Red carpet gala for R&B

By: Rhonda Reinke - For the North County Times | Saturday, March 10, 2007 7:31 PM PST ∞

Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott showcased their newly renovated bed and breakfast in true Hollywood style with a red-carpet entrance, limousines, paparazzi, high fashion and flamboyance last week. Formerly operated as Oak Creek Manor in southwest Fallbrook, the new name of the bed and breakfast, Chateau La Rue, is named after Tori's dog Mimi LaRue.

Appearing in a stunning emerald green full-length dress was Lisa Rinna along side her dashing husband Harry Hamlin. Deborah Gibson, Kato Kaelin, Grant Show and Kelly Rutherford were some of the many friends Tori and Dean had bused in from Hollywood.

And who could miss pink-haired Perez Hilton, a gossip columnist and good friend of Tori. If you have not visited his Web site, be sure to do so when the little ones are not in the room.

With little time to prepare, my husband and I found ourselves patiently waiting at the entrance for the completion of preparations for the gala. Drinks were served and a release form was signed prior to entering the event. The partially tented grounds housed the disc jockey, a lounge and a bar area. Cougar, Hart and Wilson Creek wines were served along side wonderful cheeses, breads and mini salads. The caterer for the evening was California Pizza Kitchen, a perfect choice considering the average age of those attending.

We were entertained during the evening by "Dreamgirls," and no, I do not mean Jennifer Hudson, but rather a show that proved to be very entertaining with impersonations of Tori at different stages of her life as well as Cher, Madonna and Tina Turner.

Between performances I was interviewed on camera for their reality show "Tori & Dean: Inn Love," which premieres at 10:30 p.m. March 20 on the Oxygen Network. We met very friendly staff but I was most impressed by Dean and Tori.

He was a genuine host, easy to talk with and from our conversation, a hard worker as well, running on just four hours sleep after having been up most of the night unpacking boxes and cleaning floors. Tori was equally gracious and I enjoyed her guided tour of the interior of the bed and breakfast.

I had toured the site when it was Oak Manor and the renovations were spectacular. Fabulous colors of chocolate brown, blues and white cover most the walls and ceilings. All the furnishings are very modern and added a splash of color.

Each bedroom was complete with live art ---- partially clothed ---- which lead to some very interesting conversations I cannot share at this time.

Tori and Dean welcomed registered guests for the first time on Wednesday and I for one am looking forward to watching the final cut of their new reality show when it airs at the end of this month.

Rhonda Reinke is Honorary Mayor of Fallbrook.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, email addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.