An Evening of Aloha: Celebrating the Friscia Family and UCSD Burn Center

This has been a life-changing summer for Chef Antonio Friscia (Stingaree, Gaijin, Campine). At a 4th of July party his wife Stacy was severely burned over almost half of her body in an accident around a fire pit. It was touch and go for awhile; she needed to be kept in an induced coma initially and required multiple and extensive surgeries.

The good news--for Stacy and Antonio, their two sons, and their extended family and friends--is that not only is Stacy recovering, she is homeward bound, where she still has a lot of physical therapy and healing to do.

To celebrate her recovery and the superb treatment she received at the UC San Diego Burn Center, Antonio wanted to throw a big bash. So, Enlightened Hospitality Group, which is home office to Stingaree and Campine, is hosting An Evening of Aloha, a benefit for the Burn Center which will be held at Stingaree this Sunday, Sept. 16 from 4 to 8 p.m. There's a minimum $20 donation at the door and all of the proceeds will go to the Burn Center.

Participating restaurants and chefs are San Diego favorites, including the Cooks Confab, to which Antonio belongs:

Brian Sinnott (L. A Specialty)

Jeff Jackson (A. R. Valentien)      

Jason Knibb (NINE–TEN)

Trey Foshee  (George’s California Modern)      

Chad White (Counterpoint)

Melissa Mayer (Martini Media)

Jack Fisher (Jack Fisher Confections)

James Foran (Market) 

Olivier Bioteau (Farm House Cafe)

Christian Graves (Jsix)

Aaron LaMonica (Blind Lady Ale House/TigerTiger)

TK Kolanko (The Fishery)

Paul Arias (The Fishery)                                           

Katie Grebow (Café Chloe)         

Paul McCabe (Delicias)

Amanda Baumgarten (Herringbone)

Shane McIntyre  (Searsucker)

Ryan Studebaker (Gingham)

Carlos Ochoa (Gabardine) 

Anthony Sinsay (Burlap)

Hanis Cavin (Carnitas Shack)

Donald Coffman (Paradise Point)

Andrew Spurgin

Those of us who know and love the Friscias are so grateful for Stacy's recovery and hope you'll join in to help raise money for the UC San Diego Burn Center, which serves San Diego, Riverside, and Imperial Counties as well as Western Arizona. It is one of only eight certified burn centers in California and Arizona that meets the standards of the American Burn Association and American College of Surgeons. The proceeds from An Evening of Aloha will go towards discovering new therapies, fighting infection, expanding facilities and capacity, purchasing specialized equipment, providing training, community education, and, of course, providing comfort.

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Six San Diego Restaurants Certified as Humane by WSPA

There's a new way to evaluate the restaurant you want to dine at: how "humane" they are. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has created a new database at EatHumane.org. Only 150 restaurants in 15 cities -- including six in San Diego -- have made it into the database so far. The cities were selected by region, metro population, and popularity as a tourist and business travel destination.

And, what does "humane" mean in this context? That restaurants are serving a variety of humanely raised meat and dairy products that have not been factory farmed. WSPA experts researched menus to identify meat, dairy, and egg products that come from what they call "a higher level of animal welfare than products from factory farms." Then they spoke with restaurant chefs to verify the accuracy of the information.

So, which San Diego restaurants made the list?

• A.R. Valentien in La Jolla
• Nine-Ten Restaurant & Bar in La Jolla
• Stingaree in downtown San Diego
  
• Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido
• The Linkery in North Park
• The Marine Room in La Jolla

Other cities featured in the database include Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

The site also has a database for grocery shopping, listing humane meat, dairy, and egg brands sold in national chains.

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More Beer! And the Cooks Who Use it to Perfection!

Time again for the Cooks Confab! This time, the theme is Craft Beer: From Grain to Glass, Farm to Table. And, we're moving from La Jolla to downtown San Diego. Specifically Stingaree. More specifically, the rooftop!

You can find the menu here, but just a sampling of participating chefs includes:

• Antonio Friscia of Stingaree, of course
• Jason Knibb of Nine-Ten
• Nathan Coulon of Quarter Kitchen
• Christian Graves of JSix
• Andrew Spurgin of Waters Fine Catering
• Amy DiBiase of Roseville
• Olivier Bioteau of Farm House Cafe
• Paul McCabe of Kitchen 1540
• Katie Grebow of Cafe Chloe
• Jeff Jackson and T.K. Kolanko of A.R. Valentien

And more! And, the brewers? They've got Stone, AleSmith, Ballast Point, Green Flash, Lightning, and The Lost Abbey. Each brewer is paired with chefs to create a fabulous dish.

Ah, the specifics. It's on Sunday, August 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost is $90 per person and includes food, beer, other beverages, tax, and gratuity. Plus, a portion of the ticket sales goes to support Slow Food Urban San Diego. Valet parking is available.

These are hugely fun and delicious events! Make your reservation by calling (619) 544-9500.


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