Foodies With Benefits

Vetri Enlists a Cavalcade of Top Culinary Talent For His Great Chefs Event

Marc Vetri with business partner Jeff Benjimen at last year's Great Chefs Event
Marc Vetri with business partner Jeff Benjimen at last year’s Great Chefs Event Photo: Collin Keefe

Marc Vetri just finalized the list of chefs who will participate in this year’s 6th Annual Great Chefs Event, the Vetri Foundation’s fundraiser for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and it’s a veritable Who’s Who of top culinary talent. It takes place on June 14 at Urban Outfitters headquarters in the Navy Yard. Back in 2005 when he held the event for the first time at Philly’s Restaurant School, six local chefs turned out. Since then the benefit, which raises money to fight pediatric cancer, has grown exponentially; last year it drew more than 40 chefs from around the world, with Top Chefs working side by side with Iron Chefs. “The hardest part of putting this all together is most of the chefs that turned out in the past all usually say yes when asked to do it again,” Vetri told Grub Street. “So it doesn’t leave me much room for anyone new.”

Like Bobby Flay — who backed out last year do to an overbooked calendar and was initially onboard this year before TV commitments got in the way — chefs who do decline usually do so because of scheduling conflicts.

Ticket prices and point of purchase haven’t been worked out yet.

Chefs turning out for the first time this year include Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook from L.A.’s Animal, Mark Ladner from New York’s Del Posto, Mindy Segal from Chicago’s Hot Chocolate, Aaron Sanchez and Drew Nieporent from New York’s Centrico and Myriad Restaurant Group and Robert Aikens from Stephen Starr’s The Dandelion.

The rest of the lineup includes:

Kiong Bahn - Twenty Manning, Philadelphia PA

Franklin Becker - Abe & Arthur’s, New York NY

Jonathan Benno - Lincoln, New York NY

Chris Bianco - Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco, Bar Bianco, Phoenix AZ

Marco Canora - Hearth, New York NY

Jennifer Carroll - 10 Arts, Philadelphia PA

Tom Colicchio - Colicchio & Sons, Top Chef, New York NY

Gina DePalma - Babbo, New York NY

Andrea Forcella - Ol Fa, Bergmo Italy

Neil Fraser - Grace, BLD, Los Angeles CA

Clark Fraiser and Mark Gaier - Arrows, MC Perkins Cove, SummerWinter

Jose Garces - Garces Restaurant Group, Philadelphia PA

Suzanne Goin, David Lentz - Lucques, A.O.C, Tavern, Hungry Cat, Los Angeles CA

Paul Kahan - Blackbird, Avec, Publican, Big Star, Chicago IL

Barbara Lynch - Barbara Lynch Gruppo, Boston MA

Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson - Frasca Food and Wine, Pizzeria Locale, Boulder CO

Joseph Manzare - Zuppa, Globe, Tres Agaves, San Francisco CA

Matt Molina, Nancy Silverton - Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles CA

Ken Oringer - Clio, Uni Sashimi Bar, Coppa, Boston MA

Marco Rossi, Francesco Cereda - Osteria Le Cantine D, Bergamo, Italy

Jonathon Sawyer - The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland OH

Michael Solomonov - Zahav, Xochitl, Percy Street, Philadelphia PA

Hiro Sone - Terra Restaurant, Ame, Napa Valley CA

Daniel Stern - Midatlantic, R2L, Philadelphia PA

Michael Schwartz - Michaels Genuine Food & Drink, Miami FL

Michael Symon - Lola, Lolita, Roast, Bar Symon, BSpot, Cleveland OH

Sue Torres - Suenos, New York NY

Jonathon Waxman - Barbuto, New York NY

Rocco Whalen - Fahrenheit Restaurant, Rocky River Wine Bar, Cleveland OH

David Swinghamer - Shake Shack, NY, NY

Andrew Carmellini - Locanda Verde, NY, NY

Plus Philly’s Di Bruno Brothers, La Colombe and Capogiro are also participating.

Earlier: A Look at the Great Chefs Event Benefiting Alex’s Lemonade Stand

Vetri Enlists a Cavalcade of Top Culinary Talent For His Great Chefs Event