Back by popular demand no doubt, Chef Celebration announces its 14th annual dinner series, to be held at San Diego restaurants once a week throughout October 2009.

Chef Celebration is a nonprofit organization that strives to lay a foundation of excellence for San Diego’s dining community. A collaborative effort made possible by more than 20 award-winning San Diego chefs who donate their expertise to raise money for a culinary scholarship program, the Chef Celebration dinner series is, by far, the tastiest way to give back to the community.

The 14th Annual Chef Celebration Dinner Series will take place every Tuesday in October (and the last Tuesday in September), featuring five-course dinner collaborations from some of the beach chefs in San Diego. Teams of chefs will join forces at leading restaurants across San Diego County, including 1540 Kitchen, Cowboy Star, Cucina Urbana, Pamplemousse, and Terra Restaurant. Each chef will contribute one of their most notable recipes and make appearances to mingle with guests.

2009 Chef Celebration Teams and Schedule

Pamplemousse - Tuesday, September 29th
Jeff Strauss – Pamplemousse
Ryan Harris - Pamplemousse/ Pastry chef
Jason Knibb - 910 Restaurant
Jeff Thurston - The Prado
Jim Phillips - Barona

Terra Restaurant - Tuesday, October 6th
Jeff Rossman – Terra
Katie Grebow - Café Chloe
Norma Martinez - El Vitral
Danny Bannister – Red Marlin
Amy Dibiase - Roseville

Cowboy Star - Tuesday, October 13th
Victor Jimenez - Cowboy Star
Bernard Guillas - Marine Room
Brian Malarkey - Oceanaire
Christian Graves - JSix

Cucina Urbana -Tuesday, October 20th
Joe Magnanelli- Cucina Urbana
Ben Rollin – Cucina Urbana
Colin MacLaggan - Avenue 5
Nathan Coulon - Ivy Hotel
Hanis Cavin - Kensington Grill

Kitchen 1540 - Tuesday, October 27th
Paul McCabe – Kitchen 1540
Matt Gordon - Urban Solace
Jeff Jackson – The Lodge at Torrey Pines
Jim Phillips – Barona Casino

Dine to Make a Difference
From the efforts of the Chef Celebration dinners, the organization has distributed in excess of $60,000 in scholarships to such notable chefs as Hanis Cavin of Kensington Grill, Denise Roa of Art Institute, and Josh McGinnis of L.A. Specialty Produce. The group is scheduled to award an additional 10 scholarships this year to deserving and motivated individuals.

Chef Celebration dinners require a $65 donation per person, with $35 going towards the nonprofit scholarship fund. For menus and reservations, please contact host restaurants directly. For complete details visit chefcelebration.org.