kansas city: save the date…

Over the past few years, I’ve helped organize two annual fundraising dinners in Kansas City, both of which are hosted by Debbie Gold, executive chef of The American Restaurant.

My involvement in these events has afforded me the privilege and honor of helping to bring some of our country’s finest chefs to Kansas City to raise money for two, great charitable organizations.

Yesterday, the last chef fell into place. With all confirmed, I’m pleased to announce the final roster of guest chefs for both events this year. Please save the dates.

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The Chefs Classic, held in late June, raises money for Harvester’s, a local food bank. I serve on its planning committee. Every year, we invite three guest chefs from Kansas City, and three from abroad. Last year, we were pleased to welcome Sean Brock (Husk and McCrady’s), Curtis Duffy (then at Avenues, soon to be Grace), and Shawn Gawle (pastry chef at Corton) to Kansas City. Locally, Gold invited Michael Foust (The Farmhouse); Charles d’Ablaing (Chaz, at the Raphael); and Josh Eans (then of blanc burgers + bottles). You’ll find photos of that dinner here.

This year, we are pleased to welcome the following six chefs to Kansas City for the Chefs Classic, to be held on Sunday, June 24 (for reservations, please visit the Harvester’s website):

Howard Hanna
(The Rieger Grill & Exchange; Kansas City, Missouri)

Danica Pollard
(pastry chef of Lidia’s; Kansas City, Missouri)

Carl Thorne-Thomsen
(Story; Prairie Village, Kansas)

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William Bradley
(Addison at the Grand Del Mar; San Diego, California)

Susur Lee
(Lee; Toronto, Canada)

Matthias Merges
(Yusho; Chicago, Illinois)

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The annual Friends of James Beard Foundation dinner at The American Restaurant, which Debbie Gold helped start in the late nineties, was put on pause for a couple of years. Last year, she asked me to help her revive it.

I asked Curtis Duffy to come back for a second time in the year. He agreed. I was also thrilled to welcome Scott Anderson (Elements; Princeton, New Jersey); Christopher Kostow (The Meadowood; St. Helena, California); George Mendes (Aldea; New York, New York); and John Shields (then of Town House; Chilhowie Virginia) to Kansas City to help us raise money for the James Beard Foundation. Marc Aumont of The Modern agreed to be our guest pastry chef. It was a spectacular dinner. I wrote about it here.

We are very pleased to be welcoming the following list of chefs to cook at this year’s Friends of James Beard Foundation dinner, which will take place on Sunday, November 4. (Please call The American Restaurant at 816-545-8001 to make your reservation.)

Michael Cimarusti
(Providence; Los Angeles, California)

Michael Ginor
(Hudson Valley Foie Gras; Ferndale, New York)

Brooks Headley
(pastry chef at Del Posto; New York, New York)

Gavin Kaysen
(Café Boulud; New York, New York)

Paul Qui
(Uchiko; Austin, Texas)

Joshua Skenes
(Saison; San Francisco, California)

Photos: Shawn Gawle of Corton and Curtis Duffy of Grace plating at the 2011 Harvester’s Chefs Classic at The American Restaurant; John Shields presents his dish at line-up, along with Debbie Gold and Curtis Duffy, at the 2011 Friends of James Beard Foundation dinner at The American Restaurant.