Julia’s Inner Circle

By Lisa Duncan

Summerland positively shimmered with culinary chic this week as the stylish set ascended to the gorgeous ocean view loft of Godmothers for the announcement of the 2026 Julia Child Award recipient. The sleek modern bookstore – a favorite of locals like Oprah, Meghan, and Gwyneth – proved the perfect backdrop for an afternoon of books, bubbles, and beautifully turned-out bon vivants.

Miniature crêpes floated through the crowd while rosé sparkled in champagne flutes, and elegant ladies in Riviera neutrals mingled beneath soaring beams with the sort of animated bonhomie Julia Child herself would surely have adored. Frankly, all that was missing was a giant wheel of brie and someone flambéing something dangerous in the corner.

The afternoon’s headline moment came with the announcement that chef Sam Kass would receive the prestigious 2026 honor. Kass, best known as White House chef and nutrition policy advisor to Michelle Obama and Barack Obama, was praised for championing healthier and more equitable food systems – very much in the spirit of Julia Child’s enduring culinary legacy.

The reveal was delivered by 2025 recipient Bobby Stuckey, who flew in from Colorado and curated the afternoon’s wines with masterful flourish. Leading the lively discussion was Eric Spivey, alongside celebrated NYC journalist and author Alex Prud’homme, Julia Child’s great-nephew and co-author of My Life in France. Philadelphia “Phila” Cousins, Julia’s statuesque six-foot-tall niece – who famously accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Julia’s behalf from President George W. Bush – added touching reflections throughout the afternoon.

Among those spotted sipping and socializing were vintners Lisa and Bryan Babcock of Babcock Winery, Tamara Berndt of SBCE, and philanthropist and Lynda.com Co-founder Bruce Heavin. Positively délicieux, really.