Crème de la Crème
America’s Star Chefs Salute the Legends of French Cuisine
For the benefit of Citymeals-on-Wheels
Rockefeller Center
Monday, June 16, 2008
Before American chefs exploded onto the culinary scene, before there were rumbles from Spain, there were the masters who defined modern French cooking. On Monday, June 16, Citymeals-on-Wheels paid homage to the “crème de la crème” of the food world. Over 1,000 guests were treated to an unparalleled feast prepared by some of America’s greatest chefs, who gathered at Rockefeller Center to cook in honor of the legends who taught them their craft. Our star chefs served up both classic recipes from the masters and the innovative cuisine of the new generation of stars, paired with fine French and American wines and signature cocktails, as our guests strolled the gardens and danced the night away.
As we paid tribute to a generation of culinary legends, we also celebrated Citymeals-on-Wheels’ mission to sustain generations of aging New Yorkers. Through the generosity of our friends and patrons, we raised $925,000 - enough to deliver more than 154,000 meals to our homebound elderly neighbors throughout the five boroughs.
Ninah & Michael Lynne, New Line Cinema / Board, Citymeals-on-Wheels
Laura & John Pomerantz, JJP Advisory LLC / Board, Citymeals-on-Wheels
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