On Sept. 16, Battello in Jersey City will showcase the talents of a dozen New Jersey top chefs for The Tasting: An Evening with Master Chefs on the Hudson. Proceeds will support the mission and programs of Eva’s Village in Paterson.
Eva’s Village, a Paterson NJ nonprofit, is a social service organization that provides integrated care and support to help community members in need find pathways to recovery, stability and independence.
With the New York City skyline as a backdrop, wine pairings, craft beers, cocktails and mocktails will complement walkaround gourmet tasting stations. Some of New Jersey’s top chefs will join the Chef Chairs – Ryan DePersio of Battello, Fascino and Kitchen Step and Robbie Felice of Viaggio and Osteria Crescendo– to showcase their specialties. All proceeds will benefit Eva’s Village.
“This walkaround tasting event brings together a dozen of the most talented chefs in New Jersey who are donating their time and talent for a great cause—to support the mission and programs of Eva’s Village,” explained Chef DePersio.
Chef Felice added, “I have seen first-hand the many ways that the programs at Eva’s Village promote resiliency and success. Not only are my two restaurants internship sites for students at Eva’s Culinary School, but several of my employees have graduated from Eva’s addiction recovery and culinary programs.”
For more than three decades, Eva’s Village, located in Paterson, NJ, has been providing care and support for thousands of people each year who are struggling with poverty, hunger, homelessness, and addiction. Eva’s offers a range of integrated programs and supportive services providing food, shelter and housing, medical care, mental health, and addiction treatment, recovery support, childcare and education, and job training. The Culinary School at Eva’s Village opened in 2014.
Joining the Chef Chairs, Master Chefs Anthony Bucco, Leia Gaccione, AJ Capella, Michael Carrino, Corey Heyer, Jamie Knott, Joe Mooney, Ehren Ryan, and David Viana will host stations featuring specialties from 17 top New Jersey restaurants. Guests with VIP tickets will be invited to preview tasting stations and demos prepared by students and alumni of Eva’s Culinary School, and the Chef Chairs will host a VIP dinner for a limited number of guests.
Eva’s Village will recognize the generosity of Hudson County developer Anthony LoConte and the LoConte Family at the event for their commitment to support The Culinary School at Eva’s Village, as well as invest in the overall growth of the organization over the next five years. “We are grateful to the LoConte family for their visionary gift; supporting life-changing careers for our culinary students, and pathways to recovery and independence for the thousands of individuals in need we serve each year,” noted Eva’s CEO, Mark Schmit.
The LoConte’s investment in Eva’s mission and programs continues the family’s record of charitable giving in the Paterson community, including funding for the Santo LoConte Center for Child Safety, Resiliency and Advocacy–a 10,000 sq. ft. facility, near completion—at St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson. The Center is dedicated to creating a welcoming environment of safety and security for families in crisis in Passaic County.
“We are excited to continue our outreach and impact within the Paterson community through our partnership with Eva’s Village,” explained Anthony LoConte.“We are passionate about providing opportunities that can make a generational impact. With our donation to Eva’s Culinary School we hope to support culinary students in need, working to build careers that will lead to stability and independence—not only for themselves, but for their families as well.”
The Culinary School is one of Eva’s Village newest programs. The private vocational school opened in 2014 to provide hands-on job training and placement to underserved members of the community, including graduates from Eva’s addiction recovery programs. To date, the school has graduated 162 students, and reports a 96% job placement rate. The school is funded entirely through private donations, which allows students to complete the six-month program without incurring debt. Learn more at their website.
