Quantum Leap, the Mills 50 winery, will be the site of Friends of the Vine: A Magical Evening, a walkabout dinner benefitting the James Beard Foundation on Nov. 9 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $175 per person, plus tax, and can be purchased at this link.
The evening’s participants include:
Shannea “Nikki” Akins – chef/owner, Nikki’s Place
Stephen Gray – executive chef, Arthur’s Catering
Trina Gregory – chef/owner, Se7ev Bites
Matt Hinckley – chef/owner, Hinckley’s Fancy Meats
Mark Leggett – owner, Arthur’s Catering
Lordfer ‘Lo’ Lalicon – chef/owner, Kaya
Tonda Corrente – chef/owner, La Femme Du Fromage
Jamie McFadden – executive chef/founder, Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine & Events, and Snowbirds Vintners & Sandy Ridge Vineyards
George Miliotes – master sommelier and owner of Wine Bar George
The hosts for the evening are Quantum Leap’s owners Jill Ramsier, David Forrester and Edna Morris.
Morris, you may recall, is a former president of Red Lobster (when it was still part of Darden) and was instrumental in saving the James Beard Foundation in 2005 following a financial scandal involving the organization’s president and board chairman. Morris was named interim executive director of James Beard Foundation and is arguably one of the reasons the organization is still around today.
Forrester, who is married to Morris, said in a statement: “We are honored to host a Friends of James Beard Benefit at our winery. On this very special night, Quantum Leap Winery will create an evening of magic and belonging for lovers of wine and food and the special relationships in our community.”
The evening will feature a reception in the facility’s showroom and then the dinner at stations set up throughout the wine production area. (I can attest that it’s a great space to host a dinner.)
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Friends of the Vine web page.
