24 Top RI Chefs Team Up for March of Dimes

24 Top RI Chefs Team Up for March of Dimes

Ever have one of those nights where you can’t decide which of your favorite restaurants to go to or what kind of food you’re in the mood for? Problem solved—and an excellent cause supported in the process.

On September 15, 24 (yes, two dozen) of Rhode Island's hottest chefs will put their time and talents to work in a night of signature dishes and auctions... all to raise funds for March of Dimes. The 10th annual Signature Chefs Auction will be held at Belle Mer on Newport's Goat Island at 6pm. 

Top-tier talent

“We are so fortunate to have such top-tier cooking talent all under one roof for this important event,” said Betsy Akin, director of March of Dimes Rhode Island. “These leading chefs have graciously donated their time to prepare samplings of unforgettable dishes to help support the March of Dimes, and subsequently, to help give babies a healthy start in life.”

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Ellen Gracyalny, owner of Gracie’s and co-chair for the fourth consecutive year of the Signature Chefs Auction, added, “This is a true show of collaborative spirit and combined talents for a very important cause. As someone who has been personally touched by the March of Dimes and knows all too well how scary it is when a baby is struggling, it means so much to me that all of these skilled chefs are sharing their gift for cooking in support of this great organization.”

Serving as co-chair of the event with Gracyalny is Annette Picerne of East Greenwich.

Auctions + an all-star roster

In addition to the “Signature Chef” samplings, highlights of the evening include the participation of celebrity auctioneer and entertainer Sir Jeremy Bill of Edinburgh, Scotland, who will be auctioning off superb culinary, accommodation, theater, and vacation packages; and a tribute to Chef Sai Viswanath of DeWolf Tavern in Bristol. Viswanath will be presented with the March of Dimes 2011 Signature Chef Award. 

The all-star roster includes: Matthew Varga of Gracie’s, Brian Kingsford of Bacaro, Ryan Escudé of Centro at the Westin, David Cardell of Temple Downtown, Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway, and Andrew Shotts of Garrison Confections – all of Providence; Karsten Hart of The Inn at Castle Hill, Kevin Gaudreau of The Pier, David Blessing of Belle Mer, Kevin Thiele of One Bellevue, Christian Pieper of Salvation Café, and Kim Lambrechts of Grill at 41 North – all of Newport; Sai Viswanath of DeWolf Tavern, Champe Speidel of Persimmon, and Rizwan Ahmed of Hourglass Brasserie – all of Bristol; Raymond Montaquilla of the Coast Guard House and Michael Conetta of Trio – both in Narragansett; Jules Ramos of 1149 in East Greenwich; Chris Carruba of Trattoria Simpatico in Jamestown; Eric Haugen of The Ocean House in Westerly; Jonathan Cambra of The Boat House in Tiverton; Chris Kattawar of D.Carlo Trattoria in Smithfield; and Ben Lacy of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro in Foxboro, Mass.; and Rick Allaire.

Details

The Signature Chefs Auction begins at 6 p.m. and tickets are $125. Corporate and host tables are available. For more information or sponsorship opportunities and tickets, contact the March of Dimes at 454-1911 or visit www.marchofdimes.com/rhodeisland. The presenting sponsor of this year’s Signature Chefs Auction is UnitedHealthcare of New England, Inc.

Proceeds from the Signature Chefs Auction will help support the March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.