Philanthropists and Foodies
Unite at Celebrity Chefs Gala
for Moores UCSD Cancer Center

May 15 black-tie fete features award-winning chefs
to benefit cancer research at UC San Diego

April 26, 2010

By Laura Margoni

Celebrity chefs with 2009 food and wine chairs Joy and Fred Frye, MD.

Great food and a great cause will come together on May 15 for the 29th annual Celebrity Chefs Cook Gala at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina.  The black-tie fete, hosted by the University of California, San Diego, will bring award-winning chefs from the region and around the nation to prepare their signature hors d’oeuvres paired with fine wine, all to benefit the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. 

The 2010 Celebrity Chefs Cook Gala, themed “Epicurean Elegance: Food for the Mind, Body and Spirit,” will support the cancer center’s most urgent needs.  To date, the event has raised nearly $9 million to help fuel basic and clinical cancer research, advanced patient care, and community outreach and education programs at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center.

The roster of top chefs includes 2003 James Beard Award recipient George Mavrothalassitis, as well as 2010 James Beard Award nominees, William Bradley and Ethan Stowell.  The complete roster of culinary masters at this year’s Celebrity Chefs Cook Gala includes:

• Roberta Adamo - Penne Restaurant & Wine Bar, Philadelphia
• William Bradley - Addison at The Grand Del Mar
• Jean Michel Diot - Tapenade Restaurant
• Bernard Guillas - The Marine Room
• Chris Karetas - Carriage Trade Catering
• George Mavrothalassitis - Chef Mavro, Honolulu
• Patrick Ponsaty – Mistral at Loews Coronado Bay Resort
• Megan Reichman - BALEENsandiego at Paradise Point Resort and Spa
• John Shelton - 1500 Ocean, Hotel del Coronado
• Ethan Stowell - Union, Tavolàta, How to Cook a Wolf, and Anchovies & Olives, Seattle
• John Tesar – Dallas Restaurant Group, Dallas
• Sharon Van Meter - Milestone Culinary Arts Center, Dallas

2009 honorary chairs Rudy and Carla Rehm (left) and Carol and Jeffrey Chang, MD.

Providing a selection of wines for the evening will be wineries including: Castello Banfi, Chappellet Winery, Domaine Serene, Downing Family Vineyards, Gallo Family Vineyards, ukkula, Maddalena Vineyards, Ramey Wine Cellars, Regal Wine Company, Tantara Winery and X Winery & Amicus Cellars.

“The annual Celebrity Chefs Cook Gala is an important tradition which illustrates the community’s longstanding support of the Moores UCSD Cancer Center,” said Dennis Carson, MD, director of the Moores UCSD Cancer Center, the region’s only comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute.  “The gala provides essential funding to help us meet our greatest needs, as we work to translate promising scientific discoveries into new and better cancer treatments.”

This year’s gala will feature the inaugural Spirit Award to recognize individuals who have encouraged and inspired the pursuit of excellence in patient care and research. This year’s awards will be given to the Gildred Family, as well as Anne Otterson and her late husband, Bill, for their vision and generous support of the cancer center.  John Mendelsohn, MD, will receive the award for his leadership at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center.

Maryl and Del Weightman will chair this year’s gala. Carol and Jeffrey Chang, MD, and Carla and Rudy Rehm will co-chair the event.  Marie Kelly is the food chair, and George Karetas will serve as the wine chair.  10News anchor and cancer survivor, Bill Griffith will emcee the event. 

Hors d’oeuvres will be followed by dinner and dancing.  Tickets are $500.  For details and reservations, call (858) 822-1328 or visit www.celebritychefscook.org.  More information on the Moores UCSD Cancer Center can be found at www.cancer.ucsd.edu.

Media Contacts:

Laura Margoni, 858-822-2485, lmargoni@ucsd.edu

Jade Griffin, 858-822-5309, jadegriffin@ucsd.edu