Chefs named for SWF Wine & Food Fest

GERHARD The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest has announced its lineup of restaurants and chefs participating in the upcoming weekend event to be held on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27 and 28. The chefs will join 16 wineries and wine distributors in the event, which features Chef Vintner dinners at select homes on Friday evening, Feb. 27, and, for the public, a Grand Tasting and Auction on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 28, at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club. The Wine & Food fest benefits children's charities.

"The pairing of wine and food is an important culinary concept and is the cornerstone of the Wine & Food Fest," said Dr. Steve Machiz, Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest founding chairman. "We are thrilled by the caliber of our chefs and restaurants, the diversity of their culinary styles and their interest in serving the community."

Visiting chefs Keegan Gerhard and Xavier Salomon join the event this year. Chef Gerhard was named one of the nation's top 10 pastry chefs of 2002 and 2004 by both Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines and can be seen on TV as emcee and host of the live Food Network Challenge Series. Chef Salomon is from the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay near San Francisco. Chef Gerhard will join Norman Love of Norman Love Confections at the Grand Tasting and Auction's dessert station on Saturday. Both Chef Gerhard and Chef Salomon will be preparing as part of the Chef Vintner dinners on Friday.

From Fort Myers and the beaches, chefs Norman Love from Norman Love Confections, Michael Ragusa from The Sandy Butler, Jayson Rydell from Flipper's on the Bay/Lovers Key Resort, Todd Johnson from Artisan Bread Company, Richie Wilim and Josh Zeman from Cru and Shannon Yates from Bacchus will be featured in the Grand Tasting and Auction on Saturday. Chef Wilim, Chef Zeman and Chef Yates join chefs Harold Balink from H2, Sean Boller from Sanibel Steakhouse, Gloria Cabral-Jordan from La Trattoria Napoli and Melissa Talmage from Sweet Melissa's in preparing Chef Vintner dinners on Friday.

From Bonita Springs and Estero, chefs Nick Costanzo from Angelina's Ristorante, Caroline Hostettler from 55 degrees, Jeffrey Lucas from Ruth's Chris Steak House, Vincent Mazzoli from The Grape, Andreas Singer from the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point and Thomas Pedit from Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club will be featured in the Grand Tasting and Auction on Saturday. Mr. Pedit will join chefs Nick Costanzo from Angelina's Ristorante, Danny Mellman from Danny Mellman Catering, Kristina San Fillipo from Robb & Stucky Culinary and Wade Lowe from Roy's in preparing Chef Vintner dinners on Friday.

The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest is a signature event of the SWFL Children's Charities, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides funding to local charities serving local children. The Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida is this year's beneficiary and secondary charity is Edison State College's pediatric nursing program.

For more information, go to www.swflwinefest. org or call 432-9722.