Great Chefs Serve Up a Benefit

The grand ballroom was a gastronome's fantasy as the doors opened for 's 19th annual Great Chefs of Long Island event at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury Sunday afternoon.   

More than 50 of the best restaurants and wineries in the area set out plates of artistry in food to whet the palates of the 500-plus diners who came to contribute to the league and honor community leaders. The league is one of the largest not-for-profit human service agencies on Long Island. The Great Chefs event is their biggest fundraiser of the year.

"Our staff and committee volunteers did a great job," Karen Boorshtein, president and CEO of Family Service League, said. "We thank all the attendees and participants who help make this such a successful event.

Susan C. Edwards, vice president for development, said the event raised more than $200,000 for the organization. 

Restaurant owners and executive chefs showed off their signature dishes and diners were treated to a menu of global cuisine. of Huntington offered beef Baracoa tacos with roasted tomato jalapeno salsa created and served by Matthew Lake, executive chef. The next table offered samples of artichoke soup with white truffle oil by next to the pan-seared potato gnocchi with parmesan -white truffle sauce offered by chef Gregg Lauletta of . Another Huntington restaurant, , served lemon grass and lobster bisque with pesto crab salad and sea scallops with celery-root puree with beet juice and carrot oil decorated with a fried purple-potato chip.  

Rafaela Lubrano of the Bussola Restaurant Group supervised as her sons Tony and executive chef Marco simmered beef and veal meatballs in a cauldron of red sauce. "All my boys are involved in the business," she said. There are restaurants in Huntington and Mineola as well as the original La Bussola in Glen Cove.

Plates of pumpkin cheesecake drizzled with fresh cranberry sauce disappeared as soon as they were set out. "My late husband Pasquale and I came to the United States from Naples, Italy and he started our first restaurant in 1980," said Lubrano. She added "We are very proud to be here to support the Family Service League."  

The diners could choose from a seemingly endless array of entrees ranging from Chilean sea bass with lobster and smoked tomato relish to cavatelli pasta with leg of lamb ragout. You could have salmon meatballs in vodka sauce from one table and filet mignon with a mushroom/garlic butter sauce from another.

"We always try to be first on line," said Sheila Silverstein, who traveled from New Jersey with her friend Debbie Mirth of Allentown, Pa. "It's a fabulous event for a great cause. We haven't missed one yet!" 

Ana Mocete, president of In The Mood Coffee & Ice Cream in Woodbury, filled cones with scoops of pumpkin and "grandma's cake" ice cream. Sommeliers from Long Island vineyards and distributors, including Pellegrini Vineyards, Opici Wine Company of NY, Jamesport Vineyards, Michael Skurnik Wines and Martha Clara, Osprey's Dominion and Paumanok Vineyards offered a variety of wines to satisfy every taste.  

Honored at the event were:

Ken Silverman, SilvermanAcampora, who received the 2010 Community Leadership Award,  Bank of America with the 2010 Corporate Leadership Award,  and John J. Tunney III, 2010 Restaurateur of the Year.

 "We hope this event reminds Long Islanders that the Family Service League provides help to everyone through education, housing, senior and family support services," said Kathy Horowitz, coordinator for volunteer services at the League. The organization has  46 programs that help more than 47,000 people each year at locations in Huntington, Huntington Station, Bay Shore, Yaphank and Riverhead.