Crème de la Crème
Silver Spoons: 25 Years of Chefs and Celebrations
Rockefeller Center
Monday, June 14, 2010
To honor James Beard and benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels
It’s the Silver Anniversary of our Annual Chefs’ Tribute at Rockefeller Center!
In June of 1985, twelve devotees of James Beard came together to celebrate his life and love of cooking, all for the benefit of Citymeals-on-Wheels, the organization he co-founded with Gael Greene to nourish homebound elderly New Yorkers. As Gael remembers, “The first ‘American Chefs and Winemakers’ al fresco feast was planned to celebrate Jim’s 82nd birthday. When he passed away a few weeks prior to the event, the gala salute to America’s harvest and American talent became our tribute to him.”
A group of rising star chefs who trained with James Beard, including Wolfgang Puck, Alice Waters, Bradley Ogden, Paul Prudhomme, Edna Lewis, and Tribute founders Larry Forgione and Jonathan Waxman gathered that first year to prepare tasting portions of their signature dishes for a small crowd of gourmet enthusiasts. It was one of the first tasting events to take the chefs out of the kitchen and into the limelight. Since then, some of the most acclaimed chefs from across the nation (and world) – including Daniel Boulud, Alfred Portale, Bobby Flay, Charlie Palmer, Nobu Matsuhisa, Charlie Trotter and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, to name just a few – have joined the esteemed roster of chefs who have cooked in the gardens of Rockefeller Center at this annual event. Each year over 1,000 guests stroll the esplanades and gardens of the famed NYC landmark, sampling exquisite cuisine, sipping champagne and cocktails, and dancing under the stars until midnight.
This celebration extends far beyond the streets of midtown, into the homes of thousands of elderly New Yorkers who rely on Citymeals-on-Wheels for their lifeline of food and companionship. Over the years the event has raised more than $15 million, delivering hundreds of thousands of meals to our city’s invisible neighbors. James Beard would no doubt be astounded and thrilled at the legacy his disciples have carried on in his name.
Grand Host
Nick Valenti / Patina Restaurant Group
Co-Chairs
Ninah & Michael Lynne, Unique Features/Board, Citymeals-on-Wheels
Laura & John Pomerantz, JJP Advisory LLC/Board, Citymeals-on-Wheels
Randi & Dennis Riese, Riese Restaurants/Board, Citymeals-on-Wheels
Tanuja & Haresh Tharani, Tharanco Group
Designer
David Rockwell, Rockwell Group
Emcee
Gail Simmons, Special Projects Director, Food & Wine / Judge on Bravo’s Top Chef
Event Contact:
Emily Cleveland
emily@citymeals.org