Leslie Harlib's Cuisine Scene: Great Chefs a great party, too
Fabulous food donated by two dozen of Marin's top restaurants. Dressed-up guests reveling in a warm spring evening. Rock star Huey Lewis of Kentfield and Montana filling a dance floor with exuberant movers and shakers as he sang five songs with gusto and kindness: All were on the menu at Saturday night's Great Chefs of Marin, the 17th annual fundraising gala for Lifehouse, the San Rafael-based agency that serves people with developmental disabilities.

I wait all year for this party. Loving Marin's food scene as I do, the opportunity to graze from 24 restaurants, meet the chefs, taste wines from some of the Bay Area's top wineries (including Novato-based Starry Night), dance and enjoy this marathon indulgence of all the senses, is irresistible.

Many people agree with me. Great Chefs sold out with 575 guests. According to Deborah Levy, Lifehouse's president and CEO (and attending with her husband, Jared Polsky), the huge party with its attendant silent and live auctions is expected to bring in $350,000 this year.

"We raised $330,000 last year; I think we'll do even better," the Larkspur resident said.

There's always been an elegant veneer to this evening; this year the bar was raised even higher. The decor, created by Novato resident Tracy Redig (attending with her husband, Gene) was the prettiest I've ever seen it - a symphony of turquoise and lime green tablescapes centered by tall thin vases erupting with hot pink and orange blooms.

The wine glasses were special, too. Wine aficionado Sid Sall of Kentfield (attending with his wife, Deborah Gray) got Marin Acura to sponsor tall, roomy burgundy goblets from Riedel-owned glassworks Spiegelau, which made all the vintages, red or white, taste that much more festive.

Munching highlights? Paella mixta from San Rafael-based Sabor of Spain, cooked up by chef Conan Fontenot in a pan so big it could have doubled as a wheel on an 18-wheel semi; marinated skirt steak on a stick with two kinds of chimichurri sauce from Boca Steak in Novato; the ever-popular oysters bingo from the Buckeye Roadhouse in Mill Valley; chilled spring pea soup with smoked bacon cream and mint oil Larkspur's Lark Creek Inn; Painted Hills Farm hoisin barbecued short ribs from Ora in Mill Valley, debuting at Great Chefs this year; Moroccan chicken bastilla pie from Hanna's in San Rafael; assorted sushi (including a beef carpaccio pad) from Sushi Ran in Sausalito; nettle ricotta ravioli with sweet pea butter from Poggio in Sausalito. Gary Rulli of Emporio Rulli Gran Cafe in San Francisco and Rulli's in Larkspur donated an appetizer, bruschetta with fava bean pur}e, peconrio romano and tomato oil, and dessert, pistachio Bavarian creams crowned with caramelized pistachios.

Chef/owner Heidi Krahling of Insalata's and her restaurant team of managers and servers were culinary hosts; other restaurants included Bungalow 44, Frantoio and Piatti, Mill Valley; Maria Manso, The Club at McInnis Park, and Il Davide, all in San Rafael; E&O Trading Company, Larkspur Landing; Giorgio's, Greenbrae; Comforts, San Anselmo; Il Fornaio, Corte Madera; Kitti's Place and Saylor's Landing, Sausalito; The Left Bank and Picco, Larkspur; and Wildfox, Novato. Everyone did such a great job of cooking and presenting. It's impossible to list all the fine chefs and their foods here. There were so many great things to eat.

Among the fork and plate-toting guests were: Event emcee and CBS 5 news anchor Dana King of Sausalito; event chairs Gayle Peterson and her husband, Marty Rubino, James Duckworth and Roberta Dixon, Mark and Stacy Nelson, John Morre and Jane Ferrante, Skip and Mary Ann Granger, John and Bea Brydon, Glen and Merry Alberigi, and Stan Hoffman, all of Novato; Doug and Amanda Martin of Fairfax; Nancy and Craig Branigan of Ross; Randy and Sandy Verrue of Belvedere; Susy and Nick Vrouvas of Corte Madera; Kevin and Patty Patsel of Greenbrae; Steve and Shirley Berman, Jennifer Pocock, and Larry and Ricca Wolff, all of Mill Valley; Ed and Jane Coyne, Pat Kendall, Mike and Ardeth Craford, Rocky Birdsey, Gordon and Carol Manashil, Dr. Ron Friedman and his wife Sally Christian, Dan and Pam Engel, Scott and Mary Lynn Bondlow, Carol Beltran, Dolores Cuerva, Carol Scott, Glen and Sue Dizen, and John and Lisa Geisse, all of San Rafael; Dr. John and Mary Kaufman of Tiburon; Dennis and Susan Gilardi and Rob and Cynthia Peterson, all of Larkspur; Allan and Nancy Herzog of Kentfield; and Kentfielder Nancy Dow Moody, COO of Lifehouse, with Sam Kornhauser of Belvedere.

   - Leslie Harlib
   Article Courtesy of Marin Independent Journal, May 1, 2007