Gourmet eats for a cause

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/09/2011 (5115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tasty TIDBITS FROM 100 MILE DINNER: “I’m thrilled to be here. I have my pyjamas on under my clothes,” announced gala host and major foodie Terry MacLeod — the CBC radio morning show host who gets up at 3:30 a.m. The unique Boys and Girls Club fundraiser, where no food came from farther away than 100 miles, attracted a host of hungry Winnipeg noshers to the Crescentwood Community Centre Tuesday.

The nine well-known gourmet chefs helped serve the dinner themselves, cafeteria-style, and everyone wanted to chat — so final tables drawn by lottery waited two hours to get dinner.

“Next year there won’t be lineups, because we’re going to have more stations throughout the room, or a served sit-down dinner,” says Heather Black, director of the club’s volunteers and events. They will go to a bigger venue as well, says Ron Brown, president and CEO of the club, as they sold out the 252 tickets in days.

The celebrity chefs, in a variety of funky headgear, included Luc Jean of Red River College, Ben Kramer of Diversity Foods, Adam Donnelly from Segovia Tapas Bar and Restaurant, Makoto Ono of Edohei Sushi and Japanese Restaurant, Norman Pastorin from The Grove Pub and Restaurant, Ariel Shor of Lobby on York, Alexander Svenne from Bistro 7 1/4, Rob Thomas of Chef Rob, and controversial chef Scott Bagshaw (spiked hair, tattoos, no hat — no surprise) of Deseo Bistro. “Everyone commented afterwards on the quality of the food and getting to meet the chefs,” says Black.

Spotted, with plates in hand: Former mayor Susan Thompson, negotiating guru Lawrie Cherniak, Kevin Betzold of GNR Camping World, Holly Toupin from RBC, Gary Timlick of Wawanesa Mutual Insurance, Sarah Gay from The North West Company, Jeff Schott of Omega Drives, Tom De Nardi of La Boutique Del Vino, lawyers Richard Swystun and Frank Bueti with the Tapper Cuddy table.

— — —

FRIENDS FOREVER: When times are tough, friendship is the best part of life. Close friends who raised money at the small benefit for B.J. Garrison last Friday got together at Mona Lisa restaurant and bar to present a $750 cheque. Band leader Rod Hussey pulled musicians together in one week and caught the last of the balmy weather for an outdoor social on the bocce ball court beside Joe Grande’s Corydon Avenue restaurant.

Garrison is battling cancer, so the idea was to give him a money gift so he could do some cool things with his young son. While the fundraiser was supposed to be over at 10 p.m., so musicians could get to their regular gigs, those friends who were not working kept on playing and singing into the night for their friend B.J. That’s the Winnipeg music community for you — close, warm and generous.

— — —

RIDING HIGH: Winnipegger Sketch Williams, a.k.a. Christian Mann, the young composer, producer and songwriter, celebrated the release of his new album, Strength in the Static, at the Park Theatre Wednesday night. “It’s a combustion of hip-hop, rap, rock ‘n’ roll, electro, dub-step and classical.

“It took the last two-and-a-half years to do this — a most personal, meaningful album, which talks about my life and struggles.”

But Wednesday night was a walk in the park. The evening started with an hour-long parade of 20-something fans in long legs, four-inch heels and clingy micro-minis arriving in bunches. Spotted in the lobby was musician Ian Grant, known as Breeze, looking cool in shoulder-length braids (his brother, Eddy Grant, is known for mega-hit Electric Avenue). Williams goes to L.A. soon to start a 150-stop U.S. tour.

Warming up was DJ Le Geisha hopping nonstop for an hour like the Energizer bunny. The show started with Come On 2.0 playing alongside a slide show of the musician’s life followed by Williams performing five songs.

— — —

MAKIN’ IT WORK: Scott Porteous, who works at the Health Sciences Centre as a patient transporter, is jetting off to Las Vegas Sunday as one of 101 comics who won a spot on the weeklong World Series of Comedy Festival, run by comedian Joe Lowers.

“I kind of feel like I’ve already won; there’ll be lots of opportunity there,” says Porteous, who’s been struggling to make it since he was 19.

His dream? “I just want to do it for a living and make people laugh,” he says. The 28-year-old with the sweet loser act is well-known in Winnipeg for hosting the Comedy Do or Die contest at Chuckles on Portage Avenue.

“My night is Monday and it’s a wild-card event — 45 comics in one show, five minutes each — ending up with a top 10.”

The top three winners by the end of the week perform 25 minutes on Saturday. The winner gets 36 weeks of paid work in the United States, Canada and Great Britain and a recording deal.

Got tips, events, sightings, unusual things going on? Call Maureen’s tip line at 474-1116, email maureen.scurfield@Winnipegfreepress.com or send mail to The Insider, c/o The Winnipeg Free Press at 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, R2X 3B6.