Out of the Kitchen
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The energy was electric at the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation’s Out of the Kitchen event on Sunday evening, June 13, at the St. Regis Bal Harbour, where 185 supporters gathered for one of the first social events since the pandemic began. Hosted by Bravo “Top Chef” alum Sam Talbot, the event featured 16 of South Florida’s most talented chefs simultaneously cooking together in one ballroom for intimate tables of 12, which were spaced accordingly to CDC guidelines. The successful soiree raised nearly $350,000 for the cure-focused work of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Adventurous diners were treated to an interactive experience where they could engage with these culinary artists as they were creating innovative, three-course meals. Chefs included:
• Michael Beltran, Ariete
• Brian Nasajon, Beaker and Gray
• Brooke Mallory, Burlock Coast at Ritz Carlton Ft. Lauderdale
• Scott Linquist, Coyo Taco and Como Como
• Adrianne Calvo, Chef Adrianne’s and Redfish
• Todd Erickson, The Todd’s
• Victor Rosado, Fi’lia at SLS Brickell
• Vijay Veena, Jaya at the Setai
• Seth Blumenthal, Le Jardinier
• Sean Brasel, Meat Market
• Cesar Zapata, Phuc Yea
• Paula DaSilva, Ritz Carlton Ft. Lauderdale
• Jeremy Ford, Stubborn Seed
• Alex Kuk & Diego Ng, Temple Street Eatery
• Tim Andriola, Timo
• Karla Hoyos, The Bazaar by Jose Andres at SLS South Beach
Along with dinner, guests enjoyed a cocktail reception with pop-up restaurants featuring BH Burger Bar, 26 Sushi & Tapas, and personal Chef Tom Azar, a wine bar with an assortment of wines provided by Total Wine & More, plus an exciting live auction featuring private, in-home dinners provided by some of the evening’s popular chefs, among other luxurious items. The last-bite-of-the-night desserts were laid out for guests to box up and take home, including sumptuous offerings from Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop, Night Owl Cookies, Mad Lab Creamery, Sweet Guilt by Angelica and the St. Regis Bal Harbour’s pastry team. Each guest also left with a complimentary signed copy of celebrity photographer Manny Hernandez’s Candids Miami book, which features images from the area’s thriving pop culture landscape of the late 1980s and 90s.
CBS4 Lifestyle and Entertainment Reporter Lisa Petrillo helped lead the evening’s program, where Chef Talbot talked about his own personal experience of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The mission of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) is to find a cure for Talbot and millions more, and guests and sponsors stepped up in every way possible to support it.
In preparation for the event, which was chaired by Miami philanthropists Tammy and Steve Klein, the DRIF staff completed the Pandemic On-Site Protocol Training program, which equipped the team with the knowledge necessary to keep guests safe and identify and suppress risks should they arise.
Special thanks were extended to top sponsors, including the St Regis Bal Harbour, the Stacy Joy Goodman Memorial Foundation, Wild Oceans, The Tonkinson Foundation, Greenberg Traurig, Sabrina Gallo, Becton Dickinson, Allison and Stephen Blumenthal, Gerson, Preston, Klein, Lips, Eisenberg, Gelber, Tammy and Steven Klein, Pamela and Cesary Brylski, Lydia and Matt Stubbs, Global Perishable Services, LLP, and TotalDiabetesSupply.com.
Photos by Manny Hernandez.