The Pool Room at the Four Seasons Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal

One of the unwritten rules of the social circuit—at least it seems to us—is not to eat at parties. We have always been told that a secret to such asceticism is to drink a glass of milk before you leave the house. Why? Because it fills you up.

Regis Philbin chats with a server. Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal

Maybe it's about calories, maybe it's about being couth, maybe it's about the quality of the cuisine, but it's rare to see a plate at a "rubber chicken" wiped clean.

This wasn't the case over the weekend at the annual Through the Kitchen benefit, which raises money for the Cancer Research Institute's Irvington Fellowship Program. The event, which takes place at the Four Seasons restaurant and raised $1,000,000 this year—thanks, chiefly, to the efforts of Lauren Veronis—funds the research of young scientists seeking a cure for cancer.

Eva Dubin and Caryn Zucker Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal

The conceit of this event is that it's a casual Sunday supper, although all the men showed up in suits and ties. Guests are outfitted with a purple apron, given a plate and allowed to walk through the Four Seasons kitchen where a buffet of epic proportions has been arranged, including everything from sushi and other crustaceans to a full pig roast.

A lot of heavy hitters—including Regis and Joy Philbin; Joanne and Roberto DeGuardiola; Karl Wellner and Deborah Norville; Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Diana Taylor; Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto and Ms. Veronis, her husband, John, her daughter, Perri Peltz, and Ms. Peltz's husband, Eric Ruttenberg—packed into the Grill Room for hors d'oeuvres waiting for the kitchen to open. They were supplied with mini hamburgers, pizza and quail eggs to whet their appetites.

Perri Peltz and Lauren Veronis Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal

Guests have apparently developed strategies to conquer the buffet, an event that could be compared with entering the Vernissage at Art Basel in Miami, storming the Bastille or running with the bulls in Pamplona. Some position themselves as close to the kitchen as possible during cocktails, so that as soon as the kitchen doors open, they avoid the mad dash and an extended line. Some drift into the Pool Room early in order to reach the kitchen from the other side, a kind of sneak-attack measure.

A few of the guests in attendance discussed refraining from eating all day Sunday (and perhaps even all weekend) in preparation for the repast.

"Did I really hear that you had a milkshake today?" Lally Weymouth asked Ms. DeGuardiola as they passed each other in the hustle and bustle of the kitchen.

"I did," responded Ms. DeGuardiola.

The buffet in the restaurant's kitchen Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal

"I hate you," joked Ms. Weymouth in response.

There is also, apparently, a strategy of pacing when it comes to tackling the spread. During his initial pass, Mr. Wellner, a money manager, focused mainly on shrimp cocktail and some sushi.

"This is only my first course," Mr. Wellner said. "I'll go more bovine next time."

After the buffet has been grazed, another surprise awaits: eccentrically decorated tables. This year's theme was "a salute to famous women of America." In lieu of place cards, compact mirrors were given with seat assignments. Tables were named after and decorated in homage to ladies like Pocahontas, Marilyn Monroe, Tammy Faye Baker and Gypsy Rose Lee.

Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal

The Shirley Temple table had lots of rainbow lollipops and dolls, while the Jackie Kennedy Onassis spread featured Pucci-ish scarves on each seat. For Dale Evans's table there were horses and a lasso; gangster paraphernalia and fake money were on Ma Barker's. An Aunt Jemima table had maple syrup and pancakes on it. Judy Garland had a little basket with a stuffed dog inside. A Tammy Wynette one had blow-up microphones, lots of blonde hair dye and some Aquanet hair spray. Chairs at the Bella Abzug table each had a bra with a box of matches attached. And in the pool in the Pool Room, there were a bunch of blow-up dolls dressed in bathing suits meant to invoke Esther Williams.

There was also a table in homage to Ms. Veronis, which had been kept from her during the planning and took her by surprise. She was a little embarrassed by the attention, she explained, "and plus everyone else who has a table is dead." (Which, we feel we should mention, isn't quite the case, as Ms. Williams and Ms. Temple are still with us.)

After dinner and a live auction, there was a dessert bar, filled with black-and-white cookies, macarons, fresh fruit, red velvet cakes, ice cream sundaes and more. As stomachs began to fill and the room cleared out, some of the guests ransacked the various centerpieces for goodies before rolling themselves home. Ms. Veronis reclaimed some of the family photos that had been used at the Lauren Veronis table.

"See?" she said. "We raised money and we had fun." Then she danced off to "Bei Mir Bistu Shein" by the Andrews Sisters.

Write to Marshall Heyman at