Fork Dork: Top Chef Cooks for Hopelink Benefit Event, Lot No. 3 Pours Wine for Child Advocacy Group and More

Tom Colicchio, celebrity chef, host of Bravo Televion’s Top Chef and an advocate for kids’ nutrition, will be the keynote speaker at 16th Annual Reaching Out Benefit Luncheon at at noon Monday, Oct. 17.

Colicchio has been a philanthropist for most of his 30-plus-year career in restaurants. He serves on the Food Council of City Harvest, the world’s first food rescue organization, which helps feed more than 300,000 hungry New Yorkers weekly. Colicchio also is a member of the Culinary Council of The Food Bank for New York City. Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he joined a volunteer army serving food to rescue workers at Ground Zero. Colicchio is also a passionate advocate for healthy school lunches for children. He testified before Congress on the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.

In 1994, along with mega-restaurateur Danny Meyer, Colicchio founded Gramercy Tavern, where he was executive chef. He sold his stake in the restaurant in 2006. In spring of 2001 he opened the first Craft restaurant a block away from Gramercy Tavern.

The Craft Restaurant Group is now seven restaurants large with locations in New York (Craft, Craftbar, Colicchio & Sons); Mashantucket, Conn. (Craftsteak); Las Vegas (Craftsteak); Los Angeles (Craft)' and Dallas (Craft). Colicchio’s restaurant empire also includes ’wichcraft sandwich shops, with a dozen locations in New York City as well as single stores in San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Colicchio has earned five James Beard Awards, the highest recognition in the restaurant industry. He earned his latest James Beard Award last year for Outstanding Chef. He also won an Emmy last year for Outstanding Reality-Competition Programming.

Colicchio has published four books: Think Like a Chef; Craft of Cooking: Notes and Recipes from a Restaurant Kitchen; 'wichcraft: Craft a sandwich into a meal, and a meal into a sandwich; and Top Chef: The Cookbook.

The Heathman Hotel turns four with five courses

The and Trellis Restaurant in Kirkland will be celebrating its fourth anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 8, with a harvest dinner. The evening begins with a 6:30 p.m. reception. Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. For $85 guests can dine on five courses, including roasted pear salad, sole dieppoise and apple wood smoked duckling. Each course will be paired with a local wine.

Chefs Philippe Boulot and Michael Stanton of the Heathman Restaurant & Bar in Portland will be teaming up with Trellis Executive Chef Brian Scheehser for the special dinner featuring produce from Scheehser’s 10-acre farm in Woodinville.

For reservations call Trellis at 425-284-5900. The complete menu is available at the Heathman Hotel's website.

Grape Expectations for Olive Crest

in Bellevue will be hosting Grape Expectations, the 10th annual wine procurement party for Olive Crest, an organization that provides a variety of services for abused, neglected and at-risk children and their families, on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 5 - 8 p.m. Admission is a $100 cash donation to Olive Crest or a $100 or more bottle of wine. Complimentary hors d'oeurves and wine will be served. Participating wineries include Mercer Estate, O Wines and William Church.

Wines donated during the evening will be auctioned at the annual "One Life at a Time Gala" on March 12, 2012, at the .

Olive Crest serves neglected and at-risk children, and their families. Olive Crest provides safe homes, counseling and education for both youth and parents.

Ciao Cigliutti!

Piedmont, Italy, winemaker Claudia Cigliutti from Cigliutti Winery and Café Juanita Wine Director Dawn Smith will be hosting a winemaker dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at .  

Wines from the tiny estate vineyard in Neive, including Barbera, Langhe Rosso, Langhe Nebbiolo, Barbaresco and Moscato, will be paired with beets salad with Marcona almond butter and La Tur Bombolino, Barbaresco risotto, porcini tagliatelle, braised rabbit, Panna Cotta and Brutti ma Buoni (ugly but good cookies).

Cost is $125 plus tax and gratuity. Call 425-823-1505 for reservations.