2008 Great Chefs Dinner And Nick & Toni's 20th Anniversary Benefiting Hayground School

2008 GREAT CHEFS DINNER
In support of THE JEFF SALAWAY SCHOLARSHIP FUND
and Jeff's Kitchen at Hayground School
IN CELEBRATION OF NICK & TONI'S 20th ANNIVERSARY
- Event Features 12 of NYC's and East End's Top Chefs -
- Drew Nieporent, Toni Ross, and Nick & Toni's Are Co-Hosts -
- Gala Gourmet Dinner-Dance Will Be Held
Sunday, July 13th at Nick & Toni's in East Hampton -

Gastronomy and philanthropy are once again joining forces to serve education with the 2008 GREAT CHEF'S DINNER, one of the food world's most eagerly anticipated affairs each year. The event is the primary fundraiser for Bridgehampton's own Hayground School, the Hamptons' most creative institution for progressive nursery-to-8th-grade education. This annual tribute to the late Jeff Salaway, a widely respected and beloved restaurateur and one of the school's co-founders, features the prodigious culinary talents of some of the hottest chefs in New York City and the Hamptons. The 2008 GREAT CHEF'S DINNER will benefit Hayground's Jeff Salaway Scholarship Fund and Jeff's Kitchen, as well as celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nick & Toni's, Long Island's leading restaurant and a favorite haunt of visiting and local business, art and entertainment celebrities. The event will be held on Sunday, July 13th in a festive tent outside Nick & Toni's, 136 N. Main Street East Hampton, New York. Restaurateurs Drew Nieporent and Toni Ross and Nick & Toni's are the evening's co-hosts. For tickets and sponsorship information, contact Donna Imbarrato at 631-327-0573 or greatchefsdinner@gmail.com

The 2008 GREAT CHEFS DINNER's stellar lineup of culinary masters, many of whom
were Salaway's longtime friends and colleagues, include:
Josh Capon of Lure Fishbar
Tom Colicchio of Craft Restaurants, Food Craft, and TV's Top Chef
Claudia Fleming of The North Fork Table & Inn
Larry Forgione of An American Place, and An American Caf� St. Louis
Marc Meyer of 5 Points, Cookshop, and Provence
Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar & Grill
Joseph Realmuto of Nick & Toni's Restaurants
Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin
Aaron Sanchez of Paladar, and Centrico Restaurant
Toshio Tomita of Nobu Restaurant
Laurent Tourondel of BLT Restaurants
Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto Restaurant






The 2008 GREAT CHEFS DINNER will begin under the tent with cocktails at 6:00 p.m. and will feature food stations offering an array of the chefs' signature dishes; the area's foremost sommeliers, under the direction of wine expert Joe Watson, will pour wines that perfectly compliment these gastronomic delights. Dinner will be followed by dancing, and there will also be wine tasting provided by the top local and international vineyards; appearances and book signings by noted food writers; and displays of specialty foods, and culinary tools and products. . Tickets for the tent event are $500 per person. In addition, a limited number of tickets are available inside the restaurant for a special 7:00 p.m. seating for courses created by Eric Ripert, Tom Colicchio and Claudia Fleming, served with exceptionally fine, rare wines, at $1,500 each (includes cocktails and dancing in the tent). For more information please go to www.greatchefsdinner.com

"At Hayground, the 3 Rs can sometimes stand for recipe, roast and roux, since one of our most innovative features is Jeff's Kitchen," explains Lukas Weinstein, the school's administrative coordinator. Says Nick & Toni's Toni Ross, who was also the late Salaway's wife, "Jeff believed that the growing, preparation and sharing of food is a primal human experience and the foundation of family and community." The state-of-the-art k