(March 10, 2014) – Twenty leading chefs from South Florida and beyond will leave their comfy confines as they get Out of the Kitchen, performing their craft tableside during this unique culinary experience, benefiting the cure-focused work of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI). Joining Executive Chef Tom Parlo and Executive Pastry Chef Antonio Bachour at their home base, the Forbes five-star St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort on Thursday, March 13, 2014, each chef will prepare their very own three-course meal for a table of 12 diners, followed by a Viennese dessert table. Actor/Comedian Chris Spencer will add extra flavor to the event as host and auctioneer.
Many of them hot off the heels of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, participating chefs include:
Chef Coordinating Committee:
Antonio Bachour – Executive Pastry Chef, St. Regis Bal Harbour
Brad Kilgore – Chef de Cuisine, J&G Grill
Tom Parlo – Executive Chef, St. Regis Bal Harbour
Participating Chefs:
Aaron Brooks – Four Seasons Miami & Edge Restaurant
Andrea Curto-Randazzo – Creative Tastes Catering
Cesar Zapata – The Federal Food, Drink & Provisions
Conor Hanlon – The Dutch
Dave Hackett – The Biltmore Hotel
Dena Marino – MC Kitchen
Gabriella Machado – Copperbox
Giorgio Grapicavoli – Eating House
Jeremiah Bullfrog – GastroPod & The Broken Shaker
Makoto – Makoto
Marc Vidal – Boqueria, NYC
Michael Corvino – The American Restaurant, Kansas City
Nina Compton (Top Chef finalist) – Scarpetta Miami
Sean Brasel – Meat Market
Timon Ballo – Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill
Todd Erickson – Haven
Reuven Sugarman – Buns & Buns
This gourmet gathering of talented toques replaces a former DRI benefit called Pleasures of the Palate, which originated with Chef Norman Van Aken at his first Coral Gables restaurant, Norman’s. Similar to years past, the 2014 event will include live and silent auctions, featuring exclusive getaways, tickets to Chelsea Lately, chef dinners, rare bottles of wine, and more. Cocktails begin at 7:00 p.m. and the evening will kick off in dramatic fashion with the sabering of a champagne bottle.
Prior to that, a VIP Reception will be held for specific sponsor levels and their guests, beginning at 6:15 p.m. and including a private wine tasting with St. Regis Master Sommelier Sebastian Verrier, a dessert demonstration with Bachour and signed copies of his latest cookbook, a compilation of his signature recipes. Co-chairing the event along with Bachour and Parlo are Amy and Scott Greenwald and Tammy and Steve Klein. The Greenwalds and the Kleins both have daughters living with type 1 diabetes and will stop at nothing until a cure is found.
Top sponsors include the Greenwald Family; Greenberg Traurig; Dr. Brandt; Cushman & Wakefield; Gerson, Preston, Robinson & Company, P.A.; Tammy & Steve Klein; The Fairholme Foundation; Innerspace Custom Storage Solutions; Meland, Russin, & Budwick; Stearns, Weaver, Miller, Weissler, Alhadeff, & Sitterson, P.A.; and Wild Oceans, among others. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.
Tickets to Out of the Kitchen are $250 per person and can be purchased online at DiabetesResearch.org/Out-of-the-Kitchen. The St. Regis Bal Harbour is located at 9703 Collins Avenue in Bal Harbour. The main event begins at 7:00 p.m.; the VIP Reception starts at 6:15 p.m. Space is limited; reservations required. For more information, please call the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation at 954.964.4040.
The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine leads the world in cure-focused research. As the largest and most comprehensive research center dedicated to curing diabetes, the DRI is aggressively working to develop a biological cure by restoring natural insulin production and normalizing blood sugar levels without imposing other risks. Researchers have already shown that diabetes can be reversed through islet transplantation, with some study patients living without the need for insulin injections for more than a decade. The Institute is now building upon these promising outcomes by developing the DRI BioHub, an integrated “mini organ” that mimics the native pancreas, containing thousands of insulin-producing cells that sense blood sugar levels and produce the precise amount of insulin needed in real time. The Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation were created for one reason – to cure diabetes – which is and will continue to be its singular focus until that goal is reached. For the millions of children and adults affected by diabetes, the Diabetes Research Institute is the best hope for a cure. For more information, please visit DiabetesResearch.org or call 800-321-3437.
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Media Contact:
Lauren Schreier
lschreier@drif.org
954.964.4040