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2012 Chefs Dinner

Event Dates: July 28, 2012

Eric Ripert, Josh Capon, Justin Smillie and Amanda Freitag are among the world famous chefs and special guest Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa featured at the 2012 Chefs Dinner this summer in the Hamptons. The much-anticipated event now in its seventh year in the ongoing series, will be held on Saturday, July 28th starting at 5:30 p.m. on Hayground School’s campus (151 Mitchell Lane, Bridgehampton, NY) as a benefit for Hayground School’s Jeff’s Kitchen and the Jeff Salaway Scholarship Fund.  The event will include a cocktail party from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. featuring notable Manhattan chefs as well as top local chefs preparing hors d’oeuvres using local bounty.  Confirmed chefs at this year’s event include: Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin), Josh Capon (Lure Fish Bar), Amanda Freitag (Food Network’s Chopped), Justin Smillie (Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria), James Carpenter (The Living Room), Bryan Futerman (Foody’s), Doug Gulija (The Plaza Café), Christian Mir (Stone Creek Inn), Kevin Penner (Cittanuova), Joseph Realmuto and Ed Lightcap (Rowdy Hall), Cheryl Stair (Art of Eating), Jason Weiner (Almond), Joe Isidori (Southfork Kitchen), Joel Hough (Il Buco), Arthur Wolf (Smokin’ Wolf BBQ), Marc Meyer and RL King (Five Points|Cook Shop|Hundred Acres), Davie Simmons (Uptown Juice Bar) and Claudia Fleming (North Fork Table & Inn).  Product sponsors include: Cavaniola’s Gourmet Cheese Shop, D’Artagnan, Blue Parrot, VerTerra, PLAIN-T, Greenport Brewing Company, Crystal Head Vodka, Wolffer Vineyards, Channing Daughters Winery, Hampton Coffee and Diplomatico Rum.  A silent art auction will also be held during the cocktail party featuring renowned artists.

VIP Wine Dinner in Jeff’s Kitchen Featuring Top Culinary Talent

The sit-down dinner to follow the cocktail party from 8 – 10:30 p.m. features a four-course meal prepared by a select few of the participating chefs and paired with wines chosen by Aldo Sohm world-class Chef Sommelier of Le Bernardin.  Dessert will feature a special sneak peek sweet from Ina Garten’s forthcoming cookbook, Foolproof. A portion of the produce used in sit down dinner will be sourced from Hayground School’s Slow Foods Greenhouse.  There will also be a live auction following the dinner featuring exclusive culinary and travel packages.

Ticket Prices and VIP Wine Tables

The “Meet the Chefs” cocktail party will be held in a festive tent on the Hayground School beautiful grounds and will feature live music, a silent auction and a bounty of tastings from the great chefs and restaurants featured.  Tickets for the cocktail party only are $150 per person.  Tickets for the dinner and the cocktail party are $750.  VIP wine tables are also available, limited availability, featuring fine wine selections and premium seating in Jeff’s Kitchen with prices starting at $1500 per ticket and $11,000 for a table of eight. Tickets for children will be available for $35, which includes kids dinner and creative childcare by Hayground Camp counselors.

An Annual Tribute to the Late Jeff Salaway

The Chefs Dinner series is the primary fundraiser for Bridgehampton’s own Hayground School (www.haygroundschool.org) and an annual tribute to the late Jeff Salaway, a widely respected and beloved restaurateur and one of the school’s co-founders.  Since it’s inception, this event has raised over $1,000,000 for Jeff’s Kitchen and the Jeff Salaway Scholarship Fund.  Says Nick & Toni’s Toni Ross, who was also the late Salaway’s wife, “Jeff believed that the growing, preparation and sharing of food is a primal human experience and the foundation of family and community.”  Jeff’s Kitchen is a full service professional kitchen and classroom fitted with top-of-the-line Viking appliances and a new pizza oven.  Classes in nutrition, food science and cooking are held there for both children and adults.  Completing the facility, recently a professional Farmtek greenhouse was erected by Hayground students, staff and friends with funds provided by Slow Food.

Tickets may be purchase online at www.greatchefsdinner.com. For more event information or to purchase tickets by phone contact Samantha Dettmer at 631-537-7068 x113 or email at info@greatchefsdinner.org. For press inquiries contact Nicole Castillo at WordHampton Public Relations at (631) 329-0050.

About Hayground School
Hayground School is an independent alternative school, committed to a program of innovation in a community of diversity, both economical and cultural. Hayground students range from 3-13 years of age. The mission at Hayground is to provide an open, community school where conventional teaching methods are replaced by new ways of teaching and learning. We work to give our students the tools, perseverance and determination to be independent thinkers and continue learning throughout their lives.