Meals On Wheels fundraiser rocks Fort Mason
By GraceAnn Walden


The 21st fundraiser for San Francisco Meals On Wheels, the Annual Star Chefs & Vintners Gala held at the Festival Pavilion in Fort Mason, was yet another delightful and delicious night of fun and food.

And all for a good cause: Meals On Wheels of San Francisco has served more than 700,000 meals to 2,000 seniors this year. The event raised an astounding $1.1 million, shattering all previous records.

The evening began at 5 p.m. with an hors d’oeuvres and wine reception provided by more than 30 chefs and wineries. It was followed by a three-course, sit-down meal, each course prepared by one of 24 different chefs and complemented with appropriate wines. The grand finale was a dessert reception and dancing.
The range of finger food at the reception included treats from everyone from Jan Birnbaum (Epic Roasthouse), to David Kinch (Manresa), to Elizabeth Falkner (Orson/Citizen Cake), to Chris Cosentino (Incanto/Boccalone).

At our dinner table, we got to sit with KGO-TV’s Don Sanchez and his daughter; newscaster Cheryl Jennings and her handsome husband, Rick; and Janet Gallin (from the radio show Love Letters Live) and her husband, Ted.

Here is the menu for our three-course dinner:

First Course
Dungeness Crab Salad
Avocado, Jicama
& Lemongrass Sorbet
(chef Mark Dommen,
One Market)

Second Course
Olive Oil Poached Black Cod with Saikyo Uni Miso
(chef Shotaro “Sho” Kamio, Yoshi’s San Francisco)

Third Course
Braised Pork Short Rib, Fava Beans, Melted Spring Onions with Porcini Jus
(chefs Chris L’Hommedieu & Jeremy Ravetz, Michael Mina)

Susan Dyer Reynolds, editor-in-chief of this paper and the Marina Times, was the successful bidder on a whirlwind trip to Manhattan that included a first-class flight on American Airlines. Also included were luxurious accommodations at the New York Palace Hotel; dining at Aureole, the world-renowned restaurant of James Beard Award-winning chef Charlie Palmer; a dinner at Telepan, and more. The highlight of my night was that she asked me to accompany her!

E-mail: graceann@northsidesf.com