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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 07 > Entry
All-star chefs’ dinner to help friends in need
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Daniel Porubiansky hasn’t exactly had an easy time of it lately. His professional life has been a nonstop cliffhanger (he serves as the chef de cuisine at the Buckhead soap opera known as Seeger’s). And privately, Porubiansky has been dealing with his wife Andrea’s battle with cancer.
The family of six was in the midst of changing medical policies at the time of Andrea’s diagnosis. Consequently, the Porubianskys are facing a stack of medical expenses.
This Sunday, however, help arrives in the tasty form of “A Little Help From Friends,” an all-star seven-course benefit dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead.
In addition to the efforts of Bacchanalia chefs Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison in the kitchen, the couple is calling on other foodie friends: Joël chef Joël Antunes, Ritz-Carlton Buckhead Dining Room chef Arnaud Berthelier, Shaun’s chef Shaun Doty, Aria pastry chef Kathryn King, Aria owner/chef Gerry Klaskala, Taurus owner/chef Gary Mennie, Sam & Dave’s BBQ chef Dave Roberts, Table 1280 chef Todd Immel, Chikalicious owner/chef Chika Tillman and Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey (Calif.) chef Dakota Weiss to whip up a one-of-a-kind meal.
“Daniel just has the best attitude about everything, and Andrea is amazing,” Quatrano told Buzz on Wednesday. “I would just be crazy with everything they’ve had to face.”
Quatrano says assembling the A-list kitchen talent was as simple as picking up the phone.
The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, meanwhile, handed over a ballroom for the dinner while local organic-vegetable, wine, meat and seafood distributors are all buying tables. Sam & Dave’s Roberts was so jazzed about helping out, he personally delivered a stack of short ribs for Quatrano to nibble.
Even one of Quatrano and Harrison’s regular customers, an ovarian oncologist, offered to examine Andrea Porubiansky’s charts for her.
“The response from everyone has been terrific,” Quatrano says. “I was a little nervous at first, but we’re going to try and have some fun together in that kitchen while we help some friends.”
Tickets are available for $250 and tables for 10 for $2,500. To reserve a seat, call 404-365-0410, Ext. 22.
Suri in the spotlight … finally
We refrained from flipping through the entire exhaustive 22-page Vanity Fair photo spread of TomKat’s baby, Suri, Wednesday. Still, we felt compelled to at least pass along some of the more notable thoughts by the adorable tyke’s parents, Hollywood couple/couch-punishing Scientologists Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. On the subject of why images of their 41/2-month-old daughter are just being made available, Cruise says in VF: “We were just living our lives, being a family. Actually, we were taking our own photos and always planned to release those at the right time.”
Adds the former Joey Potter: “Then all the craziness began. This ‘Where is Suri?’ controversy. Tom and I looked at each other and said, ‘What’s going on?’ We weren’t trying to hide anything.”
Alas, the pair does not address why they neglected to spring for a more convincing toupee at Baby Gap…
‘Elliot’ Broadway-bound?
If you believe the New York Post (and goodness knows, we’d like to), Peachtree Road resident Elton John’s critically acclaimed musical “Billy Elliot” may indeed have a Broadway debut in its future. The stage production, an adaptation of the 2000 film about a working-class English boy who wants to be a ballet dancer, has been a hit in London’s West End. However, John, director Stephen Daldry and writer Lee Hall are going back to work to make the show a bit more accessible to an American audience, prior to its scheduled 2008 debut here.
Says producer Eric Fellner in the Post: “Stephen decided that if we’re going to take the show to Broadway and other places, we really want it to be as strong as possible. He felt he could do better. Lee and Elton felt they could do better.”
Carters’ talk to be webcast
After covering book signings that drew lines that wrapped around entire stores, the news from the Carter Center didn’t come as a shock Wednesday. The facility’s “Conversations at the Carter Center” event Tuesday featuring former President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn is sold out. The couple will discuss the center’s global efforts regarding “disease eradication, conflict resolution, democracy building and mental health promotion.” To accommodate more viewers, however, the 7 p.m. event will be webcast live at www.cartercenter.org. The public can also send along prospective questions to carterweb@emory.edu.
Quote of the day
“So, last night marked a huge turning point in the struggle for American equality: Someone with ovaries read from a TelePrompTer all by herself.” — Inimitable celeb gossip Web site Gawker.com, on Tuesday night’s debut of “The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric.”
Celebrity birthdays
Jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins is 76. Singer Gloria Gaynor is 57. Singer Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders is 55. Actor Tom Everett Scott (“Saved”) is 36. Drummer Chad Sexton of 311 is 36. Actress Shannon Elizabeth (“American Pie”) is 33.
Contributing: News services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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