• Recipes from Event

17th Annual Great Chefs Tasting Party®

Indulging appetites grant wishes

Showing that compassion overrides a recession, 750 UCP supporters raised nearly $90,000 for our programs and services at the 17th Annual Great Chefs Tasting Party.

Tom Kenny, executive chef for Mike Ditka’s, and ABC7’s Hungry Hound Steve Dolinsky, emcee for the evening, co-chaired the event. A steering committee including Jimmy Bannos of Heaven on Seven and David DiGregorio of Osteria Via Stato and Nancy Ranquist recruited 48 top chefs from Chicago’s favorite restaurants for the dinner.

A special thank you goes to the generous attendees, donors, chefs and volunteers, as well as the staff of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, who made this year’s event a success.

Our sincere appreciation also goes out to UCP’s ToyLend board members for their leadership in the Great Chefs Tasting Party. ToyLend helps infants and toddlers develop fine motor, language, literacy and recreation skills by playing with toy technologies.

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS

• Adobo Grill, Freddy Sanchez
• Ben Pao, Jim Hoveke
• Capannari Ice Cream, Jim Capannari
• Carnivale, Mark Mendez
• China Grill Chicago, Cliff Ostrowski
• Coco Pazzo, Chris Macchia
• Collins Caviar Company, Rachel Collins
• Cyrano's Café on the River Walk, Didier Durand
• David Burke's Primehouse, Rick Gresh
• Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Patrick Quakenbush
• Foodlife, John Chiakulas
• Gabriel's Restaurant, Gabriel Viti
• Gary Poppins Popcorn, Gary Seltzer
• Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse, Audry Triplett
• Heaven on Seven, Jimmy Bannos
• Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House, Robert Mrvos
• Joe's Seafood, Prime Steakhouse & Stone Crab, Gary Baca
• Katherine Anne Confections, Katherine Duncan
• La Madia, Jonathan Fox
• Lao Beijing Chinese Restaurant, Tony Hu
• Lockwood Restaurant, Phillip Foss
• May Street Café, Mario Santiago
• Maya Del Sol, Todd Gunderson
• Mike Ditka's Restaurant, Tom Kenny

• Mizu, Yakitori & Sushi Bar, Annie Zheng
• Osteria Via Stato, David DiGregorio
• Prosecco Ristorante, Mark Sparacino
• RL Restaurant, Steven Bakas
• Roy's Restaurant, Kevin Dusinski
• Sage Grille, Adam Grandt
• Scoozi!, Eric Young
• Shula's, Johnnie Johnson
• Tallulah, Troy Graves
• The Ambrosia Experience, JP Nettles
• The Café at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, Mark Payne
• The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant, Cesar Reyes
• The Melting Pot Restaurant, Mike Ruffolo
• The Purple Pig, Jimmy Banno's Jr.
• The Reel Club, Mychael Bonner
• The Rosebud, Massimo Rubino
• The Saloon Steakhouse, Jim Day
• Trader Vic's, Isaac Holtzworth
• Trattoria 225, Craig Charlton
• Trattoria No. 10, Douglas D'Avico
• Vong's Thai Kitchen, Luis De Alba
• Wildfire, Joe Decker
• Wow Bao, Marc Bernard

Event Sponsors

The mission of United Cerebral Palsy is to advance the independence of people with disabilities, enrich their lives, provide support to their families, and advocate for their inclusion in every facet of community life.