Local chefs cook for children's charities

Twenty-three local chefs from some of the area's finest restaurants will cook up their favorite dishes at the two-evening Northern Trust Southwest Florida Wine Fest events slated for Nov. 9 and 10. They will showcase their talent at the Wine Fest Chef Vintner dinners and the Wine Fest Gala and Auction, benefiting The Children's Hospital and Hope Hospice's Children and Teens Programs.

The chefs participating in the Wine Fest Chef Vintner dinners on Nov. 9, include:

Chef Denis Meurgue, of Patio 33, will cook at the home of Michele Eddy, of Fort Myers, for 24 at $300 per person.

Chef Aziz Bouras, of Dolce Vita on Sanibel Island, will cook at the home of Michael and Leslie Flaherty, of Fort Myers, for 60 at $500 per person, which includes Wine Fest's featured vintner Clarke Swanson and Swanson Vineyards and Wineries.

Chef Javier Vasquez, of Roy's Naples, will cook in the home of Todd and Angela Gates, of Naples, for 40 at $350 per person.

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse's soon-to-arrive Chef Jean Pierre will cook in the home of Marsh and Lori Hanno, of Bonita Springs, for up to 40 people at $375 per person.

Chef Wade Lowe, of Roy's Bonita will cook in the home of Jack and Nancy Hewes, of Miromar Lakes, for 30 people at $300 per person.

Chef and Owner Harold Balink, of Harold's on Bay and H2, will cook in the home of Charles & Donna Homolka, of Gateway in Fort Myers, for 24 at $300 per person.

Chef Greg John, of the Club at Mediterra, will cook in the home of Bill & Andi Horowitz, of Fiddlesticks in Fort Myers co-hosted by Joe & JoAnn Catti, for up to 40 people at $400 per person.

Chef Shannon Yates, of Cru, will cook in the home of John and Liz Kagan, of Fort Myers, for 75 to 100 people at $350 per person. Yates will also collaborate with his own guest vintner.

Chef Ricardo DeOca, of Sunshine Seafood Grill will cook in the home of Sandy Stilwell and Harry Silverglide, of St. Charles Harbour in Fort Myers, for 24 people at $300 per person.

Chef Todd Johnson, of RumRunners and The Joint, will cook at a home in Cape Coral.

The Wine Fest Gala will be hosted at the Bonita Bay Club on Saturday night, Nov. 10.

Chef Norman Love, of Norman Love Confections, is the featured Wine Fest chef. He will provide an elaborate array of gourmet chocolates and desserts at the Wine Fest Gala and present a box of his special confections for all Chef Vintner Dinner guests.

Tickets for the Chef Vintner Dinners are limited, and no more than 500 tickets will be available for the Saturday night Wine Fest Gala.

For tickets or information on Wine Fest, please go to www.SouthwestFloridaWineFest. org, or call the Rotary Office at 332-8158. ¦