Chefs’ Tribute to Citymeals on Wheels
NEW YORK – While diligently working on assignments during my rotation through Weil’s Tax department, I received an email about an exciting event open to summer associates. The firm had reserved a limited number of spots for “¡Qué rico! Celebrating Latino Cuisine & Culture: The 31st Annual Chefs’ Tribute to Citymeals on Wheels.” Glancing at the event’s website, I was shocked by the roster of culinary legends scheduled to appear. Some of the expert chefs included Wolfgang Puck, Masaharu Morimoto, Scott Conant, Jean-Gorges Vongerichten and Mark Forgione. Some of the chefs traveled from as far as Chile, Colombia and Cuba. Quickly reserving my spot, I was lucky to receive one of the coveted tickets to this event.
After work that night, the Weil representatives headed over to Rockefeller Center. Upon entering the event, we were greeted by an ecstatic Wolfgang Puck making a culinary delicacy. Wolfgang convinced me to try his spicy dish, and I had to go back for seconds. Within the space, each featured celebrity chef ran their own booth to spice up the different offerings. Restaurant entrepreneurs, culinary giants and “Chopped” judges prepared exquisite dishes capturing unique Latin flavor. My favorite dishes were a lobster tail prepared by Jean-Gorges and duck tacos prepared by Morimoto. Other favorites included scrumptious giant scallops and deliciously sweet flan. Every dish exploded with its own distinct twist on Latin flavor. Throughout the event, a live band entertained the guests with a symphony of energizing songs. At the end of the night, the middle of Rockefeller Center Plaza transformed into a lively dance floor, as ballroom dancers led the guests in the festivities.
More than a 1,000 guests travelled through the tasting stations in the Rockefeller Center Plaza , and the fantastic event raised over $900,000 for Citymeals on Wheels. All of the money raised through the event will be used to prepare and deliver nutritious meals for homebound elderly New Yorkers. Two million meals go out annually to 18,000 older New Yorkers and 100% of all donations from the public go to meal preparation and delivery. Weil participates in a charity lunch day, making a donation to Citymeals on Wheels by replacing one of the Summer Speaker Series Lunches in the Summer Associate Program.
This was truly a unique event, and I was delighted that I had the opportunity to attend and learn more about this noble cause.