Sure, it’s another big to-do with expensive ticket prices and way more food and wine and booze than any one person needs. But it’s for a good cause! And Sunday’s Star Chefs and Vintners Gala at Fort Mason, the annual event benefiting Meals on Wheels, marks a high point even for the bevy of local chefs who cook at events like this all year long. Last year Meals on Wheels broke a record and raised $1.2 million to feed home-bound seniors, and from the momentum of the live auction this year, we’re guessing they topped that — one item alone, a private dinner cooked by Melissa Perello of Frances, got doubled into two items when it hit $22,000, therefore taking in $44,000, and a pig roast with chefs Nancy Oakes and Nancy Silverton went for over $30K. But there was lots to taste and sip at the cocktail reception before the dinner, and with over 100 well known Bay Area chefs taking part, you’d better believe the food was good.
Earlier: Dine, Sip, and Spend For a Good Cause at Next Week’s Star Chefs and Vintners Gala
Marlowe chef Jennifer Puccio (right) was serving up her take on “ham and cheese” with local burrata, apple gastrique, and prosciutto.
Photo: Georg Lester/? Georg Lester Photography
Brown Sugar Kitchen’s Tonya Holland, who’ll soon be opening her second restaurant by the same name in the Bayview, served a delicious shrimp and grits that was one of the best bites of the evening.
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Chef Chris Cosentino, who served up a stellar lamb tartare, gets interviewed.
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Startender Brooke Arthur of Prospect made an excellent cocktail that by many accounts was the favorite, with gin, kumquat juice, and Oloroso sherry.
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Bar Tartine’s Nick Balla made a delicious smoked brisket with housemade sour cream and arugula salad.
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Plate Shop’s smear of foie gras with stawberry gastrique.
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Baker & Banker’s rabbit ballantine with cherries.
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Chef Ravi Kapur of Prospect, chatting with guests.
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Chef Dominique Crenn (right) and girlfriend Katherine Keon.
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…but not so much in the weeds, here’s SPQR chef Matt Accarrino, center, with Bourbon Steak pastry chef Catherine Schimenti, and SPQR sous chef Sheree Chang.
Photo: Georg Lester/? Georg Lester Photography
Terra / Ame chef Hiro Sone did a trio of tuna for his first course in the banquet. Teams of chefs each do a three-course menu for a block of 110 people, thereby lightening the load for each team and insuring food comes out at a better temperature than if they were cooking for 900.
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Chef Jenn Biesty of Scala’s.
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Crenn’s compressed melon and olive bread first course.
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Chef Michael Tusk was on hand slinging plates, just a week after taking home the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Pacific.
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Chef Mourad Lahlou (Aziza) cooked his short ribs sous vide under one of the tables. He was by himself, sans staff, this night because his restaurant was open.
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It wouldn’t be a gala without local drag queen socialite Donna Sachet.
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Chairwoman of the gala Nancy Oakes speaks with the auctioneer on stage.
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Chef Sho Kamio (Yoshi’s) was quite the sho-man during the chef walk-off as the dinner wound down.
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Then it was dessert time. Here’s Absinthe pastry guru Bill Corbett, who was serving up a fancified basil s’more and several other flavored s’mores.
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Humphry Slocombe was there, naturally.
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To be sure, Top Chef: Just Dessert winner Yigit Pura, of Taste Catering, was the man of the hour during the dessert reception.
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Taste also made these delicious chocolate ganache bites that they titled “Frank Lloyd Wright.”
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And to cap things off, some perfect, bright pink marshmallows from Tell Tale Preserve Co. and chef William Werner.
Photo: Georg Lester/? Georg Lester Photography
