ACHIEVEability’s Food for Thought Gala 2013: Part II
Don’t forget to check out Part I if you missed it! We had the incredible opportunity to attend ACHIEVEability’s Food for Thought Gala. Continuing with more highlights from the evening…
Heaven in a cup. Marcie Turney’s famed salted caramel budino made a welcome appearance at the gala.
Turney herself shaved thin slices of jamón serrano fixed in place by a jamonera (which happens to be the name of one of her 13th Street restaurants) for her other delectable bite-sized toast.
The vast array of stunning hand-painted chocolates from the team at Blackfish, Ela and Mica was a feast for the senses.
Daniel Stern of R2L poses with pageant queen Francesca Ruscio (Miss Philadelphia, Bucks County).
Don’t worry, Stern was there to wow our taste buds as well! His spring lamb tagine was satisfyingly hearty and filling. Subtle spices brought the dish together nicely.
Ben Puchowitz of Matyson and Cheu Noodle Bar carefully ladles a tongue-tingling, warm-you-from-the-inside-out broth over duck foie gras meatballs.
Puchowitz’s creation.
Peter Woolsey of Bistrot La Minette stirs up a concoction of salmon tartar with lentils and blood orange vinaigrette.
Woolsey’s finished product!
A sampling of the many bid items offered. This corner of the table featured incredible meals at some of Philly’s highly acclaimed restaurants.
Alicia Vitarelli (left), anchor/reporter for 6abc (WPVI) Action News in Philadelphia, acted as Mistress of Ceremonies for the event. One of her roles that evening was raffling off stellar bid items with Tim Thornton of Vanguard, including a special dinner at Tashan and a Napa Valley trip.
Little Baby’s handed out mini cones of their (vegan) coconut chai and birch beer vanilla bean flavors.
Scott Dalesandro of the Pyramid Club provided guests with a Korean pork belly and carnitas taco. Anthony Dipascale of Harvest Seasonal Grill served a meaty BBQ sauce-topped short rib with pickley jicama slaw and soft, buttery honey jalapeño cornbread.
Ryan Sulikowski of Lotus Farm to Table served caramel popcorn with roasted hazelnuts and peanuts alongside a pork belly-mozzarella bite.
No gala would be complete without an enthusiastic band: CTO Tribeca provided live music for the evening, going through a catalog of pop hits from “Raise Your Glass” to “Call Me Maybe.” Couples and groups swarmed the dance floor by the end of the night.
So yes, we got to eat (and eat we did!) delicacies such Turney’s mythic mini caramel budinos, Sbraga’s foie gras soup with rose petal relish, and Vetri’s mortadella hotdogs. But we also got the chance to rub elbows with these Philly food celebs. And what did we choose to talk to them about? Their food guilty pleasures…
Marcie Turney swore by her Chicago mix popcorn, whispering to us that she stealthy sneaks out for a break to “steal from myself.” Peter Woolsey of Bistrot La Minette says his food of the moment is pho. He’ll tell the restaurant workers that “he’s going out to buy something,” but instead pop into his favorite pho place [Pho Ha], conveniently located right in between his restaurant and house. Sbraga meanwhile is, and has always been, an ice cream, grilled cheese, and cheesesteak fiend; favorite cheesesteak? Jim’s – only Jim’s. Martin Brown of Little Baby’s Ice Cream love their Maryland crabs, reminiscing of crab feasts outside in the summer.
All in all, with over 25 top chefs, amazing food, this event was a huge success, raising almost $300,000 while making our tastebuds very happy.
— Nicole Woon and Marisa Denker