2011 Cooks & Chords Recap

Saturday, September 10th, the 2011 Cooks & Chords Fundraiser was held at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale from 6-9pm.

The event featured eight culinary stations, each represented by a local restaurant serving up portion-sized samples of their signature bites, and multiple beverage stations offering wine, beer and mixed drinks. Live entertainment was provided by Charisma, while guests perused the silent auction tables, mingled and enjoyed the food.

Participating restaurants and their dishes:

• Blue Adobe Grill | Fire Roasted Salsa, Spinach con Queso with Chips, and Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Red Chile Maple Mashed Potatoes and Raspberry Chipotle
• Brio | Pasta Brio with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Pasta Alla Vodka, Tomato Caprese Bruschetta, and Panacotta
• Sierra Bonita | “Trio Bruschetta”, Shaved Tri Tip with Blueberry Chimichurri Sauce and Menonita, Smoked Trout with Arugula and Roasted Bell Pepper Cheese served on SBC White Platters with fresh herb garnish. Roasted Red Pork Chile Sliders served on Green Chile Cheddar Biscuits
• The Capital Grille | Sliced Beef Tenderloin with Sam’s Mashed Potatoes
• Aiello’s | Joe’s Famous Meatballs made of pork and veal and cooked in sauce. Arancini – Mini Rice Balls filled in the center with Bolognese, peas and a dollop of ricotta and mozzarella. Pomodoro Eggplant Rolatini – eggplant rolled with ricotta, mozzarella and pecorino, and housemade foccacia.
• Miracle Mile Delicatessen | Beef Brisket Sliders and Pastrami New Yorker Bites
• Morton’s Steakhouse | Petit Filet Mignon Sandwiches
• Mayo Clinic | Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze, Prosciutto-Wrapped Grilled Prawns with Basil Pesto, and Cake Lollipops

Our favorites of the evening:

Amy: The two stations that I enjoyed the most were Brio and Mayo Clinic. Brio’s staff was the friendliest of the evening – so accommodating, especially for Taryn’s aversion to meat, and informative. Their Pasta Alla Vodka was quite good – handmade pasta filled with ricotta, garlic and basil with a tomato Parmesan cream sauce. Their Bruschetta was my favorite version of all we tried this evening. The Mayo Clinic’s station was beautiful -their Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Prawns with Basil Pesto were presented in martini glasses and was a hit among the crowd. Their Cake Lollipops were a whimsical treat. Blue Adobe Grille’s Spinach con Queso was pretty tasty too, served with crisp warm chips.

Taryn: I have to agree with Amy on her assessment of Brio. They were so accommodating and made me a special plate without the meat garnish on the Pasta Alla Vodka, without me even asking.  Their Bruschetta was delightful and beautifully presented. Blue Adobe Grille’s Fire Roasted Salsa was also a big hit with me. It had a great texture and just enough kick to please this salsa-loving gal!
I was also a big fan of the Mayo Clinic’s Cake Lollipops. I had a spiced cake version as well as the always delightful Red Velvet. Even though the majority of the restaurant’s offerings were meat-heavy, there really was something for everyone!

Check out photos of the stand-out items below:

Brio’s booth serving up Pasta Brio and Pasta Alla Vodka

Tomato Caprese Bruschetta, Pasta Alla Vodka and Pasta Brio

Mayo Clinic’s Prosciutto-Wrapped Grilled Prawns with Basil Pesto

Mayo Clinic’s Cake Lollipops

Blue Adobe Grille’s Spinach con Queso

Blue Adobe Grille

To view more pictures from the event, visit our Facebook page and find on our album.

Raffle packages and silent auction items raised money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  Raffle prizes included a Vegas Vacation Package, a Spa Package and a “Behind the Scenes” AZ Diamondbacks Baseball Package.

About MS: Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and stops people from moving.  Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide. Last year, Cooks and Chords raised over $30,000 to provide programs for people living with MS and fund research towards the cure.

To learn more about the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and how you can get involved, visit nationalmssociety.org.

Recap by Amy Martin & Taryn Jeffries, PhoenixBites Staff