An Exceptional Evening at Spago Beverly Hills
October 9, 2009
Fresh off the plane from Paris, I had only a few minutes to change before heading to Spago Beverly Hills for the 10th Annual Chefs Grand Tasting Dinner, held last night. Benefiting Meals-on-Wheels Programs of Los Angeles, it is one of the most prestigious charity dinners in the country.
Wolfgang Puck, Lee Hefter & Barbara Lazaroff, along with chef de cuisine Thomas Boyce and executive pastry chef Sherry Yard, welcomed six very fine chefs into their kitchen to prepare an elegant six-course dinner.
Thomas Keller, soon to open Bouchon Beverly Hills, started the festivities with a plate of charcuterie, followed by Laurent Gras of L2O, who diced kinmedai seasoned with sudachi lime juice. Nobu Matsuhisa steamed black cod served with brown rice salsa. Oriental flavors are mastered by chef Jereme Leung from Singapore, who prepared a duo of Maine lobster. From the kitchen of Spago came a Wolfe Ranch quail on a bed of wild matsutake mushroom risotto. Dean Fearing showcased his Tex-Mex skills with a crispy butternut squash taquito and jalapeno grits accompanying a buffalo tenderloin. Gina DePalma from Babbo, ended the dinner with her Venetian apple cake, while Sherry Yard sent out confections. Of course, each dish was paired with a different wine.
Robin Leach conducted a live auction which raised over $280,000 for the worthy charity programs, and hundreds of people went home happy. If you’re interested in attending next year’s event, don’t hesitate, as this year’s gathering of top chefs and connoisseurs was a complete sell-out!
Pretty in pink Barbara Lazaroff with Sophie Gayot 
Executive chef Lee Hefter with Paul Pucino 
Pastry chef Sherry Yard with producer Anthony Lefort 
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with Sophie Gayot 
Spago’s chef de cuisine Thomas Boyce with Janet Pucino 
Robin Leach getting ready to auction the six chefs’ jackets 
Chef Michael Cimarusti from Providence with Ed Murphy, managing director of The Blank Theatre Company 
Robert Weakley, President of Pebble Beach Food & Wine, with pastry chef Gina DePalma from Babbo 
Chef Josiah Citrin of Melisse restaurant with wife 
Youngest guest and son of Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff, Byron with mom 
Chef Dean Fearing’s inseparable boots 
Celebrity photographer Alex Berliner in the kitchen 
Chefs in the kitchen of Spago Beverly Hills waiting for the next course to plate 
The chef team at Bouchon 
Spago general manager Laurent Steunou 
CUT restaurant Wine Director Dena Farner 
The chef’s team of the evening 
Chef Thomas Keller’s charcuterie plate 
Chef Laurent Gras’s diced kinmedai seasoned with sudachi lime juice 
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s black cod 
Chef Jereme Leung’s duo of Maine lobster, Oriental style 
Spago’s Wolfe Ranch quail on a bed of wild matsutake mushroom risotto 
Chef Dean Fearing’s maple-black peppercorn soaked buffalo tenderloin 
Chef Gina DePalma’s Venetian apple cake 
Many wines…