Junction Fund Raiser Chef Feed; il Bistro Italiano

 

The saying goes, eat where the chefs eat when they are not doing the
cooking. And so we did! Il Bistro Italiano is the place I go when we are
not doing the food!  I work with a group of dedicated chefs and
accomplished foodies that spend there own money to help raise scholarship funds
to get people education in the culinary arts.  The
Chefs4Students group  The Chefs
use their own money to fly in and help put on a wine pairing meal like nothing
else in the world.  This is the dinner I hosted the evening prior to the
event for the chefs and other persons who came together to raise $12,000 allow
us to add another $12K to the pot of money.  This is a very great cause, as
no other gift has the ability to raise a standard of living for someone like
education!

I would like to introduce you to my very good friend and a most
excellent Chef, Brunella, Chef Owner of the il Bistro Italiano.








The job she did was fantastic. Imagine you are the chef of a place, this
lunatic chef comes in about a fund raiser and he needs to have 18 chefs
fed and wined and dined and he wants you to do it. No pressure there at
all?



And so we started with a wonderful Prosecco and a very nice calamari.
Brunella says "absolutely hand made Italian" and she means it. She even
makes all the pasta homemade!! Spinach Ravioli, a wonderful roasted red
beet cannanoli where the starters! Sorry no pictures of the dishes,
perhaps one of the invited chefs will have some pics of the food.



Any way we are on the mission: This team of chefs is coming together to
produce the Grand Junction Scholarship Fund Raiser, Seven Courses and
Smooth Jazz event.



I tip my hat to every single one of you, your professionalism and
dedication are beyond extraordinary! And I especially am thankful for
not taking a little trip through the ecolab dish machine!








As can be expected when a group of chefs get together for dinner, there
are many things to discuss. But mostly food, wine and spirits combine to
offer a slight break from the pressures that will follow in only two
days. As the monumental task of preparing food in a strange kitchen with
a group of people will begin in earnest in less than 24 hours and be
served in less than 48 hours!













Of course as the characters begin to know one another it gets louder and
more of a party atmosphere takes over!



Some of the characters I caught on camera;








Our own Derek Thomas and the lovely Marlene Cochran! Derek comes back to
us as a past grant awardee and is starting to help fill the coffers for
others to follow. Marlene makes the trip from Whitehorse Yukon territory
Canada!








Of Course some of you will recognize Fred and Margie, in the Chef4Students
venture with Chef4students owner Pam and Dave Nelson. Fred appears pleasantly buzzed!








Guy Drew came in early to allow the chefs to taste some of his wines. He
drove up from Mancos to drop in on the Chefs and had about half dozen
bottles of his wine for all to taste!








And where would I be without Al and Mary. Big Dog Chef took some
ribbing, handle the kitchen and generally made it through the event
without lopping off any appendages. Mary poured wine for the event and
helped with everything and anything that needed a person where none was
available. Big Dog also put together the first course of the event. I
feel the first courses are so important as they set the stage and bar of
performance for the rest of the evening. Chef Tom was there with us in
spirit as he and Al invented the Appies that were offered.








Of course Moselle and Polcyn were in attendance. Moselle helped Chef
Polcyn with the prep of all things Quail. She actually told us she would
pay to get to do this type of experience. Perhaps a new business model
for fund raising?








And the man I leaned on a lot for doing this first event. Florian is a
wealth of information on this type event. He has done it several times
successfully. His wife Nova was there to support the cause as well.
Prepping the bass was a long hard job.








Picture of the lovely Pam Nelson and in the background my daughter
Rachel. These two handled the silent auction. From the beginning a true
team of focused individuals. The auction went off without a hitch!








The lovely Susan Thomas discussing things with Chef Instructor Jon St.
Peter of our local Culinary Arts school. Chef Jon's already working on
next years dessert! Susan was helping everywhere a set of hands was
needed!



All in all I think the dinner went over very well, the lamb was
excellent, the desserts divine! I was especially please to have this
dinner sponsored so the chefs did not have to dig into their pockets. It
was wonderful to see so much talent together in one room enjoying
stories and each others company.



Next up will be the reception, I kind of have to go in the order the
pictures are presented so I will be skipping around during the event.



Til we talk again

Chef Bob Ballantyne

The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

Grand Junction Colorado