LA’s Full Circle Benefit

The Careers through Culinary Arts Program’s second annual Full Circle Dinner Benefit took place on April 25 at Los Angeles’ Redbird. It’s called “full circle” because its chefs mentor young high school students, who develop work and life skills and then often become successful chefs themselves, some now coming full circle to assist in the preparation of the event. View photos here, generously donated by Fred Martin.

Guests were greeted with a cocktail reception featuring downtown LA’s own Greenbar Distillery Tequila plus Fords Gin cocktails, created by Anthony Greco and Alex Kitzmann. Delicious bites from Chefs Monti Carlo, Josiah Citrin, Duff Goldman, Neal Fraser, and Dustin Trani were served.

Chef Neal Fraser hosted the multi-course seated dinner with participating celebrity chefs, featuring a spring bean salad, steamed Alaskan salmon, rib cap and pastrami short ribs, and chocolate chess pie. Premium wines from Hitching Post and No. 1 Family Estate as well as craft beer from local El Segundo Brewing Company were paired with each course.

The silent and live auction, with guest emcee and auctioneer Billy Harris, was a big hit. The two dinners with chefs brought in $8,000 each, and the event earned more than $65,000, with checks still coming in, to support C-CAP’s career readiness programs for underserved high school students in Southern California.

C-CAP’s Program Director Lisa Fontanesi and Chef Neal gave KFI radio’s Fork Report program all the details. You can listen to it here.

Dinner was prepared by guest celebrity chefs: Monti Carlo, a Food Network personality; Josiah Citrin of Openaire and Charcoal Venice; Sandra Cordero of Gasolina; Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes; C-CAP alum Anthony Greco of Lukshon and Father’s Office; Kyle Johnson of Bourbon Steak; Alex Kitzmann of Catch LA; Antonia Lofaso of Scopa, Black Market, and DAMA; Nicole Rucker of Fiona; and C-CAP alum Dustin Trani of J. Trani’s Ristorante.

C-CAP Council LA’s chairperson, Barbara Fairchild (former editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit magazine) talks about her involvement with C-CAP and the benefit in this SoCal Restaurant Show podcast.