A dash of charity, a pinch of fun

Usually you can count on these chefs to pay close attention to their food, especially at a fundraiser to benefit the National Kidney Foundation, but you’ll have to excuse them if they were a bit distracted Sunday.

After all, Italy and France tussled in an exciting shootout to see who would win the World Cup.

As the chefs eyed each other’s dishes they circled around two TVs at the club.

An Austrian with Northern Italian roots, Josef Lageder cheered for Italy. Balboa Bay Club’s executive chef and host for the event also managed to find time to peek around the corner to watch as his team beat France.

Intermittent cries of defeat and elated cheers erupted around the TVs throughout the day.

To everyone, though, Sunday’s most important goal was never far from anyone’s mind. In addition to serving the delicious food, the event’s organizers raised money with silent auction items, including airline tickets, a Sector-9 skateboard, restaurant gift certificates, fine wines and premium alcohols, among many other high-end items.

“It’s a good event,” said Richard Mead, owner of Newport Beach restaurant Sage of the 20th annual Great Chefs of Orange County fundraiser. “I’ve had friends with kidney transplants and have known people who have died from this. It’s a great cause.”

Mead joined 21 other head chefs, including the foundation’s Chef of Honor, Pascal Olhats of Newport Beach’s Pascal Restaurant, in preparing some of their restaurants’ signature dishes. Guests mingled around tables outside listening to steel drums and sampling cuisine like seared white fish, spicy tuna tacos, cedar plank grilled wild salmon and a host of wines, alcohols and other beverages.

The $80,000 the foundation expects to raise will directly benefit the Orange County community, including a camp for children with kidney disease, minority health outreach, free health screenings and awareness, said Linda Small, executive director of the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California.

Dan and Pam Leimel and Antonio Ybarra made the trek from Riverside to the bayside resort to sample the delectable dishes and to show their support for the cause.

“What it’s for, my gosh,” Pam Leimel said. “For the money to go back to the community ? it’s great.”

Ybarra is all too familiar with kidney ailments. A year ago he had to have one of his kidneys removed because of a tumor. He is now on the road to recovery and said he came out because he knows how it feels to be unhealthy. Well, that and the food, too.

Chris Garnier, executive chef of Roy’s in Newport Beach, said the restaurant participates in about 15 charity events every year, but the Great Chefs of Orange County is their biggest.

“We just want to contribute as much as we can to the community,” he said. “Plus, we like doing this event.”

That sentiment was shared by many of the chefs because the event gives them a chance to talk and meet each other in a more relaxed atmosphere.

“It’s fun for the chefs too,” Lageder said. “After, we have an afternoon overlooking the yachts. It creates a camaraderie among the chefs.”

Bryan Carter of the West Coast division of Future Brands in Costa Mesa, said that camaraderie extended to the community when people gathered for a good cause.

“It’s a goodwill effort toward the community,” said Carter, who was pouring tasters of the company’s premium Level vodka for guests. “I like to give to good causes versus for-profit ? it just doesn’t bring life to the community like this.”

For more information bout the National Kidney Foundation, visit www.kidneysocal.org.