Gastronomy and philanthropy are once again joining forces to serve education with the 2008
Great Chefs Dinner, one of the food world's most eagerly anticipated affairs each year. The event is the primary fund raiser for Bridgehampton's own Hayground School. This annual tribute to the late
Jeff Salaway, a widely respected and beloved restaurateur and one of the school's co-founders, features the prodigious culinary talents of some of the hottest chefs in New York City and the Hamptons.
The 2008 Great Chefs Dinner will benefit Hayground's Jeff Salaway Scholarship Fund and Jeff's Kitchen, as well as celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nick & Toni's, a favorite haunt of visiting and local business, art, and entertainment celebrities. The event will be held on Sunday, July 13 in a festive tent outside Nick & Toni's, North Main Street, East Hampton. Restaurateurs Drew Nieporent and
Toni Ross and Nick & Toni's are the evening's co-hosts.
The 2008 Great Chefs Dinner's stellar line-up of culinary masters, many of whom were Salaway's longtime friends and colleagues, include:
•
Josh Capon of Lure Fishbar
•
Tom Colicchio of Craft Restaurants, Food Craft, and Bravo TV's "Top Chef"
•
Claudia Fleming of The North Fork Table & Inn
• Larry Forgione of An American Place and An American Café St. Louis
•
Marc Meyer of 5 Points, Cookshop, and Provence
• Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar & Grill
•
Joseph Realmuto of Nick & Toni's Restaurant
•
Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin
• Aaron Sanchez of Paladar and Centrico Restaurants
• Toshio Tomita of Nobu Restaurant
• Laurent Tourondel of BLT Restaurants
•
Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto Restaurant
The 2008 Great Chef's Dinner will begin under the tent with cocktails at 6 p.m. and will feature food stations offering an array of the chefs' signature dishes. The area's foremost sommeliers, under the direction of wine expert Joe Watson of VINe, Winebar & Cafe, will pour wines that perfectly compliment these gastronomic delights. Dinner will be followed by dancing, and there will also be wine tasting provided by the top local and international vineyards, appearances and book signings by noted food writers, displays of specialty foods, and culinary tools and products, an auction, and raffle.
Tickets for the tent event are $350 per person. In addition, a limited number of tickets are available inside the restaurant for a special 7 p.m. seating for courses created by Eric Ripert, Tom Colicchio, and Claudia Fleming, served with exceptionally fine, rare wines, at $1,500 each (includes cocktails and dancing in the tent).
For tickets and sponsorship information, contact Donna Imbarrato at 631-327-0573 or
greatchefsdinner@gmail.com.
