Marin County nonprofit Lifehouse, which supports adults with developmental disabilities, hosted its beloved epicurean fundraiser Great Chefs & Wineries on April 5 at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion. 500 patrons enjoyed the elegant evening with bites and pours from more than 50 of the Bay Area’s top chefs and wineries, raising over $750,000 for Lifehouse’s vital programs.
Star Studded Team Leads Festivities
Entertainer Bud E. Luv stepped in as honorary chair for Huey Lewis, who was at home recovering from surgery, while KTVU’s Betty Yu served as emcee and thanked all event sponsors.
Insalata’s chef Heidi Krahling continued her longtime role as culinary chair, a position she has held for 35 years, while wine connoisseur Sid Sall once again helmed the expertly curated wine committee.
Lifehouse President and CEO Nancy Dow Moody spoke passionately to the crowd about the organization’s mission as well as persistent budgetary challenges faced by the broader nonprofit sector.
Culinary Artistry Meets Community Spirit
The evening kicked off with an array of small plates, thoughtfully crafted by chefs from some of the Bay Area’s top restaurants. Guests paired these culinary delights with pours from 28 premier wineries, while also enjoying cocktails by Sausalito Liquor Co, Alamere Spirits, King Floyd’s and Stillwater. Additional offerings included lattes from Red Whale Coffee, beer and cider courtesy of Fort Point Brewery, tea from The Republic of Tea and signature martinis mixed by “Marin’s favorite barfly,”
Following dinner, guests savored a fine cheese and dessert bar provided by Amelie Café & Wine Bar, Fiorello’s Artisanal Gelato, Emporio Rulli, ItalFoods, Kate’s Single Batch Toffee, Nick the Greek Novato, Table Culture Provisions, Point Reyes Cheese Co, Rubicon Bakery and Woodlands Bakery.
Heartfelt Moves and High-Energy Grooves
As is tradition, the evening featured a heartfelt and high-energy dance performance by a group of individuals supported by Lifehouse. Choreographed by Tara-Caprice Broadwater of Love2Dance Novato, the routine celebrated the theme of love, set to the upbeat tracks “Love Shack” by the B-52s and “Love Is All” by Je’kob. Later, guests boogied down to the sounds of Pride & Joy.
“For over 70 years, Lifehouse has been a beacon of support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering a lifeline to those we serve and their families,” said Nancy Dow Moody, Lifehouse President & CEO. “Our annual Great Chefs & Wineries event is more than just a celebration; it’s a chance to come together as a community and, most importantly, to ensure that the most vulnerable among us are seen, heard and given the opportunity to live full, meaningful lives.”
Lifehouse Thanks This Year’s Restaurants and Wineries
Participating restaurants in this year’s Great Chefs & Wineries included: Bar Sprezzatura, Bombay Brasserie, Buckeye Roadhouse, Burmatown, Cerri Catering, Copita Tequileria y Comida, Corner Bar MV, EPIC Steak, Il Davide, Insalata’s, Left Bank Brasserie, Mersea, Paseo Bistro, Perkin’s Catering Co, Perry’s, Petite Left Bank, Poggio Trattoria, Sushi Ran, Tadich Grill, The Boardroom & The Speakeasy, West Bound and Found, Yank Sing.
Participating wineries included: Aldina Vineyards, Brooks Note Winery, Crocker & Starr, Coursey Graves, Dry Creek Vineyard, Duckhorn Vineyards, Dutton-Goldfield Winery, Elaine Wines, HALL, WALT, BACA, Hundred Acre Wine Group, Grgich Hills Estate, JAX Vineyards, Kanzler Family Vineyards, Keenan Winery, Kendric Vineyards, Linked Vineyards, McPrice Myers Wines, Merry Edwards Winery, NZ Wine Navigator, ONEHOPE Winery, Papapietro Perry Winery, Michael Mondavi, Schramsberg, Schweiger Vineyards, Thirty-Seven Winer and Westwood Wine Estates.
Photos by Drew Altizer Photography.
A freelance writer in Marin who writes about family, kids and parenting, Glass is the mother to one son, one dog and a hamster named Miss Geri. When she’s not writing, trekking up steep hills in Marin or driving her kid to sports practice, she and her family spend time in their tiny cabin in Lake Tahoe. She avidly supports the California Academy of Sciences, a world class science museum and research institution, and the Institute on Aging which provides much needed services to Bay Area seniors and disabled adults. Glass is obsessed with baking the perfect loaf of banana bread, something she makes so often she no longer needs to look at a recipe card.
