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TagsBY ANGELA DAIDONE AND TERI GATTO
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Local restaurateurs and chefs showed off their culinary specialties and celebs added a touch of glamour as more than 800 people gathered on Monday evening to raise funds for a worthy cause.
Celebrity chef and author Lidia Bastianich, former New York Giants MVP quarterback Phil Simms, and Dina Manzo of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" were among the special guests at the 3rd annual "Cooking for Kids: Gourmet Fare from Everywhere" held at The Venetian in Garfield to benefit St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Paterson.
"St. Joseph's is the busiest children's hospital in New Jersey," said Dr. Michael Lamacchia, Chairman of Pediatric Medicine. "We've made great strides in specialty and subspecialty pediatric care and continue to do so. Events like this help make it possible."
The guests were not there to talk shop, however. The $175-a-plate ticket offered a taste of exquisite samplings, such as tea-infused tapioca with rhubarb compote and prickly pear sorbet from the Ho-ho-kus Inn and Tavern; artichoke fritters with lemon sauce from the Sunset Pub & Grill in Cedar Grove; and delicacies from Restaurant Passionné in Montclair.One cannot leave out the tiny sips of Sicilian blood orange martinis and cucumber margaritas, offered by Bar Cara of Bloomfield. Yes, they were teeny tiny but oh, so refreshing.
If you chose the exclusive VIP ticket of $250, you were treated to an hour of rubbing elbows with the celebrities before sampling the cuisine.
"I have a special place in my heart for sick children," said actor Gianni Russo, who played Connie Corleone's husband Carlo in "The Godfather." Russo said when he was a young boy, he was stricken with polio and vowed to make good on charitable causes upon his recovery.
"I'm happy to be here," said the charming Russo, signing autographs and posing for pictures with guests.
In all, more than 30 restaurants and beverage vendors participated in the event.
