Acclaimed Dallas Chefs to Participate in 3rd Annual Symphony of Chefs Fine Dining Event

Dec. 14, 2012 - PRLog -- The KidLinks Foundation – a nonprofit that has been improving the emotional and physical needs of children by directly funding therapeutic music programs in North Texas for more than a decade– is hosting its third annual “Symphony of Chefs” fine dining event on February 25, 2013. Symphony of Chefs is pleased to announce that award-winning chefs Salvatore Gisellu (Urban Crust) and Andre Bedouret (Milestone Culinary Arts Center) are returning to the event for a third year. These chefs, along with many others from Dallas and Fort Worth, have agreed to donate their time, talent and food to this worthy cause.

Symphony of Chefs attendees will experience an evening of fine dining with each chef preparing a five-course dinner tableside exclusively for a table of 10 guests. The chefs will create their own menu, select complementing wines, and interact with table guests while preparing their gastronomical masterpiece.

All proceeds from the event will be used to fund several North Texas therapeutic music programs for children that are critically ill or have developmental delays. These organizations include Children’s Medical Center Music Therapy Program, SMU/Hugworks Music Therapy Program, Cook Children’s Medical Center, Ft. Worth, and Hurst-based Hugworks. Co-chairs of this year’s Symphony of Chefs are Bonnie & Nathan Shea and Kaari & Jim Wicklund.

Chef Salvatore Gisellu is executive chef of Urban Crust Wood Fired Pizza in Plano. He is also serving as Chef Chairman for Symphony of Chefs. Italian born World Master, Gisellu has a long-standing reputation for his innovative Italian cuisine.  After graduating at the top of his class at Scuola di Cucina Professionale, he was recruited in 1991 to be executive chef for Arcodoro & Pomodoro Ristoranti in Dallas and Houston. During his time there, he received the “Best Pizza” award by the Dallas Morning News.  In 1998, he became a member of the World Master Chef Society. In 2002, his American dream finally came true when he bought Daddy Jack’s Wood Grill, named “Best Neighborhood Restaurant” by D Magazine and recipient of four stars from Zagat. Most recently, he was part of a Texas team that received a bronze medal at the 2012 World Culinary Olympics.

His food has received numerous accolades such as the Texas Chefs Association’s “Best Dish of the Southwest,” and Dallas Observer’s “Best Italian Restaurant.”  Under his leadership, Urban Crust’s pizza is winning numerous awards including “Best Pizza” by WFAA and the Plano Star Courier. www.urbancrust.com

Chef Andre Bedouret, W.M.C.S. is the Director of Continuing Education at Milestone Culinary Arts Center. Born and raised in the Pyrenees region of Southwestern France, 13-year old André went to work as an apprentice at the Auberge du Panache Blanc.  He later received his classical training at Laurent’s in Paris. After a few years, Bedouret started globetrotting with stops in Spain, Switzerland, the Caribbean and finally, the United States.  He has worked premier hotels in San Francisco, Chicago, and Minneapolis before settling in Dallas. Most recently, Bedouret served as Executive Chef at the Faculty Club at U.T. Southwestern.

A Symphony of Chefs will be held at the Petroleum Club, Dallas on Monday, February 25, 2013. It is open to the public with tables for 10 ranging in price from $5,000 to $25,000, and a limited number of individual seats are available for $1,000. For more information about the event, visit www.symphonyofchefs.com.

For more information regarding these therapeutic music programs and chefs:
www.kidlinksfoundation.org
www.hugworks.org
www.childrens.com
www.cookchildrens.org
www.smu.edu/meadows