Special to the Indy by OCSocialScene.com
It was a feast for the senses as the Illumination Foundation hosted its 2013 Table for 10 Culinary Event with Title Sponsor Wells Fargo welcoming more than 250 guests who filled the ballroom at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort.
Twenty-five of Orange County’s preeminent chefs volunteered their time and resources to create an array of phenomenal signature dishes tableside for guests who were positively awestruck at the stunning table décor, extravagant floral arrangements, and exquisite fine china, each individually designed and donated in support of ending homelessness in Orange County.
Participating chefs and restaurants included: Host Chef: Josef Lageder, The Balboa Bay Club & Resort; Honorary Chef: Yves Fournier, Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine & Cocktail; Brian Doherty, Bambu Restaurant, Fairmont Newport Beach; Seakyeong Kim, Charlie Palmer; Lewis Butler, The Center Club; Marcel St. Pierre, Club 33; Joe Magnanelli, CUCINA enoteca; Austin George, du bois; David Shofner, Dublin 4 Gastropub & Wineworks for Everyone; Alfonso Ramirez, Pinot Provence; Steve Buckhorn, Future Foods Farm; Louie Jocson, Red Table; Blaine VIllasin & Kevin Wong, Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine Newport Beach; Manny Gomez, Ruth’s Chris; Paul Bauer, Sevilla Restaurant & Tapas Bar; David Fune, Splashes, Surf & Sands Resort; Marco Romero, Starfish Asian Coastal Cuisine; Rayne Frey, Tabu Grill; Alfred Prasad, Tamarind of London; Casey Overton, The Loft Montage; Ashley Santo Domingo, The-Rock-It Bar, Whole Foods; Ryan Adams, Three-Seventy Common Kitchen+Drink; Sean Ramirez, Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille; and Trevethan and Michael Webb, Vue Restaurant, Laguna Cliffs Resort. The Cocktail Reception: Adam Navidi, Future Foods Farm.
The evening included a moving performance by the Illumination Foundation Children’s Choir, composed of children enrolled in the Illumination Foundation’s housing. Guests were also given the opportunity to better understand how the Illumination Foundation serves local homeless through a powerful short film by Chapterfold Productions. The documentary-style video highlighted the struggles and triumphs of the families and children the foundation has impacted.
Paul Leon, Founder and CEO of the Illumination Foundation, followed the film with a rousing call to action. During his emotional plea, Leon invited guests to intercede on behalf of the children that have been marginalized and put at risk due to poverty. The crowd responded generously with proceeds for the evening’s event reaching more than $300,000.
Noted sponsors for the evening included Kaiser Permanente, Disneyland Resort, Armored Wolf, Aman Resorts, Black Starr & Frost, Epic Products, Sidney Frank Importing Co., Nestle Water, and Boekenoogen Vineyards.
For more information about Illumination Foundation, visit ifhomeless.org.For more coverage and photos of the event, visit OCSocialScene.com.
