to get the praise, and I appreciate it and I love it, but the reality is there are some people that work really hard.”
After dessert, summer fruit crumble with vanilla bean ice cream, John Legend took the stage to perform hits, including “Love Me Now” and “All of Me.”
After wrapping his set with “Green Light,” fireworks lit up the sky at around 11:15 p.m.—a signature celebratory wrap-up at Caruso properties.
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