Persian Gala's Goal to Change Perception of Iranians
Carolyne Zinko, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, November 25, 2007
The pomegranate cocktails were flowing. The zoulbia, cookies made with rosewater, were laid out with tea. Oriental carpets covered the floors, and musicians played the santoor, a hammered dulcimer. The tables were set with names of ancient Persian landmarks and cities, and the 400 guests were seated with others who matched their income level, political persuasion and job interests, a seating chart that took four days to accomplish.
For a Persian party, the atmosphere on a recent Saturday couldn't have been more appropriate. It was the setting that was unusually noteworthy: the private Menlo Circus Club in Atherton, which plays host to Peninsula high society (descendants of railroad, shipping, lumber and gold barons) more often than it does to a new slice of society - Iranian American entrepreneurs whose high-tech fortunes have made them barons of today. Read more.