Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris
Originally published December 9, 2008
Raising Cheer For Unfortunate Kids, This Saturday, December 13, 7:30 p.m. Till
Chef Duke Overfeeds, Overwaters You; You Bring A Toy
A few years ago, Chef Duke Locicero, the owner of Cafe Giovanni, had the idea of bringing more joy to children whose health or other circumstances gave them very little holiday cheer. He found the easiest way to do this was to start his own foundation.
It has two events every year. The first is an enormous party at Cafe Giovanni, with a free flow of food from the kitchen, cocktails from the bar, thirty wines, and live music all night. Chef Duke, himself no slouch when it comes to partying, pulls out all the stops for this. The admission is $75 a person, plus a new, unwrapped toy worth at least $20, or at least a $20 additional cash donation. For some reason, he ask that the toy not be a stuffed animal.
All the money goes to Children's Hospital. The toys are distributed just before Christmas by Chef Duke and friends personally. This is a heart-wrenching, tears-of-joy-flowing activity, as the eyes of kids who might not have anything for Christmas suddenly get a lot of attention and gifts. (There's a video of this on the Cafe Giovanni website, )
It's another example of the unparalleled ability and inclination of restaurateurs to make good things happen in the community. I wonder how much all their donations in a year would add up to. I'll bet well into eight figures. This is a particularly good example.
To reserve, call 529-2154. See you there!
Cafe Giovanni. French Quarter: 117 Decatur. 504-529-2154. Italian.
© 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com