Last Wednesday night, October 24th, we had a real treat here at the Hollywood Renaissance: the James Beard House Celebrity Chef Tour! If you don’t know what the James Beard House Foundation is, check it out here (basically, they’re dedicated to preserving America’s culinary heritage, training the chefs of tomorrow, all in honor of the legendary Chef James Beard). Hosted in Twist Restaurant by our own Chef Elie Chow, the Celebrity Chef Tour raises money for the James Beard House Foundation by putting on a series of dinners throughout the country featuring meals prepared exclusively by the nation’s top chefs.

Our original celebrity chef, Gavin Kaysen, unfortunately had to bow out due to the terrible wildfires near his home in San Diego. But lucky us, Chef Jill Davie, also of the James Beard House and Next Iron Chef, was happy to step in and save the day, doing her own twist on Gavin’s original menu.

With less than 36 hours of prep-time, Chef Davie made believers out of us all. With a number of delightful vintages courtesy of Souverain Vineyards, including a really special 2004 Winemaker’s Reserve Cab, Chef Davie served up a delightful mix of cuisine: Hamachi, Seared Scallops with Apple Smoked Bacon, and a perfect Angus Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized Figs and Gorgonzola. All in all, it was a lovely time: we raised a bunch of money for a valuable organization, and everyone went home with their bellies full. Can you ask for anything more?

For more information about upcoming Celebrity Chef Tour events, check out their website here.

Until next time, Bruce.