Local Celeb Chefs Bail On Their Own Restaurants for V-Day

All right, I'm having fun with headlines. But I couldn't help but notice how many local "celebrity" chefs are listed in the "all-star" lineup of a charity event that just so happens to take place on Valentine's night -- one of the busiest nights of the year for most restaurants. It's...

By Michele Laudig

February 12, 2009

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All right, I'm having fun with headlines. But I couldn't help but notice how many local "celebrity" chefs are listed in the "all-star" lineup of a charity event that just so happens to take place on Valentine's night -- one of the busiest nights of the year for most restaurants. It's a night when people splurge to dine at a fancy joint, and surely, what customer wouldn't assume that the head chef will be in the kitchen?

Sorry, the NBA takes priority over your romantic dinner, dude.

Eddie Matney (Eddie's House), Paul Carter (The Phoenician), Beau MacMillan (elements), Michael de Maria (Heirloom), Vincent Guerithault (Vincent on Camelback), Aaron May (Sol y Sombra), Todd Sicolo (Arizona Biltmore), Matt Carter (Zinc Bistro), Chuck Wiley (Cafe Zuzu) and James Porter (Tapino) are all listed as participants in the NBA Cares & Cooks charity gala, scheduled for Saturday night at the Phoenix Convention Center.

To be fair, the soiree starts at 9, so perhaps those chefs will multitask earlier in the evening. And I certainly hope the event does well, since proceeds benefit a cornucopia of worthy non-profits: St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, Waste Not, Share Our Strength, and Feed the Children.

But anyway, it sounds like you'll have a better chance of spotting those chefs downtown than at their own restaurants.

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