Momentous Dinner Marks the
Return of the First Location of Project Dinner Table: The Tranquil, Unique
Setting of University of Nevada
Cooperative Extension (UNCE) Orchard
This month’s Project Dinner
Table is being prepared by Chef Mario Batali’s team from B&B Ristorante,
Carnevino Italian Steakhouse and OTTO Pizzeria Las Vegas. They will be delighting diners with cuisine
that is not only delicious, but also sustainable. To further enhance this event, Project Dinner
Table returns to its debut location that launched so many other unique dinners
and the conversations that follow: the University of Nevada Cooperative
Extension (UNCE) Orchard.
The dinner will be held on
Saturday, June 25 with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres starting at 6:30 p.m., and dinner set to begin by 7:30 p.m.
“When we hosted the inaugural
Project Dinner Table at UNCE, everyone had an incredible time because they felt
with the orchard setting and delectable menu, no one could believe they were
still in Las Vegas,” says Gina Gavan, founder and self-proclaimed
spoonbender, Project Dinner Table.
“Combine the ambience of the orchard with the cuisine of Chef Batali’s
team, the dinner will be unforgettable.”
Mario Batali and Joe
Bastianich's signature collaborative culinary team will present an unparalleled
dining experience, as they do in their restaurants every night. Batali’s protégé since 2000, Chef Zach Allen
is responsible for creating magic in the kitchen night after night. As the consulting salumist to all of Batali’s
restaurants, he educates servers and staff about the complexities of curing
meat. Now the culinary director of B&B Ristorante, Carnevino Italian
Steakhouse and OTTO Pizzeria Las Vegas, he executes his vision for Italian
flavors and techniques in Las Vegas’
ever-growing gourmet scene.
Also at the helm will be Chef
Doug Taylor, who joined the team in 2007.
In addition to running the pastry programs at Carnevino Italian
Steakhouse, B&B Ristorante and OTTO Pizzeria Las Vegas, he is an instructor
in the agricultural program at the University of Nevada,
which concentrates on producing sustainable ingredients in the arid desert
climate.
Working together with Zach
and Doug are Chefs Jason Neve and Nicole Brisson. A graduate of The Culinary
Institute of America, Jason was part of the opening team at Mario’s restaurant,
Del Posto, in New
York City. His
aptitude in the kitchen and his passion for cured meats led him out west to Las Vegas where Jason is now the Chef di Cucina at B&B
Ristorante. After attending Johnson & Wales
University, Brisson got to know the food writers Molly O'Neill
and Faith Willinger who helped her develop a love for local produce and cured
meats in both the United States and Italy. After
studying abroad, she went on to open Wynn Las Vegas under Chefs Steven Kalt and
Paul Bartolotta. She is now the Chef di
Cucina at Carnevino Italian Steakhouse.
Project Dinner Table is the
wildly popular community dinner series founded by Gina Gavan. What makes Project Dinner Table so special is
the delicious sense of community each event brings. Every dinner is hosted in a unique location,
unavailable typically to the public for dinner, with each location selected
based on its ability to host the event’s signature long, white dinner table
where the meal is served family style.
Local chefs work with local growers and purveyors to not only create a
one-night-only menu, but also to educate Las Vegans on all that is available
while feasting on an organic dinner. Since Project Dinner Table’s launch in
April 2010, every dinner has sold out quickly. To top it all off, a portion of
every dinner’s proceeds benefits a Southern Nevada
charity. This dinner will benefit the We
Care, We Share Foundation and Create a Change Now.
Project Dinner Table’s 2011
season is sponsored by Nevada Beverage Company, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Whole
Foods Market, Bacardi USA, Seven Magazine, Las Vegas Design Center and
Renaissance Catering. Local partners and
purveyors include: L.A. Specialty, Gilcrease Orchard, Herbs by Diane, Supreme
Lobster, UNCE Farm, Heritage Foods USA, Chefs Warehouse, Hydro Greens and Bon
Breads
To purchase tickets, go to
www.projectdinnertable.com. Ticket price
per person is $140. Packages are also
available; to purchase a half season of three dinners, the price is $375 per
person.
For the remaining 2011
season, upcoming Project Dinner Table events include:
Sept. 10: Chef Geno Bernardo at El Cortez
Parkway Downtown benefiting the Animal Foundation. Start time: 7 p.m.
Oct.
15: Chef Rick Moonen at Cashman Field, benefiting Huntridge Teen Clinic &
Volunteers in Medicine. Start time: 6:30 p.m.
The final dinner will take
place on Sunday, Nov. 13.
ABOUT PROJECT DINNER TABLE
Project Dinner Table blends a
philanthropic approach and appreciation for the farm to table movement, while
focusing on what we love: food, community and fun. A series of once-in-a-lifetime, white
tablecloth-draped dinner’s hosted on-location in unique and adventurous
settings, Project Dinner Table pays homage to educating guests regarding local
growers and sustainable sources. The
gatherings celebrate community, local producers and the lost art of
conversation. Guests break bread with
local growers, food artisans, restaurateurs and other spirited community
members. Project Dinner table is a tasty
reason for people to gather, give back, connect and share in a phenomenal
culinary adventure. A donation will be
made to a selected charity at each dinner.
For more information, go to www.projectdinnertable.com or find on
Facebook at or follow on Twitter @Food4Good.
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