Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published January 23, 2006 Click here for the current edition Chef's Charity For Children Today For the twenty-ninth year, the city's original chef-sponsored charity event will fill a big room today. My departed friend Chef Warren Leruth started the Chef's Charity for Children as a fundraiser for St. Michael's Special School, which has performed miracles with learning-disabled children for decades. Leruth called all his best chef friends and asked them to perform cooking demos and serve food for free at the event--the first time (but far from the last) such a thing had been done. It not only has been a consistent success, but it has remained something of an exclusive club. The chefs are the best: Emeril, John Besh, the Wong brothers, Gunter Preuss, Goffredo Fraccaro and Chris Kerageorgiou, to name a few long-time participants. It's usually a two-day event, but in this stressful year, with its severe shortage of restaurant personnel, it's been cut back to just today. You can get there (the Hilton Riverside, at the foot of Poydras) at any time; demos begin at 10 a.m., with food starts being served around 12:30 p.m. However, tickets always sell out, and they may or may not be available at the door. I think the price is $45. It includes the little cookbook they produce each year for the event. © 2006 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com