A group of top New Jersey chefs, those who lead kitchens in the Garden State or call it their home, are banding together to host “Dine 4 a Difference,” a charity dinner that will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
The dinner, to take place at 6:30 pm on Thursday, November 9, at Ariane Kitchen & Bar, 706 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, will be headlined by the hosting chef Ariane Duarte and Verona resident Floyd Cardoz, the chef-owner of Paowalla in New York. Their friends and colleagues, Food Network’s “Chopped” judge Amanda Freitag and Carmen Quagliata, executive chef of Union Square Cafe in New York, will work alongside them that night.
The chefs are partnering for the benefit with Newman Cares, a Verona-based charity whose mission is to bring communities together for worthy causes.
Cardoz, the catalyst for the benefit and an advocate for suicide prevention among young adults, wanted to do something to help his hometown prevent suicide and promote mental health.
“Watching an amazing community of chefs and vendors come together for this cause has been incredible,” Cardoz says. “We are so grateful to have so many partners participating.”
The menu for the event features:
Anson Mills Polenta, Kale Pesto and Mushroom Trifolati: prepared by chef Carmen Quagliata
Slow Cooked Halibut, with Crispy Rice Flakes and Sun-Dried Ginger Broth: prepared by chef Floyd Cardoz
Braised Short Ribs with Parsnip Puree, Greens and Crispy Shallots: prepared by chef Ariane Duarte
Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Cranberry Compote: prepared by chef Amanda Freitag
Reservations are required. Tickets are $150 per person for bar seating and $200 a person for table seating. Purchase seats online by visiting newmancares.org/Dine4aDiff.
Newman Cares sponsors an annual music festival, the proceeds of which are donated to charity. Since its founding, the charity has made grants to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, The American Heart Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.