Meals On Wheels of San Francisco presents
THE 21st ANNUAL
STAR CHEFS & VINTNERS GALA
An epicurean extravaganza supporting San Francisco's seniors
Sunday, May 18, 2008 at Fort Mason
Reserve your spot at the hottest table in town now!

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (April 2, 2008) - Michael Mina, Traci des Jardins and Charles Phan are just a few of the culinary superstars who will headline Meals On Wheels of San Francisco's 21st Annual Star Chefs & Vintners Gala, taking place Sunday, May 18 at Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion. ABC 7's Cheryl Jennings and Don Sanchez return as co-hosts of the event, the Bay Area's most exciting food and wine event of the year.

James Beard Award-winner Nancy Oakes of Boulevard returns for her fifth year as Gala Chef Chairwoman, who along with her A-list colleagues will prepare the food lover's feast, all to benefit Meals On Wheels of San Francisco and their efforts to serve one of the city's most vulnerable populations - homebound seniors.

"Over the past year, Meals On Wheels of San Francisco has been able to serve more than 800,000 meals to 2,200 seniors," said Ashley McCumber, Executive Director of Meals On Wheels of San Francisco. "This is due in large part to the Star Chefs & Vintners Gala, our most important fundraiser of the year, and the generosity of these world-class chefs and wineries."

The evening begins at 5 p.m. with an hors d'oeuvre and wine reception, featuring creations from more than 30 chefs and wineries, followed by a three-course, sit-down meal, with each course prepared by one of 24 different chefs. The grand finale is a decadent dessert reception and dancing. Last year's event, which featured Chefs Thomas Keller, Charlie Palmer and more than 70 others, raised a record $1 million towards providing San Francisco's seniors with meals and vital support services.

Among the chefs participating in this year's gala are: Jan Birnbaum (Epic Roasthouse), David Kinch (Manresa), Douglas Keane (Cyrus), Elizabeth Faulkner (Orson / Citizen Cake), Richard Reddington (REDD), Nate Appleman (A16 / SPQR), Chris Cosentino (Incanto / Boccolone), Staffan Terje (Perbacco), Laurence Jossel (NOPA), Shotaro "Sho" Kamio (Yoshi's San Francisco) and Cal Stamenov (Marinus). Many of California's leading wine producers will also take part in the Gala, providing wine pairings for each of the specially prepared dishes. Participating vintners include Cakebread Cellars, Chalk Hill Estate Vineyard & Winery, Duckhorn Vineyards, Grgich Hills Estate and Silver Oak Cellars.

During both a live and silent auction, guests will have the opportunity to bid on a number of once-in-a-lifetime items, including a trip France, a wine connoisseur package featuring a dozen bottles of "unobtainable" wines, a behind-the-scenes tour of a San Francisco Giants broadcast, a party on a private yacht featuring the culinary creations of Nancy Oakes, and private dinners and cooking classes with celebrity chefs. The evening reaches its inspiring climax during "Fund-A-Route," in which guests have the opportunity to directly contribute toward funding a meal delivery route in San Francisco. When fully funded, the route is expected to permanently remove 30 to 40 seniors from the waiting list and provide them with much-needed meals and services.

The 21st Annual Star Chefs & Vintners Gala is chaired by Laurie Thomas and Andrew Wiegand. Event production is by Hartmann Studios, Taste Catering and Event Planning and Dominic Phillips Event Marketing.

The Gala is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and Valley Services and is supported by American Airlines, BMW of San Francisco, Dixon Financial, Farella Braun + Martel, Howery LLP, Nims & Associates, Macy's, Pacific Union, Simon Pearce, Sysco Food Services, TPG Capital and Wells Fargo Foundation. Media sponsors for the event are KGO-TV ABC 7, KOIT/KDFC, San Francisco Business Times and San Francisco magazine.

Individual tickets are priced at $400, with patron levels ranging from $1,500 to $20,000. To reserve tickets or for more information, call 415-920-1111 ext. 221 or visit www.mowsf.org.

About Meals On Wheels of San Francisco
For 38 years, Meals On Wheels of San Francisco (MOWSF) has been providing meals and other supportive services to homebound seniors to ensure that they can continue to live independently, with dignity and respect. MOWSF serves over 1,500 clients every day, either in their homes or at the Dorrwin B. Jones Senior Center. MOWSF's growth has been tremendous but the need for service has far outpaced the funding available to provide these services - more than 100 seniors remain on a waiting list to receive meals. Website: http://www.mowsf.org/