Cooking Matters Teams Up with 30 Culinary Stars at Chefs Up Front Gala
Colorado Chefs Serve Four Courses with One Goal to End Childhood Hunger
DENVER, CO – (April 2019) Chefs Up Front, the signature event of Cooking Matters Colorado, returns Sunday, May 5 with another star-studded lineup of culinary champions. Local chefs will prepare a tableside, four-course meal for an intimate table of 10, accompanied by curated wine pairings and a special dessert. In collaboration with over 30 culinary volunteers, this annual gala helps raise funds to end childhood hunger through food skills education.
“This event is really crucial for our organization,” said Liz Grossi, the Senior Development Manager for Cooking Matters Colorado. “For every $15,000 raised, we can provide 150,000 healthy, budget-friendly meals to vulnerable children, offered alongside cooking, shopping and nutrition training for their caregivers.”
The gala begins at 5 p.m. with an auction and craft cocktail hour, an oyster bar by Jax Fish House and a charcuterie station from Bill Miner at Il porcellino. Guests will then enjoy an exquisite, four-course dinner prepared tableside by Colorado’s premier chefs. The night will close with dessert by Secret Sauce F&B’s Chef, Nadine Donovan.
“Not only do guests get to enjoy this amazing menu, but they can change lives,” said Grossi. “One seat provides 16 families a weekly bag of healthy groceries over six weeks of Cooking Matters lessons. That’s nearly 400 meals per guest, or 120,000 meals donated just through this event. These classes help families at risk of hunger stretch their food resources while improving access to more nutritious meals.”
Many of the chefs participating in Chefs Up Front are long-time volunteers for Cooking Matters. Headed into his fifth year of support, Jeremy Kittelson, Edible Beats’ Culinary Director, the group behind Root Down and Linger, said, “It’s been a pleasure supporting this organization over the years, especially through Chefs Up Front. Coming back each year, you feel a sense of comradery with industry friends while also doing something great for the community and the cause.”
A full list of participating restaurants and chefs is included below. For more information on Cooking Matters and Chefs Up Front, visit cookingmatters.org.
Participating restaurants and chefs:
12@Madison: Chef Jeff Osaka
Acreage: Chef Alex De Bernardis
Angelo’s Taverna: Chef Scott Hybbeneth
Ash’Kara: Chef Daniel Asher
Avelina: Chef Josh Oakley
Bar Dough: Chef Carrie Baird
Barolo Grill: Chef Darrel Truett
Beast + Bottle: Chef Paul C. Reilly
Beckon|Call: Chef Duncan Holmes
Blackbelly: Chef Arun Moghe
Centerplate: Chef Kayley Boyle
Corrida: Chef Amos Watts
Death & Co: Chef Wes Hamilton
Dio Mio: Chefs Alex Figura & Spencer White
Edible Beats: Chef Jeremy Kittelson
Hearth & Dram: Chef Adam Vero
Jax Fish House: Chef Sheila Lucero
Ivy on 7th: Chef Rebecca Weitzman
Mizuna: Chef Shawn Waters
Nocturne: Chef Greg Weadick
OAK: Chef Sarah Beckwith
Que Bueno Suerte: Chef Ivan Ceballos
range: Chef David Anderson
Secret Sauce F&B: Chef Nadine Donovan
Stoic & Genuine: Chef Patrick McReady
Super Mega Bien: Chef Dana Rodriguez
Tavernetta: Chef Ian Wortham
The Corner Office: Chef Rich Byers
The Nickel: Chef Matt Maberry
The Populist: Chef Theo Adley
Vesta: Chefs Nicholas Kayser & Steven Cox
The Wolf’s Tailor: Chef Kelly Whitaker
About Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters Campaign
No child should go hungry in America, but 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. Cooking Matters empowers low-income families with the skills needed to feed their children healthy meals on a budget. Participants learn to shop smarter, use nutrition information to make healthier choices, and cook delicious, affordable meals. Cooking Matters courses and tours equip families with the skills they need to stretch their food dollars and put healthy meals on the table for their families.
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