Street & Savory
A Global Street Food Festival
For the Benefit of Citymeals-on-Wheels
Rockefeller Center
Monday, June 8, 2009
From crepes on the streets of Paris, to shawarma in the Middle East, to the classic hot dog in New York City, every country and culture has its beloved street foods – and many of today’s greatest chefs draw their inspiration from the dishes they once enjoyed at outdoor markets and festivals. On Monday, June 8, Citymeals-on-Wheels hosted the most glamorous street festival the world has ever seen! Over 1,000 guests strolled the esplanades and gardens of Rockefeller Center, sampling the creations of thirty-five of the country’s greatest chefs, along with fare from some of the city’s most iconic gourmet street vendors. Revelers enjoyed the most exquisite “street meat” they’ve ever tasted while sipping a glass of champagne, a signature cocktail or a cold beer, and dancing under the stars until midnight!
This exciting celebration extended far beyond the streets of midtown, into the homes of thousands of elderly neighbors throughout the five boroughs of New York who rely on Citymeals-on-Wheels for their lifeline of food and companionship. This year’s event raised over $734,000, enough to provide 115,000 meals for our city’s invisible neighbors.
- Founders
- Gael Greene & the late James Beard, co-founders of Citymeals-on- Wheels
- Grand Host
- Nick Valenti / Patina Restaurant Group
- Chairs
- Ninah & Michael Lynne, Unique Features / Board, Citymeals-on-Wheels
Laura & John Pomerantz, JJP Advisory LLC / Board, Citymeals-on-Wheels
Dennis & Randi Riese, Riese Organization / Board, Citymeals-on-Wheels - Media Sponsor
- Gourmet Magazine
- Designer
- David Rockwell, Rockwell Group
Event History
As Citymeals-on-Wheels’ founder Gael Greene remembers, “The first ‘American Chefs and Winemakers’ al fresco feast in the gardens of Rockefeller’ was planned to celebrate the 82nd birthday of Citymeals’ co-founder James Beard. 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.”
Twelve chefs who trained with him, including Wolfgang Puck, Alice Waters, Bradley Ogden, Ed Brown, Edna Lewis, Alfred Portale, and Tribute founders Larry Forgione and Jonathan Waxman, gathered in his honor 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 and some of the most highly touted chefs from across the nation (and world) have joined this esteemed roster of chefs year after year.
Event Contact:
Emily Cleveland
emily@citymeals.org