'Party of the Year' Rates a Near-Perfect Finish
August 1, 2008 – Bend, Oregon: Perfect weather, amazing gourmet cuisine, Deschutes Brewery suds, and a few surprises greeted 1,000 guests at this year's Sagebrush Classic Feast on July 18-19 at Broken Top Club in Bend. Event attendees had direct access to the eighteen celebrity chefs who presented samplings of award-winning cuisine. Founding sponsor Deschutes Brewery stepped up their involvement with beer pairings matched to individual menu items at each chef station, as well as serving brews from "Woody," a giant barrel and beer concession that added fun to the festivities. Mt. Hood Beverage provided the Washington and California wines in their second year as a major sponsor.
The high-end silent auction featured unique trips, art, wine, and other items donated from across the country, many by past and present Sagebrush Classic chefs. Hershey, a friendly 6-year old thoroughbred and great-grandson of Secretariat, greeted attendees as they walked from the admission area to the event site and was quite an attraction. The horse, donated by Ron & Lisa Cole of the Rockin' LB Ranch, was sold through the Sagebrush auction.
Outstanding musical entertainment was provided by concert rock violinist Aaron Meyer, who opened for the LA-based rhythm and soul group, Jack Mack & The Heart Attack.
Friday's best ball Sagebrush Classic golf tournament resulted in a win in the gross category for the team of Mench, Eves, King and Sieverson. Net category winners were the team of Van Vliet, Heimuller, Edwards and Brewer.
Celebrity chefs are the heart of the Sagebrush Classic and proved they also have heart through their support of Bruce Strane, a local 14-year-old high school freshman who has volunteered to help with food preparation for the past two years. Bruce willingly does whatever the chefs ask whether it's peeling potatoes, cleaning squid, picking tiny leaves from thyme, or just doing clean up. His career goals include graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and being a chef in the not-too-distant future. The chefs were so impressed with his commitment, last year they gave him a signed chef's coat, and this year, they took up a collection amongst themselves to buy him a set of chef knives.
Participating chefs for the 2008 event include:
• Philippe Boulot, Heathman Restaurant (Portland)
• Jody Denton, Merenda & Deep (Bend)
• Roberto Donna, Galileo (Washington DC)
• Tom Fleming, Central 214 (Dallas)
• Ken Frank, LaToque (Napa)
• Kenny Giambalvo, Bluehour (Portland)
• Jennifer Jasinski, Rioja & Bistro Vendome (Denver)
• Mark Kiffin, The Compound (Santa Fe)
• Jackie Lau, Roy's of Hawaii (Honolulu)
• Michael Mackie, Broken Top (Bend)
• Brian Malarkey, Oceanaire Seafood Room (San Diego)
• Jason McClure, Sazerac (Seattle)
• Matthew Neltner, Deschutes Brewery (Bend)
• Scott Neuman, ¡Oba! Restaurante (Portland)
• Michael Smith, Michael Smith KC (Kansas City)
• Greg & Sonnier, New Orleans Grill (New Orleans)
• Chris Taylor, Fraser's (Perth, Australia)
Special Guests:
• John Finger & Terry Sawyer, Hog Island Oyster Company (San Francisco)
• Bill Marinelli, Marinelli Shellfish (Bangkok, Thailand)
• Nigel Viet, Anna Truong, and Christina Nguyen, Sheraton Saigon Hotel (Vietnam)
Since its inception, the Sagebrush Classic has shared nearly $2 million in proceeds with nonprofit organizations serving children and families in Central Oregon and Deschutes County.
For more information, or to be added to the mailing list, contact Executive Director Judy Anderson at 800-601-8123, send an email to sagebrushclassic@comcast.net, or visit the website at www.sagebrush.org.
Sagebrush Classic Announces 2008 Celebrity Chef Lineup
March 24, 2008 - Bend, Oregon: Twenty celebrity chefs from across the nation and around the world arrive in Bend, Oregon each July to participate in the Sagebrush Classic, one of the Northwest's premier culinary events, and Central Oregon's "Party of the Year." More than 1200 guests nosh on gourmet cuisine, sip handcrafted brews from Deschutes Brewery and enjoy cuisine-friendly wines. Diners dance to top entertainment under the summer sky to round out the evening.
The Sagebrush Classic is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, July 18-19 at the exclusive Broken Top Club. 2008 marks the 19th anniversary of this high-profile fundraiser benefiting numerous nonprofit organizations serving children and families throughout Deschutes County and Central Oregon.
Friday's amateur best ball golf tournament on July 18 features a field of 52 foursomes battling it out for top honors in the 18-hole best ball competition on the course at Broken Top. Friday also includes a media event with celebrity chefs and kids cooking up fun on the event site.
The piece-de-resistance is the Classic Feast on Saturday, July 19, the culinary extravaganza prepared by the star-studded lineup of celebrity chefs. Many of the chefs use the event as a mini-vacation amidst a bevy of recreational opportunities such as white water rafting, canoeing, biking, golf, or more leisurely activities like getting to know their comrades from around the world. The Classic Feast has a new look and feel that continues the great energy and vibe of this crowd pleasing party.
2008 CELEBRITY CHEFS
Philippe Boulot - The Heathman Restaurant - Portland, OR
Jody Denton - Merenda Restaurant - Bend, OR
Roberto Donna - Galileo - Washington DC
Peter Find - Wynn Resort - Nape, Macau
Tom Fleming - Central 214 - Dallas, TX
Ken Frank - LaToque - Rutherford, CA
Kenny Giambalvo - Bluehour - Portland, OR
Jennifer Jasinski - Rioja - Denver, CO
Mark Kiffin - The Compound - Santa Fe, NM
Jackie Lau - Roy's Restaurants Hawaii - Honolulu, HI
Michael Mackie - Broken Top Club - Bend, OR
Brian Malarkey - Oceanaire Seafood Room - San Diego, CA
Jason McClure - Sazerac - Seattle, WA
Matthew Neltner - Deschutes Brewery - Bend, OR
Scott Neuman - Oba Restaurante - Portland, OR
Michael Smith - Michael Smith & Extra Virgin - Kansas City, MO
Greg & Mary Sonnier - Gabrielle - New Orleans, LA
Chris Taylor - Fraser's - Perth, Australia
SPECIAL GUESTS
John Finger & Terry Sawyer - Hog Island Oyster Company - Marshall, CA
Bill Marinelli - Marinelli Shellfish - San Francisco, CA
Since its inception, the Sagebrush Classic has provided nearly $2 million in support to nonprofit organizations in Deschutes County and Central Oregon.
