| EVENT REPORT 06.12.07 3:48 PM |
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| Farm Fresh |
| Although rain threatened to put a damper on Citymeals-on-Wheels' farmers-market-themed benefit, it didn't stop the feeding frenzy. |
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| With a bounty of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, bluesy live music, and rustic decor, Citymeals-on-Wheels' 22nd annual benefit—billed as "Chefs Gone Wild"—had a decidedly down-home feel. In spite of less-than-pleasant weather, about 1,200 attendees packed Rockefeller Center's rink and the area surrounding it on June 11, raising a record $1.2 million for the nonprofit. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | This year's Citymeals-on-Wheels benefit celebrated locally grown food and the farmers behind it.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Planners arranged 66 tasting stations around the upper-level esplanades and the lower-level gardens, as well as inside Rock Center Cafe and the Sea Grill.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | The Barn Bar featured summery specialty cocktails infused with herbs and garnished with fresh ingredients.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Planners displayed large versions of the event's frame-worthy invites, created by Rockwell Group's graphic design team of Barry Richards, Bob Stern, and Kate Newsome.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | The Rockwell Group used fireflies throughout the event decor, from decorative streamers to hanging lanterns.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Anne Quantrano and Clifford Harrison of Atlanta's Bacchanalia served up pickled Georgia white shrimp with a summer vegetable salad.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Alice Waters of Berkeley's Chez Panisse served up her world-renowned salad with crostini topped with hake.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | As guests entered the event, staffers handed them small plastic trays that made juggling food and drinks easier.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | Planners arranged white and spring-green lounge furnture from SC3 Group
in the V.I.P. lounge, located in the Sea Grill. "We wanted to bring
more of the flavor of the event into that room than we have in the
past," said Citymeals' director of special events Heather Gere.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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 | After the rain cleared, Noah Bless Music's lively set got the crowd up and dancing.
Photo: Francine Daveta for BizBash |
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Citymeals director of special events Heather Gere and her team of event production manager John Del Gaudio and special events coordinator Margherita Pilato worked with David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group to keep the focus on the farm but add a touch of glamour as well. "[This year's theme] is about chefs supporting their local communities and using the freshest ingredients possible. We're also celebrating the farmers who are not often recognized for the work they do, which is integral to everything we eat," Gere said.
Around Rockefeller Center’s rink and esplanades, planners set up 66 tasting stations manned by sponsors and so-called "wild chefs" from around the country who specialize in locally sourced ingredients, including Alice Waters, Charlie Trotter, and Dan Barber of New York’s Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Gere said the selection process began by developing a list of chefs who specialize in sustainable cuisine with Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl, who took the stage to introduce the farmers and chefs with restauranteur Drew Nierpont during the event.
"We made a big list, then paired it down to our A list based on where [the chefs] were located, because we wanted to represent different regions of the country and types of cuisine," Gere said.
Keeping with the theme, the majority of the chefs' offerings spotlighted fresh, local ingredients, like Kentucky bison pastrami from Michael Paley of Louisville, Kentucky’s Proof on Main, or Martha's Vineyard oysters with summer salsas, served by Joshua Hollinger and Steve Lewandowski from the Coach House in Edgartown, Massachusetts. Goat cheese and milk were the ingredients du jour, appearing in everything from main dishes like Portland, Oregon-based chef Greg Higgens's Chinook salmon and Juniper Grove chevre on pumpernickel to desserts like frozen vanilla goat's milk with strawberries and rhubarb by Claudia Fleming and Gerry Hayden of the North Fork in Southold, New York.
Rockwell and his team decorated the event with four truckloads of fruits and vegetables procured from New York City farmers markets in the early hours of the morning. Floratech created simple yet fragrant arrangements of herbs like oregano and dill. “We wanted to create an earthy and beautiful platform for the chefs,” Rockwell said. Planners also transformed Rock Center’s Rink Bar into the “Barn Bar,” where Audrey Saunders of the Pegu Club led a team of six mixologists (including cocktail catering company Cuff & Buttons), creating drinks that incorporated fresh ingredients like cucumbers and mint.
Although Rockwell clearly displayed his vision throughout the event, the evening's muggy, rainy weather was less than ideal for a partially open-air venue. Strong winds and rain started just after the general admission at 7:30, prompting many guests to abandon the uncovered areas of the garden and esplanades and duck into the Rock Center Cafe, Sea Grill, and tented portions of the rink. The evening's performers, Noah Bless Music, packed up their instruments and left the stage, and canned bluegrass music was piped in. Thinking ahead, staffers had wisely arranged oversize patio umbrellas in the garden near the Barn Bar so guests had a dry place to sip drinks.
Rather than running for cover, some attendees braved the raindrops and continued hitting up the stations, proving that it takes more than a passing shower to come between foodies and butter-poached lobster. Luckily, the skies cleared after an hour and the band returned to the stage for a loud, bluesy set that managed to get guests to put down their tasting plates and get on their feet.
—Lisa Cericola
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