Star Chefs and Vintners Gala

Mark your calendar and reserve your spot for the ~22ND ANNUAL STAR CHEFS & VINTNERS GALA~ benefiting Meals On Wheels of San Francisco (MOWSF). The Gala is MOWSF's largest fundraiser, and its main source of charitable contributions for the year. Boulevard's Nancy Oakes is the gala chef chairwoman, and has assembled a group of more than 70 dedicated chefs and restaurants, including Cal Stamenov (Marinus), Daniel Patterson (Coi), Staffan Terje (Perbacco), Traci des Jardins (Jardinière), Roland Passot (La Folie), Mourad Lahlou (Aziza), Justin Simoneaux (Moss Room), Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood), Laurence Jossel (NOPA), Michelle Polzine (Range), Jake Godby (Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream), and a bunch more.

There are a slew of wineries that are new to the gala this year (bringing the total to 75), including a lot of smaller quality producers and some venerable favorites, like Hanzell Vineyards, Duckhorn Vineyards, Pride Mountain Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, and Vineyard 29. There will also be cocktail bar manned by local fave bartenders Daniel Hyatt of the Alembic, Jonny Raglin of Absinthe, and Scott Beattie pouring for St. George Spirits/Hangar One.

During both live and silent auctions, guests will have the opportunity to bid on a number of once-in-a-lifetime items, including “unobtainable” wines, dinner at a private estate in Pebble Beach, and a seven-day Silversea Cruise from Rome to Monte Carlo. The evening's exciting climax is “Fund-A-Route,” when guests pledge cash donations towards funding an entire meal delivery route for the next year. Guests at the 2008 Gala shattered previous records by raising their paddles to the tune of $308,000 for Fund-A-Route, while the event raised a grand total of $1.1 million.

You can see the full list of 2009 participating chefs here, and the full list of 2009 participating vintners and bartenders here.

Meals On Wheels: 22nd Annual Star Chefs and Vintners Gala
Sun. May 17th, 2009

Fort Mason
Festival Pavilion
San Francisco, CA

415-920-1111 ext. 281
website

5pm: hors d'oeuvres and wine reception
7pm: seated dinner
dessert reception/dancing follow dinner

$400 per person

patron levels: $1,500–$20,000