I woke up to rain and thunderstorms
on Saturday morning.
John was in Georgia
getting Lyons ready
for Cross Country Camp
and
I was firmly
ensconced
on my couch.
I snuggled with the dogs
and watched
"We Bought a Zoo"
which made me cry.
By the time John returned
in the late afternoon,
I had no desire
in the world
to go
anywhere.
However,
we had tickets to the
Great Chefs Dinner
at Hayground School
so
I gently reminded myself
that you only regret the things
you don't do.
We decided to brave the dark and stormy night
and drove to Bridgehampton.
As so often happens,
I was happy I went.
The night began
under the white tent
where we were treated to
delicious tasting stations
and an art auction.
I was so excited to meet
Eric Ripert
as we both stood in line
for Wolffer Rose'.
Later,
we made our way to
the VIP Dinner
in Jeff's Kitchen.
It was so amazing to hear stories about
Jeff Salaway,
the beloved partner
of Nick & Toni's.
Jeff passed away tragically
eleven years ago,
leaving his wife
and two young children.
Jeff's Kitchen is his legacy.
It is at the Hayground School
where students
grow their own food
and prepare lunch
every day.
The Chefs Dinner
raised money to build
Jeff's Kitchen
and supports
the Jeff Salaway Scholarship.
Every year,
the best chefs
from New York
come out to support this event.
There are too many to list,
but you can see them
here.
Dinner was amazing ~
from the cheese tray
before dinner ~
to the unveiling of the
Barefoot Contessa's new
sticky toffee date cake
for dessert.
We were able to
watch the chefs
prepare dinner
on large flat screen tv's.
and observe them
in the open kitchen.
We enjoyed getting to know
the group
at our table.
And
as the evening came to a close,
as the evening came to a close,
I was glad
I hadn't stayed
on the couch.
